Holy Bible

New American Standard Bible

About the New American Standard Bible –

The New American Standard Bible is a modern-English update of the American Standard Version. Completed in 1971, the New American Standard Bible has received high praises from many scholars for its accuracy and readability.

Old Testament

New Testament

Genesis

Matthew

Exodus

Mark

Leviticus

Luke

Numbers

John

Deuteronomy

Acts

Joshua

Romans

Judges

1st Corinthians

Ruth

2nd Corinthians

1st Samuel

Galatians

2nd Samuel

Ephesians

1st Kings

Philippians

2nd Kings

Colossians

1st Chronicles

1st Thessalonians

2nd Chronicles

2nd Thessalonians

Ezra

1st Timothy

Nehemiah

2nd Timothy

Esther

Titus

Job

Philemon

Psalms

Hebrews

Proverbs

James

Ecclesiastes

1st Peter

Song of Solomon

2nd Peter

Isaiah

1st John

Jeremiah

2nd John

Lamentations

3rd John

Ezekiel

Jude

Daniel

Revelation

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

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Genesis

and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

1In the beginning God created the 10God called the dry land earth, and the heavens and the earth.

gathering of the waters He called seas;

2

and God saw that it was good.

The earth was formless and void, and

darkness was over the surface of the

11Then God said, "Let the earth sprout deep, and the Spirit of God was moving

vegetation, plants yielding seed, and

over the surface of the waters.

fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after

3

their kind with seed in them"; and it was Then God said, "Let there be light"; and so.

there was light.

12

4

The earth brought forth vegetation,

God saw that the light was good; and

plants yielding seed after their kind, and

God separated the light from the

trees bearing fruit with seed in them,

darkness.

after their kind; and God saw that it was

good.

5God called the light day, and the

darkness He called night. And there was

13There was evening and there was

evening and there was morning, one

morning, a third day.

day.

14Then God said, "Let there be lights in 6Then God said, "Let there be an

the expanse of the heavens to separate

expanse in the midst of the waters, and

the day from the night, and let them be let it separate the waters from the

for signs and for seasons and for days

waters."

and years;

7God made the expanse, and separated

15and let them be for lights in the

the waters which were below the

expanse of the heavens to give light on

expanse from the waters which were

the earth"; and it was so.

above the expanse; and it was so.

16

8

God made the two great lights, the

God called the expanse heaven. And

greater light to govern the day, and the there was evening and there was

lesser light to govern the night; He made

morning, a second day.

the stars also.

9Then God said, " Let the waters below

17God placed them in the expanse of the

the heavens be gathered into one place,

heavens to give light on the earth,

18and to govern the day and the night, over every creeping thing that creeps on and to separate the light from the

the earth."

darkness; and God saw that it was good.

27God created man in His own image, in

19There was evening and there was

the image of God He created him; male

morning, a fourth day.

and female He created them.

20Then God said, "Let the waters teem 28God blessed them; and God said to

with swarms of living creatures, and let them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill birds fly above the earth in the open the earth, and subdue it; and rule over expanse of the heavens."

the fish of the sea and over the birds of

the sky and over every living thing that 21God created the great sea monsters

moves on the earth."

and every living creature that moves,

with which the waters swarmed after

29Then God said, "Behold, I have given their kind, and every winged bird after its

you every plant yielding seed that is on kind; and God saw that it was good.

the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall

22God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful be food for you;

and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the

30and to every beast of the earth and to

earth."

every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I

23There was evening and there was

have given every green plant for food"; morning, a fifth day.

and it was so.

24

31

Then God said, "Let the earth bring God saw all that He had made, and

forth living creatures after their kind:

behold, it was very good. And there was

cattle and creeping things and beasts of

evening and there was morning, the

the earth after their kind"; and it was so.

sixth day.

25God made the beasts of the earth after

their kind, and the cattle after their kind,

2Thus the heavens and the earth were

and everything that creeps on the

completed, and all their hosts.

ground after its kind; and God saw that it

was good.

2By the seventh day God completed His

work which He had done, and He rested

26Then God said, "Let Us make man in on the seventh day from all His work

Our image, according to Our likeness;

which He had done.

and let them rule over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the sky and over 3Then God blessed the seventh day and

the cattle and over all the earth, and

sanctified it, because in it He rested

from all His work which God had created 12The gold of that land is good; the and made.

bdellium and the onyx stone are there.

4This is the account of the heavens and

13The name of the second river is Gihon;

the earth when they were created, in the

it flows around the whole land of Cush.

day that the LORD God made earth and

heaven.

14The name of the third river is Tigris; it

flows east of Assyria. And the fourth

5Now no shrub of the field was yet in the

river is the Euphrates.

earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not

15Then the LORD God took the man and

sent rain upon the earth, and there was

put him into the garden of Eden to

no man to cultivate the ground.

cultivate it and keep it.

6But a mist used to rise from the earth 16The LORD God commanded the man,

and water the whole surface of the

saying, "From any tree of the garden ground.

you may eat freely;

7Then the LORD God formed man of

17but from the tree of the knowledge of dust from the ground, and breathed into

good and evil you shall not eat, for in the

his nostrils the breath of life; and man day that you eat from it you will surely became a living being.

die."

8The LORD God planted a garden

18Then the LORD God said, "It is not toward the east, in Eden; and there He good for the man to be alone; I will

placed the man whom He had formed.

make him a helper suitable for him."

9Out of the ground the LORD God

19Out of the ground the LORD God

caused to grow every tree that is

formed every beast of the field and

pleasing to the sight and good for food; every bird of the sky, and brought them

the tree of life also in the midst of the to the man to see what he would call garden, and the tree of the knowledge of

them; and whatever the man called a

good and evil.

living creature, that was its name.

10Now a river flowed out of Eden to

20The man gave names to all the cattle,

water the garden; and from there it

and to the birds of the sky, and to every

divided and became four rivers.

beast of the field, but for Adam there

was not found a helper suitable for him.

11The name of the first is Pishon; it flows

around the whole land of Havilah, where

21So the LORD God caused a deep

there is gold.

sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept;

then He took one of his ribs and closed

up the flesh at that place.

22The LORD God fashioned into a 6When the woman saw that the tree was

woman the rib which He had taken from

good for food, and that it was a delight the man, and brought her to the man.

to the eyes, and that the tree was

desirable to make one wise, she took

23The man said, " This is now bone of from its fruit and ate; and she gave also

my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She

to her husband with her, and he ate.

shall be called Woman, Because she

was taken out of Man."

7Then the eyes of both of them were

opened, and they knew that they were

24For this reason a man shall leave his naked; and they sewed fig leaves

father and his mother, and be joined to together and made themselves loin

his wife; and they shall become one

coverings.

flesh.

8They heard the sound of the LORD

25And the man and his wife were both

God walking in the garden in the cool of

naked and were not ashamed.

the day, and the man and his wife hid

themselves from the presence of the

LORD God among the trees of the

3

garden.

Now the serpent was more crafty

than any beast of the field which the

9Then the LORD God called to the man,

LORD God had made. And he said to

and said to him, " Where are you?"

the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You

shall not eat from any tree of the

10He said, " I heard the sound of You in

garden'?"

the garden, and I was afraid because I

2

was naked; so I hid myself."

The woman said to the serpent, " From

the fruit of the trees of the garden we 11And He said, "Who told you that you may eat; were naked? Have you eaten from the

3

tree of which I commanded you not to

but from the fruit of the tree which is in

eat?"

the middle of the garden, God has said,

'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or 12The man said, "The woman whom You

you will die.'"

gave to be with me, she gave me from

4

the tree, and I ate."

The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

13Then the LORD God said to the

woman, "What is this you have done?"

5"For God knows that in the day you eat

And the woman said, " The serpent

from it your eyes will be opened, and

deceived me, and I ate."

you will be like God, knowing good and

evil."

14The LORD God said to the serpent, "

Because you have done this, Cursed

are you more than all cattle, And more 22Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the than every beast of the field; On your

man has become like one of Us,

belly you will go, And dust you will eat knowing good and evil; and now, he

All the days of your life;

might stretch out his hand, and take also

from the tree of life, and eat, and live 15And I will put enmity Between you and

forever"--

the woman, And between your seed and

her seed; He shall bruise you on the

23therefore the LORD God sent him out

head, And you shall bruise him on the

from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the

heel."

ground from which he was taken.

16To the woman He said, "I will greatly 24So He drove the man out; and at the multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain east of the garden of Eden He stationed

you will bring forth children; Yet your

the cherubim and the flaming sword

desire will be for your husband, And he which turned every direction to guard

will rule over you."

the way to the tree of life.

17Then to Adam He said, "Because you

have listened to the voice of your wife, 4Now the man had relations with his

and have eaten from the tree about

wife Eve, and she conceived and gave

which I commanded you, saying, 'You

birth to Cain, and she said, "I have shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the

gotten a manchild with the help of the

ground because of you; In toil you will LORD."

eat of it All the days of your life.

2

18

Again, she gave birth to his brother

"Both thorns and thistles it shall grow Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, for you; And you will eat the plants of but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

the field;

3

19

So it came about in the course of time By the sweat of your face You will eat

that Cain brought an offering to the

bread, Till you return to the ground,

LORD of the fruit of the ground.

Because from it you were taken; For you

are dust, And to dust you shall return."

4Abel, on his part also brought of the

20

firstlings of his flock and of their fat Now the man called his wife's name

portions. And the LORD had regard for

Eve, because she was the mother of all

Abel and for his offering;

the living.

5

21

but for Cain and for his offering He had

The LORD God made garments of

no regard. So Cain became very angry

skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed

and his countenance fell.

them.

6Then the LORD said to Cain, " Why are taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD

you

angry?

And

why

has

your

appointed a sign for Cain, so that no

countenance fallen?

one finding him would slay him.

7" If you do well, will not your

16Then Cain went out from the presence

countenance be lifted up? And if you do

of the LORD, and settled in the land of not do well, sin is crouching at the door;

Nod, east of Eden.

and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

17Cain had relations with his wife and

she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch;

8Cain told Abel his brother. And it came

and he built a city, and called the name

about when they were in the field, that of the city Enoch, after the name of his Cain rose up against Abel his brother son.

and killed him.

18Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad

9Then the LORD said to Cain, " Where became the father of Mehujael, and

is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do Mehujael

became

the

father

of

not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Methushael, and Methushael became

the father of Lamech.

10He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to

19Lamech took to himself two wives: the

Me from the ground.

name of the one was Adah, and the

name of the other, Zillah.

11"Now you are cursed from the ground,

which has opened its mouth to receive

20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the

your brother's blood from your hand.

father of those who dwell in tents and

have livestock.

12" When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you 21His brother's name was Jubal; he was will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the

the father of all those who play the lyre earth."

and pipe.

13Cain said to the LORD, "My

22As for Zillah, she also gave birth to punishment is too great to bear!

Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements

of bronze and iron; and the sister of

14"Behold, You have driven me this day

Tubal-cain was Naamah.

from the face of the ground; and from

Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a

23Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and vagrant and a wanderer on the earth,

Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of and whoever finds me will kill me."

Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I

have killed a man for wounding me; And

15So the LORD said to him, "Therefore a boy for striking me;

whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be

24If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then of Enosh, and he had other sons and Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

daughters.

25Adam had relations with his wife again;

8So all the days of Seth were nine

and she gave birth to a son, and named

hundred and twelve years, and he died.

him Seth, for, she said, "God has

appointed me another offspring in place

9Enosh lived ninety years, and became

of Abel, for Cain killed him."

the father of Kenan.

26To Seth, to him also a son was born; 10Then Enosh lived eight hundred and

and he called his name Enosh. Then

fifteen years after he became the father

men began to call upon the name of the

of Kenan, and he had other sons and

LORD.

daughters.

11

5

So all the days of Enosh were nine

This is the book of the generations of

hundred and five years, and he died.

Adam. In the day when God created

man, He made him in the likeness of

12Kenan lived seventy years, and

God.

became the father of Mahalalel.

2He created them male and female, and

13Then Kenan lived eight hundred and

He blessed them and named them Man

forty years after he became the father of

in the day when they were created.

Mahalalel, and he had other sons and

daughters.

3When Adam had lived one hundred and

thirty years, he became the father of a 14So all the days of Kenan were nine

son in his own likeness, according to his

hundred and ten years, and he died.

image, and named him Seth.

15Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and

4Then the days of Adam after he

became the father of Jared.

became the father of Seth were eight

hundred years, and he had other sons

16Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred

and daughters.

and thirty years after he became the

father of Jared, and he had other sons

5So all the days that Adam lived were

and daughters.

nine hundred and thirty years, and he

died.

17So all the days of Mahalalel were eight

hundred and ninety-five years, and he

6Seth lived one hundred and five years,

died.

and became the father of Enosh.

18Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two

7Then Seth lived eight hundred and

years, and became the father of Enoch.

seven years after he became the father

19Then Jared lived eight hundred years from the ground which the LORD has after he became the father of Enoch,

cursed."

and he had other sons and daughters.

30Then Lamech lived five hundred and

20So all the days of Jared were nine

ninety-five years after he became the

hundred and sixty-two years, and he

father of Noah, and he had other sons

died.

and daughters.

21Enoch lived sixty-five years, and

31So all the days of Lamech were seven

became the father of Methuselah.

hundred and seventy-seven years, and

he died.

22Then Enoch walked with God three

hundred years after he became the

32Noah was five hundred years old, and

father of Methuselah, and he had other

Noah became the father of Shem, Ham,

sons and daughters.

and Japheth.

23So all the days of Enoch were three

hundred and sixty-five years.

6Now it came about, when men began

to multiply on the face of the land, and 24Enoch walked with God; and he was

daughters were born to them,

not, for God took him.

2that the sons of God saw that the

25Methuselah lived one hundred and

daughters of men were beautiful; and

eighty-seven years, and became the

they

took

wives

for

themselves,

father of Lamech.

whomever they chose.

26Then Methuselah lived seven hundred

3Then the LORD said, " My Spirit shall and eighty-two years after he became

not strive with man forever, because he

the father of Lamech, and he had other

also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall

sons and daughters.

be one hundred and twenty years."

27So all the days of Methuselah were

4The Nephilim were on the earth in

nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and

those days, and also afterward, when

he died.

the sons of God came in to the

daughters of men, and they bore

28Lamech lived one hundred and eighty—

children to them. Those were the mighty

two years, and became the father of a

men who were of old, men of renown.

son.

5Then the LORD saw that the

29Now he called his name Noah, saying,

wickedness of man was great on the

"This one will give us rest from our work earth, and that every intent of the

and from the toil of our hands arising

thoughts of his heart was only evil

continually.

6The LORD was sorry that He had made its breadth fifty cubits, and its height man on the earth, and He was grieved thirty cubits.

in His heart.

16"You shall make a window for the ark,

7The LORD said, " I will blot out man and finish it to a cubit from the top; and whom I have created from the face of

set the door of the ark in the side of it; the land, from man to animals to

you shall make it with lower, second,

creeping things and to birds of the sky; and third decks.

for I am sorry that I have made them."

17"Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the

of water upon the earth, to destroy all LORD.

flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the 9These are the records of the

earth shall perish.

generations of Noah. Noah was a

righteous man, blameless in his time;

18"But I will establish My covenant with Noah walked with God.

you; and you shall enter the ark--you

and your sons and your wife, and your

10Noah became the father of three sons:

sons' wives with you.

Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

19" And of every living thing of all flesh, 11Now the earth was corrupt in the sight you shall bring two of every kind into the

of God, and the earth was filled with

ark, to keep them alive with you; they

violence.

shall be male and female.

12

20

God looked on the earth, and behold,

" Of the birds after their kind, and of it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted the animals after their kind, of every

their way upon the earth.

creeping thing of the ground after its

kind, two of every kind will come to you

13

to keep them alive.

Then God said to Noah, " The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the

21

earth is filled with violence because of

"As for you, take for yourself some of them; and behold, I am about to destroy

all food which is edible, and gather it to them with the earth.

yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them."

14"Make for yourself an ark of gopher 22

wood; you shall make the ark with

Thus Noah did; according to all that

rooms, and shall cover it inside and out God had commanded him, so he did.

with pitch.

15"This is how you shall make it: the 7Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter length of the ark three hundred cubits, the ark, you and all your household, for

you alone I have seen to be righteous seventeenth day of the month, on the before Me in this time.

same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of

2"You shall take with you of every clean

the sky were opened.

animal by sevens, a male and his

female; and of the animals that are not 12The rain fell upon the earth for forty clean two, a male and his female; days and forty nights.

3also of the birds of the sky, by sevens,

13On the very same day Noah and

male and female, to keep offspring alive

Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons

on the face of all the earth.

of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three

wives of his sons with them, entered the

4"For after seven more days, I will send

ark,

rain on the earth forty days and forty

nights; and I will blot out from the face of

14they and every beast after its kind, and

the land every living thing that I have all the cattle after their kind, and every made."

creeping thing that creeps on the earth

after its kind, and every bird after its kind, 5Noah did according to all that the

all sorts of birds.

LORD had commanded him.

15So they went into the ark to Noah, by

6Now Noah was six hundred years old

twos of all flesh in which was the breath

when the flood of water came upon the

of life.

earth.

16Those that entered, male and female

7Then Noah and his sons and his wife

of all flesh, entered as God had

and his sons' wives with him entered the

commanded him; and the LORD closed

ark because of the water of the flood.

it behind him.

8

17

Of clean animals and animals that are

Then the flood came upon the earth

not clean and birds and everything that

for forty days, and the water increased

creeps on the ground,

and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.

9there went into the ark to Noah by twos,

18

male

and

female,

as

God

had

The water prevailed and increased

commanded Noah.

greatly upon the earth, and the ark

floated on the surface of the water.

10It came about after the seven days,

19

that the water of the flood came upon

The water prevailed more and more

the earth.

upon the earth, so that all the high

mountains

everywhere

under

the

11

heavens were covered.

In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,

in

the

second

month,

on

the

20The water prevailed fifteen cubits 5The water decreased steadily until the higher, and the mountains were covered. tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the 21All flesh that moved on the earth mountains became visible.

perished, birds and cattle and beasts

and every swarming thing that swarms

6Then it came about at the end of forty upon the earth, and all mankind;

days, that Noah opened the window of

the ark which he had made;

22of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the

7and he sent out a raven, and it flew

spirit of life, died.

here and there until the water was dried

up from the earth.

23Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from

8Then he sent out a dove from him, to

man to animals to creeping things and

see if the water was abated from the

to birds of the sky, and they were blotted

face of the land;

out from the earth; and only Noah was

left, together with those that were with 9but the dove found no resting place for

him in the ark.

the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on 24The water prevailed upon the earth the surface of all the earth. Then he put

one hundred and fifty days.

out his hand and took her, and brought

her into the ark to himself.

8

10

But God remembered Noah and all

So he waited yet another seven days;

the beasts and all the cattle that were and again he sent out the dove from the

with him in the ark; and God caused a

ark.

wind to pass over the earth, and the

11

water subsided.

The dove came to him toward evening,

and behold, in her beak was a freshly

2Also the fountains of the deep and the

picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the

floodgates of the sky were closed, and

water was abated from the earth.

the rain from the sky was restrained;

12Then he waited yet another seven

3and the water receded steadily from the

days, and sent out the dove; but she did

earth, and at the end of one hundred

not return to him again.

and fifty days the water decreased.

13Now it came about in the six hundred

4In the seventh month, on the

and first year, in the first month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark first of the month, the water was dried rested upon the mountains of Ararat.

up from the earth. Then Noah removed

the covering of the ark, and looked, and

behold, the surface of the ground was summer and winter, And day and night dried up.

Shall not cease."

14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was

9And God blessed Noah and his sons

dry.

and said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

15Then God spoke to Noah, saying,

2"The fear of you and the terror of you 16"Go out of the ark, you and your wife will be on every beast of the earth and and your sons and your sons' wives with on every bird of the sky; with everything

you.

that creeps on the ground, and all the

fish of the sea, into your hand they are 17"Bring out with you every living thing of given.

all flesh that is with you, birds and

animals and every creeping thing that

3"Every moving thing that is alive shall creeps on the earth, that they may

be food for you; I give all to you, as I breed abundantly on the earth, and be gave the green plant.

fruitful and multiply on the earth."

4"Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, 18So Noah went out, and his sons and that is, its blood.

his wife and his sons' wives with him.

5"Surely I will require your lifeblood; from 19Every beast, every creeping thing, and

every beast I will require it. And from every bird, everything that moves on the

every man, from every man's brother I

earth, went out by their families from the

will require the life of man.

ark.

6" Whoever sheds man's blood, By man

20Then Noah built an altar to the LORD,

his blood shall be shed, For in the image

and took of every clean animal and of

of God He made man.

every clean bird and offered burnt

offerings on the altar.

7"As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and

21The LORD smelled the soothing

multiply in it."

aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I

will never again curse the ground on

8Then God spoke to Noah and to his

account of man, for the intent of man's sons with him, saying,

heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing,

9

as I have done.

"Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your

22

descendants after you;

"While the earth remains, Seedtime

and harvest, And cold and heat, And

10and with every living creature that is 18Now the sons of Noah who came out with you, the birds, the cattle, and every

of the ark were Shem and Ham and

beast of the earth with you; of all that Japheth; and Ham was the father of

comes out of the ark, even every beast

Canaan.

of the earth.

19These three were the sons of Noah,

11"I establish My covenant with you; and

and from these the whole earth was

all flesh shall never again be cut off by populated.

the water of the flood, neither shall there

again be a flood to destroy the earth."

20Then Noah began farming and planted

a vineyard.

12God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between

21He drank of the wine and became

Me and you and every living creature

drunk, and uncovered himself inside his

that is with you, for all successive

tent.

generations;

22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the

13I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall

nakedness of his father, and told his two

be for a sign of a covenant between Me

brothers outside.

and the earth.

23But Shem and Japheth took a garment

14"It shall come about, when I bring a and laid it upon both their shoulders and

cloud over the earth, that the bow will be

walked backward and covered the

seen in the cloud,

nakedness of their father; and their

faces were turned away, so that they did

15and I will remember My covenant,

not see their father's nakedness.

which is between Me and you and every

living creature of all flesh; and never

24When Noah awoke from his wine, he

again shall the water become a flood to

knew what his youngest son had done

destroy all flesh.

to him.

16"When the bow is in the cloud, then I 25So he said, " Cursed be Canaan; A will look upon it, to remember the servant of servants He shall be to his

everlasting covenant between God and

brothers."

every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

26He also said, " Blessed be the LORD,

The God of Shem; And let Canaan be

17And God said to Noah, "This is the his servant.

sign of the covenant which I have

established between Me and all flesh

27" May God enlarge Japheth, And let that is on the earth."

him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant."

28Noah lived three hundred and fifty 10The beginning of his kingdom was years after the flood.

Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh,

in the land of Shinar.

29So all the days of Noah were nine

hundred and fifty years, and he died.

11From that land he went forth into

Assyria,

and

built

Nineveh

and

Rehoboth-Ir and Calah,

10Now these are the records of the 12and Resen between Nineveh and generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born

Calah; that is the great city.

to them after the flood.

13Mizraim became the father of Ludim

2

and

Anamim

and

Lehabim

and

The sons of Japheth were Gomer and

Naphtuhim

Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal

and Meshech and Tiras.

14and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from

3The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and

which

came

the

Philistines)

and

Caphtorim.

Riphath and Togarmah.

15

4The sons of Javan were Elishah and

Canaan became the father of Sidon,

Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.

his firstborn, and Heth

16

5

and the Jebusite and the Amorite and

From these the coastlands of the

nations were separated into their lands,

the Girgashite

every one according to his language,

17

according to their families, into their

and the Hivite and the Arkite and the

nations.

Sinite

6

18

The sons of Ham were Cush and

and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and

Mizraim and Put and Canaan.

the Hamathite; and afterward the

families of the Canaanite were spread

7

abroad.

The sons of Cush were Seba and

Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and

19

Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were

The

territory

of

the

Canaanite

Sheba and Dedan.

extended from Sidon as you go toward

Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward

8

Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and

Now Cush became the father of Nimrod;

he became a mighty one on the earth.

Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

20

9He was a mighty hunter before the

These are the sons of Ham, according

to their families, according to their

LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod languages, by their lands, by their

a mighty hunter before the LORD."

nations.

21Also to Shem, the father of all the nations were separated on the earth children of Eber, and the older brother of

after the flood.

Japheth, children were born.

22The sons of Shem were Elam and

11Now the whole earth used the

Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and

same language and the same words.

Aram.

2

23

It came about as they journeyed east,

The sons of Aram were Uz and Hul

that they found a plain in the land of and Gether and Mash.

Shinar and settled there.

24Arpachshad became the father of

3They said to one another, "Come, let us

Shelah; and Shelah became the father

make bricks and burn them thoroughly."

of Eber.

And they used brick for stone, and they

used tar for mortar.

25Two sons were born to Eber; the name

of the one was Peleg, for in his days the

4They said, "Come, let us build for earth was divided; and his brother's

ourselves a city, and a tower whose top

name was Joktan.

will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will

26Joktan became the father of Almodad

be scattered abroad over the face of the

and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and

whole earth."

Jerah

5The LORD came down to see the city

27and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah

and the tower which the sons of men

had built.

28and Obal and Abimael and Sheba

6The LORD said, "Behold, they are one

29and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all

people, and they all have the same

these were the sons of Joktan.

language. And this is what they began

to do, and now nothing which they

30Now their settlement extended from

purpose to do will be impossible for

Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill

them.

country of the east.

7"Come, let Us go down and there

31These are the sons of Shem,

confuse their language, so that they will

according to their families, according to not understand one another's speech."

their

languages,

by

their

lands,

8

according to their nations.

So the LORD scattered them abroad

from there over the face of the whole

32These are the families of the sons of earth; and they stopped building the city.

Noah, according to their genealogies, by

their nations; and out of these the

9Therefore its name was called Babel, 19and Peleg lived two hundred and nine because there the LORD confused the

years after he became the father of Reu,

language of the whole earth; and from

and he had other sons and daughters.

there the LORD scattered them abroad

over the face of the whole earth.

20Reu lived thirty-two years, and

became the father of Serug;

10These are the records of the

generations of Shem. Shem was one

21and Reu lived two hundred and seven

hundred years old, and became the

years after he became the father of

father of Arpachshad two years after the

Serug, and he had other sons and

flood;

daughters.

11and Shem lived five hundred years

22Serug lived thirty years, and became

after

he

became

the

father

of

the father of Nahor;

Arpachshad, and he had other sons and

daughters.

23and Serug lived two hundred years

after he became the father of Nahor,

12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and

and he had other sons and daughters.

became the father of Shelah;

24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and

13and Arpachshad lived four hundred

became the father of Terah;

and three years after he became the

father of Shelah, and he had other sons

25and Nahor lived one hundred and

and daughters.

nineteen years after he became the

father of Terah, and he had other sons

14Shelah lived thirty years, and became

and daughters.

the father of Eber;

26Terah lived seventy years, and

15and Shelah lived four hundred and

became the father of Abram, Nahor and

three years after he became the father

Haran.

of Eber, and he had other sons and

daughters.

27Now these are the records of the

generations of Terah. Terah became the

16Eber lived thirty-four years, and

father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and

became the father of Peleg;

Haran became the father of Lot.

17and Eber lived four hundred and thirty

28Haran died in the presence of his

years after he became the father of

father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur

Peleg, and he had other sons and

of the Chaldeans.

daughters.

29Abram and Nahor took wives for

18Peleg lived thirty years, and became

themselves. The name of Abram's wife

the father of Reu;

was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife

was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the 6Abram passed through the land as far father of Milcah and Iscah.

as the site of Shechem, to the oak of

Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in

30Sarai was barren; she had no child.

the land.

31

7

Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the

The LORD appeared to Abram and

son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai

said, " To your descendants I will give his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's

this land." So he built an altar there to wife; and they went out together from Ur the LORD who had appeared to him.

of the Chaldeans in order to enter the

land of Canaan; and they went as far as

8Then he proceeded from there to the

Haran, and settled there.

mountain on the east of Bethel, and

pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west

32The days of Terah were two hundred

and Ai on the east; and there he built an

and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

altar to the LORD and called upon the

name of the LORD.

12

9

Now the LORD said to Abram,

Abram journeyed on, continuing toward

the Negev.

"Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's

10

house, To the land which I will show you;

Now there was a famine in the land; so

Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn

2

there, for the famine was severe in the And I will make you a great nation, And

land.

I will bless you, And make your name

great; And so you shall be a blessing;

11It came about when he came near to

3

Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife,

And I will bless those who bless you,

"See now, I know that you are a

And the one who curses you I will curse.

beautiful woman;

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

12and when the Egyptians see you, they

4

will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will So Abram went forth as the LORD had

kill me, but they will let you live.

spoken to him; and Lot went with him.

Now Abram was seventy-five years old

13

when he departed from Haran.

"Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of 5

you, and that I may live on account of Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his

you."

nephew, and all their possessions which

they had accumulated, and the persons

14

which they had acquired in Haran, and

It came about when Abram came into

they set out for the land of Canaan; thus

Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the

they came to the land of Canaan.

woman was very beautiful.

15Pharaoh's officials saw her and 4to the place of the altar which he had praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman made there formerly; and there Abram

was taken into Pharaoh's house.

called on the name of the LORD.

16Therefore he treated Abram well for

5Now Lot, who went with Abram, also

her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen

had flocks and herds and tents.

and donkeys and male and female

servants and female donkeys and

6And the land could not sustain them

camels.

while

dwelling

together,

for

their

possessions were so great that they

17But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his

were not able to remain together.

house with great plagues because of

Sarai, Abram's wife.

7And there was strife between the

herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the

18Then Pharaoh called Abram and said,

herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the

" What is this you have done to me?

Canaanite and the Perizzite were

Why did you not tell me that she was

dwelling then in the land.

your wife?

8So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there

19"Why did you say, 'She is my sister,'

be no strife between you and me, nor

so that I took her for my wife? Now then,

between

my

herdsmen

and

your

here is your wife, take her and go."

herdsmen, for we are brothers.

20Pharaoh

commanded

his

men

9"Is not the whole land before you?

concerning him; and they escorted him

Please separate from me; if to the left, away, with his wife and all that belonged

then I will go to the right; or if to the right, to him.

then I will go to the left."

10

13

Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the So Abram went up from Egypt to

valley of the Jordan, that it was well

the Negev, he and his wife and all that watered everywhere--this was before

belonged to him, and Lot with him.

the LORD destroyed Sodom and

Gomorrah--like the garden of the LORD,

2

like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock,

in silver and in gold.

11So Lot chose for himself all the valley

3

of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed

He went on his journeys from the

eastward. Thus they separated from

Negev as far as Bethel, to the place

each other.

where his tent had been at the

beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

12Abram settled in the land of Canaan,

while Lot settled in the cities of the

valley, and moved his tents as far as 3All these came as allies to the valley of Sodom.

Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

13Now the men of Sodom were wicked

4Twelve years they had served

exceedingly and sinners against the

Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year

LORD.

they rebelled.

14The LORD said to Abram, after Lot

5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer

had separated from him, " Now lift up and the kings that were with him, came your eyes and look from the place

and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth—

where

you

are,

northward

and

karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the

southward and eastward and westward;

Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

15for all the land which you see, I will 6and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as give it to you and to your descendants far as El-paran, which is by the

forever.

wilderness.

16"I will make your descendants as the 7Then they turned back and came to En-dust of the earth, so that if anyone can mishpat (that

is,

Kadesh),

and

number the dust of the earth, then your conquered all the country of the

descendants can also be numbered.

Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who

lived in Hazazon-tamar.

17"Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to 8And the king of Sodom and the king of you."

Gomorrah and the king of Admah and

the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela

18Then Abram moved his tent and came

(that is, Zoar) came out; and they

and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which

arrayed for battle against them in the

are in Hebron, and there he built an altar

valley of Siddim,

to the LORD.

9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and

Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king

14And it came about in the days of of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar--

four kings against five.

Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of

Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and

10

Tidal king of Goiim,

Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar

pits; and the kings of Sodom and

Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them.

2that they made war with Bera king of

But those who survived fled to the hill Sodom, and with Birsha king of

country.

Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and

Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king

of Bela (that is, Zoar).

11Then they took all the goods of Sodom 20And blessed be God Most High, Who and Gomorrah and all their food supply,

has delivered your enemies into your

and departed.

hand." He gave him a tenth of all.

12They also took Lot, Abram's nephew,

21The king of Sodom said to Abram,

and his possessions and departed, for

"Give the people to me and take the he was living in Sodom.

goods for yourself."

13Then a fugitive came and told Abram

22Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I the Hebrew. Now he was living by the

have sworn to the LORD God Most High,

oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of

possessor of heaven and earth,

Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these

were allies with Abram.

23that I will not take a thread or a sandal

thong or anything that is yours, for fear 14When Abram heard that his relative

you would say, 'I have made Abram

had been taken captive, he led out his

rich.'

trained men, born in his house, three

hundred and eighteen, and went in

24"I will take nothing except what the pursuit as far as Dan.

young men have eaten, and the share of

the men who went with me, Aner,

15He divided his forces against them by

Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their

night, he and his servants, and defeated

share."

them, and pursued them as far as

Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

15After these things the word of the

16He brought back all the goods, and

LORD came to Abram in a vision,

also brought back his relative Lot with

saying, " Do not fear, Abram, I am a his possessions, and also the women,

shield to you; Your reward shall be very

and the people.

great."

17Then after his return from the defeat of

2Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will Chedorlaomer and the kings who were

You give me, since I am childless, and

with him, the king of Sodom went out to

the heir of my house is Eliezer of

meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is,

Damascus?"

the King's Valley).

3

18

And Abram said, "Since You have

And Melchizedek king of Salem

given no offspring to me, one born in my

brought out bread and wine; now he

house is my heir."

was a priest of God Most High.

4

19

Then behold, the word of the LORD

He blessed him and said, "Blessed be

came to him, saying, "This man will not Abram of God Most High, Possessor of be your heir; but one who will come forth

heaven and earth;

from your own body, he shall be your 14"But I will also judge the nation whom heir."

they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.

5And He took him outside and said,

"Now look toward the heavens, and

15"As for you, you shall go to your count the stars, if you are able to count fathers in peace; you will be buried at a them." And He said to him, " So shall good old age.

your descendants be."

16"Then in the fourth generation they will 6Then he believed in the LORD; and He

return here, for the iniquity of the

reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Amorite is not yet complete."

7And He said to him, "I am the LORD

17It came about when the sun had set,

who brought you out of Ur of the

that it was very dark, and behold, there Chaldeans, to give you this land to

appeared a smoking oven and a flaming

possess it."

torch which passed between these

pieces.

8He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I

know that I will possess it?"

18On that day the LORD made a

covenant with Abram, saying, " To your 9So He said to him, "Bring Me a three descendants I have given this land, year old heifer, and a three year old

From the river of Egypt as far as the

female goat, and a three year old ram,

great river, the river Euphrates:

and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

19the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the

10Then he brought all these to Him and

Kadmonite

cut them in two, and laid each half

opposite the other; but he did not cut the

20and the Hittite and the Perizzite and

birds.

the Rephaim

11The birds of prey came down upon the

21and the Amorite and the Canaanite

carcasses, and Abram drove them away. and the Girgashite and the Jebusite."

12Now when the sun was going down, a

deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold,

16Now Sarai, Abram's wife had

terror and great darkness fell upon him.

borne him no children, and she had an

Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

13God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers 2So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, in a land that is not theirs, where they the LORD has prevented me from will be enslaved and oppressed four

bearing children. Please go in to my

hundred years.

maid; perhaps I will obtain children

through her." And Abram listened to the 11The angel of the LORD said to her voice of Sarai.

further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call 3After Abram had lived ten years in the his name Ishmael, Because the LORD

land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took

has given heed to your affliction.

Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave

her to her husband Abram as his wife.

12"He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And

4He went in to Hagar, and she

everyone's hand will be against him;

conceived; and when she saw that she

And he will live to the east of all his had conceived, her mistress was

brothers."

despised in her sight.

13Then she called the name of the

5And Sarai said to Abram, " May the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a

wrong done me be upon you. I gave my

God who sees"; for she said, " Have I maid into your arms, but when she saw even remained alive here after seeing

that she had conceived, I was despised

Him?"

in her sight. May the LORD judge

between you and me."

14Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh

6But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your

and Bered.

maid is in your power; do to her what is

good in your sight." So Sarai treated her 15So Hagar bore Abram a son; and

harshly, and she fled from her presence.

Abram called the name of his son,

whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

7Now the angel of the LORD found her

by a spring of water in the wilderness, 16Abram was eighty-six years old when

by the spring on the way to Shur.

Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

8He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you

17Now when Abram was ninety-nine

going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from years old, the LORD appeared to Abram

the presence of my mistress Sarai."

and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

9Then the angel of the LORD said to her,

"Return to your mistress, and submit 2"I will establish My covenant between yourself to her authority."

Me and you, And I will multiply you

exceedingly."

10Moreover, the angel of the LORD said

to her, " I will greatly multiply your 3Abram fell on his face, and God talked

descendants so that they will be too

with him, saying,

many to count."

4"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with who is born in the house or who is you, And you will be the father of a

bought with money from any foreigner,

multitude of nations.

who is not of your descendants.

5"No longer shall your name be called 13"A servant who is born in your house Abram, But your name shall be or who is bought with your money shall

Abraham; For I have made you the

surely be circumcised; thus shall My

father of a multitude of nations.

covenant be in your flesh for an

everlasting covenant.

6"I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings

14"But an uncircumcised male who is not

will come forth from you.

circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his

7"I will establish My covenant between people; he has broken My covenant."

Me and you and your descendants after

you throughout their generations for an

15Then God said to Abraham, "As for everlasting covenant, to be God to you

Sarai your wife, you shall not call her and to your descendants after you.

name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her

name.

8" I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your

16"I will bless her, and indeed I will give sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for you a son by her. Then I will bless her, an everlasting possession; and I will be and she shall be a mother of nations; their God."

kings of peoples will come from her."

9God said further to Abraham, "Now as 17Then Abraham fell on his face and

for you, you shall keep My covenant,

laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a you and your descendants after you

child be born to a man one hundred

throughout their generations.

years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety

years old, bear a child?"

10" This is My covenant, which you shall

keep, between Me and you and your

18And Abraham said to God, "Oh that descendants after you: every male

Ishmael might live before You!"

among you shall be circumcised.

19But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife

11"And you shall be circumcised in the will bear you a son, and you shall call flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the his name Isaac; and I will establish My sign of the covenant between Me and

covenant with him for an everlasting

you.

covenant for his descendants after him.

12"And every male among you who is

20"As for Ishmael, I have heard you; eight days old shall be circumcised

behold, I will bless him, and will make throughout your generations, a servant

him fruitful and will multiply him

exceedingly. He shall become the father 2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, of twelve princes, and I will make him a

behold, three men were standing

great nation.

opposite him; and when he saw them,

he ran from the tent door to meet them 21"But My covenant I will establish with and bowed himself to the earth, Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at

this season next year."

3and said, "My Lord, if now I have found

favor in Your sight, please do not pass 22When He finished talking with him,

Your servant by.

God went up from Abraham.

4"Please let a little water be brought and 23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son,

wash your feet, and rest yourselves

and all the servants who were born in

under the tree;

his house and all who were bought with

his money, every male among the men

5and I will bring a piece of bread, that of

Abraham's

household,

and

you may refresh yourselves; after that

circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in

you may go on, since you have visited

the very same day, as God had said to

your servant." And they said, "So do, as him.

you have said."

24Now Abraham was ninety-nine years

6So Abraham hurried into the tent to

old when he was circumcised in the

Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three

flesh of his foreskin.

measures of fine flour, knead it and

make bread cakes."

25And Ishmael his son was thirteen

years old when he was circumcised in

7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took

the flesh of his foreskin.

a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.

26In the very same day Abraham was

circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

8He took curds and milk and the calf

which he had prepared, and placed it

27All the men of his household, who

before them; and he was standing by

were born in the house or bought with

them under the tree as they ate.

money

from

a

foreigner,

were

circumcised with him.

9Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah

your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent."

18Now the LORD appeared to him 10

by the oaks of Mamre, while he was

He said, " I will surely return to you at sitting at the tent door in the heat of the

this time next year; and behold, Sarah

day.

your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was

behind him.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, 20And the LORD said, " The outcry of advanced in age; Sarah was past Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great,

childbearing.

and their sin is exceedingly grave.

12Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "

21"I will go down now, and see if they After I have become old, shall I have have done entirely according to its

pleasure, my lord being old also?"

outcry, which has come to Me; and if not,

I will know."

13And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why

did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed 22Then the men turned away from there

bear a child, when I am so old?'

and went toward Sodom, while Abraham

was still standing before the LORD.

14" Is anything too difficult for the LORD?

At the appointed time I will return to you,

23Abraham came near and said, " Will at this time next year, and Sarah will

You indeed sweep away the righteous

have a son."

with the wicked?

15Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did 24"Suppose there are fifty righteous

not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He within the city; will You indeed sweep it said, "No, but you did laugh."

away and not spare the place for the

sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?

16Then the men rose up from there, and

looked down toward Sodom; and

25"Far be it from You to do such a thing, Abraham was walking with them to send

to slay the righteous with the wicked, so

them off.

that the righteous and the wicked are

treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall 17The LORD said, "Shall I hide from not the Judge of all the earth deal Abraham what I am about to do,

justly?"

18

26

since Abraham will surely become a

So the LORD said, " If I find in Sodom

great and mighty nation, and in him all fifty righteous within the city, then I will the nations of the earth will be blessed?

spare the whole place on their account."

19

27

"For I have chosen him, so that he And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I

may command his children and his

have ventured to speak to the Lord,

household after him to keep the way of

although I am but dust and ashes.

the LORD by doing righteousness and

justice, so that the LORD may bring

28"Suppose the fifty righteous are

upon Abraham what He has spoken

lacking five, will You destroy the whole about him."

city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

29He spoke to Him yet again and said, house; and he prepared a feast for them, "Suppose forty are found there?" And and baked unleavened bread, and they

He said, "I will not do it on account of ate.

the forty."

4Before they lay down, the men of the

30Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be

city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the

angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty house, both young and old, all the

are found there?" And He said, "I will not people from every quarter;

do it if I find thirty there."

5and they called to Lot and said to him, "

31And he said, "Now behold, I have

Where are the men who came to you

ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose

tonight? Bring them out to us that we

twenty are found there?" And He said, "I may have relations with them."

will not destroy it on account of the

twenty."

6But Lot went out to them at the

doorway, and shut the door behind him,

32Then he said, " Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this 7and said, "Please, my brothers, do not once; suppose ten are found there?"

act wickedly.

And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."

8"Now behold, I have two daughters who

have not had relations with man; please

33As soon as He had finished speaking

let me bring them out to you, and do to to Abraham the LORD departed, and

them whatever you like; only do nothing

Abraham returned to his place.

to these men, inasmuch as they have

come under the shelter of my roof."

19Now the two angels came to 9But they said, "Stand aside."

Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting

Furthermore, they said, "This one came in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw

in as an alien, and already he is acting them, he rose to meet them and bowed

like a judge; now we will treat you worse

down with his face to the ground.

than them." So they pressed hard

against Lot and came near to break the

2

door.

And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's

10

house, and spend the night, and wash

But the men reached out their hands

your feet; then you may rise early and

and brought Lot into the house with

go on your way." They said however, them, and shut the door.

"No, but we shall spend the night in the square."

11They struck the men who were at the

doorway of the house with blindness,

3Yet he urged them strongly, so they

both small and great, so that they

turned aside to him and entered his

wearied themselves trying to find the magnified your lovingkindness, which doorway.

you have shown me by saving my life;

but I cannot escape to the mountains,

12Then the two men said to Lot, "Whom

for the disaster will overtake me and I else have you here? A son-in-law, and

will die;

your sons, and your daughters, and

whomever you have in the city, bring

20now behold, this town is near enough

them out of the place;

to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me

escape there (is it not small?) that my 13for we are about to destroy this place,

life may be saved."

because their outcry has become so

great before the LORD that the LORD

21He said to him, "Behold, I grant you has sent us to destroy it."

this request also, not to overthrow the

town of which you have spoken.

14Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters,

22"Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do and said, "Up, get out of this place, for anything until

you

arrive

there."

the LORD will destroy the city." But he Therefore the name of the town was

appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting. called Zoar.

15When morning dawned, the angels

23The sun had risen over the earth when

urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife Lot came to Zoar.

and your two daughters who are here,

or you will be swept away in the

24Then the LORD rained on Sodom and

punishment of the city."

Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the

LORD out of heaven,

16But he hesitated. So the men seized

his hand and the hand of his wife and

25and He overthrew those cities, and all

the hands of his two daughters, for the the valley, and all the inhabitants of the compassion of the LORD was upon him; cities, and what grew on the ground.

and they brought him out, and put him

outside the city.

26But his wife, from behind him, looked

back, and she became a pillar of salt.

17When they had brought them outside,

one said, " Escape for your life! Do not 27Now Abraham arose early in the

look behind you, and do not stay

morning and went to the place where he

anywhere in the valley; escape to the

had stood before the LORD;

mountains, or you will be swept away."

28

18

and he looked down toward Sodom

But Lot said to them, "Oh no, my lords!

and Gomorrah, and toward all the land

of the valley, and he saw, and behold,

19"Now behold, your servant has found the smoke of the land ascended like the

favor in your sight, and you have

smoke of a furnace.

29Thus it came about, when God 37The firstborn bore a son, and called destroyed the cities of the valley, that his name Moab; he is the father of the God remembered Abraham, and sent Moabites to this day.

Lot out of the midst of the overthrow,

when He overthrew the cities in which

38As for the younger, she also bore a

Lot lived.

son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he

is the father of the sons of Ammon to

30Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in

this day.

the mountains, and his two daughters

with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and

20Now Abraham journeyed from

his two daughters.

there toward the land of the Negev, and

31

settled between Kadesh and Shur; then

Then the firstborn said to the younger,

he sojourned in Gerar.

"Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the

2

manner of the earth.

Abraham said of Sarah his wife, " She is my sister." So Abimelech king of 32

Gerar sent and took Sarah.

"Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may

3

preserve our family through our father."

But God came to Abimelech in a dream

of the night, and said to him, "Behold, 33

you are a dead man because of the

So they made their father drink wine

woman whom you have taken, for she is

that night, and the firstborn went in and married."

lay with her father; and he did not know

when she lay down or when she arose.

4Now Abimelech had not come near her;

34

and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, On the following day, the firstborn said

even though blameless?

to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink 5

wine tonight also; then you go in and lie

"Did he not himself say to me, 'She is with him, that we may preserve our

my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is family through our father."

my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have

35

done this."

So they made their father drink wine

that night also, and the younger arose

6

and lay with him; and he did not know

Then God said to him in the dream,

when she lay down or when she arose.

"Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also

36

kept you from sinning against Me;

Thus both the daughters of Lot were

therefore I did not let you touch her.

with child by their father.

7"Now therefore, restore the man's wife,

for he is a prophet, and he will pray for

you and you will live. But if you do not 16To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have restore her, know that you shall surely given your brother a thousand pieces of

die, you and all who are yours."

silver; behold, it is your vindication

before all who are with you, and before 8So Abimelech arose early in the

all men you are cleared."

morning and called all his servants and

told all these things in their hearing; and

17Abraham prayed to God, and God

the men were greatly frightened.

healed Abimelech and his wife and his

maids, so that they bore children.

9Then Abimelech called Abraham and

said to him, "What have you done to us?

18For the LORD had closed fast all the

And how have I sinned against you, that

wombs of the household of Abimelech

you have brought on me and on my

because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

kingdom a great sin? You have done to

me things that ought not to be done."

21Then the LORD took note of

10And Abimelech said to Abraham,

Sarah as He had said, and the LORD

"What have you encountered, that you did for Sarah as He had promised.

have done this thing?"

2

11

So Sarah conceived and bore a son to

Abraham said, "Because I thought,

Abraham in his old age, at the appointed

surely there is no fear of God in this time of which God had spoken to him.

place, and they will kill me because of my wife.

3Abraham called the name of his son

12

who was born to him, whom Sarah bore

"Besides, she actually is my sister, the

to him, Isaac.

daughter of my father, but not the

daughter of my mother, and she

4

became my wife;

Then Abraham circumcised his son

Isaac when he was eight days old, as

13

God had commanded him.

and it came about, when God caused

me to wander from my father's house,

5

that I said to her, 'This is the kindness Now Abraham was one hundred years

which you will show to me: everywhere

old when his son Isaac was born to him.

we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

6Sarah said, "God has made laughter for

14Abimelech then took sheep and oxen

me; everyone who hears will laugh with

and male and female servants, and

me."

gave them to Abraham, and restored his

7

wife Sarah to him.

And she said, " Who would have said to

Abraham that Sarah would nurse

15Abimelech said, " Behold, my land is children? Yet I have borne him a son in

before you; settle wherever you please."

his old age."

8The child grew and was weaned, and 17God heard the lad crying; and the Abraham made a great feast on the day

angel of God called to Hagar from

that Isaac was weaned.

heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for

9Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the

God has heard the voice of the lad

Egyptian, whom she had borne to

where he is.

Abraham, mocking.

18"Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by 10Therefore she said to Abraham, "

the hand, for I will make a great nation Drive out this maid and her son, for the of him."

son of this maid shall not be an heir with

my son Isaac."

19Then God opened her eyes and she

saw a well of water; and she went and

11The matter distressed Abraham

filled the skin with water and gave the greatly because of his son.

lad a drink.

12

20

But God said to Abraham, "Do not be God was with the lad, and he grew;

distressed because of the lad and your

and he lived in the wilderness and

maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to

became an archer.

her, for through Isaac your descendants

shall be named.

21He lived in the wilderness of Paran,

and his mother took a wife for him from

13"And of the son of the maid I will make the land of Egypt.

a nation also, because he is your

descendant."

22Now it came about at that time that

Abimelech and Phicol, the commander

14So Abraham rose early in the morning

of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "

and took bread and a skin of water and

God is with you in all that you do;

gave them to Hagar, putting them on her

shoulder, and gave her the boy, and

23now therefore, swear to me here by

sent her away. And she departed and

God that you will not deal falsely with wandered about in the wilderness of

me or with my offspring or with my

Beersheba.

posterity, but according to the kindness

that I have shown to you, you shall show

15When the water in the skin was used

to me and to the land in which you have

up, she left the boy under one of the

sojourned."

bushes.

24Abraham said, "I swear it."

16Then she went and sat down opposite

him, about a bowshot away, for she said,

25But

Abraham

complained

to

"Do not let me see the boy die." And she Abimelech because of the well of water sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice

which the servants of Abimelech had

and wept.

seized.

26And Abimelech said, "I do not know 2He said, "Take now your son, your only who has done this thing; you did not tell

son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to

me, nor did I hear of it until today."

the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the

27Abraham took sheep and oxen and

mountains of which I will tell you."

gave them to Abimelech, and the two of

them made a covenant.

3So Abraham rose early in the morning

and saddled his donkey, and took two of

28Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs

his young men with him and Isaac his

of the flock by themselves.

son; and he split wood for the burnt

offering, and arose and went to the

29

place of which God had told him.

Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do

these seven ewe lambs mean, which

4

you have set by themselves?"

On the third day Abraham raised his

eyes and saw the place from a distance.

30He said, "You shall take these seven 5

ewe lambs from my hand so that it may

Abraham said to his young men, "Stay be a witness to me, that I dug this well."

here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship 31

and return to you."

Therefore

he

called

that

place

Beersheba, because there the two of

6

them took an oath.

Abraham took the wood of the burnt

offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and

32

he took in his hand the fire and the knife.

So

they

made

a

covenant

at

So the two of them walked on together.

Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol,

the commander of his army, arose and

7

returned to the land of the Philistines.

Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and

said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I 33

am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at fire and the wood, but where is the lamb

Beersheba, and there he called on the

for the burnt offering?"

name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

8

34

Abraham said, "God will provide for

And Abraham sojourned in the land of

Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, the Philistines for many days.

my son." So the two of them walked on together.

22Now it came about after these 9Then they came to the place of which things, that God tested Abraham, and God had told him; and Abraham built the

said to him, " Abraham!" And he said, altar there and arranged the wood, and "Here I am."

bound his son Isaac and laid him on the

altar, on top of the wood.

10Abraham stretched out his hand and 19So Abraham returned to his young took the knife to slay his son.

men, and they arose and went together

to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at

11But the angel of the LORD called to

Beersheba.

him from heaven and said, "Abraham,

Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

20Now it came about after these things,

that it was told Abraham, saying,

12He said, "Do not stretch out your hand

"Behold, Milcah also has borne children against the lad, and do nothing to him; to your brother Nahor: for now I know that you fear God, since

you have not withheld your son, your

21Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother

only son, from Me."

and Kemuel the father of Aram

13Then Abraham raised his eyes and

22and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash

looked, and behold, behind him a ram

and Jidlaph and Bethuel."

caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and

23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah;

offered him up for a burnt offering in the

these eight Milcah bore to Nahor,

place of his son.

Abraham's brother.

14Abraham called the name of that place

24His concubine, whose name was

The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham

this day, "In the mount of the LORD it and Tahash and Maacah.

will be provided."

15Then the angel of the LORD called to

23Now Sarah lived one hundred and

Abraham a second time from heaven,

twenty-seven years; these were the

16

years of the life of Sarah.

and said, " By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have

2

done this thing and have not withheld

Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is,

your son, your only son,

Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and

Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah

17

and to weep for her.

indeed I will greatly bless you, and I

will greatly multiply your seed as the

3

stars of the heavens and as the sand

Then Abraham rose from before his

which is on the seashore; and your seed

dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth,

shall possess the gate of their enemies.

saying,

4

18" In your seed all the nations of the

"I am a stranger and a sojourner

earth shall be blessed, because you

among you; give me a burial site among

have obeyed My voice."

you that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 14Then Ephron answered Abraham,

saying to him,

saying to him,

6"Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty 15"My lord, listen to me; a piece of land prince among us; bury your dead in the worth four hundred shekels of silver,

choicest of our graves; none of us will what is that between me and you? So

refuse you his grave for burying your

bury your dead."

dead."

16Abraham listened to Ephron; and

7So Abraham rose and bowed to the

Abraham weighed out for Ephron the

people of the land, the sons of Heth.

silver which he had named in the

hearing of the sons of Heth, four

8And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is hundred shekels of silver, commercial

your wish for me to bury my dead out of

standard.

my sight, hear me, and approach

Ephron the son of Zohar for me,

17So Ephron's field, which was in

Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the

9that he may give me the cave of

field and cave which was in it, and all Machpelah which he owns, which is at

the trees which were in the field, that the end of his field; for the full price let were within all the confines of its border, him give it to me in your presence for a

were deeded over

burial site."

18to Abraham for a possession in the

10Now Ephron was sitting among the

presence of the sons of Heth, before all

sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite

who went in at the gate of his city.

answered Abraham in the hearing of the

sons of Heth; even of all who went in at

19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his

the gate of his city, saying,

wife in the cave of the field at

Machpelah facing Mamre (that is,

11"No, my lord, hear me; I give you the Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

field, and I give you the cave that is in it.

In the presence of the sons of my

20So the field and the cave that is in it, people I give it to you; bury your dead."

were deeded over to Abraham for a

burial site by the sons of Heth.

12And Abraham bowed before the

people of the land.

24Now Abraham was old, advanced

13He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of

in age; and the LORD had blessed

the people of the land, saying, "If you Abraham in every way.

will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me 2Abraham said to his servant, the oldest that I may bury my dead there."

of his household, who had charge of all

that he owned, " Please place your hand went to Mesopotamia, to the city of under my thigh,

Nahor.

3and I will make you swear by the LORD,

11He made the camels kneel down

the God of heaven and the God of earth,

outside the city by the well of water at that you shall not take a wife for my son

evening time, the time when women go

from the daughters of the Canaanites,

out to draw water.

among whom I live,

12He said, " O LORD, the God of my 4but you will go to my country and to my

master Abraham, please grant me

relatives, and take a wife for my son

success

today,

and

show

Isaac."

lovingkindness to my master Abraham.

5The servant said to him, "Suppose the

13"Behold, I am standing by the spring, woman is not willing to follow me to this

and the daughters of the men of the city

land; should I take your son back to the

are coming out to draw water;

land from where you came?"

14now may it be that the girl to whom I 6Then Abraham said to him, " Beware say, 'Please let down your jar so that I that you do not take my son back there!

may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink,

and I will water your camels also'--may

7" The LORD, the God of heaven, who she be the one whom You have

took me from my father's house and

appointed for Your servant Isaac; and

from the land of my birth, and who

by this I will know that You have shown

spoke to me and who swore to me,

lovingkindness to my master."

saying, ' To your descendants I will give

this land,' He will send His angel before

15Before he had finished speaking,

you, and you will take a wife for my son

behold, Rebekah who was born to

from there.

Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of

Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with

8"But if the woman is not willing to follow her jar on her shoulder.

you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back

16The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, there."

and no man had had relations with her;

and she went down to the spring and

9So the servant placed his hand under

filled her jar and came up.

the thigh of Abraham his master, and

swore to him concerning this matter.

17Then the servant ran to meet her, and

said, " Please let me drink a little water 10Then the servant took ten camels from from your jar."

the camels of his master, and set out

with a variety of good things of his

master's in his hand; and he arose and

18She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she 28Then the girl ran and told her mother's quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and

household about these things.

gave him a drink.

29Now Rebekah had a brother whose

19Now when she had finished giving him

name was Laban; and Laban ran

a drink, she said, "I will draw also for outside to the man at the spring.

your camels until they have finished

drinking."

30When he saw the ring and the

bracelets on his sister's wrists, and

20So she quickly emptied her jar into the

when he heard the words of Rebekah

trough, and ran back to the well to draw,

his sister, saying, "This is what the man and she drew for all his camels.

said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels

21Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her

at the spring.

in silence, to know whether the LORD

had made his journey successful or not.

31And he said, " Come in, blessed of the

LORD! Why do you stand outside since

22When the camels had finished drinking,

I have prepared the house, and a place

the man took a gold ring weighing a

for the camels?"

half-shekel and two bracelets for her

wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,

32So the man entered the house. Then

Laban unloaded the camels, and he

23and said, "Whose daughter are you?

gave straw and feed to the camels, and

Please tell me, is there room for us to water to wash his feet and the feet of lodge in your father's house?"

the men who were with him.

24

33

She said to him, " I am the daughter of

But when food was set before him to

Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she

eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have bore to Nahor."

told my business." And he said, "Speak on."

25Again she said to him, "We have

34

plenty of both straw and feed, and room

So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.

to lodge in."

35"The LORD has greatly blessed my

26Then the man bowed low and

master, so that he has become rich; and

worshiped the LORD.

He has given him flocks and herds, and

silver and gold, and servants and maids,

27

and camels and donkeys.

He said, " Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has

36

not forsaken His lovingkindness and His

"Now Sarah my master's wife bore a

truth toward my master; as for me, the

son to my master in her old age, and he

LORD has guided me in the way to the

has given him all that he has.

house of my master's brothers."

37" My master made me swear, saying, to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'You shall not take a wife for my son

'Please let me drink.'

from the daughters of the Canaanites, in

whose land I live;

46"She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ' Drink, and I will 38but you shall go to my father's house water your camels also'; so I drank, and and to my relatives, and take a wife for she watered the camels also.

my son.'

47" Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose 39" I said to my master, 'Suppose the daughter are you?' And she said, 'The woman does not follow me.'

daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom

Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on

40"He said to me, ' The LORD, before her nose, and the bracelets on her

whom I have walked, will send His angel

wrists.

with

you

to

make

your

journey

successful, and you will take a wife for 48"And I bowed low and worshiped the my son from my relatives and from my LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God

father's house;

of my master Abraham, who had guided

me in the right way to take the daughter

41then you will be free from my oath,

of my master's kinsman for his son.

when you come to my relatives; and if

they do not give her to you, you will be 49"So now if you are going to deal kindly free from my oath.'

and truly with my master, tell me; and if

not, let me know, that I may turn to the 42"So I came today to the spring, and right hand or the left."

said, 'O LORD, the God of my master

Abraham, if now You will make my

50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, " The

journey on which I go successful;

matter comes from the LORD; so we

cannot speak to you bad or good.

43behold, I am standing by the spring,

and may it be that the maiden who

51"Here is Rebekah before you, take her

comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "

and go, and let her be the wife of your Please let me drink a little water from master's son, as the LORD has spoken."

your jar";

52When Abraham's servant heard their

44and she will say to me, "You drink, and words, he bowed himself to the ground

I will draw for your camels also"; let her before the LORD.

be the woman whom the LORD has

appointed for my master's son.'

53The servant brought out articles of

silver and articles of gold, and garments,

45"Before I had finished speaking in my and gave them to Rebekah; he also

heart, behold, Rebekah came out with

gave precious things to her brother and

her jar on her shoulder, and went down

to her mother.

54Then he and the men who were with eyes and looked, and behold, camels him ate and drank and spent the night.

were coming.

When they arose in the morning, he said,

" Send me away to my master."

64Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when

she saw Isaac she dismounted from the

55But her brother and her mother said, "

camel.

Let the girl stay with us a few days, say

ten; afterward she may go."

65She said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?"

56He said to them, "Do not delay me, And the servant said, "He is my master."

since the LORD has prospered my way.

Then she took her veil and covered

Send me away that I may go to my

herself.

master."

66The servant told Isaac all the things

57And they said, "We will call the girl and that he had done.

consult her wishes."

67Then Isaac brought her into his mother

58Then they called Rebekah and said to

Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and

her, "Will you go with this man?" And she became his wife, and he loved her; she said, "I will go."

thus Isaac was comforted after his

mother's death.

59Thus they sent away their sister

Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's

servant and his men.

25Now Abraham took another wife,

whose name was Keturah.

60They blessed Rebekah and said to her,

"May you, our sister, Become thousands

2She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan

of ten thousands, And may your

and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and

descendants possess The gate of those

Shuah.

who hate them."

3

61

Jokshan became the father of Sheba

Then Rebekah arose with her maids,

and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan

and they mounted the camels and

were Asshurim and Letushim and

followed the man. So the servant took

Leummim.

Rebekah and departed.

4

62

The sons of Midian were Ephah and

Now Isaac had come from going to

Epher and Hanoch and Abida and

Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Eldaah. All these were the sons of

Negev.

Keturah.

63Isaac went out to meditate in the field

5Now Abraham gave all that he had to

toward evening; and he lifted up his

Isaac;

6but to the sons of his concubines, 16These are the sons of Ishmael and Abraham gave gifts while he was still

these are their names, by their villages, living, and sent them away from his son

and by their camps; twelve princes

Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.

according to their tribes.

7These are all the years of Abraham's

17These are the years of the life of

life that he lived, one hundred and

Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven

seventy-five years.

years; and he breathed his last and died,

and was gathered to his people.

8Abraham breathed his last and died in

a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied

18They settled from Havilah to Shur

with life; and he was gathered to his

which is east of Egypt as one goes

people.

toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of

all his relatives.

9Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael

buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in

19Now these are the records of the

the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the

generations of Isaac, Abraham's son:

Hittite, facing Mamre,

Abraham became the father of Isaac;

10the field which Abraham purchased

20and Isaac was forty years old when he

from the sons of Heth; there Abraham

took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel

was buried with Sarah his wife.

the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister

of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

11It came about after the death of

Abraham, that God blessed his son

21Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of

Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

his wife, because she was barren; and

the LORD answered him and Rebekah

12Now these are the records of the

his wife conceived.

generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son,

whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid,

22But the children struggled together

bore to Abraham;

within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to 13and these are the names of the sons inquire of the LORD.

of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of 23The LORD said to her, " Two nations Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and are in your womb; And two peoples will

Mibsam

be separated from your body; And one

people shall be stronger than the other; 14and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,

And the older shall serve the younger."

15

24

Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and

When her days to be delivered were

Kedemah.

fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named 26Now there was a famine in the

him Esau.

land, besides the previous famine that

had occurred in the days of Abraham.

26Afterward his brother came forth with

So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech

his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so

king of the Philistines.

his name was called Jacob; and Isaac

was sixty years old when she gave birth

2The LORD appeared to him and said,

to them.

"Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.

27When the boys grew up, Esau became

a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but 3"Sojourn in this land and I will be with Jacob was a peaceful man, living in you and bless you, for to you and to

tents.

your descendants I will give all these

lands, and I will establish the oath which

28Now Isaac loved Esau, because he

I swore to your father Abraham.

had a taste for game, but Rebekah

loved Jacob.

4" I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your

29When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau

descendants all these lands; and by

came in from the field and he was

your descendants all the nations of the

famished;

earth shall be blessed;

30and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let 5because Abraham obeyed Me and kept

me have a swallow of that red stuff there,

My charge, My commandments, My

for I am famished." Therefore his name statutes and My laws."

was called Edom.

6So Isaac lived in Gerar.

31But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."

7When the men of the place asked

about his wife, he said, " She is my 32Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die; sister," for he was afraid to say, "my so of what use then is the birthright to wife," thinking, "the men of the place me?"

might kill me on account of Rebekah, for

she is beautiful."

33And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his 8It came about, when he had been there

birthright to Jacob.

a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window,

34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and

and saw, and behold, Isaac was

lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and

caressing his wife Rebekah.

rose and went on his way. Thus Esau

despised his birthright.

9Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, had stopped them up after the death of "Behold, certainly she is your wife! How Abraham; and he gave them the same

then did you say, 'She is my sister'?"

names which his father had given them.

And Isaac said to him, "Because I said,

'I might die on account of her.'"

19But when Isaac's servants dug in the

valley and found there a well of flowing 10Abimelech said, "What is this you have

water,

done to us? One of the people might

easily have lain with your wife, and you 20the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with

would have brought guilt upon us."

the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, "The

water is ours!" So he named the well 11So Abimelech charged all the people,

Esek, because they contended with him.

saying, "He who touches this man or his

wife shall surely be put to death."

21Then they dug another well, and they

quarreled over it too, so he named it

12Now Isaac sowed in that land and

Sitnah.

reaped in the same year a hundredfold.

And the LORD blessed him,

22He moved away from there and dug

another well, and they did not quarrel

13and the man became rich, and

over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he

continued to grow richer until he

said, " At last the LORD has made room

became very wealthy;

for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

14for he had possessions of flocks and

23Then he went up from there to

herds and a great household, so that the

Beersheba.

Philistines envied him.

24The LORD appeared to him the same

15Now all the wells which his father's

night and said, " I am the God of your servants had dug in the days of

father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am

Abraham his father, the Philistines

with you. I will bless you, and multiply stopped up by filling them with earth.

your descendants, For the sake of My

servant Abraham."

16Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go

away from us, for you are too powerful

25So he built an altar there and called for us."

upon the name of the LORD, and

pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's 17And Isaac departed from there and

servants dug a well.

camped in the valley of Gerar, and

settled there.

26Then Abimelech came to him from

Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and

18Then Isaac dug again the wells of

Phicol the commander of his army.

water which had been dug in the days of

his father Abraham, for the Philistines

27Isaac said to them, " Why have you come to me, since you hate me and 27Now it came about, when Isaac

have sent me away from you?"

was old and his eyes were too dim to

see, that he called his older son Esau

28They said, "We see plainly that the and said to him, "My son." And he said LORD has been with you; so we said, to him, "Here I am."

'Let there now be an oath between us,

even between you and us, and let us

2Isaac said, "Behold now, I am old and I

make a covenant with you,

do not know the day of my death.

29that you will do us no harm, just as we

3"Now then, please take your gear, your

have not touched you and have done to

quiver and your bow, and go out to the you nothing but good and have sent you

field and hunt game for me;

away in peace. You are now the blessed

of the LORD.'"

4and prepare a savory dish for me such

30

as I love, and bring it to me that I may Then he made them a feast, and they

eat, so that my soul may bless you

ate and drank.

before I die."

31In the morning they arose early and

5Rebekah was listening while Isaac

exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them

spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau

away and they departed from him in

went to the field to hunt for game to

peace.

bring home,

32Now it came about on the same day,

6Rebekah said to her son Jacob,

that Isaac's servants came in and told

"Behold, I heard your father speak to him about the well which they had dug, your brother Esau, saying,

and said to him, "We have found water."

7

33

'Bring me some game and prepare a

So he called it Shibah; therefore the

savory dish for me, that I may eat, and name of the city is Beersheba to this

bless you in the presence of the LORD

day.

before my death.'

34When Esau was forty years old he

8"Now therefore, my son, listen to me as

married Judith the daughter of Beeri the

I command you.

Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of

Elon the Hittite;

9"Go now to the flock and bring me two

35

choice young goats from there, that I

and they brought grief to Isaac and

may prepare them as a savory dish for

Rebekah.

your father, such as he loves.

10"Then you shall bring it to your father, 20Isaac said to his son, "How is it that that he may eat, so that he may bless you have it so quickly, my son?" And he

you before his death."

said, " Because the LORD your God

caused it to happen to me."

11Jacob answered his mother Rebekah,

"Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please

and I am a smooth man.

come close, that I may feel you, my son,

whether you are really my son Esau or

12" Perhaps my father will feel me, then I not."

will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a

22So Jacob came close to Isaac his

blessing."

father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the 13But his mother said to him, "Your hands are the hands of Esau."

curse be on me, my son; only obey my

voice, and go, get them for me."

23He did not recognize him, because his

hands were hairy like his brother Esau's

14So he went and got them, and brought

hands; so he blessed him.

them to his mother; and his mother

made savory food such as his father

24And he said, "Are you really my son loved.

Esau?" And he said, "I am."

15Then Rebekah took the best garments

25So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will of Esau her elder son, which were with eat of my son's game, that I may bless her in the house, and put them on Jacob

you." And he brought it to him, and he her younger son.

ate; he also brought him wine and he

drank.

16And she put the skins of the young

goats on his hands and on the smooth

26Then his father Isaac said to him,

part of his neck.

"Please come close and kiss me, my

son."

17She also gave the savory food and the

bread, which she had made, to her son

27So he came close and kissed him; and

Jacob.

when he smelled the smell of his

garments, he blessed him and said,

18Then he came to his father and said,

"See, the smell of my son Is like the

"My father." And he said, "Here I am.

smell of a field which the LORD has

Who are you, my son?"

blessed;

19

28

Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau Now may God give you of the dew of

your firstborn; I have done as you told heaven, And of the fatness of the earth,

me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my

And an abundance of grain and new

game, that you may bless me."

wine;

29May peoples serve you, And nations blessing." And he said, "Have you not bow down to you; Be master of your reserved a blessing for me?"

brothers, And may your mother's sons

bow down to you. Cursed be those who

37But Isaac replied to Esau, "Behold, I curse you, And blessed be those who

have made him your master, and all his

bless you."

relatives I have given to him as servants;

and with grain and new wine I have

30Now it came about, as soon as Isaac

sustained him. Now as for you then,

had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob

what can I do, my son?"

had hardly gone out from the presence

of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother

38Esau said to his father, "Do you have came in from his hunting.

only one blessing, my father? Bless me,

even me also, O my father." So Esau 31Then he also made savory food, and

lifted his voice and wept.

brought it to his father; and he said to his father, " Let my father arise and eat 39Then Isaac his father answered and of his son's game, that you may bless

said to him, "Behold, away from the me."

fertility of the earth shall be your

dwelling, And away from the dew of

32Isaac his father said to him, " Who are heaven from above.

you?" And he said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

40"By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall

33Then Isaac trembled violently, and

come about when you become restless,

said, " Who was he then that hunted That you will break his yoke from your

game and brought it to me, so that I ate

neck."

of all of it before you came, and blessed

him? Yes, and he shall be blessed."

41So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob

because of the blessing with which his

34When Esau heard the words of his

father had blessed him; and Esau said

father, he cried out with an exceedingly to himself, " The days of mourning for great and bitter cry, and said to his my father are near; then I will kill my father, "Bless me, even me also, O my brother Jacob."

father!"

42Now when the words of her elder son

35And he said, " Your brother came

Esau were reported to Rebekah, she

deceitfully and has taken away your

sent and called her younger son Jacob,

blessing."

and said to him, "Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning

36Then he said, "Is he not rightly named

you by planning to kill you.

Jacob, for he has supplanted me these

two times? He took away my birthright,

and behold, now he has taken away my

43"Now therefore, my son, obey my 5Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my

went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of

brother Laban!

Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of

Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

44"Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury subsides,

6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed

Jacob and sent him away to Paddan—

45until your brother's anger against you

aram to take to himself a wife from there,

subsides and he forgets what you did to

and that when he blessed him he

him. Then I will send and get you from charged him, saying, " You shall not there. Why should I be bereaved of you take a wife from the daughters of

both in one day?"

Canaan,"

46

7

Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of and that Jacob had obeyed his father

living because of the daughters of Heth;

and his mother and had gone to

if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters

Paddan-aram.

of Heth, like these, from the daughters

of the land, what good will my life be to 8So Esau saw that the daughters of

meNULL"

Canaan displeased his father Isaac;

9

28

and Esau went to Ishmael, and married,

So Isaac called Jacob and

besides the wives that he had, Mahalath

blessed him and charged him, and said

the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son,

the sister of Nebaioth.

to him, " You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

10Then Jacob departed from Beersheba

2"Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the

and went toward Haran.

house of Bethuel your mother's father;

11

and from there take to yourself a wife

He came to a certain place and spent

from the daughters of Laban your

the night there, because the sun had set;

mother's brother.

and he took one of the stones of the

place and put it under his head, and lay

3

down in that place.

"May God Almighty bless you and

make you fruitful and multiply you, that 12

you may become a company of peoples.

He had a dream, and behold, a ladder

was set on the earth with its top

4"May He also give you the blessing of reaching to heaven; and behold, the

angels of God were ascending and

Abraham,

to

you

and

to

your

descending on it.

descendants with you, that you may

possess the land of your sojournings,

13

which God gave to Abraham."

And behold, the LORD stood above it

and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of

Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will 22"This stone, which I have set up as a give it to you and to your descendants.

pillar, will be God's house, and of all that

You give me I will surely give a tenth to

14"Your descendants will also be like the You."

dust of the earth, and you will spread

out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you 29Then Jacob went on his journey, and in your descendants shall all the

and came to the land of the sons of the

families of the earth be blessed.

east.

15"Behold, I am with you and will keep 2He looked, and saw a well in the field,

you wherever you go, and will bring you

and behold, three flocks of sheep were

back to this land; for I will not leave you

lying there beside it, for from that well until I have done what I have promised they watered the flocks. Now the stone

you."

on the mouth of the well was large.

16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and

3When all the flocks were gathered there,

said, " Surely the LORD is in this place, they would then roll the stone from the and I did not know it."

mouth of the well and water the sheep,

and put the stone back in its place on 17He was afraid and said, " How

the mouth of the well.

awesome is this place! This is none

other than the house of God, and this is

4Jacob said to them, "My brothers,

the gate of heaven."

where are you from?" And they said,

"We are from Haran."

18So Jacob rose early in the morning,

and took the stone that he had put

5He said to them, "Do you know Laban under his head and set it up as a pillar the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We and poured oil on its top.

know him."

19He called the name of that place

6And he said to them, "Is it well with Bethel; however, previously the name of

him?" And they said, "It is well, and here the city had been Luz.

is Rachel his daughter coming with the

sheep."

20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, " If God will be with me and will keep me on

7He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is this journey that I take, and will give me not time for the livestock to be gathered.

food to eat and garments to wear,

Water the sheep, and go, pasture them."

21and I return to my father's house in

8But they said, "We cannot, until all the safety, then the LORD will be my God.

flocks are gathered, and they roll the

stone from the mouth of the well; then

we water the sheep."

9While he was still speaking with them, 18Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "

Rachel came with her father's sheep, for

I will serve you seven years for your

she was a shepherdess.

younger daughter Rachel."

10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter

19Laban said, "It is better that I give her of Laban his mother's brother, and the

to you than to give her to another man; sheep of Laban his mother's brother,

stay with me."

Jacob went up and rolled the stone from

the mouth of the well and watered the

20So Jacob served seven years for

flock of Laban his mother's brother.

Rachel and they seemed to him but a

few days because of his love for her.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted

his voice and wept.

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I

12Jacob told Rachel that he was a

may go in to her."

relative of her father and that he was

Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her

22Laban gathered all the men of the

father.

place and made a feast.

13So when Laban heard the news of

23Now in the evening he took his

Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet

daughter Leah, and brought her to him;

him, and embraced him and kissed him

and Jacob went in to her.

and brought him to his house. Then he

related to Laban all these things.

24Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his

daughter Leah as a maid.

14Laban said to him, "Surely you are my

bone and my flesh." And he stayed with

25So it came about in the morning that, him a month.

behold, it was Leah! And he said to

Laban, " What is this you have done to 15Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you are my relative, should you

with you? Why then have you deceived

therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me,

me?"

what shall your wages be?"

26But Laban said, "It is not the practice 16Now Laban had two daughters; the

in our place to marry off the younger

name of the older was Leah, and the

before the firstborn.

name of the younger was Rachel.

27"Complete the week of this one, and 17And Leah's eyes were weak, but

we will give you the other also for the Rachel was beautiful of form and face.

service which you shall serve with me

for another seven years."

28Jacob did so and completed her week, jealous of her sister; and she said to and he gave him his daughter Rachel as

Jacob, " Give me children, or else I die."

his wife.

2Then Jacob's anger burned against

29Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his

Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place daughter Rachel as her maid.

of God, who has withheld from you the

fruit of the womb?"

30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and

indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah,

3She said, " Here is my maid Bilhah, go

and he served with Laban for another

in to her that she may bear on my knees,

seven years.

that through her I too may have

children."

31Now the LORD saw that Leah was

unloved, and He opened her womb, but

4So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a

Rachel was barren.

wife, and Jacob went in to her.

32Leah conceived and bore a son and

5Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

named him Reuben, for she said,

"Because the LORD has seen my

6Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated

affliction; surely now my husband will

me, and has indeed heard my voice and

love me."

has given me a son." Therefore she

named him Dan.

33Then she conceived again and bore a

son and said, " Because the LORD has 7Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again

heard that I am unloved, He has

and bore Jacob a second son.

therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon.

8So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings

I have wrestled with my sister, and I

34She conceived again and bore a son

have indeed prevailed." And she named

and said, "Now this time my husband him Naphtali.

will become attached to me, because I

have borne him three sons." Therefore 9When Leah saw that she had stopped

he was named Levi.

bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and

gave her to Jacob as a wife.

35And she conceived again and bore a

son and said, "This time I will praise the 10Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

LORD." Therefore she named him

Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

11Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad.

30Now when Rachel saw that she 12Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a bore Jacob no children, she became second son.

13Then Leah said, "Happy am I! For 21Afterward she bore a daughter and women will call me happy." So she

named her Dinah.

named him Asher.

22Then God remembered Rachel, and

14Now in the days of wheat harvest

God gave heed to her and opened her

Reuben went and found mandrakes in

womb.

the field, and brought them to his mother

Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,

23So she conceived and bore a son and

"Please give me some of your son's

said, "God has taken away my

mandrakes."

reproach."

15But she said to her, "Is it a small 24She named him Joseph, saying, " May

matter for you to take my husband? And

the LORD give me another son."

would you take my son's mandrakes

also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he 25Now it came about when Rachel had

may lie with you tonight in return for

borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban,

your son's mandrakes."

" Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country.

16When Jacob came in from the field in

the evening, then Leah went out to meet

26"Give me my wives and my children for

him and said, "You must come in to me,

whom I have served you, and let me

for I have surely hired you with my son's

depart; for you yourself know my service

mandrakes." So he lay with her that which I have rendered you."

night.

27

17

But Laban said to him, "If now it

God gave heed to Leah, and she

pleases you, stay with me; I have

conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.

divined that the LORD has blessed me

on your account."

18Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to

28He continued, " Name me your wages,

my husband." So she named him

and I will give it."

Issachar.

29

19

But he said to him, " You yourself Leah conceived again and bore a sixth

know how I have served you and how

son to Jacob.

your cattle have fared with me.

20Then Leah said, "God has endowed

30"For you had little before I came and it me with a good gift; now my husband

has increased to a multitude, and the

will dwell with me, because I have borne

LORD has blessed you wherever I

him six sons." So she named him

turned. But now, when shall I provide for

Zebulun.

my own household also?"

31So he said, "What shall I give you?"

came to drink; and they mated when

And Jacob said, "You shall not give me they came to drink.

anything. If you will do this one thing for

me, I will again pasture and keep your

39So the flocks mated by the rods, and

flock:

the flocks brought forth striped, speckled,

and spotted.

32let me pass through your entire flock

today, removing from there every

40Jacob separated the lambs, and made

speckled and spotted sheep and every

the flocks face toward the striped and all

black one among the lambs and the

the black in the flock of Laban; and he spotted and speckled among the goats;

put his own herds apart, and did not put

and such shall be my wages.

them with Laban's flock.

33"So my honesty will answer for me 41Moreover, whenever the stronger of

later, when you come concerning my

the flock were mating, Jacob would

wages. Every one that is not speckled

place the rods in the sight of the flock in

and spotted among the goats and black

the gutters, so that they might mate by among the lambs, if found with me, will the rods; be considered stolen."

42but when the flock was feeble, he did 34Laban said, "Good, let it be according

not put them in; so the feebler were

to your word."

Laban's and the stronger Jacob's.

35So he removed on that day the striped

43So the man became exceedingly

and spotted male goats and all the

prosperous, and had large flocks and

speckled and spotted female goats,

female and male servants and camels

every one with white in it, and all the and donkeys.

black ones among the sheep, and gave

them into the care of his sons.

31Now Jacob heard the words of

36And he put a distance of three days'

journey between himself and Jacob, and

Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has

37

made all this wealth."

Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar

and almond and plane trees, and peeled

2

white stripes in them, exposing the white

Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and

which was in the rods.

behold, it was not friendly toward him as

formerly.

38He set the rods which he had peeled

3

in front of the flocks in the gutters, even

Then the LORD said to Jacob, " Return

in the watering troughs, where the flocks

to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and to Me; now arise, leave this land, and Leah to his flock in the field,

return to the land of your birth.'"

5and said to them, " I see your father's 14Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we attitude, that it is not friendly toward me still have any portion or inheritance in as formerly, but the God of my father

our father's house?

has been with me.

15"Are we not reckoned by him as

6" You know that I have served your foreigners? For he has sold us, and has

father with all my strength.

also entirely consumed our purchase

price.

7"Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however,

16"Surely all the wealth which God has God did not allow him to hurt me.

taken away from our father belongs to

us and our children; now then, do

8"If he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall whatever God has said to you."

be your wages,' then all the flock

brought forth speckled; and if he spoke

17Then Jacob arose and put his children

thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,'

and his wives upon camels;

then all the flock brought forth striped.

18and he drove away all his livestock

9"Thus God has taken away your

and all his property which he had

father's livestock and given them to me.

gathered, his acquired livestock which

he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go

10"And it came about at the time when to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

the flock were mating that I lifted up my

eyes and saw in a dream, and behold,

19When Laban had gone to shear his

the male goats which were mating were

flock, then Rachel stole the household

striped, speckled, and mottled.

idols that were her father's.

11"Then the angel of God said to me in 20And Jacob deceived Laban the

the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I Aramean by not telling him that he was

am.'

fleeing.

12"He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and 21So he fled with all that he had; and he

see that all the male goats which are

arose and crossed the Euphrates River,

mating are striped, speckled, and

and set his face toward the hill country mottled; for I have seen all that Laban of Gilead.

has been doing to you.

22When it was told Laban on the third

13'I am the God of Bethel, where you

day that Jacob had fled,

anointed a pillar, where you made a vow

23then he took his kinsmen with him and 32" The one with whom you find your pursued him a distance of seven days'

gods shall not live; in the presence of journey, and he overtook him in the hill our kinsmen point out what is yours country of Gilead.

among my belongings and take it for

yourself." For Jacob did not know that 24God came to Laban the Aramean in a

Rachel had stolen them.

dream of the night and said to him, " Be

careful that you do not speak to Jacob

33So Laban went into Jacob's tent and

either good or bad."

into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them.

25Laban caught up with Jacob. Now

Then he went out of Leah's tent and

Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill

entered Rachel's tent.

country, and Laban with his kinsmen

camped in the hill country of Gilead.

34Now Rachel had taken the household

idols and put them in the camel's saddle,

26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have

and she sat on them. And Laban felt

you done by deceiving me and carrying

through all the tent but did not find them.

away my daughters like captives of the

sword?

35She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, 27"Why did you flee secretly and deceive for the manner of women is upon me."

me, and did not tell me so that I might So he searched but did not find the

have sent you away with joy and with

household idols.

songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

36Then Jacob became angry and

28and did not allow me to kiss my sons

contended with Laban; and Jacob said

and my daughters? Now you have done

to Laban, "What is my transgression?

foolishly.

What is my sin that you have hotly

pursued me?

29"It is in my power to do you harm, but

37

the God of your father spoke to me last

"Though you have felt through all my night, saying, ' Be careful not to speak goods, what have you found of all your either good or bad to Jacob.'

household goods? Set it here before my

kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they

30

may decide between us two.

"Now you have indeed gone away

because you longed greatly for your

38

father's house; but why did you steal my

"These twenty years I have been with gods?"

you; your ewes and your female goats

have not miscarried, nor have I eaten

31

the rams of your flocks.

Then

Jacob

replied

to

Laban,

"Because I was afraid, for I thought that 39

you would take your daughters from me

"That which was torn of beasts I did by force.

not bring to you; I bore the loss of it

myself. You required it of my hand 48Laban said, " This heap is a witness whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

between you and me this day."

Therefore it was named Galeed,

40"Thus I was: by day the heat

consumed me and the frost by night,

49and Mizpah, for he said, "May the and my sleep fled from my eyes.

LORD watch between you and me when

we are absent one from the other.

41"These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years

50"If you mistreat my daughters, or if you for your two daughters and six years for

take wives besides my daughters,

your flock, and you changed my wages

although no man is with us, see, God is

ten times.

witness between you and me."

42"If the God of my father, the God of 51Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not

heap and behold the pillar which I have been for me, surely now you would have

set between you and me.

sent me away empty-handed. God has

seen my affliction and the toil of my

52"This heap is a witness, and the pillar hands, so He rendered judgment last

is a witness, that I will not pass by this night."

heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, 43Then Laban replied to Jacob, "The for harm.

daughters are my daughters, and the

children are my children, and the flocks 53" The God of Abraham and the God of

are my flocks, and all that you see is Nahor, the God of their father, judge

mine. But what can I do this day to

between us." So Jacob swore by the

these my daughters or to their children

fear of his father Isaac.

whom they have borne?

54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the

44"So now come, let us make a covenant,

mountain, and called his kinsmen to the

you and I, and let it be a witness

meal; and they ate the meal and spent

between you and me."

the night on the mountain.

45Then Jacob took a stone and set it up

55Early in the morning Laban arose, and

as a pillar.

kissed his sons and his daughters and

blessed them. Then Laban departed

46Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather and returned to his place.

stones." So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.

32Now as Jacob went on his way,

47Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,

the angels of God met him.

but Jacob called it Galeed.

2Jacob said when he saw them, "This is have shown to Your servant; for with my God's camp." So he named that place staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now

Mahanaim.

I have become two companies.

3Then Jacob sent messengers before

11" Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of him to his brother Esau in the land of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I Seir, the country of Edom.

fear him, that he will come and attack

me and the mothers with the children.

4He also commanded them saying,

"Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 12"For You said, ' I will surely prosper 'Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have you and make your descendants as the

sojourned with Laban, and stayed until

sand of the sea, which is too great to be

now;

numbered.'"

5I have oxen and donkeys and flocks

13So he spent the night there. Then he

and male and female servants; and I

selected from what he had with him a

have sent to tell my lord, that I may find

present for his brother Esau:

favor in your sight."'"

14two hundred female goats and twenty

6The messengers returned to Jacob,

male goats, two hundred ewes and

saying, "We came to your brother Esau,

twenty rams,

and furthermore he is coming to meet

you, and four hundred men are with

15thirty milking camels and their colts,

him."

forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female

donkeys and ten male donkeys.

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and

distressed; and he divided the people

16He delivered them into the hand of his

who were with him, and the flocks and

servants, every drove by itself, and said

the herds and the camels, into two

to his servants, "Pass on before me, and

companies;

put a space between droves."

8for he said, "If Esau comes to the one 17He commanded the one in front,

company and attacks it, then the

saying, "When my brother Esau meets

company which is left will escape."

you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do

you belong, and where are you going,

9Jacob said, "O God of my father

and to whom do these animals in front

Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O

of you belong?'

LORD, who said to me, ' Return to your

country and to your relatives, and I will 18then you shall say, 'These belong to

prosper you,'

your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is

10I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness

behind us.'"

and of all the faithfulness which You

19Then he commanded also the second 28He said, "Your name shall no longer and the third, and all those who followed be Jacob, but Israel; for you have

the droves, saying, "After this manner striven with God and with men and have

you shall speak to Esau when you find

prevailed."

him;

29Then Jacob asked him and said,

20and you shall say, 'Behold, your

"Please tell me your name." But he said, servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he "Why is it that you ask my name?" And said, "I will appease him with the he blessed him there.

present that goes before me. Then

afterward I will see his face; perhaps he

30So Jacob named the place Peniel, for

will accept me."

he said, " I have seen God face to face,

yet my life has been preserved."

21So the present passed on before him,

while he himself spent that night in the 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he

camp.

crossed over Penuel, and he was

limping on his thigh.

22Now he arose that same night and

took his two wives and his two maids

32Therefore, to this day the sons of

and his eleven children, and crossed the

Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip ford of the Jabbok.

which is on the socket of the thigh,

because he touched the socket of

23He took them and sent them across

Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.

the stream. And he sent across

whatever he had.

33Then Jacob lifted his eyes and

24Then Jacob was left alone, and a man

looked, and behold, Esau was coming,

wrestled with him until daybreak.

and four hundred men with him. So he

divided the children among Leah and

25When he saw that he had not

Rachel and the two maids.

prevailed against him, he touched the

socket of his thigh; so the socket of

2He put the maids and their children in Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he

front, and Leah and her children next,

wrestled with him.

and Rachel and Joseph last.

26Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn

3But he himself passed on ahead of

is breaking." But he said, " I will not let them and bowed down to the ground you go unless you bless me."

seven times, until he came near to his

brother.

27So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."

4Then Esau ran to meet him and

embraced him, and fell on his neck and

kissed him, and they wept.

5He lifted his eyes and saw the women 14"Please let my lord pass on before his and the children, and said, "Who are servant, and I will proceed at my leisure,

these with you?" So he said, " The according to the pace of the cattle that children whom God has graciously given are before me and according to the

your servant."

pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."

6Then the maids came near with their

children, and they bowed down.

15Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with

7Leah likewise came near with her

me." But he said, " What need is there?

children, and they bowed down; and

Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."

afterward Joseph came near with

Rachel, and they bowed down.

16So Esau returned that day on his way

to Seir.

8And he said, "What do you mean by all

this company which I have met?" And 17Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built

he said, " To find favor in the sight of my for himself a house and made booths for

lord."

his livestock; therefore the place is

named Succoth.

9But Esau said, " I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own."

18Now Jacob came safely to the city of

Shechem, which is in the land of

10Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have

Canaan, when he came from Paddan—

found favor in your sight, then take my aram, and camped before the city.

present from my hand, for I see your

face as one sees the face of God, and

19He bought the piece of land where he

you have received me favorably.

had pitched his tent from the hand of the

sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for

11"Please take my gift which has been one hundred pieces of money.

brought to you, because God has dealt

graciously with me and because I have

20Then he erected there an altar and

plenty." Thus he urged him and he took

called it El-Elohe-Israel.

it.

12Then Esau said, "Let us take our

34Now Dinah the daughter of Leah,

journey and go, and I will go before

whom she had borne to Jacob, went out

you."

to visit the daughters of the land.

13But he said to him, "My lord knows that 2When Shechem the son of Hamor the

the children are frail and that the flocks Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, and herds which are nursing are a care he took her and lay with her by force.

to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die.

3He was deeply attracted to Dinah the say to me; but give me the girl in daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl

marriage."

and spoke tenderly to her.

13But Jacob's sons answered Shechem

4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor,

and his father Hamor with deceit,

saying, "Get me this young girl for a because he had defiled Dinah their

wife."

sister.

5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled

14They said to them, "We cannot do this

Dinah his daughter; but his sons were

thing, to give our sister to one who is with his livestock in the field, so Jacob uncircumcised, for that would be a kept silent until they came in.

disgrace to us.

6Then Hamor the father of Shechem

15"Only on this condition will we consent went out to Jacob to speak with him.

to you: if you will become like us, in that

every male of you be circumcised,

7Now the sons of Jacob came in from

the field when they heard it; and the

16then we will give our daughters to you,

men were grieved, and they were very

and we will take your daughters for

angry

because

he

had

done

a

ourselves, and we will live with you and disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with become one people.

Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought

not to be done.

17"But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our 8But Hamor spoke with them, saying,

daughter and go."

"The soul of my son Shechem longs for

your daughter; please give her to him in

18Now their words seemed reasonable

marriage.

to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

9"Intermarry

with

us;

give

your

19The young man did not delay to do the

daughters to us and take our daughters

thing, because he was delighted with

for yourselves.

Jacob's daughter. Now he was more

respected than all the household of his

10"Thus you shall live with us, and the father.

land shall be open before you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it."

20So Hamor and his son Shechem came

to the gate of their city and spoke to the

11Shechem also said to her father and to

men of their city, saying,

her brothers, "If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me.

21"These men are friendly with us;

therefore let them live in the land and 12"Ask me ever so much bridal payment

trade in it, for behold, the land is large and gift, and I will give according as you

enough for them. Let us take their

daughters in marriage, and give our 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, daughters to them.

"You have brought trouble on me by

making

me

odious

among

the

22"Only on this condition will the men inhabitants of the land, among the

consent to us to live with us, to become

Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my

one people: that every male among us

men being few in number, they will

be circumcised as they are circumcised.

gather together against me and attack

me and I will be destroyed, I and my

23

household."

"Will not their livestock and their

property and all their animals be ours?

31

Only let us consent to them, and they

But they said, "Should he treat our will live with us."

sister as a harlotNULL"

24All who went out of the gate of his city

listened to Hamor and to his son

35Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, Shechem,

and

every

male

was

go up to Bethel and live there, and make

circumcised, all who went out of the

an altar there to God, who appeared to

gate of his city.

you when you fled from your brother

Esau."

25Now it came about on the third day,

when they were in pain, that two of

2So Jacob said to his household and to

Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's

all who were with him, "Put away the brothers, each took his sword and came

foreign gods which are among you, and

upon the city unawares, and killed every

purify yourselves and change your

male.

garments;

26They killed Hamor and his son

3and let us arise and go up to Bethel, Shechem with the edge of the sword,

and I will make an altar there to God, and took Dinah from Shechem's house,

who answered me in the day of my

and went forth.

distress and has been with me wherever

I have gone."

27Jacob's sons came upon the slain and

looted the city, because they had defiled

4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign

their sister.

gods which they had and the rings

which were in their ears, and Jacob hid 28They took their flocks and their herds them under the oak which was near and their donkeys, and that which was

Shechem.

in the city and that which was in the field;

5As they journeyed, there was a great

29and they captured and looted all their terror upon the cities which were around

wealth and all their little ones and their them, and they did not pursue the sons wives, even all that was in the houses.

of Jacob.

6So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), 16Then they journeyed from Bethel; and which is in the land of Canaan, he and when there was still some distance to go

all the people who were with him.

to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth

and she suffered severe labor.

7He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had

17When she was in severe labor the

revealed Himself to him when he fled

midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for from his brother.

now you have another son."

8Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died,

18It came about as her soul was

and she was buried below Bethel under

departing (for she died), that she named

the oak; it was named Allon-bacuth.

him Ben-oni; but his father called him

Benjamin.

9Then God appeared to Jacob again

when he came from Paddan-aram, and

19So Rachel died and was buried on the

He blessed him.

way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

10God said to him, "Your name is Jacob;

20Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But

that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this

Israel shall be your name." Thus He day.

called him Israel.

21Then Israel journeyed on and pitched

11God also said to him, "I am God

his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A

nation and a company of nations shall

22It came about while Israel was

come from you, And kings shall come

dwelling in that land, that Reuben went

forth from you.

and lay

with Bilhah

his father's

concubine, and Israel heard of it.

12" The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will

23the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's

give the land to your descendants after

firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and

you."

Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;

13Then God went up from him in the

24the sons of Rachel: Joseph and

place where He had spoken with him.

Benjamin;

14Jacob set up a pillar in the place

25and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid:

where He had spoken with him, a pillar

Dan and Naphtali;

of stone, and he poured out a drink

offering on it; he also poured oil on it.

26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid:

Gad and Asher. These are the sons of

15So Jacob named the place where God

Jacob who were born to him in Paddan—

had spoken with him, Bethel.

aram.

27Jacob came to his father Isaac at land where they sojourned could not Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron),

sustain them because of their livestock.

where

Abraham

and

Isaac

had

sojourned.

8So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir;

Esau is Edom.

28Now the days of Isaac were one

hundred and eighty years.

9These then are the records of the

generations of Esau the father of the

29Isaac breathed his last and died and

Edomites in the hill country of Seir.

was gathered to his people, an old man

of ripe age; and his sons Esau and

10These are the names of Esau's sons:

Jacob buried him.

Eliphaz the son of Esau's wife Adah,

Reuel the son of Esau's wife Basemath.

36Now these are the records of the 11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, generations of Esau (that is, Edom).

Omar, Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz.

2

12

Esau took his wives from the daughters

Timna was a concubine of Esau's son

of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon

Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.

the

Hittite,

and

Oholibamah

the

These are the sons of Esau's wife Adah.

daughter

of

Anah

and

the

granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

13These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath

and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.

3also Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the

These were the sons of Esau's wife

sister of Nebaioth.

Basemath.

4

14

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and

These were the sons of Esau's wife

Basemath bore Reuel,

Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and

the granddaughter of Zibeon: she bore

5and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam

to Esau, Jeush and Jalam and Korah.

and Korah. These are the sons of Esau

15

who were born to him in the land of

These are the chiefs of the sons of

Canaan.

Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, are chief Teman, chief Omar,

6Then Esau took his wives and his sons

chief Zepho, chief Kenaz,

and his daughters and all his household,

16

and his livestock and all his cattle and chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief

all his goods which he had acquired in

Amalek.

These

are

the

chiefs

the land of Canaan, and went to another

descended from Eliphaz in the land of

land away from his brother Jacob.

Edom; these are the sons of Adah.

7

17

For their property had become too

These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's

great for them to live together, and the son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief

Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the 27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan chiefs descended from Reuel in the land

and Zaavan and Akan.

of Edom; these are the sons of Esau's

wife Basemath.

28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and

Aran.

18These are the sons of Esau's wife

Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam,

29These are the chiefs descended from

chief Korah. These are the chiefs

the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal,

descended

from

Esau's

wife

chief Zibeon, chief Anah,

Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

30chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan.

19These are the sons of Esau (that is,

These are the chiefs descended from

Edom), and these are their chiefs.

the Horites, according to their various

chiefs in the land of Seir.

20These are the sons of Seir the Horite,

the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and

31Now these are the kings who reigned

Shobal and Zibeon and Anah,

in the land of Edom before any king

reigned over the sons of Israel.

21and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan.

These are the chiefs descended from

32Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom,

the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

of Edom.

33Then Bela died, and Jobab the son of

22The sons of Lotan were Hori and

Zerah of Bozrah became king in his

Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

place.

23These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan

34Then Jobab died, and Husham of the

and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and

land of the Temanites became king in

Onam.

his place.

24These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah

35Then Husham died, and Hadad the

and Anah--he is the Anah who found the

son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in

hot springs in the wilderness when he

the field of Moab, became king in his

was pasturing the donkeys of his father

place; and the name of his city was

Zibeon.

Avith.

25These are the children of Anah:

36Then Hadad died, and Samlah of

Dishon, and Oholibamah, the daughter

Masrekah became king in his place.

of Anah.

37Then Samlah died, and Shaul of

26These are the sons of Dishon:

Rehoboth on the Euphrates River

Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and

became king in his place.

Cheran.

38Then Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the old age; and he made him a varicolored son of Achbor became king in his place.

tunic.

39Then Baal-hanan the son of Achbor

4His brothers saw that their father loved

died, and Hadar became king in his

him more than all his brothers; and so

place; and the name of his city was Pau;

they hated him and could not speak to

and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the

him on friendly terms.

daughter

of

Matred,

daughter

of

Mezahab.

5Then Joseph had a dream, and when

he told it to his brothers, they hated him

40Now these are the names of the chiefs

even more.

descended from Esau, according to their

families and their localities, by their

6He said to them, "Please listen to this names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief dream which I have had;

Jetheth,

7for behold, we were binding sheaves in

41chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief

the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and Pinon,

also stood erect; and behold, your

sheaves gathered around and bowed

42chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, down to my sheaf."

43chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are

8Then his brothers said to him, " Are you the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the

actually going to reign over us? Or are father of the Edomites), according to

you really going to rule over us?" So their habitations in the land of their they hated him even more for his

possession.

dreams and for his words.

9

37

Now he had still another dream, and

Now Jacob lived in the land where

related it to his brothers, and said, "Lo, I his father had sojourned, in the land of have had still another dream; and Canaan.

behold, the sun and the moon and

eleven stars were bowing down to me."

2These are the records of the

10

generations of Jacob. Joseph, when

He related it to his father and to his seventeen years of age, was pasturing

brothers; and his father rebuked him

the flock with his brothers while he was and said to him, "What is this dream that still a youth, along with the sons of you have had? Shall I and your mother

and your brothers actually come to bow

Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his

ourselves down before you to the

father's wives. And Joseph brought back

a bad report about them to their father.

ground?"

11

3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all

His brothers were jealous of him, but

his father kept the saying in mind.

his sons, because he was the son of his

12Then his brothers went to pasture their 21But Reuben heard this and rescued father's flock in Shechem.

him out of their hands and said, "Let us

not take his life."

13Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem?

22Reuben further said to them, "Shed no

Come, and I will send you to them." And

blood. Throw him into this pit that is in he said to him, "I will go."

the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"--that he might rescue him out of 14Then he said to him, "Go now and see their hands, to restore him to his father.

about the welfare of your brothers and

the welfare of the flock, and bring word 23So it came about, when Joseph

back to me." So he sent him from the reached his brothers, that they stripped valley of Hebron, and he came to

Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic

Shechem.

that was on him;

15A man found him, and behold, he was

24and they took him and threw him into

wandering in the field; and the man

the pit. Now the pit was empty, without asked him, "What are you looking for?"

any water in it.

16He said, "I am looking for my brothers; 25Then they sat down to eat a meal. And

please tell me where they are pasturing

as they raised their eyes and looked,

the flock."

behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was

coming from Gilead, with their camels

17Then the man said, "They have moved

bearing aromatic gum and balm and

from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us myrrh, on their way to bring them down

go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his

to Egypt.

brothers and found them at Dothan.

26Judah said to his brothers, "What profit 18When they saw him from a distance

is it for us to kill our brother and cover and before he came close to them, they

up his blood?

plotted against him to put him to death.

27" Come and let us sell him to the 19They said to one another, "Here

Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on

comes this dreamer!

him, for he is our brother, our own

flesh." And his brothers listened to him.

20"Now then, come and let us kill him 28

and throw him into one of the pits; and Then some Midianite traders passed

we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.'

by, so they pulled him up and lifted

Then let us see what will become of his

Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to dreams!"

the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of

silver. Thus they brought Joseph into

Egypt.

29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and 2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he

Canaanite whose name was Shua; and

tore his garments.

he took her and went in to her.

30He returned to his brothers and said, "

3So she conceived and bore a son and

The boy is not there; as for me, where he named him Er.

am I to go?"

4Then she conceived again and bore a

31So they took Joseph's tunic, and

son and named him Onan.

slaughtered a male goat and dipped the

tunic in the blood;

5She bore still another son and named

him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that

32and they sent the varicolored tunic and

she bore him.

brought it to their father and said, "We found this; please examine it to see 6Now Judah took a wife for Er his

whether it is your son's tunic or not."

firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

33Then he examined it and said, "It is my 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the

son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured

sight of the LORD, so the LORD took

him; Joseph has surely been torn to

his life.

pieces!"

8Then Judah said to Onan, " Go in to 34So Jacob tore his clothes, and put

your brother's wife, and perform your

sackcloth on his loins and mourned for

duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise

his son many days.

up offspring for your brother."

35Then all his sons and all his daughters

9Onan knew that the offspring would not

arose to comfort him, but he refused to be his; so when he went in to his

be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will brother's wife, he wasted his seed on

go down to Sheol in mourning for my

the ground in order not to give offspring

son." So his father wept for him.

to his brother.

36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in

10But what he did was displeasing in the

Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the

sight of the LORD; so He took his life captain of the bodyguard.

also.

11

38

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law

And it came about at that time,

Tamar, " Remain a widow in your

that Judah departed from his brothers

father's house until my son Shelah

and visited a certain Adullamite, whose

grows up"; for he thought, "I am afraid name was Hirah.

that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's

house.

12Now after a considerable time Shua's 19Then she arose and departed, and daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and

removed her veil and put on her widow's

when the time of mourning was ended,

garments.

Judah went up to his sheepshearers at

Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the

20When Judah sent the young goat by

Adullamite.

his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did

13It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your not find her.

father-in-law is going up to Timnah to

shear his sheep."

21He asked the men of her place, saying,

"Where is the temple prostitute who was

14So she removed her widow's garments

by the road at Enaim?" But they said, and covered herself with a veil, and

"There has been no temple prostitute wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway

here."

of Enaim, which is on the road to

Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had

22So he returned to Judah, and said, "I grown up, and she had not been given did not find her; and furthermore, the

to him as a wife.

men of the place said, 'There has been

no temple prostitute here.'"

15When Judah saw her, he thought she

was a harlot, for she had covered her

23Then Judah said, "Let her keep them,

face.

otherwise

we

will

become

a

laughingstock. After all, I sent this young

16So he turned aside to her by the road,

goat, but you did not find her."

and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was 24Now it was about three months later his daughter-in-law. And she said,

that

Judah

was

informed,

"Your

"What will you give me, that you may daughter-in-law Tamar has played the

come in to me?"

harlot, and behold, she is also with child

by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her 17He said, therefore, "I will send you a out and let her be burned!"

young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until 25It was while she was being brought out you send it?"

that she sent to her father-in-law, saying,

"I am with child by the man to whom 18He said, "What pledge shall I give these things belong." And she said, "

you?" And she said, " Your seal and Please examine and see, whose signet your cord, and your staff that is in your ring and cords and staff are these?"

hand." So he gave them to her and went

in to her, and she conceived by him.

26Judah recognized them, and said, "

She is more righteous than I, inasmuch

as I did not give her to my son Shelah."

And he did not have relations with her made him overseer over his house, and again.

all that he owned he put in his charge.

27It came about at the time she was

5It came about that from the time he

giving birth, that behold, there were

made him overseer in his house and

twins in her womb.

over all that he owned, the LORD

blessed the Egyptian's house on

28Moreover, it took place while she was

account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S

giving birth, one put out a hand, and the

blessing was upon all that he owned, in

midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on

the house and in the field.

his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

6So he left everything he owned in

Joseph's charge; and with him there he

29But it came about as he drew back his

did not concern himself with anything

hand, that behold, his brother came out.

except the food which he ate. Now

Then she said, "What a breach you

Joseph was handsome in form and

have made for yourself!" So he was

appearance.

named Perez.

7It came about after these events that

30Afterward his brother came out who

his master's wife looked with desire at

had the scarlet thread on his hand; and Joseph, and she said, " Lie with me."

he was named Zerah.

8But he refused and said to his master's

wife, "Behold, with me here, my master 39Now Joseph had been taken does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an

owns in my charge.

Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain

of the bodyguard, bought him from the

9" There is no one greater in this house

Ishmaelites, who had taken him down

there.

than I, and he has withheld nothing from

me except you, because you are his

2

wife. How then could I do this great evil

The LORD was with Joseph, so he

and sin against God?"

became a successful man. And he was

in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

10As she spoke to Joseph day after day,

3

he did not listen to her to lie beside her Now his master saw that the LORD

or be with her.

was with him and how the LORD

caused all that he did to prosper in his 11Now it happened one day that he went

hand.

into the house to do his work, and none

4

of the men of the household was there

So Joseph found favor in his sight and

inside.

became his personal servant; and he

12She caught him by his garment, saying, 22The chief jailer committed to Joseph's "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in charge all the prisoners who were in the

her hand and fled, and went outside.

jail; so that whatever was done there, he

was responsible for it.

13When she saw that he had left his

garment in her hand and had fled

23The chief jailer did not supervise

outside,

anything

under

Joseph's

charge

because the LORD was with him; and

14she called to the men of her household

whatever he did, the LORD made to

and said to them, "See, he has brought prosper.

in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed.

40Then it came about after these

things, the cupbearer and the baker for

15"When he heard that I raised my voice

the king of Egypt offended their lord, the

and screamed, he left his garment

king of Egypt.

beside me and fled and went outside."

2Pharaoh was furious with his two

16So she left his garment beside her

officials, the chief cupbearer and the

until his master came home.

chief baker.

17Then she spoke to him with these

3So he put them in confinement in the

words, "The Hebrew slave, whom you

house of the captain of the bodyguard,

brought to us, came in to me to make

in the jail, the same place where Joseph

sport of me;

was imprisoned.

18and as I raised my voice and

4The captain of the bodyguard put

screamed, he left his garment beside

Joseph in charge of them, and he took

me and fled outside."

care of them; and they were in

confinement for some time.

19Now when his master heard the words

of his wife, which she spoke to him,

5Then the cupbearer and the baker for

saying, "This is what your slave did to the king of Egypt, who were confined in me," his anger burned.

jail, both had a dream the same night,

each man with his own dream and each

20So Joseph's master took him and put

dream with its own interpretation.

him into the jail, the place where the

king's prisoners were confined; and he

6When Joseph came to them in the

was there in the jail.

morning and observed them, behold,

they were dejected.

21But the LORD was with Joseph and

extended kindness to him, and gave him

7He asked Pharaoh's officials who were

favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

with him in confinement in his master's

house, " Why are your faces so sad 16When the chief baker saw that he had today?"

interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph,

"I also saw in my dream, and behold, 8Then they said to him, " We have had a

there were three baskets of white bread

dream and there is no one to interpret

on my head;

it." Then Joseph said to them, " Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to 17and in the top basket there were some me, please."

of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of

9So the chief cupbearer told his dream

the basket on my head."

to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front

18Then Joseph answered and said, "This

of me;

is its interpretation: the three baskets

are three days;

10and on the vine were three branches.

And as it was budding, its blossoms

19within three more days Pharaoh will lift

came out, and its clusters produced ripe

up your head from you and will hang

grapes.

you on a tree, and the birds will eat your

flesh off you."

11"Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them

20Thus it came about on the third day,

into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup

which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he

into Pharaoh's hand."

made a feast for all his servants; and he

lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer

12Then Joseph said to him, "This is the and the head of the chief baker among interpretation of it: the three branches

his servants.

are three days;

21He restored the chief cupbearer to his

13within three more days Pharaoh will lift

office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's

up your head and restore you to your

hand;

office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup

into his hand according to your former

22but he hanged the chief baker, just as

custom when you were his cupbearer.

Joseph had interpreted to them.

14"Only keep me in mind when it goes 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not

well with you, and please do me a

remember Joseph, but forgot him.

kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh

and get me out of this house.

41Now it happened at the end of two

15"For I was in fact kidnapped from the full years that Pharaoh had a dream, land of the Hebrews, and even here I

and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

have done nothing that they should

have put me into the dungeon."

2And lo, from the Nile there came up 11" We had a dream on the same night, seven cows, sleek and fat; and they

he and I; each of us dreamed according

grazed in the marsh grass.

to the interpretation of his own dream.

3Then behold, seven other cows came

12"Now a Hebrew youth was with us

up after them from the Nile, ugly and

there, a servant of the captain of the

gaunt, and they stood by the other cows

bodyguard, and we related them to him,

on the bank of the Nile.

and he interpreted our dreams for us. To

each one he interpreted according to his

4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the

own dream.

seven sleek and fat cows. Then

Pharaoh awoke.

13"And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office,

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second

but he hanged him."

time; and behold, seven ears of grain

came up on a single stalk, plump and

14Then Pharaoh sent and called for

good.

Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him

out of the dungeon; and when he had

6Then behold, seven ears, thin and

shaved himself and changed his clothes,

scorched by the east wind, sprouted up

he came to Pharaoh.

after them.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a

7The thin ears swallowed up the seven

dream, but no one can interpret it; and I

plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh

have heard it said about you, that when

awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

you hear a dream you can interpret it."

8

16

Now in the morning his spirit was

Joseph

then

answered

Pharaoh,

troubled, so he sent and called for all saying, " It is not in me; God will give the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise Pharaoh a favorable answer."

men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams,

but there was no one who could

17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my interpret them to Pharaoh.

dream, behold, I was standing on the

bank of the Nile;

9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to

Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention

18and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek

today of my own offenses.

came up out of the Nile, and they

grazed in the marsh grass.

10"Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the

19"Lo, seven other cows came up after house of the captain of the bodyguard,

them, poor and very ugly and gaunt,

both me and the chief baker.

such as I had never seen for ugliness in

all the land of Egypt;

20and the lean and ugly cows ate up the 30and after them seven years of famine first seven fat cows.

will come, and all the abundance will be

forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the 21"Yet when they had devoured them, it

famine will ravage the land.

could not be detected that they had

devoured them, for they were just as

31"So the abundance will be unknown in

ugly as before. Then I awoke.

the land because of that subsequent

famine; for it will be very severe.

22"I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a

32"Now as for the repeating of the dream

single stalk;

to Pharaoh twice, it means that the

matter is determined by God, and God

23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and

will quickly bring it about.

scorched by the east wind, sprouted up

after them;

33"Now let Pharaoh look for a man

discerning and wise, and set him over

24and the thin ears swallowed the seven

the land of Egypt.

good ears. Then I told it to the

magicians, but there was no one who

34"Let Pharaoh take action to appoint could explain it to me."

overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the 25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, land of Egypt in the seven years of

"Pharaoh's dreams are one and the

abundance.

same; God has told to Pharaoh what He

is about to do.

35"Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and 26"The seven good cows are seven

store up the grain for food in the cities years; and the seven good ears are

under Pharaoh's authority, and let them

seven years; the dreams are one and

guard it.

the same.

36"Let the food become as a reserve for

27"The seven lean and ugly cows that the land for the seven years of famine

came up after them are seven years,

which will occur in the land of Egypt, so

and the seven thin ears scorched by the

that the land will not perish during the east wind will be seven years of famine.

famine."

28

37

"It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: Now the proposal seemed good to

God has shown to Pharaoh what He is

Pharaoh and to all his servants.

about to do.

38Then Pharaoh said to his servants,

29"Behold, seven years of great

"Can we find a man like this, in whom is

abundance are coming in all the land of

a divine spirit?"

Egypt;

39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since 48So he gathered all the food of these God has informed you of all this, there is

seven years which occurred in the land

no one so discerning and wise as you

of Egypt and placed the food in the

are.

cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields.

40" You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my

49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great

people shall do homage; only in the

abundance like the sand of the sea, until

throne I will be greater than you."

he stopped measuring it, for it was

beyond measure.

41Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

50Now before the year of famine came,

two sons were born to Joseph, whom

42Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring

Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera

from his hand and put it on Joseph's

priest of On, bore to him.

hand, and clothed him in garments of

fine linen and put the gold necklace

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,

around his neck.

"For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's 43He had him ride in his second chariot;

household."

and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the 52He named the second Ephraim, "For,"

land of Egypt.

he said, " God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph,

"Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your

53When the seven years of plenty which

permission no one shall raise his hand

had been in the land of Egypt came to

or foot in all the land of Egypt."

an end,

45Then

Pharaoh

named

Joseph

54and the seven years of famine began

Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him

to come, just as Joseph had said, then

Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera

there was famine in all the lands, but in

priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph

all the land of Egypt there was bread.

went forth over the land of Egypt.

55So when all the land of Egypt was

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when

famished, the people cried out to

he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to

And Joseph went out from the presence

all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph;

of Pharaoh and went through all the

whatever he says to you, you shall do."

land of Egypt.

56When the famine was spread over all

47During the seven years of plenty the

the face of the earth, then Joseph

land brought forth abundantly.

opened all the storehouses, and sold to

the Egyptians; and the famine was 8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, severe in the land of Egypt.

although they did not recognize him.

57The people of all the earth came to

9Joseph remembered the dreams which

Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,

he had about them, and said to them,

because the famine was severe in all

"You are spies; you have come to look the earth.

at the undefended parts of our land."

10

42

Then they said to him, "No, my lord, Now Jacob saw that there was

but your servants have come to buy

grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his

food.

sons, "Why are you staring at one

11

another?"

"We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not

2He said, "Behold, I have heard that spies."

there is grain in Egypt; go down there

12

and buy some for us from that place, so

Yet he said to them, "No, but you have

that we may live and not die."

come to look at the undefended parts of

our land!"

3Then ten brothers of Joseph went down

13

to buy grain from Egypt.

But they said, "Your servants are

twelve brothers in all, the sons of one 4

man in the land of Canaan; and behold,

But Jacob did not send Joseph's

the youngest is with our father today,

brother Benjamin with his brothers, for

he said, " I am afraid that harm may and one is no longer alive."

befall him."

14Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to 5

you, you are spies;

So the sons of Israel came to buy grain

among those who were coming, for the

15

famine was in the land of Canaan also.

by this you will be tested: by the life of

Pharaoh, you shall not go from this

6

place unless your youngest brother

Now Joseph was the ruler over the land;

comes here!

he was the one who sold to all the

people of the land. And Joseph's

16

brothers came and bowed down to him

"Send one of you that he may get your

with their faces to the ground.

brother, while you remain confined, that

your words may be tested, whether

7

there is truth in you. But if not, by the life When Joseph saw his brothers he

recognized them, but he disguised

of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

himself to them and spoke to them

17

harshly. And he said to them, "Where So he put them all together in prison

have you come from?" And they said, for three days.

"From the land of Canaan, to buy food."

18Now Joseph said to them on the third 27As one of them opened his sack to day, "Do this and live, for I fear God:

give his donkey fodder at the lodging

place, he saw his money; and behold, it

19if you are honest men, let one of your

was in the mouth of his sack.

brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for

28Then he said to his brothers, "My the famine of your households,

money has been returned, and behold, it

is even in my sack." And their hearts 20and bring your youngest brother to me,

sank, and they turned trembling to one

so your words may be verified, and you

another, saying, " What is this that God will not die." And they did so.

has done to us?"

21

29

Then they said to one another, " Truly

When they came to their father Jacob

we are guilty concerning our brother,

in the land of Canaan, they told him all because we saw the distress of his soul

that had happened to them, saying,

when he pleaded with us, yet we would

not listen; therefore this distress has

30"The man, the lord of the land, spoke come upon us."

harshly with us, and took us for spies of

the country.

22Reuben answered them, saying, " Did

I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy';

31"But we said to him, 'We are honest and you would not listen? Now comes

men; we are not spies.

the reckoning for his blood."

32'We are twelve brothers, sons of our

23They did not know, however, that

father; one is no longer alive, and the Joseph understood, for there was an

youngest is with our father today in the interpreter between them.

land of Canaan.'

24He turned away from them and wept.

33"The man, the lord of the land, said to But when he returned to them and

us, ' By this I will know that you are spoke to them, he took Simeon from

honest men: leave one of your brothers

them and bound him before their eyes.

with me and take grain for the famine of

your households, and go.

25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their

bags with grain and to restore every

34'But bring your youngest brother to me

man's money in his sack, and to give

that I may know that you are not spies, them provisions for the journey. And

but honest men. I will give your brother thus it was done for them.

to you, and you may trade in the land.'"

26So they loaded their donkeys with their

35Now it came about as they were

grain and departed from there.

emptying their sacks, that behold, every

man's bundle of money was in his sack;

and when they and their father saw their 6Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me bundles of money, they were dismayed.

so badly by telling the man whether you

still had another brother?"

36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children:

7But they said, "The man questioned

Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no

particularly about us and our relatives,

more, and you would take Benjamin; all

saying, ' Is your father still alive? Have these things are against me."

you another brother?' So we answered

his questions. Could we possibly know

37Then Reuben spoke to his father,

that he would say, 'Bring your brother

saying, "You may put my two sons to down'?"

death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him

8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send to you."

the lad with me and we will arise and go,

that we may live and not die, we as well

38But Jacob said, "My son shall not go as you and our little ones.

down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall

9" I myself will be surety for him; you him on the journey you are taking, then may hold me responsible for him. If I do you will bring my gray hair down to

not bring him back to you and set him

Sheol in sorrow."

before you, then let me bear the blame

before you forever.

43

10

Now the famine was severe in the

"For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."

land.

11

2So it came about when they had

Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of

finished eating the grain which they had

the best products of the land in your

brought from Egypt, that their father said

to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."

bags, and carry down to the man as a

present, a little balm and a little honey, 3

aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts

Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "

and almonds.

The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall

not see my face unless your brother is

12

with you.'

"Take double the money in your hand,

and take back in your hand the money

4

that was returned in the mouth of your

"If you send our brother with us, we will sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.

go down and buy you food.

13

5

"Take your brother also, and arise,

"But if you do not send him, we will not

return to the man;

go down; for the man said to us, 'You

will not see my face unless your brother

is with you.'"

14and may God Almighty grant you 22"We have also brought down other compassion in the sight of the man, so

money in our hand to buy food; we do

that he will release to you your other

not know who put our money in our

brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I

sacks."

am bereaved of my children, I am

bereaved."

23He said, " Be at ease, do not be afraid.

Your God and the God of your father

15So the men took this present, and they

has given you treasure in your sacks; I took double the money in their hand,

had your money." Then he brought

and Benjamin; then they arose and went

Simeon out to them.

down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

24Then the man brought the men into

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them,

Joseph's house and gave them water,

he said to his house steward, "Bring the

and they washed their feet; and he gave

men into the house, and slay an animal

their donkeys fodder.

and make ready; for the men are to dine

with me at noon."

25So they prepared the present for

Joseph's coming at noon; for they had

17So the man did as Joseph said, and

heard that they were to eat a meal there.

brought the men to Joseph's house.

26When Joseph came home, they

18Now the men were afraid, because

brought into the house to him the

they were brought to Joseph's house;

present which was in their hand and

and they said, "It is because of the bowed to the ground before him.

money that was returned in our sacks

the first time that we are being brought 27Then he asked them about their

in, that he may seek occasion against

welfare, and said, " Is your old father us and fall upon us, and take us for well, of whom you spoke? Is he still

slaves with our donkeys."

alive?"

19So they came near to Joseph's house

28They said, "Your servant our father is steward, and spoke to him at the

well; he is still alive." They bowed down entrance of the house,

in homage.

20and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed 29As he lifted his eyes and saw his

came down the first time to buy food,

brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he

said, "Is this your youngest brother, of 21and it came about when we came to whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "

the lodging place, that we opened our

May God be gracious to you, my son."

sacks, and behold, each man's money

was in the mouth of his sack, our money

30Joseph hurried out for he was deeply

in full. So we have brought it back in our

stirred over his brother, and he sought a

hand.

place to weep; and he entered his when you overtake them, say to them, chamber and wept there.

'Why have you repaid evil for good?

31Then he washed his face and came

5'Is not this the one from which my lord

out; and he controlled himself and said, drinks and which he indeed uses for

"Serve the meal."

divination? You have done wrong in

doing this.'"

32So they served him by himself, and

them by themselves, and the Egyptians

6So he overtook them and spoke these

who ate with him by themselves,

words to them.

because the Egyptians could not eat

bread with the Hebrews, for that is

7They said to him, "Why does my lord loathsome to the Egyptians.

speak such words as these? Far be it

from your servants to do such a thing.

33Now they were seated before him, the

firstborn according to his birthright and 8"Behold, the money which we found in the youngest according to his youth, and the mouth of our sacks we have brought

the men looked at one another in

back to you from the land of Canaan.

astonishment.

How then could we steal silver or gold

from your lord's house?

34He took portions to them from his own

table, but Benjamin's portion was five

9" With whomever of your servants it is times as much as any of theirs. So they

found, let him die, and we also will be feasted and drank freely with him.

my lord's slaves."

10

44

So he said, "Now let it also be

Then he commanded his house

according to your words; he with whom

steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks it is found shall be my slave, and the with food, as much as they can carry, rest of you shall be innocent."

and put each man's money in the mouth

of his sack.

11Then they hurried, each man lowered

his sack to the ground, and each man

2"Put my cup, the silver cup, in the opened his sack.

mouth of the sack of the youngest, and

his money for the grain." And he did as 12He searched, beginning with the oldest

Joseph had told him.

and ending with the youngest, and the

cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

3As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.

13Then they tore their clothes, and when

each man loaded his donkey, they

4They had just gone out of the city, and

returned to the city.

were not far off, when Joseph said to his

house steward, "Up, follow the men; and

14When Judah and his brothers came to 22"But we said to my lord, 'The lad Joseph's house, he was still there, and cannot leave his father, for if he should they fell to the ground before him.

leave his father, his father would die.'

15Joseph said to them, "What is this 23"You said to your servants, however, '

deed that you have done? Do you not

Unless your youngest brother comes

know that such a man as I can indeed

down with you, you will not see my face

practice divination?"

again.'

16So Judah said, "What can we say to 24"Thus it came about when we went up

my lord? What can we speak? And how

to your servant my father, we told him

can we justify ourselves? God has found

the words of my lord.

out the iniquity of your servants; behold,

we are my lord's slaves, both we and

25" Our father said, 'Go back, buy us a the one in whose possession the cup little food.'

has been found."

26"But we said, 'We cannot go down. If 17But he said, "Far be it from me to do our youngest brother is with us, then we this. The man in whose possession the

will go down; for we cannot see the

cup has been found, he shall be my

man's face unless our youngest brother

slave; but as for you, go up in peace to is with us.'

your father."

27"Your servant my father said to us, 18Then Judah approached him, and said,

'You know that my wife bore me two

"Oh my lord, may your servant please sons;

speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you 28and the one went out from me, and I are equal to Pharaoh.

said, "Surely he is torn in pieces," and I have not seen him since.

19" My lord asked his servants, saying,

'Have you a father or a brother?'

29'If you take this one also from me, and

harm befalls him, you will bring my gray

20"We said to my lord, 'We have an old hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

father and a little child of his old age.

Now his brother is dead, so he alone is 30"Now, therefore, when I come to your left of his mother, and his father loves servant my father, and the lad is not with him.'

us, since his life is bound up in the lad's

life,

21"Then you said to your servants, '

Bring him down to me that I may set my

31when he sees that the lad is not with eyes on him.'

us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

32"For your servant became surety for 6"For the famine has been in the land the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not these two years, and there are still five bring him back to you, then let me bear years in which there will be neither

the blame before my father forever.'

plowing nor harvesting.

33"Now, therefore, please let your

7" God sent me before you to preserve servant remain instead of the lad a slave

for you a remnant in the earth, and to to my lord, and let the lad go up with his

keep you alive by a great deliverance.

brothers.

8"Now, therefore, it was not you who 34"For how shall I go up to my father if sent me here, but God; and He has the lad is not with me--for fear that I see

made me a father to Pharaoh and lord

the evil that would overtake my

of all his household and ruler over all the

fatherNULL"

land of Egypt.

9

45

"Hurry and go up to my father, and say

Then Joseph could not control

to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph,

himself before all those who stood by

"God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with

10

him when Joseph made himself known

"You shall live in the land of Goshen, to his brothers.

and you shall be near me, you and your

children and your children's children and

2

your flocks and your herds and all that He wept so loudly that the Egyptians

you have.

heard it, and the household of Pharaoh

heard of it.

11"There I will also provide for you, for 3

there are still five years of famine to Then Joseph said to his brothers, " I come, and you and your household and am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for

all

that

you

have

would

be

they were dismayed at his presence.

impoverished."'

12

4

"Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes Then Joseph said to his brothers,

of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my

"Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your mouth which is speaking to you.

brother Joseph, whom you sold into

13

Egypt.

"Now you must tell my father of all my

splendor in Egypt, and all that you have

5

seen; and you must hurry and bring my

"Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here,

father down here."

for God sent me before you to preserve

life.

14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on

with grain and bread and sustenance for

his neck.

his father on the journey.

15He kissed all his brothers and wept on

24So he sent his brothers away, and as

them, and afterward his brothers talked

they departed, he said to them, "Do not with him.

quarrel on the journey."

16Now when the news was heard in

25Then they went up from Egypt, and

Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers

came to the land of Canaan to their

had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his

father Jacob.

servants.

26They told him, saying, "Joseph is still 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the

your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts

land of Egypt." But he was stunned, for and go to the land of Canaan,

he did not believe them.

18and take your father and your

27When they told him all the words of

households and come to me, and I will

Joseph that he had spoken to them, and

give you the best of the land of Egypt when he saw the wagons that Joseph

and you will eat the fat of the land.'

had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

19"Now you are ordered, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your 28Then Israel said, "It is enough; my son little ones and for your wives, and bring Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him your father and come.

before I die."

20'Do not concern yourselves with your

goods, for the best of all the land of 46So Israel set out with all that he

Egypt is yours.'"

had, and came to Beersheba, and

offered sacrifices to the God of his

21Then the sons of Israel did so; and

father Isaac.

Joseph gave them wagons according to

the command of Pharaoh, and gave

2God spoke to Israel in visions of the

them provisions for the journey.

night and said, " Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am."

22To each of them he gave changes of

garments, but to Benjamin he gave

3He said, " I am God, the God of your three hundred pieces of silver and five father; do not be afraid to go down to changes of garments.

Egypt, for I will make you a great nation

there.

23To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of

4" I will go down with you to Egypt, and I 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon will also surely bring you up again; and and Jahleel.

Joseph will close your eyes."

15These are the sons of Leah, whom

5Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and

she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with

the sons of Israel carried their father

his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his

Jacob and their little ones and their

daughters numbered thirty-three.

wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had

sent to carry him.

16The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi,

Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and

6They took their livestock and their

Areli.

property, which they had acquired in the

land of Canaan, and came to Egypt,

17The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah

Jacob and all his descendants with him:

and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister

Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber

7his sons and his grandsons with him,

and Malchiel.

his daughters and his granddaughters,

and all his descendants he brought with

18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom

him to Egypt.

Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and

she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons.

8Now these are the names of the sons

of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went

19The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel:

to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

Joseph and Benjamin.

9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu

20Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt

and Hezron and Carmi.

were born Manasseh and Ephraim,

whom

Asenath,

the

daughter

of

10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and

Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.

Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar

and Shaul the son of a Canaanite

21The sons of Benjamin: Bela and

woman.

Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman,

Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and

11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath,

Ard.

and Merari.

22These are the sons of Rachel, who

12The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and

were born to Jacob; there were fourteen

Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er

persons in all.

and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

And the sons of Perez were Hezron and

23The sons of Dan: Hushim.

Hamul.

24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and

13The sons of Issachar: Tola and

Guni and Jezer and Shillem.

Puvvah and Iob and Shimron.

25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom 33"When Pharaoh calls you and says, '

Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and

What is your occupation?'

she bore these to Jacob; there were

seven persons in all.

34you shall say, 'Your servants have

been keepers of livestock from our

26All the persons belonging to Jacob,

youth even until now, both we and our

who

came

to

Egypt,

his

direct

fathers,' that you may live in the land of

descendants, not including the wives of

Goshen;

for

every

shepherd

is

Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in

loathsome to the Egyptians."

all,

27and the sons of Joseph, who were

47Then Joseph went in and told

born to him in Egypt were two; all the Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my persons of the house of Jacob, who brothers and their flocks and their herds

came to Egypt, were seventy.

and all that they have, have come out of

the land of Canaan; and behold, they

28Now he sent Judah before him to

are in the land of Goshen."

Joseph, to point out the way before him

to Goshen; and they came into the land

2He took five men from among his

of Goshen.

brothers

and

presented

them

to

Pharaoh.

29Joseph prepared his chariot and went

up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; 3Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "

as soon as he appeared before him, he

What is your occupation?" So they said fell on his neck and wept on his neck a to Pharaoh,

"Your

servants

are

long time.

shepherds, both we and our fathers."

30Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now let 4They said to Pharaoh, " We have come

me die, since I have seen your face, that

to sojourn in the land, for there is no you are still alive."

pasture for your servants' flocks, for the

famine is severe in the land of Canaan.

31Joseph said to his brothers and to his

Now, therefore, please let your servants

father's household, " I will go up and tell live in the land of Goshen."

Pharaoh, and will say to him, 'My

brothers and my father's household,

5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your

who were in the land of Canaan, have

father and your brothers have come to

come to me;

you.

32and the men are shepherds, for they

6"The land of Egypt is at your disposal; have been keepers of livestock; and

settle your father and your brothers in

they have brought their flocks and their the best of the land, let them live in the herds and all that they have.'

land of Goshen; and if you know any

capable men among them, then put 15When the money was all spent in the them in charge of my livestock."

land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan,

all the Egyptians came to Joseph and

7Then Joseph brought his father Jacob

said, "Give us food, for why should we and presented him to Pharaoh; and

die in your presence? For our money is

Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

gone."

8

16

Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many

Then Joseph said, "Give up your

years have you lived?"

livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is

9

gone."

So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and

17

thirty; few and unpleasant have been

So they brought their livestock to

the years of my life, nor have they

Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in

attained the years that my fathers lived exchange for the horses and the flocks

during the days of their sojourning."

and the herds and the donkeys; and he

fed them with food in exchange for all

10

their livestock that year.

And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went

out from his presence.

18When that year was ended, they came

11

to him the next year and said to him,

So Joseph settled his father and his

"We will not hide from my lord that our brothers and gave them a possession in

money is all spent, and the cattle are my

the land of Egypt, in the best of the land,

lord's. There is nothing left for my lord in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had

except our bodies and our lands.

ordered.

19

12

"Why should we die before your eyes,

Joseph provided his father and his

both we and our land? Buy us and our

brothers and all his father's household

land for food, and we and our land will with food, according to their little ones.

be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed,

that we may live and not die, and that 13Now there was no food in all the land,

the land may not be desolate."

because the famine was very severe, so

that the land of Egypt and the land of 20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt

Canaan languished because of the

for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his

famine.

field, because the famine was severe

upon them. Thus the land became

14Joseph gathered all the money that

Pharaoh's.

was found in the land of Egypt and in

the land of Canaan for the grain which

21As for the people, he removed them to

they bought, and Joseph brought the

the cities from one end of Egypt's border

money into Pharaoh's house.

to the other.

22Only the land of the priests he did not and faithfulness. Please do not bury me buy, for the priests had an allotment

in Egypt,

from Pharaoh, and they lived off the

allotment which Pharaoh gave them.

30but when I lie down with my fathers,

Therefore, they did not sell their land.

you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury

me in their burial place." And he said, "I 23Then Joseph said to the people,

will do as you have said."

"Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is

31He said, " Swear to me." So he swore seed for you, and you may sow the land.

to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at

the head of the bed.

24"At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your

own for seed of the field and for your 48Now it came about after these

food and for those of your households

and as food for your little ones."

things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two 25

sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

So they said, "You have saved our

lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my

2

lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves."

When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,"

26

Israel collected his strength and sat up Joseph made it a statute concerning

in the bed.

the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the 3

land of the priests did not become

Then Jacob said to Joseph, " God

Pharaoh's.

Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the

land of Canaan and blessed me,

27Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in

4

Goshen, and they acquired property in it

and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make

and were fruitful and became very

you fruitful and numerous, and I will

numerous.

make you a company of peoples, and

will give this land to your descendants

28

after you for an everlasting possession.'

Jacob lived in the land of Egypt

seventeen years; so the length of

5

Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-

"Now your two sons, who were born to

seven years.

you in the land of Egypt before I came to

you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and

29

Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben

When the time for Israel to die drew

and Simeon are.

near, he called his son Joseph and said

to him, "Please, if I have found favor in 6

your sight, place now your hand under

"But your offspring that have been born

my thigh and deal with me in kindness

after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

7"Now as for me, when I came from and Isaac walked, The God who has Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in

been my shepherd all my life to this day,

the land of Canaan on the journey,

when there was still some distance to go

16The angel who has redeemed me from

to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the

all evil, Bless the lads; And may my

way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

name live on in them, And the names of

my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And

8When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he

may they grow into a multitude in the

said, "Who are these?"

midst of the earth."

9Joseph said to his father, " They are my 17When Joseph saw that his father laid

sons, whom God has given me here."

his right hand on Ephraim's head, it

So he said, "Bring them to me, please, displeased him; and he grasped his

that I may bless them."

father's hand to remove it from

Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim

from age that he could not see. Then

18Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my

Joseph brought them close to him, and

father, for this one is the firstborn. Place

he kissed them and embraced them.

your right hand on his head."

11Israel said to Joseph, "I never

19But his father refused and said, "I expected to see your face, and behold,

know, my son, I know; he also will

God has let me see your children as

become a people and he also will be

well."

great. However, his younger brother

shall be greater than he, and his

12Then Joseph took them from his knees,

descendants shall become a multitude

and bowed with his face to the ground.

of nations."

13

20

Joseph took them both, Ephraim with

He blessed them that day, saying, "By

his right hand toward Israel's left, and you Israel will pronounce blessing,

Manasseh with his left hand toward

saying, 'May God make you like

Israel's right, and brought them close to

Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put

him.

Ephraim before Manasseh.

14

21

But Israel stretched out his right hand

Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who

am about to die, but God will be with

was the younger, and his left hand on

you, and bring you back to the land of Manasseh's head, crossing his hands,

your fathers.

although Manasseh was the firstborn.

22"I give you one portion more than your

15He blessed Joseph, and said, " The brothers, which I took from the hand of God before whom my fathers Abraham the Amorite with my sword and my

bow."

10

49

" The scepter shall not depart from Then Jacob summoned his sons

Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from

and said, "Assemble yourselves that I between his feet, Until Shiloh comes,

And to him shall be the obedience of the

may tell you what will befall you in the peoples.

days to come.

11

2"Gather together and hear, O sons of

" He ties his foal to the vine, And his Jacob; And listen to Israel your father.

donkey's colt to the choice vine; He

washes his garments in wine, And his

3

robes in the blood of grapes.

"Reuben, you are my firstborn; My

might and the beginning of my strength,

12

Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in

"His eyes are dull from wine, And his power.

teeth white from milk.

13

4"Uncontrolled as water, you shall not

" Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; have preeminence, Because you went

And he shall be a haven for ships, And up to your father's bed; Then you defiled

his flank shall be toward Sidon.

it--he went up to my couch.

14"Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying 5" Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their down between the sheepfolds.

swords are implements of violence.

15"When he saw that a resting place was

6

good And that the land was pleasant,

" Let my soul not enter into their council; He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,

Let not my glory be united with their

assembly; Because in their anger they

And became a slave at forced labor.

slew men, And in their self-will they

16

lamed oxen.

" Dan shall judge his people, As one of

the tribes of Israel.

7"Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; 17

And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will

"Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A disperse them in Jacob, And scatter

horned snake in the path, That bites the

them in Israel.

horse's heels, So that his rider falls

backward.

8"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; 18

Your hand shall be on the neck of your

" For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.

enemies; Your father's sons shall bow

down to you.

19" As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will raid at their heels.

9"Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches,

20" As for Asher, his food shall be rich, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, And he will yield royal dainties.

who dares rouse him up?

21" Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives cave that is in the field of Ephron the beautiful words.

Hittite,

22" Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful 30in the cave that is in the field of bough by a spring; Its branches run over

Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in

a wall.

the land of Canaan, which Abraham

bought along with the field from Ephron

23"The archers bitterly attacked him, And the Hittite for a burial site.

shot at him and harassed him;

31"There they buried Abraham and his 24But his bow remained firm, And his

wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and

arms were agile, From the hands of the

his wife Rebekah, and there I buried

Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the

Leah--

Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

32the field and the cave that is in it, 25From the God of your father who helps

purchased from the sons of Heth."

you, And by the Almighty who blesses

you With blessings of heaven above,

33When Jacob finished charging his

Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, sons, he drew his feet into the bed and Blessings of the breasts and of the breathed his last, and was gathered to

womb.

his people.

26"The blessings of your father Have surpassed

the

blessings

of

my

50Then Joseph fell on his father's ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the

face, and wept over him and kissed him.

everlasting hills; May they be on the

head of Joseph, And on the crown of the

2

head of the one distinguished among his

Joseph commanded his servants the

brothers.

physicians to embalm his father. So the

physicians embalmed Israel.

27"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the 3

morning he devours the prey, And in the

Now forty days were required for it, for evening he divides the spoil."

such

is

the

period

required

for

embalming. And the Egyptians wept for

28

him seventy days.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,

and this is what their father said to them

4

when he blessed them. He blessed

When the days of mourning for him

them, every one with the blessing

were past, Joseph spoke to the

appropriate to him.

household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please 29

speak to Pharaoh, saying,

Then he charged them and said to

them, "I am about to be gathered to my

5

people; bury me with my fathers in the

' My father made me swear, saying,

"Behold, I am about to die; in my grave

which I dug for myself in the land of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now which Abraham had bought along with

therefore, please let me go up and bury

the field for a burial site from Ephron the

my father; then I will return.'"

Hittite.

6Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your 14After he had buried his father, Joseph

father, as he made you swear."

returned to Egypt, he and his brothers,

and all who had gone up with him to

7So Joseph went up to bury his father,

bury his father.

and with him went up all the servants of

Pharaoh, the elders of his household

15When Joseph's brothers saw that their

and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

father was dead, they said, " What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and

8and all the household of Joseph and his

pays us back in full for all the wrong brothers and his father's household;

which we did to him!"

they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of 16So they sent a message to Joseph,

Goshen.

saying, "Your father charged before he died, saying,

9There also went up with him both

chariots and horsemen; and it was a

17'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please

very great company.

forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did 10When they came to the threshing floor you wrong."' And now, please forgive of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan,

the transgression of the servants of the they lamented there with a very great

God of your father." And Joseph wept and sorrowful lamentation; and he

when they spoke to him.

observed seven days mourning for his

father.

18Then his brothers also came and fell

down before him and said, "Behold, we 11Now when the inhabitants of the land,

are your servants."

the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the

threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This 19But Joseph said to them, "Do not be is a

grievous

mourning

for

the

afraid, for am I in God's place?

Egyptians." Therefore it was named

Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the

20"As for you, you meant evil against me, Jordan.

but God meant it for good in order to

bring about this present result, to

12Thus his sons did for him as he had

preserve many people alive.

charged them;

21"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will 13for his sons carried him to the land of provide for you and your little ones." So Canaan and buried him in the cave of

he comforted them and spoke kindly to care of you and bring you up from this them.

land to the land which He promised on

oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to

22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and

Jacob."

his father's household, and Joseph lived

one hundred and ten years.

25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel

swear, saying, "God will surely take care 23Joseph saw the third generation of

of you, and you shall carry my bones up

Ephraim's sons; also the sons of Machir,

from here."

the son of Manasseh, were born on

Joseph's knees.

26So Joseph died at the age of one

hundred and ten years; and he was

24Joseph said to his brothers, " I am embalmed and placed in a coffin in

about to die, but God will surely take

Egypt.

Exodus

they built for Pharaoh storage cities,

Pithom and Raamses.

1Now these are the names of the sons 12But the more they afflicted them, the of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household:

more they multiplied and the more they

spread out, so that they were in dread of

2

the sons of Israel.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

13

3

The Egyptians compelled the sons of

Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

Israel to labor rigorously;

4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

14and they made their lives bitter with

hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all

5All the persons who came from the

kinds of labor in the field, all their labors

loins of Jacob were seventy in number,

which they rigorously imposed on them.

but Joseph was already in Egypt.

15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the

6Joseph died, and all his brothers and all

Hebrew midwives, one of whom was

that generation.

named Shiphrah and the other was

named Puah;

7But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and

16and he said, "When you are helping became exceedingly mighty, so that the

the Hebrew women to give birth and see

land was filled with them.

them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it 8Now a new king arose over Egypt, who is a daughter, then she shall live."

did not know Joseph.

17But the midwives feared God, and did

9He said to his people, "Behold, the not do as the king of Egypt had

people of the sons of Israel are more

commanded them, but let the boys live.

and mightier than we.

18So the king of Egypt called for the

10"Come, let us deal wisely with them, or midwives and said to them, "Why have else they will multiply and in the event of you done this thing, and let the boys

war, they will also join themselves to

live?"

those who hate us, and fight against us

and depart from the land."

19The midwives said to Pharaoh,

"Because the Hebrew women are not as

11So they appointed taskmasters over

the Egyptian women; for they are

them to afflict them with hard labor. And

vigorous and give birth before the 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh's midwife can get to them."

daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she

20So God was good to the midwives,

may nurse the child for you?"

and the people multiplied, and became

very mighty.

8Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the 21Because the midwives feared God, He child's mother.

established households for them.

9Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her,

22Then Pharaoh commanded all his

"Take this child away and nurse him for people, saying, " Every son who is born

me and I will give you your wages." So you are to cast into the Nile, and every the woman took the child and nursed daughter you are to keep alive."

him.

10The child grew, and she brought him

2Now a man from the house of Levi to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, went and married a daughter of Levi.

and said, "Because I drew him out of the

water."

2The woman conceived and bore a son;

and when she saw that he was beautiful,

11Now it came about in those days,

she hid him for three months.

when Moses had grown up, that he went

out to his brethren and looked on their 3But when she could hide him no longer,

hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian

she got him a wicker basket and

beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among

12So he looked this way and that, and

the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

when he saw there was no one around,

he struck down the Egyptian and hid

4His sister stood at a distance to find out

him in the sand.

what would happen to him.

13He went out the next day, and behold,

5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to

two Hebrews were fighting with each

bathe at the Nile, with her maidens

other; and he said to the offender, "Why

walking alongside the Nile; and she saw

are you striking your companion?"

the basket among the reeds and sent

her maid, and she brought it to her.

14But he said, " Who made you a prince

or a judge over us? Are you intending to

6When she opened it, she saw the child,

kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then and behold, the boy was crying. And

Moses was afraid and said, "Surely the she had pity on him and said, "This is matter has become known."

one of the Hebrews' children."

15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he 24So God heard their groaning; and God tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from remembered

His

covenant

with

the presence of Pharaoh and settled in

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

the land of Midian, and he sat down by a

well.

25God saw the sons of Israel, and God

took notice of them.

16Now the priest of Midian had seven

daughters; and they came to draw water

and filled the troughs to water their

3Now Moses was pasturing the flock

father's flock.

of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of 17

Midian; and he led the flock to the west

Then the shepherds came and drove

side of the wilderness and came to

them away, but Moses stood up and

Horeb, the mountain of God.

helped them and watered their flock.

2

18

The angel of the LORD appeared to

When they came to Reuel their father,

him in a blazing fire from the midst of a he said, "Why have you come back so bush; and he looked, and behold, the soon today?"

bush was burning with fire, yet the bush

was not consumed.

19So they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and

3So Moses said, " I must turn aside now

what is more, he even drew the water

and see this marvelous sight, why the

for us and watered the flock."

bush is not burned up."

20He said to his daughters, "Where is he

4When the LORD saw that he turned

then? Why is it that you have left the aside to look, God called to him from the

man behind? Invite him to have

midst of the bush and said, "Moses, something to eat."

Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

21Moses was willing to dwell with the

5Then He said, "Do not come near here;

man, and he gave his daughter

remove your sandals from your feet, for

Zipporah to Moses.

the place on which you are standing is

holy ground."

22Then she gave birth to a son, and he

named him Gershom, for he said, "I

6He said also, " I am the God of your have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

father, the God of Abraham, the God of

Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then

23Now it came about in the course of

Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to

those many days that the king of Egypt

look at God.

died. And the sons of Israel sighed

because of the bondage, and they cried

7The LORD said, "I have surely seen the

out; and their cry for help because of

affliction of My people who are in Egypt,

their bondage rose up to God.

and have given heed to their cry

because of their taskmasters, for I am sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to aware of their sufferings.

you.'"

8"So I have come down to deliver them

15God, furthermore, said to Moses,

from the power of the Egyptians, and to

"Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, bring them up from that land to a good ' The LORD, the God of your fathers, the

and spacious land, to a land flowing with

God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and

milk and honey, to the place of the

the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.'

Canaanite and the Hittite and the

This is My name forever, and this is My

Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite

memorial-name to all generations.

and the Jebusite.

16"Go and gather the elders of Israel 9"Now, behold, the cry of the sons of together and say to them, ' The LORD, Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I

the God of your fathers, the God of

have seen the oppression with which

Abraham,

Isaac

and

Jacob,

has

the Egyptians are oppressing them.

appeared to me, saying, " I am indeed concerned about you and what has

10"Therefore, come now, and I will send

been done to you in Egypt.

you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring

My people, the sons of Israel, out of

17"So I said, I will bring you up out of the Egypt."

affliction of Egypt to the land of the

Canaanite and the Hittite and the

11But Moses said to God, " Who am I, Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite

that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with should bring the sons of Israel out of milk and honey."'

Egypt?"

18" They will pay heed to what you say; 12And He said, "Certainly I will be with and you with the elders of Israel will you, and this shall be the sign to you come to the king of Egypt and you will that it is I who have sent you: when you say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the

have brought the people out of Egypt,

Hebrews, has met with us. So now,

you shall worship God at this mountain."

please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may

13

sacrifice to the LORD our God.'

Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I

am going to the sons of Israel, and I will

19

say to them, 'The God of your fathers

"But I know that the king of Egypt will has sent me to you.' Now they may say

not permit you to go, except under

to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I

compulsion.

say to them?"

20"So I will stretch out My hand and 14God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM"; strike Egypt with all My miracles which I and He said, "Thus you shall say to the shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.

21"I will grant this people favor in the 7Then He said, "Put your hand into your sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be bosom again." So he put his hand into that when you go, you will not go empty-his bosom again, and when he took it handed.

out of his bosom, behold, it was restored

like the rest of his flesh.

22"But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in

8"If they will not believe you or heed the her house, articles of silver and articles witness of the first sign, they may of gold, and clothing; and you will put believe the witness of the last sign.

them on your sons and daughters. Thus

you will plunder the Egyptians."

9"But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then 4

you shall take some water from the Nile

Then Moses said, "What if they will and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will not believe me or listen to what I say?

For they may say, ' The LORD has not

become blood on the dry ground."

appeared to you.'"

10Then Moses said to the LORD,

2

"Please, Lord, I have never been

The LORD said to him, "What is that in

eloquent, neither recently nor in time

your hand?" And he said, " A staff."

past, nor since You have spoken to

3

Your servant; for I am slow of speech

Then He said, "Throw it on the ground."

and slow of tongue."

So he threw it on the ground, and it

became a serpent; and Moses fled from

11The LORD said to him, "Who has

it.

made man's mouth? Or who makes him

4

mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not

But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch I, the LORD?

out your hand and grasp it by its tail"--so he stretched out his hand and caught it,

12

and it became a staff in his hand--

"Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what

5

you are to say."

"that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of

13But he said, "Please, Lord, now send Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the

God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

the message by whomever You will."

14

6The LORD furthermore said to him,

Then the anger of the LORD burned

against Moses, and He said, "Is there

"Now put your hand into your bosom."

not your brother Aaron the Levite? I

So he put his hand into his bosom, and

when he took it out, behold, his hand

know that he speaks fluently. And

was leprous like snow.

moreover, behold, he is coming out to

meet you; when he sees you, he will be

glad in his heart.

15"You are to speak to him and put the to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be

your firstborn."'"

with your mouth and his mouth, and I

will teach you what you are to do.

24Now it came about at the lodging place

on the way that the LORD met him and

16"Moreover, he shall speak for you to sought to put him to death.

the people; and he will be as a mouth

for you and you will be as God to him.

25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at Moses'

17"You shall take in your hand this staff, feet, and she said, "You are indeed a with which you shall perform the signs."

bridegroom of blood to me."

18Then Moses departed and returned to

26So He let him alone. At that time she Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, said, "You are a bridegroom of blood"--

"Please, let me go, that I may return to because of the circumcision.

my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if

they are still alive." And Jethro said to 27Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to Moses, "Go in peace."

meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of

19Now the LORD said to Moses in

God and kissed him.

Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are

28Moses told Aaron all the words of the dead."

LORD with which He had sent him, and

all the signs that He had commanded

20So Moses took his wife and his sons

him to do.

and mounted them on a donkey, and

returned to the land of Egypt. Moses

29Then Moses and Aaron went and

also took the staff of God in his hand.

assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you

go back to Egypt see that you perform

30and Aaron spoke all the words which

before Pharaoh all the wonders which I

the LORD had spoken to Moses. He

have put in your power; but I will harden

then performed the signs in the sight of his heart so that he will not let the

the people.

people go.

31So the people believed; and when they

22"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus

heard that the LORD was concerned

says the LORD, " Israel is My son, My about the sons of Israel and that He had

firstborn.

seen their affliction, then they bowed

low and worshiped.

23"So I said to you, ' Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused

5

therefore they cry out, 'Let us go and

And afterward Moses and Aaron

sacrifice to our God.'

came and said to Pharaoh, " Thus says

9

the LORD, the God of Israel, ' Let My

"Let the labor be heavier on the men, people go that they may celebrate a

and let them work at it so that they will feast to Me in the wilderness.'"

pay no attention to false words."

2

10

But Pharaoh said, " Who is the LORD

So the taskmasters of the people and

that I should obey His voice to let Israel

their foremen went out and spoke to the

go? I do not know the LORD, and

people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I besides, I will not let Israel go."

am not going to give you any straw.

3

11

Then they said, " The God of the

'You go and get straw for yourselves

Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us

wherever you can find it, but none of

go a three days' journey into the

your labor will be reduced.'"

wilderness that we may sacrifice to the

LORD our God, otherwise He will fall

12So the people scattered through all the

upon us with pestilence or with the

land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

sword."

13The taskmasters pressed them, saying,

4But the king of Egypt said to them,

"Complete your work quota, your daily

"Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the

amount, just as when you had straw."

people away from their work? Get back

to your labors!"

14Moreover, the foremen of the sons of

Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters

5Again Pharaoh said, "Look, the people had set over them, were beaten and

of the land are now many, and you

were asked, "Why have you not

would have them cease from their

completed your required amount either

labors!"

yesterday or today in making brick as

previously?"

6So the same day Pharaoh commanded

the taskmasters over the people and

15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel

their foremen, saying,

came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying,

"Why do you deal this way with your 7"You are no longer to give the people servants?

straw to make brick as previously; let

them

go

and

gather

straw

for

16"There is no straw given to your

themselves.

servants, yet they keep saying to us,

'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants

8"But the quota of bricks which they are being beaten; but it is the fault of were making previously, you shall your own people."

impose on them; you are not to reduce

any of it. Because they are lazy,

17But he said, "You are lazy, very lazy; 3and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and therefore you say, 'Let us go and

Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My

sacrifice to the LORD.'

name, LORD, I did not make Myself

known to them.

18"So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the

4"I also established My covenant with quota of bricks."

them, to give them the land of Canaan,

the land in which they sojourned.

19The foremen of the sons of Israel saw

that they were in trouble because they

5"Furthermore I have heard the groaning

were told, "You must not reduce your of the sons of Israel, because the

daily amount of bricks."

Egyptians are holding them in bondage,

and I have remembered My covenant.

20When they left Pharaoh's presence,

they met Moses and Aaron as they were

6"Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ' I waiting for them.

am the LORD, and I will bring you out

from under the burdens of the Egyptians,

21They said to them, " May the LORD

and I will deliver you from their bondage.

look upon you and judge you, for you

I will also redeem you with an

have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight

outstretched

arm

and

with

great

and in the sight of his servants, to put a

judgments.

sword in their hand to kill us."

7'Then I will take you for My people, and

22Then Moses returned to the LORD

I will be your God; and you shall know and said, " O Lord, why have You

that I am the LORD your God, who

brought harm to this people? Why did

brought you out from under the burdens

You ever send me?

of the Egyptians.

23

8

"Ever since I came to Pharaoh to

'I will bring you to the land which I

speak in Your name, he has done harm

swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and

to this people, and You have not

Jacob, and I will give it to you for a delivered Your people at all."

possession; I am the LORD.'"

9So Moses spoke thus to the sons of

6Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh;

cruel bondage.

for under compulsion he will let them go,

and under compulsion he will drive them

10Now the LORD spoke to Moses,

out of his land."

saying,

2God spoke further to Moses and said to

11

him, "I am the LORD;

" Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land."

12But Moses spoke before the LORD, 20Amram married his father's sister saying, "Behold, the sons of Israel have

Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and

not listened to me; how then will

Moses; and the length of Amram's life

Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled was one hundred and thirty-seven years.

in speech?"

21The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg

13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and

and Zichri.

to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the

sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of

22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and

Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of Elzaphan and Sithri.

the land of Egypt.

23Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter

14These are the heads of their fathers'

of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon,

households. The sons of Reuben,

and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,

Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu,

Eleazar and Ithamar.

Hezron and Carmi; these are the

families of Reuben.

24The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah

and Abiasaph; these are the families of

15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and

the Korahites.

Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar

and Shaul the son of a Canaanite

25Aaron's son Eleazar married one of

woman; these are the families of

the daughters of Putiel, and she bore

Simeon.

him Phinehas. These are the heads of

the fathers' households of the Levites

16These are the names of the sons of

according to their families.

Levi according to their generations:

Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and

26It was the same Aaron and Moses to

the length of Levi's life was one hundred

whom the LORD said, " Bring out the and thirty-seven years.

sons of Israel from the land of Egypt

according to their hosts."

17The sons of Gershon: Libni and

Shimei, according to their families.

27They were the ones who spoke to

Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing

18The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar

out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was

and Hebron and Uzziel; and the length

the same Moses and Aaron.

of Kohath's life was one hundred and

thirty-three years.

28Now it came about on the day when

the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of

19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

Egypt,

These are the families of the Levites

according to their generations.

29that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

" I am the LORD; speak to Pharaoh king

of Egypt all that I speak to you."

30But Moses said before the LORD, down before Pharaoh, that it may

"Behold, I am unskilled in speech; how become a serpent.'"

then will Pharaoh listen to meNULL"

10So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh,

7

and thus they did just as the LORD had

Then the LORD said to Moses, " See,

commanded; and Aaron threw his staff

I make you as God to Pharaoh, and

down before Pharaoh and his servants,

your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. and it became a serpent.

11

2"You shall speak all that I command Then Pharaoh also called for the wise

you, and your brother Aaron shall speak

men and the sorcerers, and they also,

to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel

the magicians of Egypt, did the same

go out of his land.

with their secret arts.

12

3"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I For each one threw down his staff and

may multiply My signs and My wonders

they turned into serpents. But Aaron's

in the land of Egypt.

staff swallowed up their staffs.

13

4

Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened,

"When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and

and he did not listen to them, as the

bring out My hosts, My people the sons

LORD had said.

of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great

14

judgments.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

"Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses

5" The Egyptians shall know that I am to let the people go.

the LORD, when I stretch out My hand

15

on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel

"Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is

from their midst."

going out to the water, and station

yourself to meet him on the bank of the

6So Moses and Aaron did it; as the

Nile; and you shall take in your hand the

LORD commanded them, thus they did.

staff that was turned into a serpent.

16

7

" You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron

eighty-three, when they spoke to

God of the Hebrews, sent me to you,

Pharaoh.

saying, " Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But

8

behold, you have not listened until now."

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and

Aaron, saying,

17'Thus says the LORD, " By this you 9

shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I

"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying,

will strike the water that is in the Nile

' Work a miracle,' then you shall say to with the staff that is in my hand, and it Aaron, ' Take your staff and throw it will be turned to blood.

18" The fish that are in the Nile will die, 25Seven days passed after the LORD

and the Nile will become foul, and the

had struck the Nile.

Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile."'"

8Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go

19Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to

to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says

Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out

the LORD, " Let My people go, that they

your hand over the waters of Egypt,

may serve Me.

over their rivers, over their streams, and

over their pools, and over all their

2

reservoirs of water, that they may

"But if you refuse to let them go, behold, become blood; and there will be blood

I will smite your whole territory with frogs.

throughout all the land of Egypt, both in

3

vessels of wood and in vessels of

"The Nile will swarm with frogs, which stone.'"

will come up and go into your house and

into your bedroom and on your bed, and

20So Moses and Aaron did even as the

into the houses of your servants and on

LORD had commanded. And he lifted

your people, and into your ovens and

up the staff and struck the water that

into your kneading bowls.

was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh 4

and in the sight of his servants, and all

"So the frogs will come up on you and the water that was in the Nile was

your people and all your servants."'"

turned to blood.

5Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to

21The fish that were in the Nile died, and

Aaron, ' Stretch out your hand with your

the Nile became foul, so that the

staff over the rivers, over the streams

Egyptians could not drink water from the

and over the pools, and make frogs

Nile. And the blood was through all the come up on the land of Egypt.'"

land of Egypt.

6So Aaron stretched out his hand over

22But the magicians of Egypt did the

the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came

same with their secret arts; and

up and covered the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he

did not listen to them, as the LORD had

7The magicians did the same with their

said.

secret arts, making frogs come up on

the land of Egypt.

23Then Pharaoh turned and went into his

house with no concern even for this.

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and

Aaron and said, " Entreat the LORD that

24So all the Egyptians dug around the

He remove the frogs from me and from

Nile for water to drink, for they could not

my people; and I will let the people go, drink of the water of the Nile.

that they may sacrifice to the LORD."

9Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is 18The magicians tried with their secret yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for

arts to bring forth gnats, but they could you and your servants and your people,

not; so there were gnats on man and

that the frogs be destroyed from you

beast.

and your houses, that they may be left

only in the Nile?"

19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "

This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's 10Then he said, "Tomorrow." So he said, heart was hardened, and he did not "May it be according to your word, that listen to them, as the LORD had said.

you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

20Now the LORD said to Moses, " Rise early in the morning and present

11"The frogs will depart from you and yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes

your houses and your servants and your

out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus people; they will be left only in the Nile."

says the LORD, " Let My people go, that

they may serve Me.

12Then Moses and Aaron went out from

Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD

21"For if you do not let My people go, concerning the frogs which He had

behold, I will send swarms of flies on

inflicted upon Pharaoh.

you and on your servants and on your

people and into your houses; and the

13The LORD did according to the word

houses of the Egyptians will be full of of Moses, and the frogs died out of the swarms of flies, and also the ground on houses, the courts, and the fields.

which they dwell.

14

22

So they piled them in heaps, and the

" But on that day I will set apart the land became foul.

land of Goshen, where My people are

living, so that no swarms of flies will be 15

there, in order that you may know that I,

But when Pharaoh saw that there was

the LORD, am in the midst of the land.

relief, he hardened his heart and did not

listen to them, as the LORD had said.

23"I will put a division between My 16

people and your people. Tomorrow this

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to

sign will occur."'"

Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become

24

gnats through all the land of Egypt.'"

Then the LORD did so. And there

came great swarms of flies into the

17

house of Pharaoh and the houses of his

They did so; and Aaron stretched out

servants and the land was laid waste

his hand with his staff, and struck the because of the swarms of flies in all the

dust of the earth, and there were gnats land of Egypt.

on man and beast. All the dust of the

earth became gnats through all the land

of Egypt.

25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, " Go, sacrifice to your God 9Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go within the land."

to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus

says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews,

26But Moses said, "It is not right to do so,

" Let My people go, that they may serve

for we will sacrifice to the LORD our

Me.

God what is an abomination to the

Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an

2"For if you refuse to let them go and abomination to the Egyptians before

continue to hold them,

their eyes, will they not then stone us?

3

27

behold, the hand of the LORD will

"We must go a three days' journey into

come with a very severe pestilence on

the wilderness and sacrifice to the

your livestock which are in the field, on LORD our God as He commands us."

the horses, on the donkeys, on the

camels, on the herds, and on the flocks.

28Pharaoh said, " I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God

4" But the LORD will make a distinction in the wilderness; only you shall not go between the livestock of Israel and the very far away. Make supplication for

livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will me."

die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel."'"

29Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going

out from you, and I shall make

5The LORD set a definite time, saying,

supplication to the LORD that the

"Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in

swarms of flies may depart from

the land."

Pharaoh, from his servants, and from

his people tomorrow; only do not let

6

Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not

So the LORD did this thing on the next

letting the people go to sacrifice to the day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; LORD."

but of the livestock of the sons of Israel,

not one died.

30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and

7

made supplication to the LORD.

Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was

not even one of the livestock of Israel 31

dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was

The LORD did as Moses asked, and

hardened, and he did not let the people

removed the swarms of flies from

go.

Pharaoh, from his servants and from his

people; not one remained.

8Then the LORD said to Moses and

32

Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of But Pharaoh hardened his heart this

soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it time also, and he did not let the people toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

go.

9"It will become fine dust over all the 18"Behold, about this time tomorrow, I land of Egypt, and will become boils will send a very heavy hail, such as has

breaking out with sores on man and

not been seen in Egypt from the day it beast through all the land of Egypt."

was founded until now.

10So they took soot from a kiln, and

19"Now therefore send, bring your

stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw

livestock and whatever you have in the

it toward the sky, and it became boils

field to safety. Every man and beast that

breaking out with sores on man and

is found in the field and is not brought beast.

home, when the hail comes down on

them, will die."'"

11The magicians could not stand before

Moses because of the boils, for the boils

20The one among the servants of

were on the magicians as well as on all

Pharaoh who feared the word of the

the Egyptians.

LORD made his servants and his

livestock flee into the houses;

12And the LORD hardened Pharaoh's

heart, and he did not listen to them, just

21but he who paid no regard to the word

as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

of the LORD left his servants and his

livestock in the field.

13Then the LORD said to Moses, " Rise

up early in the morning and stand before

22Now the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch

Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the

out your hand toward the sky, that hail LORD, the God of the Hebrews, " Let may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man My people go, that they may serve Me.

and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."

14"For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your

23Moses stretched out his staff toward

people, so that you may know that there

the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and

is no one like Me in all the earth.

hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And

the LORD rained hail on the land of

15"For if by now I had put forth My hand

Egypt.

and struck you and your people with

pestilence, you would then have been

24So there was hail, and fire flashing

cut off from the earth.

continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the 16"But, indeed, for this reason I have land of Egypt since it became a nation.

allowed you to remain, in order to show

you My power and in order to proclaim

25The hail struck all that was in the field

My name through all the earth.

through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every

17"Still you exalt yourself against My plant of the field and shattered every

people by not letting them go.

tree of the field.

26Only in the land of Goshen, where the 35Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he sons of Israel were, there was no hail.

did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

27Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and

Aaron, and said to them, " I have sinned

this time; the LORD is the righteous one,

10Then the LORD said to Moses,

and I and my people are the wicked

"Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his

ones.

heart and the heart of his servants, that I

may perform these signs of Mine among

28" Make supplication to the LORD, for them,

there has been enough of God's thunder

and hail; and I will let you go, and you 2and that you may tell in the hearing of shall stay no longer."

your son, and of your grandson, how I

made a mockery of the Egyptians and

29Moses said to him, "As soon as I go how I performed My signs among them,

out of the city, I will spread out my

that you may know that I am the LORD."

hands to the LORD; the thunder will

cease and there will be hail no longer, 3Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and

that you may know that the earth is the said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the LORD'S.

God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you

refuse to humble yourself before Me?

30" But as for you and your servants, I Let My people go, that they may serve know that you do not yet fear the LORD

Me.

God."

4'For if you refuse to let My people go, 31(Now the flax and the barley were

behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into

ruined, for the barley was in the ear and

your territory.

the flax was in bud.

5'They shall cover the surface of the

32But the wheat and the spelt were not

land, so that no one will be able to see ruined, for they ripen late.)

the land. They will also eat the rest of what has escaped--what is left to you

33So Moses went out of the city from

from the hail--and they will eat every

Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to

tree which sprouts for you out of the

the LORD; and the thunder and the hail

field.

ceased, and rain no longer poured on

the earth.

6'Then your houses shall be filled and

the houses of all your servants and the 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain

houses of all the Egyptians, something

and the hail and the thunder had ceased,

which neither your fathers nor your

he sinned again and hardened his heart,

grandfathers have seen, from the day

he and his servants.

that they came upon the earth until this

day.'" And he turned and went out from 14The locusts came up over all the land Pharaoh.

of Egypt and settled in all the territory of

Egypt; they were very numerous. There

7Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How had never been so many locusts, nor

long will this man be a snare to us? Let

would there be so many again.

the men go, that they may serve the

LORD their God. Do you not realize that

15For they covered the surface of the

Egypt is destroyed?"

whole land, so that the land was

darkened; and they ate every plant of

8So Moses and Aaron were brought

the land and all the fruit of the trees that

back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "

the hail had left. Thus nothing green

Go, serve the LORD your God! Who are

was left on tree or plant of the field the ones that are going?"

through all the land of Egypt.

9

16

Moses said, " We shall go with our Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for

young and our old; with our sons and

Moses and Aaron, and he said, " I have

our daughters, with our flocks and our

sinned against the LORD your God and

herds we shall go, for we must hold a

against you.

feast to the LORD."

17"Now therefore, please forgive my sin 10Then he said to them, "Thus may the only this once, and make supplication to LORD be with you, if ever I let you and the LORD your God, that He would only

your little ones go! Take heed, for evil is

remove this death from me."

in your mind.

18He went out from Pharaoh and made

11"Not so! Go now, the men among you,

supplication to the LORD.

and serve the LORD, for that is what

you desire." So they were driven out 19So the LORD shifted the wind to a

from Pharaoh's presence.

very strong west wind which took up the

locusts and drove them into the Red

12Then the LORD said to Moses, "

Sea; not one locust was left in all the Stretch out your hand over the land of

territory of Egypt.

Egypt for the locusts, that they may

come up on the land of Egypt and eat

20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's

every plant of the land, even all that the

heart, and he did not let the sons of

hail has left."

Israel go.

13So Moses stretched out his staff over

21Then the LORD said to Moses, "

the land of Egypt, and the LORD

Stretch out your hand toward the sky,

directed an east wind on the land all that

that there may be darkness over the

day and all that night; and when it was land of Egypt, even a darkness which

morning, the east wind brought the

may be felt."

locusts.

22So Moses stretched out his hand let you go from here. When he lets you toward the sky, and there was thick

go, he will surely drive you out from here

darkness in all the land of Egypt for

completely.

three days.

2"Speak now in the hearing of the

23They did not see one another, nor did

people that each man ask from his

anyone rise from his place for three

neighbor and each woman from her

days, but all the sons of Israel had light

neighbor for articles of silver and articles

in their dwellings.

of gold."

24Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and

3The LORD gave the people favor in the

said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your

sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the

flocks and your herds be detained. Even

man

Moses

himself

was

greatly

your little ones may go with you."

esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in

the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in

25But Moses said, "You must also let us

the sight of the people.

have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to the LORD our

4Moses said, "Thus says the LORD,

God.

'About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt,

26" Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt for we shall take some of them to serve

shall die, from the firstborn of the

the LORD our God. And until we arrive

Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to

there, we ourselves do not know with

the firstborn of the slave girl who is

what we shall serve the LORD."

behind the millstones; all the firstborn of

the cattle as well.

27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's

heart, and he was not willing to let them

6'Moreover, there shall be a great cry in

go.

all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never

28Then Pharaoh said to him, " Get away

be again.

from me! Beware, do not see my face

again, for in the day you see my face

7' But against any of the sons of Israel a

you shall die!"

dog will not even bark, whether against

man or beast, that you may understand

29Moses said, "You are right; I shall how the LORD makes a distinction

never see your face again!"

between Egypt and Israel.'

8" All these your servants will come 11Now the LORD said to Moses, down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, 'Go out, you and all the "One more plague I will bring on

people who follow you,' and after that I Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will

will go out." And he went out from 7' Moreover, they shall take some of the Pharaoh in hot anger.

blood and put it on the two doorposts

and on the lintel of the houses in which 9Then the LORD said to Moses, "

they eat it.

Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My

wonders will be multiplied in the land of 8'They shall eat the flesh that same night,

Egypt."

roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

10Moses and Aaron performed all these

wonders before Pharaoh; yet the LORD

9'Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all

hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did

with water, but rather roasted with fire, not let the sons of Israel go out of his both its head and its legs along with its land.

entrails.

10

12

' And you shall not leave any of it over

Now the LORD said to Moses and

until morning, but whatever is left of it Aaron in the land of Egypt,

until morning, you shall burn with fire.

11

2

'Now you shall eat it in this manner:

" This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month with your loins girded, your sandals on

of the year to you.

your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the 3

LORD'S Passover.

"Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they

12

are each one to take a lamb for

'For I will go through the land of Egypt

themselves, according to their fathers'

on that night, and will strike down all the

households, a lamb for each household.

firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of

4

Egypt I will execute judgments-- I am

'Now if the household is too small for a

the LORD.

lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest

to his house are to take one according

13

to the number of persons in them;

' The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I

according to what each man should eat,

see the blood I will pass over you, and you are to divide the lamb.

no plague will befall you to destroy you 5

when I strike the land of Egypt.

'Your lamb shall be an unblemished

male a year old; you may take it from

14'Now this day will be a memorial to you,

the sheep or from the goats.

and you shall celebrate it as a feast to 6

the LORD; throughout your generations

'You shall keep it until the fourteenth

you are to celebrate it as a permanent

day of the same month, then the whole

ordinance.

assembly of the congregation of Israel is

to kill it at twilight.

15' Seven days you shall eat unleavened 22" You shall take a bunch of hyssop and bread, but on the first day you shall

dip it in the blood which is in the basin, remove leaven from your houses; for

and apply some of the blood that is in whoever eats anything leavened from

the basin to the lintel and the two

the first day until the seventh day, that doorposts; and none of you shall go

person shall be cut off from Israel.

outside the door of his house until

morning.

16' On the first day you shall have a holy

assembly, and another holy assembly

23"For the LORD will pass through to on the seventh day; no work at all shall smite the Egyptians; and when He sees be done on them, except what must be

the blood on the lintel and on the two eaten by every person, that alone may

doorposts, the LORD will pass over the

be prepared by you.

door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.

17'You shall also observe the Feast of

Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I

24"And you shall observe this event as brought your hosts out of the land of an ordinance for you and your children

Egypt; therefore you shall observe this

forever.

day throughout your generations as a

permanent ordinance.

25"When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised,

18' In the first month, on the fourteenth you shall observe this rite.

day of the month at evening, you shall

eat unleavened bread, until the twenty—

26" And when your children say to you, first day of the month at evening.

'What does this rite mean to you?'

19' Seven days there shall be no leaven

27you shall say, 'It is a Passover

found in your houses; for whoever eats

sacrifice to the LORD who passed over

what is leavened, that person shall be

the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt

cut off from the congregation of Israel, when He smote the Egyptians, but

whether he is an alien or a native of the

spared our homes.'" And the people

land.

bowed low and worshiped.

20'You shall not eat anything leavened;

28Then the sons of Israel went and did

in all your dwellings you shall eat

so; just as the LORD had commanded

unleavened bread.'"

Moses and Aaron, so they did.

21Then Moses called for all the elders of

29Now it came about at midnight that the

Israel and said to them, "Go and take for LORD struck all the firstborn in the land

yourselves lambs according to your

of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh

families, and slay the Passover lamb.

who sat on his throne to the firstborn of

the captive who was in the dungeon,

and all the firstborn of cattle.

30Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all 38A mixed multitude also went up with his servants and all the Egyptians, and

them, along with flocks and herds, a

there was a great cry in Egypt, for there

very large number of livestock.

was no home where there was not

someone dead.

39They baked the dough which they had

brought out of Egypt into cakes of

31Then he called for Moses and Aaron at

unleavened bread. For it had not

night and said, "Rise up, get out from become leavened, since they were

among my people, both you and the

driven out of Egypt and could not delay,

sons of Israel; and go, worship the

nor had they prepared any provisions for

LORD, as you have said.

themselves.

32"Take both your flocks and your herds,

40Now the time that the sons of Israel

as you have said, and go, and bless me

lived in Egypt was four hundred and

also."

thirty years.

33The Egyptians urged the people, to

41And at the end of four hundred and

send them out of the land in haste, for thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts

they said, "We will all be dead."

of the LORD went out from the land of

Egypt.

34So the people took their dough before

it was leavened, with their kneading

42It is a night to be observed for the bowls bound up in the clothes on their

LORD for having brought them out from

shoulders.

the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of

35Now the sons of Israel had done

Israel throughout their generations.

according to the word of Moses, for they

had requested from the Egyptians

43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

articles of silver and articles of gold, and

"This is the ordinance of the Passover: clothing;

no foreigner is to eat of it;

36and the LORD had given the people

44but every man's slave purchased with

favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so money, after you have circumcised him,

that they let them have their request.

then he may eat of it.

Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

45" A sojourner or a hired servant shall 37Now the sons of Israel journeyed from

not eat of it.

Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred

thousand men on foot, aside from

46"It is to be eaten in a single house; you children.

are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to

break any bone of it.

47" All the congregation of Israel are to 5"It shall be when the LORD brings you celebrate this.

to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite,

48"But if a stranger sojourns with you, which He swore to your fathers to give and celebrates the Passover to the

you, a land flowing with milk and honey,

LORD, let all his males be circumcised,

that you shall observe this rite in this and then let him come near to celebrate

month.

it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may

6"For seven days you shall eat

eat of it.

unleavened bread, and on the seventh

day there shall be a feast to the LORD.

49" The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns

7"Unleavened bread shall be eaten

among you."

throughout the seven days; and nothing

leavened shall be seen among you, nor

50Then all the sons of Israel did so; they

shall any leaven be seen among you in

did just as the LORD had commanded

all your borders.

Moses and Aaron.

8" You shall tell your son on that day, 51And on that same day the LORD

saying, 'It is because of what the LORD

brought the sons of Israel out of the land

did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

of Egypt by their hosts.

9"And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your

13Then the LORD spoke to Moses, forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful saying,

hand the LORD brought you out of

Egypt.

2" Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the

10"Therefore, you shall keep this

sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it

ordinance at its appointed time from

belongs to Me."

year to year.

3Moses said to the people, " Remember

11"Now when the LORD brings you to

this day in which you went out from

the land of the Canaanite, as He swore

Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by

to you and to your fathers, and gives it a powerful hand the LORD brought you

to you,

out from this place. And nothing

leavened shall be eaten.

12you shall devote to the LORD the first

4

offspring of every womb, and the first

"On this day in the month of Abib, you offspring of every beast that you own; are about to go forth.

the males belong to the LORD.

13"But every first offspring of a donkey 20Then they set out from Succoth and you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you

camped in Etham on the edge of the

do not redeem it, then you shall break

wilderness.

its neck; and every firstborn of man

among your sons you shall redeem.

21The LORD was going before them in a

pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the

14" And it shall be when your son asks way, and in a pillar of fire by night to you in time to come, saying, 'What is give them light, that they might travel by

this?' then you shall say to him, ' With a

day and by night.

powerful hand the LORD brought us out

of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

22He did not take away the pillar of cloud

by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, 15'It came about, when Pharaoh was

from before the people.

stubborn about letting us go, that the

LORD killed every firstborn in the land of

Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the

14Now the LORD spoke to Moses,

firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first

saying,

offspring of every womb, but every

2

firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

"Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp

before

Pi-hahiroth,

between

16"So it shall serve as a sign on your Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in hand and as phylacteries on your

front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the forehead, for with a powerful hand the

sea.

LORD brought us out of Egypt."

3"For Pharaoh will say of the sons of 17Now when Pharaoh had let the people

Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in

go, God did not lead them by the way of

the land; the wilderness has shut them

the land of the Philistines, even though it

in.'

was near; for God said, " The people 4

might change their minds when they see

"Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, war, and return to Egypt."

and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his

18Hence God led the people around by

army, and the Egyptians will know that I

the way of the wilderness to the Red

am the LORD." And they did so.

Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in 5

martial array from the land of Egypt.

When the king of Egypt was told that

the people had fled, Pharaoh and his

19Moses took the bones of Joseph with

servants had a change of heart toward

him, for he had made the sons of Israel

the people, and they said, "What is this solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely we have done, that we have let Israel go

take care of you, and you shall carry my

from serving us?"

bones from here with you."

6So he made his chariot ready and took have seen today, you will never see his people with him;

them again forever.

7and he took six hundred select chariots,

14" The LORD will fight for you while you and all the other chariots of Egypt with keep silent."

officers over all of them.

15Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why 8The LORD hardened the heart of

are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased

of Israel to go forward.

after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly.

16"As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and 9Then the Egyptians chased after them

divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go with all the horses and chariots of

through the midst of the sea on dry land.

Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army,

and they overtook them camping by the

17"As for Me, behold, I will harden the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-hearts of the Egyptians so that they will zephon.

go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army,

10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of

through his chariots and his horsemen.

Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians

were marching after them, and they

18" Then the Egyptians will know that I became very frightened; so the sons of am the LORD, when I am honored

Israel cried out to the LORD.

through Pharaoh, through his chariots

and his horsemen."

11Then they said to Moses, "Is it

because there were no graves in Egypt

19The angel of God, who had been

that you have taken us away to die in

going before the camp of Israel, moved

the wilderness? Why have you dealt

and went behind them; and the pillar of with us in this way, bringing us out of cloud moved from before them and Egypt?

stood behind them.

12" Is this not the word that we spoke to 20So it came between the camp of Egypt

you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone

and the camp of Israel; and there was

that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it

the cloud along with the darkness, yet it

would have been better for us to serve

gave light at night. Thus the one did not

the Egyptians than to die in the

come near the other all night.

wilderness."

21Then Moses stretched out his hand

13But Moses said to the people, " Do not

over the sea; and the LORD swept the

fear! Stand by and see the salvation of sea back by a strong east wind all night

the LORD which He will accomplish for

and turned the sea into dry land, so the

you today; for the Egyptians whom you

waters were divided.

22The sons of Israel went through the the waters were like a wall to them on midst of the sea on the dry land, and the their right hand and on their left.

waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day

from the hand of the Egyptians, and

23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit,

Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the

and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots

seashore.

and his horsemen went in after them

into the midst of the sea.

31When Israel saw the great power

which the LORD had used against the

24At the morning watch, the LORD

Egyptians, the people feared the LORD,

looked down on the army of the

and they believed in the LORD and in

Egyptians through the pillar of fire and His servant Moses.

cloud and brought the army of the

Egyptians into confusion.

15Then Moses and the sons of

25He caused their chariot wheels to

Israel sang this song to the LORD, and

swerve, and He made them drive with

said, " I will sing to the LORD, for He is difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us highly exalted; The horse and its rider flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting

He has hurled into the sea.

for them against the Egyptians."

2

26

" The LORD is my strength and song, Then the LORD said to Moses, "

And He has become my salvation; This

Stretch out your hand over the sea so

is my God, and I will praise Him; My

that the waters may come back over the

father's God, and I will extol Him.

Egyptians, over their chariots and their

horsemen."

3" The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is

27

His name.

So Moses stretched out his hand over

the sea, and the sea returned to its

4

normal state at daybreak, while the

" Pharaoh's chariots and his army He Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then has cast into the sea; And the choicest the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in of his officers are drowned in the Red

the midst of the sea.

Sea.

5

28The waters returned and covered the

"The deeps cover them; They went

chariots and the horsemen, even

down into the depths like a stone.

Pharaoh's entire army that had gone

6

into the sea after them; not even one of

" Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic

them remained.

in power, Your right hand, O LORD,

shatters the enemy.

29But the sons of Israel walked on dry

7

land through the midst of the sea, and

"And

in the greatness

of

Your

excellence You overthrow those who

rise up against You; You send forth motionless as stone; Until Your people Your burning anger, and it consumes

pass over, O LORD, Until the people

them as chaff.

pass over whom You have purchased.

8" At the blast of Your nostrils the waters 17" You will bring them and plant them in were piled up, The flowing waters stood the mountain of Your inheritance, The

up like a heap; The deeps were

place, O LORD, which You have made

congealed in the heart of the sea.

for Your dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord,

which Your hands have established.

9" The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My 18" The LORD shall reign forever and desire shall be gratified against them; I ever."

will draw out my sword, my hand will

destroy them.'

19For the horses of Pharaoh with his

chariots and his horsemen went into the

10" You blew with Your wind, the sea sea, and the LORD brought back the

covered them; They sank like lead in the

waters of the sea on them, but the sons

mighty waters.

of Israel walked on dry land through the

midst of the sea.

11" Who is like You among the gods, O

LORD? Who is like You, majestic in

20Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister,

holiness, Awesome in praises, working

took the timbrel in her hand, and all the

wonders?

women went out after her with timbrels

and with dancing.

12" You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them.

21Miriam answered them, " Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The

13"In Your lovingkindness You have led horse and his rider He has hurled into the people whom You have redeemed;

the sea."

In Your strength You have guided them

to Your holy habitation.

22Then Moses led Israel from the Red

Sea, and they went out into the

14" The peoples have heard, they

wilderness of Shur; and they went three

tremble; Anguish has gripped the

days in the wilderness and found no

inhabitants of Philistia.

water.

15

23

"Then the chiefs of Edom were

When they came to Marah, they could

dismayed; The

leaders

of

Moab,

not drink the waters of Marah, for they trembling grips them; All the inhabitants were bitter; therefore it was named of Canaan have melted away.

Marah.

16

24

" Terror and dread fall upon them; By So the people grumbled at Moses,

the greatness of Your arm they are

saying, "What shall we drink?"

25Then he cried out to the LORD, and and the people shall go out and gather a the LORD showed him a tree; and he

day's portion every day, that I may test threw it into the waters, and the waters them, whether or not they will walk in My became sweet. There He made for them

instruction.

a statute and regulation, and there He

tested them.

5" On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as 26And He said, " If you will give earnest much as they gather daily."

heed to the voice of the LORD your God,

and do what is right in His sight, and 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the

give ear to His commandments, and

sons of Israel, "At evening you will know keep all His statutes, I will put none of that the LORD has brought you out of the diseases on you which I have put on

the land of Egypt;

the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your

healer."

7and in the morning you will see the

glory of the LORD, for He hears your

27Then they came to Elim where there

grumblings against the LORD; and what

were twelve springs of water and

are we, that you grumble against us?"

seventy date palms, and they camped

there beside the waters.

8Moses said, "This will happen when the

LORD gives you meat to eat in the

16

evening, and bread to the full in the

Then they set out from Elim, and

morning; for the LORD hears your

all the congregation of the sons of Israel

grumblings which you grumble against

came to the wilderness of Sin, which is Him. And what are we? Your grumblings

between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth

are not against us but against the

day of the second month after their

LORD."

departure from the land of Egypt.

9Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all 2The whole congregation of the sons of

the congregation of the sons of Israel, '

Israel grumbled against Moses and

Come near before the LORD, for He has

Aaron in the wilderness.

heard your grumblings.'"

3

10

The sons of Israel said to them, "

It came about as Aaron spoke to the

Would that we had died by the LORD'S

whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat that they looked toward the wilderness,

by the pots of meat, when we ate bread

and behold, the glory of the LORD

to the full; for you have brought us out appeared in the cloud.

into this wilderness to kill this whole

assembly with hunger."

11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

4Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold,

12" I have heard the grumblings of the I will rain bread from heaven for you; sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, 'At

twilight you shall eat meat, and in the 21They gathered it morning by morning, morning you shall be filled with bread;

every man as much as he should eat;

and you shall know that I am the LORD

but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

your God.'"

22Now on the sixth day they gathered

13So it came about at evening that the

twice as much bread, two omers for

quails came up and covered the camp,

each one. When all the leaders of the

and in the morning there was a layer of

congregation came and told Moses,

dew around the camp.

23then he said to them, "This is what the 14When the layer of dew evaporated,

LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath

behold, on the surface of the wilderness

observance, a holy sabbath to the

there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil

the frost on the ground.

what you will boil, and all that is left over

put aside to be kept until morning."

15When the sons of Israel saw it, they

said to one another, "What is it?" For 24So they put it aside until morning, as they did not know what it was. And Moses had ordered, and it did not

Moses said to them, " It is the bread become foul nor was there any worm in

which the LORD has given you to eat.

it.

16"This is what the LORD has

25Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a commanded, 'Gather of it every man as

sabbath to the LORD; today you will not

much as he should eat; you shall take

find it in the field.

an omer apiece according to the number

of persons each of you has in his tent.'"

26" Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will 17The sons of Israel did so, and some be none."

gathered much and some little.

27It came about on the seventh day that

18When they measured it with an omer,

some of the people went out to gather,

he who had gathered much had no

but they found none.

excess, and he who had gathered little

had no lack; every man gathered as

28Then the LORD said to Moses, " How

much as he should eat.

long do you refuse to keep My

commandments and My instructions?

19Moses said to them, " Let no man leave any of it until morning."

29"See, the LORD has given you the

sabbath; therefore He gives you bread

20But they did not listen to Moses, and for two days on the sixth day. Remain

some left part of it until morning, and it every man in his place; let no man go bred worms and became foul; and

out of his place on the seventh day."

Moses was angry with them.

30So the people rested on the seventh Why do you quarrel with me? Why do day.

you test the LORD?"

31The house of Israel named it manna,

3But the people thirsted there for water;

and it was like coriander seed, white,

and they grumbled against Moses and

and its taste was like wafers with honey.

said, "Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children

32Then Moses said, "This is what the and our livestock with thirst?"

LORD has commanded, 'Let an omerful

of it be kept throughout your generations,

4So Moses cried out to the LORD,

that they may see the bread that I fed saying, "What shall I do to this people?

you in the wilderness, when I brought

A little more and they will stone me."

you out of the land of Egypt.'"

5Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pass 33Moses said to Aaron, " Take a jar and

before the people and take with you

put an omerful of manna in it, and place

some of the elders of Israel; and take in

it before the LORD to be kept

your hand your staff with which you

throughout your generations."

struck the Nile, and go.

34As the LORD commanded Moses, so

6"Behold, I will stand before you there Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to

on the rock at Horeb; and you shall

be kept.

strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And 35The sons of Israel ate the manna forty Moses did so in the sight of the elders of

years, until they came to an inhabited

Israel.

land; they ate the manna until they

came to the border of the land of

7He named the place Massah and

Canaan.

Meribah because of the quarrel of the

sons of Israel, and because they tested

36(Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among

us, or not?"

17

8

Then all the congregation of the

Then Amalek came and fought against

Israel at Rephidim.

sons of Israel journeyed by stages from

the wilderness of Sin, according to the

9

command of the LORD, and camped at

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose

Rephidim, and there was no water for

men for us and go out, fight against

Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself

the people to drink.

on the top of the hill with the staff of God

2

in my hand."

Therefore the people quarreled with

Moses and said, "Give us water that we

10

may drink." And Moses said to them, "

Joshua did as Moses told him, and

fought against Amalek; and Moses,

Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the 4The other was named Eliezer, for he hill.

said, " The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword

11So it came about when Moses held his

of Pharaoh."

hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when

he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

5Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law,

came with his sons and his wife to

12But Moses' hands were heavy. Then

Moses in the wilderness where he was

they took a stone and put it under him, camped, at the mount of God.

and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur

supported his hands, one on one side

6He sent word to Moses, "I, your father—

and one on the other. Thus his hands

in-law Jethro, am coming to you with

were steady until the sun set.

your wife and her two sons with her."

13So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and

7Then Moses went out to meet his

his people with the edge of the sword.

father-in-law, and he bowed down and

kissed him; and they asked each other

14Then the LORD said to Moses, " Write

of their welfare and went into the tent.

this in a book as a memorial and recite it

to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the 8Moses told his father-in-law all that the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the

Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the

15Moses built an altar and named it The

hardship that had befallen them on the

LORD is My Banner;

journey, and how the LORD had

delivered them.

16and he said, " The LORD has sworn; 9

the LORD will have war against Amalek

Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness

from generation to generation."

which the LORD had done to Israel, in

delivering them from the hand of the

Egyptians.

18Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, 10So Jethro said, " Blessed be the LORD

Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that

who delivered you from the hand of the

God had done for Moses and for Israel

Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh,

His people, how the LORD had brought

and who delivered the people from

Israel out of Egypt.

under the hand of the Egyptians.

2Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took

11"Now I know that the LORD is greater

Moses' wife Zipporah, after he had sent

than all the gods; indeed, it was proven her away,

when they dealt proudly against the

people."

3and her two sons, of whom one was

named Gershom, for Moses said, "I

have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took in which they are to walk and the work a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, they are to do.

and Aaron came with all the elders of

Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-21"Furthermore, you shall select out of in-law before God.

all the people able men who fear God,

men of truth, those who hate dishonest

13It came about the next day that Moses

gain; and you shall place these over

sat to judge the people, and the people

them as leaders of thousands, of

stood about Moses from the morning

hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

until the evening.

22"Let them judge the people at all times; 14Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all

and let it be that every major dispute

that he was doing for the people, he

they will bring to you, but every minor said, "What is this thing that you are dispute they themselves will judge. So it doing for the people? Why do you alone

will be easier for you, and they will bear

sit as judge and all the people stand

the burden with you.

about you from morning until evening?"

23"If you do this thing and God so 15Moses said to his father-in-law,

commands you, then you will be able to

"Because the people come to me to

endure, and all these people also will go

inquire of God.

to their place in peace."

16"When they have a dispute, it comes 24So Moses listened to his father-in-law to me, and I judge between a man and

and did all that he had said.

his neighbor and make known the

statutes of God and His laws."

25Moses chose able men out of all Israel

and made them heads over the people,

17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of

thing that you are doing is not good.

fifties and of tens.

18" You will surely wear out, both

26They judged the people at all times;

yourself and these people who are with

the difficult dispute they would bring to you, for the task is too heavy for you; Moses, but every minor dispute they you cannot do it alone.

themselves would judge.

19"Now listen to me: I will give you 27Then Moses bade his father-in-law

counsel, and God be with you. You be

farewell, and he went his way into his

the people's representative before God,

own land.

and you bring the disputes to God,

20then teach them the statutes and the

19In the third month after the sons of

laws, and make known to them the way

Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt,

on that very day they came into the forever." Then Moses told the words of wilderness of Sinai.

the people to the LORD.

2When they set out from Rephidim, they

10The LORD also said to Moses, "Go to

came to the wilderness of Sinai and

the people and consecrate them today

camped in the wilderness; and there

and tomorrow, and let them wash their

Israel camped in front of the mountain.

garments;

3Moses went up to God, and the LORD

11and let them be ready for the third day,

called to him from the mountain, saying,

for on the third day the LORD will come

"Thus you shall say to the house of down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: the people.

4' You yourselves have seen what I did

12"You shall set bounds for the people to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on

all around, saying, 'Beware that you do

eagles' wings, and brought you to

not go up on the mountain or touch the Myself.

border of it; whoever touches the

mountain shall surely be put to death.

5'Now then, if you will indeed obey My

voice and keep My covenant, then you

13'No hand shall touch him, but he shall

shall be My own possession among all

surely be stoned or shot through;

the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

whether beast or man, he shall not live.'

When the ram's horn sounds a long

6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of

blast, they shall come up to the

priests and a holy nation.' These are the

mountain."

words that you shall speak to the sons

of Israel."

14So Moses went down from the

mountain to the people and consecrated

7So Moses came and called the elders

the people, and they washed their

of the people, and set before them all

garments.

these words which the LORD had

commanded him.

15He said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman."

8All the people answered together and

said, "All that the LORD has spoken we

16So it came about on the third day,

will do!" And Moses brought back the when it was morning, that there were

words of the people to the LORD.

thunder and lightning flashes and a thick

cloud upon the mountain and a very

9The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I loud trumpet sound, so that all the

will come to you in a thick cloud, so that

people who were in the camp trembled.

the people may hear when I speak with

you and may also believe in you

17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood 20Then God spoke all these words,

at the foot of the mountain.

saying,

18Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke

2" I am the LORD your God, who

because the LORD descended upon it

brought you out of the land of Egypt, out

in fire; and its smoke ascended like the of the house of slavery.

smoke of a furnace, and the whole

mountain quaked violently.

3" You shall have no other gods before 19

Me.

When the sound of the trumpet grew

louder and louder, Moses spoke and

4

God answered him with thunder.

" You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven

20

above or on the earth beneath or in the

The LORD came down on Mount Sinai,

water under the earth.

to the top of the mountain; and the

LORD called Moses to the top of the

5

mountain, and Moses went up.

" You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a 21

jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go

fathers on the children, on the third and

down, warn the people, so that they do

the fourth generations of those who hate

not break through to the LORD to gaze,

Me,

and many of them perish.

6

22

but

showing

lovingkindness

to

"Also let the priests who come near to

thousands, to those who love Me and

the LORD consecrate themselves, or

keep My commandments.

else the LORD will break out against

them."

7" You shall not take the name of the 23

LORD your God in vain, for the LORD

Moses said to the LORD, "The people

will not leave him unpunished who takes

cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You

His name in vain.

warned us, saying, ' Set bounds about

the mountain and consecrate it.'"

8"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it

24

holy.

Then the LORD said to him, "Go down

and come up again, you and Aaron with

9

you; but do not let the priests and the

" Six days you shall labor and do all people break through to come up to the

your work,

LORD, or He will break forth upon

10

them."

but the seventh day is a sabbath of the

LORD your God; in it you shall not do

25So Moses went down to the people

any work, you or your son or your

and told them.

daughter, your male or your female

servant or your cattle or your sojourner you, and in order that the fear of Him who stays with you.

may remain with you, so that you may

not sin."

11" For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all 21So the people stood at a distance,

that is in them, and rested on the

while Moses approached the thick cloud

seventh day; therefore the LORD

where God was.

blessed the sabbath day and made it

holy.

22Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus

you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'You

12" Honor your father and your mother, yourselves have seen that I have

that your days may be prolonged in the

spoken to you from heaven.

land which the LORD your God gives

you.

23' You shall not make other gods

besides Me; gods of silver or gods of

13" You shall not murder.

gold, you shall not make for yourselves.

14" You shall not commit adultery.

24'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your

15" You shall not steal.

burnt offerings and your peace offerings,

your sheep and your oxen; in every

16

place where I cause My name to be

" You shall not bear false witness

remembered, I will come to you and

against your neighbor.

bless you.

17" You shall not covet your neighbor's 25'If you make an altar of stone for Me, house; you shall not covet your you shall not build it of cut stones, for if neighbor's wife or his male servant or

you wield your tool on it, you will profane

his female servant or his ox or his

it.

donkey or anything that belongs to your

neighbor."

26'And you shall not go up by steps to 18

My altar, so that your nakedness will not

All the people perceived the thunder

be exposed on it.'

and the lightning flashes and the sound

of the trumpet and the mountain

smoking; and when the people saw it,

they trembled and stood at a distance.

21"Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

19Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us

yourself and we will listen; but let not 2"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall God speak to us, or we will die."

serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without

20Moses said to the people, " Do not be

payment.

afraid; for God has come in order to test

3"If he comes alone, he shall go out 12" He who strikes a man so that he dies alone; if he is the husband of a wife, shall surely be put to death.

then his wife shall go out with him.

13" But if he did not lie in wait for him, but 4"If his master gives him a wife, and she God let him fall into his hand, then I will bears him sons or daughters, the wife

appoint you a place to which he may

and her children shall belong to her

flee.

master, and he shall go out alone.

14"

If,

however,

a

man

acts

5"But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my presumptuously toward his neighbor, so

master, my wife and my children; I will as to kill him craftily, you are to take him

not go out as a free man,'

even from My altar, that he may die.

6then his master shall bring him to God,

15"He who strikes his father or his then he shall bring him to the door or the

mother shall surely be put to death.

doorpost. And his master shall pierce

his ear with an awl; and he shall serve 16" He who kidnaps a man, whether he him permanently.

sells him or he is found in his

possession, shall surely be put to death.

7" If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the

17" He who curses his father or his male slaves do.

mother shall surely be put to death.

8"If she is displeasing in the eyes of her 18"If men have a quarrel and one strikes

master who designated her for himself,

the other with a stone or with his fist, then he shall let her be redeemed. He

and he does not die but remains in bed,

does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness

19if he gets up and walks around outside

to her.

on his staff, then he who struck him

shall go unpunished; he shall only pay

9"If he designates her for his son, he for his loss of time, and shall take care shall deal with her according to the of him until he is completely healed.

custom of daughters.

20"If a man strikes his male or female 10"If he takes to himself another woman, slave with a rod and he dies at his hand,

he may not reduce her food, her clothing,

he shall be punished.

or her conjugal rights.

21"If, however, he survives a day or two, 11"If he will not do these three things for no vengeance shall be taken; for he is her, then she shall go out for nothing, his property.

without payment of money.

22"If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no 32"If the ox gores a male or female slave, injury, he shall surely be fined as the the owner shall give his or her master woman's husband may demand of him,

thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall and he shall pay as the judges decide.

be stoned.

23"But if there is any further injury, then 33"If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

34the owner of the pit shall make

restitution; he shall give money to its

25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise

owner, and the dead animal shall

for bruise.

become his.

26

35

"If a man strikes the eye of his male or

"If one man's ox hurts another's so that

female slave, and destroys it, he shall

it dies, then they shall sell the live ox let him go free on account of his eye.

and divide its price equally; and also

they shall divide the dead ox.

27"And if he knocks out a tooth of his 36

male or female slave, he shall let him go

"Or if it is known that the ox was free on account of his tooth.

previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall

28

surely pay ox for ox, and the dead

"If an ox gores a man or a woman to animal shall become his.

death, the ox shall surely be stoned and

its flesh shall not be eaten; but the

owner of the ox shall go unpunished.

22"If a man steals an ox or a sheep 29"If, however, an ox was previously in and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay the habit of goring and its owner has

five oxen for the ox and four sheep for been warned, yet he does not confine it

the sheep.

and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall

2"If the thief is caught while breaking in be put to death.

and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.

30"If a ransom is demanded of him, then

he shall give for the redemption of his 3"But if the sun has risen on him, there life whatever is demanded of him.

will be bloodguiltiness on his account.

He shall surely make restitution; if he

31"Whether it gores a son or a daughter,

owns nothing, then he shall be sold for it shall be done to him according to the his theft.

same rule.

4"If what he stole is actually found alive and its owner shall accept it, and he in his possession, whether an ox or a

shall not make restitution.

donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

12"But if it is actually stolen from him, he 5"If a man lets a field or vineyard be shall make restitution to its owner.

grazed bare and lets his animal loose so

that it grazes in another man's field, he 13"If it is all torn to pieces, let him bring it shall make restitution from the best of as evidence; he shall not make

his own field and the best of his own

restitution for what has been torn to

vineyard.

pieces.

6"If a fire breaks out and spreads to 14"If a man borrows anything from his thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or neighbor, and it is injured or dies while the standing grain or the field itself is its owner is not with it, he shall make full consumed, he who started the fire shall

restitution.

surely make restitution.

15"If its owner is with it, he shall not 7" If a man gives his neighbor money or make restitution; if it is hired, it came for

goods to keep for him and it is stolen its hire.

from the man's house, if the thief is

caught, he shall pay double.

16" If a man seduces a virgin who is not

engaged, and lies with her, he must pay

8"If the thief is not caught, then the a dowry for her to be his wife.

owner of the house shall appear before

the judges, to determine whether he laid

17"If her father absolutely refuses to give his hands on his neighbor's property.

her to him, he shall pay money equal to

the dowry for virgins.

9"For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing,

18"You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

or for any lost thing about which one

says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties

19

shall come before the judges; he whom

" Whoever lies with an animal shall the judges condemn shall pay double to

surely be put to death.

his neighbor.

20" He who sacrifices to any god, other 10"If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly

an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep

destroyed.

for him, and it dies or is hurt or is driven

21

away while no one is looking,

" You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in

11an oath before the LORD shall be

the land of Egypt.

made by the two of them that he has not

22

laid hands on his neighbor's property;

" You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.

23"If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; 23" You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man

24and My anger will be kindled, and I will

to be a malicious witness.

kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children

2"You shall not follow the masses in fatherless.

doing evil, nor shall you testify in a

dispute so as to turn aside after a

25" If you lend money to My people, to multitude in order to pervert justice;

the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not

3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in

charge him interest.

his dispute.

26"If you ever take your neighbor's cloak 4" If you meet your enemy's ox or his as a pledge, you are to return it to him donkey wandering away, you shall before the sun sets,

surely return it to him.

27for that is his only covering; it is his 5" If you see the donkey of one who cloak for his body. What else shall he hates you lying helpless under its load, sleep in? And it shall come about that

you shall refrain from leaving it to him, when he cries out to Me, I will hear him,

you shall surely release it with him.

for I am gracious.

6

28

" You shall not pervert the justice due

"You shall not curse God, nor curse a to your needy brother in his dispute.

ruler of your people.

7

29

" Keep far from a false charge, and do

" You shall not delay the offering from not kill the innocent or the righteous, for your harvest and your vintage. The

I will not acquit the guilty.

firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.

8" You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe 30

blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the

" You shall do the same with your oxen

cause of the just.

and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day

9

you shall give it to Me.

" You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings

31

of a stranger, for you also were

" You shall be holy men to Me,

strangers in the land of Egypt.

therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn

to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to

10

the dogs.

" You shall sow your land for six years

and gather in its yield,

11but on the seventh year you shall let it fat of My feast to remain overnight until rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of morning.

your people may eat; and whatever they

leave the beast of the field may eat. You

19"You shall bring the choice first fruits of are to do the same with your vineyard your soil into the house of the LORD

and your olive grove.

your God. " You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

12" Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from

20"Behold, I am going to send an angel labor so that your ox and your donkey before you to guard you along the way

may rest, and the son of your female

and to bring you into the place which I slave, as well as your stranger, may

have prepared.

refresh themselves.

21"Be on your guard before him and

13"Now concerning everything which I

obey his voice; do not be rebellious

have said to you, be on your guard; and

toward him, for he will not pardon your do not mention the name of other gods,

transgression, since My name is in him.

nor let them be heard from your mouth.

22"But if you truly obey his voice and do 14" Three times a year you shall

all that I say, then I will be an enemy to

celebrate a feast to Me.

your enemies and an adversary to your

adversaries.

15"You shall observe the Feast of

Unleavened Bread; for seven days you

23" For My angel will go before you and

are to eat unleavened bread, as I

bring you in to the land of the Amorites,

commanded you, at the appointed time

the

Hittites,

the

Perizzites,

the

in the month Abib, for in it you came out

Canaanites,

the

Hivites

and

the

of Egypt. And none shall appear before

Jebusites; and I will completely destroy

Me empty-handed.

them.

16"Also you shall observe the Feast of 24" You shall not worship their gods, nor the Harvest of the first fruits of your serve them, nor do according to their labors from what you sow in the field;

deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow

also the Feast of the Ingathering at the them and break their sacred pillars in

end of the year when you gather in the pieces.

fruit of your labors from the field.

25" But you shall serve the LORD your 17" Three times a year all your males God, and He will bless your bread and shall appear before the Lord GOD.

your water; and I will remove sickness

from your midst.

18" You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the 26"There shall be no one miscarrying or 2"Moses alone, however, shall come barren in your land; I will fulfill the near to the LORD, but they shall not

number of your days.

come near, nor shall the people come

up with him."

27"I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people 3Then Moses came and recounted to

among whom you come, and I will make

the people all the words of the LORD

all your enemies turn their backs to you.

and all the ordinances; and all the

people answered with one voice and

28"I will send hornets ahead of you so said, " All the words which the LORD

that they will drive out the Hivites, the has spoken we will do!"

Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.

4Moses wrote down all the words of the

29" I will not drive them out before you in LORD. Then he arose early in the

a single year, that the land may not

morning, and built an altar at the foot of

become desolate and the beasts of the

the mountain with twelve pillars for the field become too numerous for you.

twelve tribes of Israel.

30

5

"I will drive them out before you little He sent young men of the sons of

by little, until you become fruitful and Israel, and they offered burnt offerings

take possession of the land.

and sacrificed young bulls as peace

offerings to the LORD.

31" I will fix your boundary from the Red 6

Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and

Moses took half of the blood and put it from the wilderness to the River

in basins, and the other half of the blood

Euphrates; for

I

will

deliver

the

he sprinkled on the altar.

inhabitants of the land into your hand,

and you will drive them out before you.

7Then he took the book of the covenant

and read it in the hearing of the people;

32" You shall make no covenant with and they said, " All that the LORD has them or with their gods.

spoken we will do, and we will be

obedient!"

33" They shall not live in your land, 8

because they will make you sin against

So Moses took the blood and sprinkled

Me; for if you serve their gods, it will it on the people, and said, "Behold the surely be a snare to you."

blood of the covenant, which the LORD

has made with you in accordance with

all these words."

24Then He said to Moses, " Come 9Then Moses went up with Aaron, up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the

and Abihu and seventy of the elders of

elders of Israel,

Israel, and you shall worship at a

distance.

10and they saw the God of Israel; and Moses was on the mountain forty days under His feet there appeared to be a

and forty nights.

pavement of sapphire, as clear as the

sky itself.

25Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

11Yet He did not stretch out His hand

saying,

against the nobles of the sons of Israel;

and they saw God, and they ate and

2

drank.

" Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man

12

whose heart moves him you shall raise

Now the LORD said to Moses, "Come

My contribution.

up to Me on the mountain and remain

there, and I will give you the stone

3

tablets

with

the

law

and

the

"This is the contribution which you are commandment which I have written for

to raise from them: gold, silver and

their instruction."

bronze,

4

13So Moses arose with Joshua his

blue, purple and scarlet material, fine

servant, and Moses went up to the

linen, goat hair,

mountain of God.

5rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins,

14But to the elders he said, " Wait here acacia wood,

for us until we return to you. And behold,

6

Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever

oil for lighting, spices for the anointing has a legal matter, let him approach

oil and for the fragrant incense,

them."

7onyx stones and setting stones for the

15Then Moses went up to the mountain,

ephod and for the breastpiece.

and the cloud covered the mountain.

8"Let them construct a sanctuary for Me,

16The glory of the LORD rested on

that I may dwell among them.

Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for

six days; and on the seventh day He

9" According to all that I am going to called to Moses from the midst of the show you, as the pattern of the

cloud.

tabernacle and the pattern of all its

furniture, just so you shall construct it.

17And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the

10" They shall construct an ark of acacia LORD was like a consuming fire on the

wood two and a half cubits long, and

mountain top.

one and a half cubits wide, and one and

a half cubits high.

18Moses entered the midst of the cloud

as he went up to the mountain; and

11"You shall overlay it with pure gold, 21" You shall put the mercy seat on top inside and out you shall overlay it, and of the ark, and in the ark you shall put you shall make a gold molding around it.

the testimony which I will give to you.

12"You shall cast four gold rings for it 22" There I will meet with you; and from and fasten them on its four feet, and two

above the mercy seat, from between the

rings shall be on one side of it and two two cherubim which are upon the ark of

rings on the other side of it.

the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment 13"You shall make poles of acacia wood for the sons of Israel.

and overlay them with gold.

23" You shall make a table of acacia 14"You shall put the poles into the rings wood, two cubits long and one cubit on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark wide and one and a half cubits high.

with them.

24"You shall overlay it with pure gold and 15"The poles shall remain in the rings of make a gold border around it.

the ark; they shall not be removed from it.

25"You shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth around it; and you shall

16"You shall put into the ark the

make a gold border for the rim around it.

testimony which I shall give you.

26"You shall make four gold rings for it 17"You shall make a mercy seat of pure and put rings on the four corners which gold, two and a half cubits long and one

are on its four feet.

and a half cubits wide.

27"The rings shall be close to the rim as 18"You shall make two cherubim of gold,

holders for the poles to carry the table.

make them of hammered work at the

two ends of the mercy seat.

28"You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so

19"Make one cherub at one end and one

that with them the table may be carried.

cherub at the other end; you shall make

the cherubim of one piece with the

29"You shall make its dishes and its mercy seat at its two ends.

pans and its jars and its bowls with

which to pour drink offerings; you shall 20" The cherubim shall have their wings make them of pure gold.

spread upward, covering the mercy seat

with their wings and facing one another;

30"You shall set the bread of the

the faces of the cherubim are to be

Presence on the table before Me at all

turned toward the mercy seat.

times.

31" Then you shall make a lampstand of 39"It shall be made from a talent of pure pure gold. The lampstand and its base gold, with all these utensils.

and its shaft are to be made of

hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and

40" See that you make them after the its flowers shall be of one piece with it.

pattern for them, which was shown to

you on the mountain.

32" Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of 26" Moreover you shall make the the lampstand from its other side.

tabernacle with ten curtains of fine

33

twisted linen and blue and purple and

" Three cups shall be shaped like

scarlet material; you shall make them

almond blossoms in the one branch, a

with cherubim, the work of a skillful

bulb and a flower, and three cups

workman.

shaped like almond blossoms in the

other branch, a bulb and a flower--so for

2

six branches going out from the

"The length of each curtain shall be lampstand;

twenty-eight cubits, and the width of

each curtain four cubits; all the curtains 34

shall have the same measurements.

and in the lampstand four cups shaped

like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its

3

flowers.

"Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall

35

be joined to one another.

" A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb

4

under the second pair of branches

"You shall make loops of blue on the coming out of it, and a bulb under the edge of the outermost curtain in the first third pair of branches coming out of it, set, and likewise you shall make them

for the six branches coming out of the

on the edge of the curtain that is

lampstand.

outermost in the second set.

5

36" Their bulbs and their branches shall

"You shall make fifty loops in the one be of one piece with it; all of it shall be curtain, and you shall make fifty loops one piece of hammered work of pure

on the edge of the curtain that is in the gold.

second set; the loops shall be opposite

each other.

37"Then you shall make its lamps seven

6

in number; and they shall mount its

"You shall make fifty clasps of gold, lamps so as to shed light on the space and join the curtains to one another with in front of it.

the clasps so that the tabernacle will be

a unit.

38"Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold.

7"Then you shall make curtains of goats'

16"Ten cubits shall be the length of each hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you board and one and a half cubits the shall make eleven curtains in all.

width of each board.

8"The length of each curtain shall be 17"There shall be two tenons for each thirty cubits, and the width of each board, fitted to one another; thus you

curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains

shall do for all the boards of the

shall have the same measurements.

tabernacle.

9"You shall join five curtains by

18"You shall make the boards for the themselves and the other six curtains by

tabernacle: twenty boards for the south

themselves, and you shall double over

side.

the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.

19"You shall make forty sockets of silver 10"You shall make fifty loops on the edge under the twenty boards, two sockets of the curtain that is outermost in the under one board for its two tenons and

first set, and fifty loops on the edge of two sockets under another board for its the curtain that is outermost in the

two tenons;

second set.

20and for the second side of the

11"You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, tabernacle, on the north side, twenty

and you shall put the clasps into the

boards,

loops and join the tent together so that it

will be a unit.

21and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two

12"The overlapping part that is left over sockets under another board.

in the curtains of the tent, the half

curtain that is left over, shall lap over the

22"For the rear of the tabernacle, to the back of the tabernacle.

west, you shall make six boards.

13"The cubit on one side and the cubit 23"You shall make two boards for the on the other, of what is left over in the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.

length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on 24"They shall be double beneath, and one side and on the other, to cover it.

together they shall be complete to its top

to the first ring; thus it shall be with both

14" You shall make a covering for the of them: they shall form the two corners.

tent of rams' skins dyed red and a

covering of porpoise skins above.

25"There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two

15"Then you shall make the boards for sockets under one board and two

the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing

sockets under another board.

upright.

26"Then you shall make bars of acacia 35" You shall set the table outside the wood, five for the boards of one side of veil, and the lampstand opposite the the tabernacle,

table on the side of the tabernacle

toward the south; and you shall put the 27and five bars for the boards of the

table on the north side.

other side of the tabernacle, and five

bars for the boards of the side of the 36" You shall make a screen for the tabernacle for the rear side to the west.

doorway of the tent of blue and purple

and scarlet material and fine twisted

28"The middle bar in the center of the linen, the work of a weaver.

boards shall pass through from end to

end.

37" You shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with

29"You shall overlay the boards with gold gold, their hooks also being of gold; and

and make their rings of gold as holders you shall cast five sockets of bronze for

for the bars; and you shall overlay the them.

bars with gold.

30"Then you shall erect the tabernacle 27"And you shall make the altar of according to its plan which you have acacia wood, five cubits long and five

been shown in the mountain.

cubits wide; the altar shall be square,

and its height shall be three cubits.

31"You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine

2"You shall make its horns on its four twisted linen; it shall be made with

corners; its horns shall be of one piece cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.

32"You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks 3"You shall make its pails for removing also being of gold, on four sockets of its ashes, and its shovels and its basins

silver.

and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.

33"You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the 4"You shall make for it a grating of testimony there within the veil; and the network of bronze, and on the net you veil shall serve for you as a partition shall make four bronze rings at its four between the holy place and the holy of corners.

holies.

5"You shall put it beneath, under the 34" You shall put the mercy seat on the ledge of the altar, so that the net will ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.

reach halfway up the altar.

6"You shall make poles for the altar, 15"And for the other side shall be poles of acacia wood, and overlay them

hangings of fifteen cubits with their three

with bronze.

pillars and their three sockets.

7"Its poles shall be inserted into the 16"For the gate of the court there shall rings, so that the poles shall be on the be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue and two sides of the altar when it is carried.

purple and scarlet material and fine

twisted linen, the work of a weaver, with

8"You shall make it hollow with planks; their four pillars and their four sockets.

as it was shown to you in the mountain,

so they shall make it.

17"All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bands with their 9"You shall make the court of the

hooks of silver and their sockets of

tabernacle. On the south side there shall

bronze.

be hangings for the court of fine twisted

linen one hundred cubits long for one

18"The length of the court shall be one side;

hundred cubits, and the width fifty

throughout, and the height five cubits of

10and its pillars shall be twenty, with

fine twisted linen, and their sockets of their twenty sockets of bronze; the

bronze.

hooks of the pillars and their bands shall

be of silver.

19"All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service, and all its pegs, and all

11"Likewise for the north side in length the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

there shall be hangings one hundred

cubits long, and its twenty pillars with 20"You shall charge the sons of Israel, their twenty sockets of bronze; the that they bring you clear oil of beaten hooks of the pillars and their bands shall

olives for the light, to make a lamp burn

be of silver.

continually.

12"For the width of the court on the west 21"In the tent of meeting, outside the veil side shall be hangings of fifty cubits with which is before the testimony, Aaron

their ten pillars and their ten sockets.

and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it

13"The width of the court on the east shall be a perpetual statute throughout side shall be fifty cubits.

their generations for the sons of Israel.

14"The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits with their 28"Then bring near to yourself Aaron three pillars and their three sockets.

your brother, and his sons with him,

from among the sons of Israel, to

minister as priest to Me--Aaron, Nadab

and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's 10six of their names on the one stone sons.

and the names of the remaining six on

the other stone, according to their birth.

2"You shall make holy garments for

Aaron your brother, for glory and for

11"As a jeweler engraves a signet, you beauty.

shall engrave the two stones according

to the names of the sons of Israel; you 3"You shall speak to all the skillful shall set them in filigree settings of gold.

persons whom I have endowed with the

spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's

12"You shall put the two stones on the garments to consecrate him, that he

shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones

may minister as priest to Me.

of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the

4"These are the garments which they

LORD on his two shoulders for a

shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod

memorial.

and a robe and a tunic of checkered

work, a turban and a sash, and they

13" You shall make filigree settings of shall make holy garments for Aaron your

gold,

brother and his sons, that he may

minister as priest to Me.

14and two chains of pure gold; you shall

make them of twisted cordage work, and

5"They shall take the gold and the blue you shall put the corded chains on the and the purple and the scarlet material

filigree settings.

and the fine linen.

15" You shall make a breastpiece of 6"They shall also make the ephod of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; gold, of blue and purple and scarlet

like the work of the ephod you shall

material and fine twisted linen, the work

make it: of gold, of blue and purple and

of the skillful workman.

scarlet material and fine twisted linen

you shall make it.

7"It shall have two shoulder pieces

joined to its two ends, that it may be 16"It shall be square and folded double, joined.

a span in length and a span in width.

8"The skillfully woven band, which is on 17"You shall mount on it four rows of it, shall be like its workmanship, of the stones; the first row shall be a row of same material: of gold, of blue and ruby, topaz and emerald;

purple and scarlet material and fine

twisted linen.

18and the second row a turquoise, a

sapphire and a diamond;

9"You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons

19and the third row a jacinth, an agate of Israel,

and an amethyst;

20and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx skillfully woven band of the ephod, and and a jasper; they shall be set in gold that the breastpiece will not come loose

filigree.

from the ephod.

21"The stones shall be according to the 29"Aaron shall carry the names of the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, sons of Israel in the breastpiece of

according to their names; they shall be

judgment over his heart when he enters

like the engravings of a seal, each

the holy place, for a memorial before the

according to his name for the twelve

LORD continually.

tribes.

30" You shall put in the breastpiece of 22"You shall make on the breastpiece judgment the Urim and the Thummim, chains of twisted cordage work in pure

and they shall be over Aaron's heart

gold.

when he goes in before the LORD; and

Aaron shall carry the judgment of the

23"You shall make on the breastpiece sons of Israel over his heart before the two rings of gold, and shall put the two LORD continually.

rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 31" You shall make the robe of the ephod 24"You shall put the two cords of gold on all of blue.

the two rings at the ends of the

breastpiece.

32"There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there

25"You shall put the other two ends of shall be a binding of woven work, like the two cords on the two filigree settings,

the opening of a coat of mail, so that it and put them on the shoulder pieces of will not be torn.

the ephod, at the front of it.

33"You shall make on its hem

26"You shall make two rings of gold and

pomegranates of blue and purple and

shall place them on the two ends of the

scarlet material, all around on its hem, breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is and bells of gold between them all toward the inner side of the ephod.

around:

27

34

"You shall make two rings of gold and

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a

put them on the bottom of the two

golden bell and a pomegranate, all

shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the

around on the hem of the robe.

front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band 35"It shall be on Aaron when he

of the ephod.

ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy

28"They shall bind the breastpiece by its place before the LORD, so that he will

rings to the rings of the ephod with a not die.

blue cord, so that it will be on the

36"You shall also make a plate of pure a statute forever to him and to his gold and shall engrave on it, like the

descendants after him.

engravings of a seal, ' Holy to the

LORD.'

29" Now this is what you shall do to 37"You shall fasten it on a blue cord, and them to consecrate them to minister as it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the

priests to Me: take one young bull and

front of the turban.

two rams without blemish,

38"It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and 2and unleavened bread and unleavened

Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the

cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened

holy things which the sons of Israel

wafers spread with oil; you shall make

consecrate, with regard to all their holy them of fine wheat flour.

gifts; and it shall always be on his

forehead, that they may be accepted

3

before the LORD.

"You shall put them in one basket, and

present them in the basket along with

39

the bull and the two rams.

"You shall weave the tunic of

checkered work of fine linen, and shall

4

make a turban of fine linen, and you

"Then you shall bring Aaron and his shall make a sash, the work of a weaver. sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

40"For Aaron's sons you shall make

5

tunics; you shall also make sashes for

"You shall take the garments, and put them, and you shall make caps for them,

on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the for glory and for beauty.

ephod

and

the

ephod

and

the

breastpiece, and gird him with the

41

skillfully woven band of the ephod;

"You shall put them on Aaron your

brother and on his sons with him; and

6

you shall anoint them and ordain them

and you shall set the turban on his

and consecrate them, that they may

head and put the holy crown on the

serve Me as priests.

turban.

7

42"You shall make for them linen

"Then you shall take the anointing oil breeches to cover their bare flesh; they and pour it on his head and anoint him.

shall reach from the loins even to the

8

thighs.

"You shall bring his sons and put tunics

on them.

43"They shall be on Aaron and on his 9

sons when they enter the tent of

"You shall gird them with sashes,

meeting, or when they approach the

Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on

altar to minister in the holy place, so that

them,

and

they

shall

have

the

they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be

priesthood by a perpetual statute. So

you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10"Then you shall bring the bull before 19"Then you shall take the other ram, the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his and Aaron and his sons shall lay their

sons shall lay their hands on the head of

hands on the head of the ram.

the bull.

20"You shall slaughter the ram, and take

11"You shall slaughter the bull before the some of its blood and put it on the lobe LORD at the doorway of the tent of of Aaron's right ear and on the lobes of meeting.

his sons' right ears and on the thumbs of

their right hands and on the big toes of 12"You shall take some of the blood of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the bull and put it on the horns of the the blood around on the altar.

altar with your finger; and you shall pour

out all the blood at the base of the altar.

21"Then you shall take some of the blood

that is on the altar and some of the

13"You shall take all the fat that covers anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and

and on his garments and on his sons

the two kidneys and the fat that is on and on his sons' garments with him; so

them, and offer them up in smoke on the

he

and

his

garments

shall

be

altar.

consecrated, as well as his sons and his

sons' garments with him.

14"But the flesh of the bull and its hide 22

and its refuse, you shall burn with fire

"You shall also take the fat from the outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

ram and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the 15

liver, and the two kidneys and the fat

" You shall also take the one ram, and

that is on them and the right thigh (for it

Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands

is a ram of ordination),

on the head of the ram;

23

16

and one cake of bread and one cake

and you shall slaughter the ram and

of bread mixed with oil and one wafer

shall take its blood and sprinkle it

from the basket of unleavened bread

around on the altar.

which is set before the LORD;

17"Then you shall cut the ram into its 24and you shall put all these in the pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs,

hands of Aaron and in the hands of his and put them with its pieces and its

sons, and shall wave them as a wave

head.

offering before the LORD.

18"You shall offer up in smoke the whole

25" You shall take them from their hands, ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to and offer them up in smoke on the altar the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an

on the burnt offering for a soothing

offering by fire to the LORD.

aroma before the LORD; it is an offering

by fire to the LORD.

26"Then you shall take the breast of 34" If any of the flesh of ordination or any Aaron's ram of ordination, and wave it of the bread remains until morning, then

as a wave offering before the LORD;

you shall burn the remainder with fire; it

and it shall be your portion.

shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

27"You shall consecrate the breast of the 35"Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his

wave offering and the thigh of the heave

sons, according to all that I have

offering which was waved and which

commanded you; you shall ordain them

was offered from the ram of ordination,

through seven days.

from the one which was for Aaron and

from the one which was for his sons.

36" Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall 28"It shall be for Aaron and his sons as purify the altar when you make

their portion forever from the sons of

atonement for it, and you shall anoint it Israel, for it is a heave offering; and it to consecrate it.

shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their

37"For seven days you shall make

peace offerings, even their heave

atonement for the altar and consecrate it;

offering to the LORD.

then the altar shall be most holy, and

whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

29" The holy garments of Aaron shall be

for his sons after him, that in them they 38"Now this is what you shall offer on the may be anointed and ordained.

altar: two one year old lambs each day,

continuously.

30"For seven days the one of his sons who is priest in his stead shall put them

39"The one lamb you shall offer in the on when he enters the tent of meeting to

morning and the other lamb you shall

minister in the holy place.

offer at twilight;

31"You shall take the ram of ordination 40and there shall be one-tenth of an

and boil its flesh in a holy place.

ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth

of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of 32"Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh a hin of wine for a drink offering with one of the ram and the bread that is in the lamb.

basket, at the doorway of the tent of

meeting.

41"The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same 33"Thus they shall eat those things by grain offering and the same drink which atonement was made at their

offering as in the morning, for a soothing

ordination and consecration; but a

aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

layman shall not eat them, because they

are holy.

42"It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the

doorway of the tent of meeting before 5"You shall make the poles of acacia the LORD, where I will meet with you, to wood and overlay them with gold.

speak to you there.

6"You shall put this altar in front of the 43"I will meet there with the sons of veil that is near the ark of the testimony, Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My

in front of the mercy seat that is over the

glory.

ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.

44"I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate 7"Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; Aaron and his sons to minister as

he shall burn it every morning when he

priests to Me.

trims the lamps.

45" I will dwell among the sons of Israel 8"When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, and will be their God.

he shall burn incense. There shall be

perpetual incense before the LORD

46"They shall know that I am the LORD

throughout your generations.

their God who brought them out of the

land of Egypt, that I might dwell among 9"You shall not offer any strange

them; I am the LORD their God.

incense on this altar, or burnt offering or

meal offering; and you shall not pour out

a drink offering on it.

30"Moreover, you shall make an 10"Aaron shall make atonement on its altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

horns once a year; he shall make

atonement on it with the blood of the sin

2

offering of atonement once a year

"Its length shall be a cubit, and its width throughout your generations. It is most

a cubit, it shall be square, and its height

holy to the LORD."

shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of

one piece with it.

11The LORD also spoke to Moses,

3

saying,

"You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its 12

horns; and you shall make a gold

"When you take a census of the sons molding all around for it.

of Israel to number them, then each one

of them shall give a ransom for himself 4

to the LORD, when you number them,

"You shall make two gold rings for it so that there will be no plague among under its molding; you shall make them

them when you number them.

on its two side walls--on opposite sides--

and they shall be holders for poles with 13

which to carry it.

"This is what everyone who is

numbered shall give: half a shekel

according to the shekel of the sanctuary

( the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a 22Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, shekel as a contribution to the LORD.

saying,

14"Everyone who is numbered, from

23"Take also for yourself the finest of twenty years old and over, shall give the

spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred

contribution to the LORD.

shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half

as much, two hundred and fifty, and of

15"The rich shall not pay more and the fragrant cane two hundred and fifty,

poor shall not pay less than the half

shekel, when you give the contribution

24and of cassia five hundred, according

to the LORD to make atonement for

to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of

yourselves.

olive oil a hin.

16"You shall take the atonement money 25"You shall make of these a holy

from the sons of Israel and shall give it anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the

for the service of the tent of meeting, work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy that it may be a memorial for the sons of anointing oil.

Israel before the LORD, to make

atonement for yourselves."

26"With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,

17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

27and the table and all its utensils, and 18"You shall also make a laver of bronze, the lampstand and its utensils, and the with its base of bronze, for washing; and

altar of incense,

you shall put it between the tent of

meeting and the altar, and you shall put

28and the altar of burnt offering and all water in it.

its utensils, and the laver and its stand.

19"Aaron and his sons shall wash their 29"You shall also consecrate them, that hands and their feet from it; they may be most holy; whatever

touches them shall be holy.

20when they enter the tent of meeting,

they shall wash with water, so that they 30" You shall anoint Aaron and his sons,

will not die; or when they approach the and consecrate them, that they may

altar to minister, by offering up in smoke

minister as priests to Me.

a fire sacrifice to the LORD.

31"You shall speak to the sons of Israel, 21"So they shall wash their hands and saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil their feet, so that they will not die; and it

to Me throughout your generations.

shall be a perpetual statute for them, for

Aaron and his descendants throughout

32'It shall not be poured on anyone's

their generations."

body, nor shall you make any like it in

the same proportions; it is holy, and it 4to make artistic designs for work in gold, shall be holy to you.

in silver, and in bronze,

33' Whoever shall mix any like it or

5and in the cutting of stones for settings,

whoever puts any of it on a layman shall

and in the carving of wood, that he may

be cut off from his people.'"

work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

34Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take

6"And behold, I Myself have appointed for yourself spices, stacte and onycha

with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach,

and

galbanum,

spices

with

pure

of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of frankincense; there shall be an equal

all who are skillful I have put skill, that part of each.

they may make all that I have

commanded you:

35"With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted,

7the tent of meeting, and the ark of

pure, and holy.

testimony, and the mercy seat upon it,

and all the furniture of the tent,

36"You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in 8the table also and its utensils, and the the tent of meeting where I will meet

pure gold lampstand with all its utensils,

with you; it shall be most holy to you.

and the altar of incense,

37"The incense which you shall make, 9the altar of burnt offering also with all its you shall not make in the same utensils, and the laver and its stand,

proportions for yourselves; it shall be

holy to you for the LORD.

10the woven garments as well, and the

holy garments for Aaron the priest, and

38" Whoever shall make any like it, to the garments of his sons, with which to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his carry on their priesthood;

people."

11the anointing oil also, and the fragrant

31

incense for the holy place, they are to Now the LORD spoke to Moses,

make them according to all that I have

saying,

commanded you."

12

2"See, I have called by name Bezalel, The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the 13

tribe of Judah.

"But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ' You shall surely observe

3"I have filled him with the Spirit of God My sabbaths; for this is a sign between in wisdom,

in

understanding,

in

Me

and

you

throughout

your

generations, that you may know that I

knowledge,

and

in

all

kinds

of

am the LORD who sanctifies you.

craftsmanship,

14'Therefore you are to observe the 3Then all the people tore off the gold sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone rings which were in their ears and

who profanes it shall surely be put to

brought them to Aaron.

death; for whoever does any work on it,

that person shall be cut off from among

4He took this from their hand, and

his people.

fashioned it with a graving tool and

made it into a molten calf; and they said,

15' For six days work may be done, but

"This is your god, O Israel, who brought

on the seventh day there is a sabbath of

you up from the land of Egypt."

complete rest, holy to the LORD;

whoever does any work on the sabbath

5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an

day shall surely be put to death.

altar before it; and Aaron made a

proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall 16'So the sons of Israel shall observe the

be a feast to the LORD."

sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath

throughout their generations as a

6So the next day they rose early and

perpetual covenant.'

offered burnt offerings, and brought

peace offerings; and the people sat

17" It is a sign between Me and the sons

down to eat and to drink, and rose up to

of Israel forever; for in six days the

play.

LORD made heaven and earth, but on

the seventh day He ceased from labor,

7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go

and was refreshed."

down at once, for your people, whom

you brought up from the land of Egypt,

18When He had finished speaking with

have corrupted themselves.

him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses

the two tablets of the testimony, tablets 8"They have quickly turned aside from of stone, written by the finger of God.

the way which I commanded them. They

have made for themselves a molten calf,

32

and have worshiped it and have

Now when the people saw that

sacrificed to it and said, ' This is your Moses delayed to come down from the

god, O Israel, who brought you up from

mountain, the people assembled about

the land of Egypt!'"

Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us

9

a god who will go before us; as for this The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen

Moses, the man who brought us up from

this people, and behold, they are an

the land of Egypt, we do not know what

obstinate people.

has become of him."

10"Now then let Me alone, that My anger

2Aaron said to them, " Tear off the gold

may burn against them and that I may

rings which are in the ears of your wives,

destroy them; and I will make of you a your sons, and your daughters, and

great nation."

bring them to me."

11Then Moses entreated the LORD his 18But he said, "It is not the sound of the God, and said, "O LORD, why does cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the

Your anger burn against Your people

cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I

whom You have brought out from the

hear."

land of Egypt with great power and with

a mighty hand?

19It came about, as soon as Moses

came near the camp, that he saw the

12"Why should the Egyptians speak,

calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger

saying, 'With evil intent He brought them

burned, and he threw the tablets from

out to kill them in the mountains and to his hands and shattered them at the foot

destroy them from the face of the earth'?

of the mountain.

Turn from Your burning anger and

change Your mind about doing harm to

20He took the calf which they had made

Your people.

and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the

13"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and

surface of the water and made the sons

Israel, Your servants to whom You

of Israel drink it.

swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the

21Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did

stars of the heavens, and all this land of

this people do to you, that you have

which I have spoken I will give to your brought such great sin upon them?"

descendants, and they shall inherit it

forever.'"

22Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself,

14So the LORD changed His mind about

that they are prone to evil.

the harm which He said He would do to

His people.

23"For they said to me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses,

15Then Moses turned and went down

the man who brought us up from the

from the mountain with the two tablets of

land of Egypt, we do not know what has

the testimony in his hand, tablets which become of him.'

were written on both sides; they were

written on one side and the other.

24"I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave it to me,

16The tablets were God's work, and the

and I threw it into the fire, and out came

writing was God's writing engraved on

this calf."

the tablets.

25Now when Moses saw that the people

17Now when Joshua heard the sound of

were out of control--for Aaron had let

the people as they shouted, he said to

them get out of control to be a derision Moses, "There is a sound of war in the among their enemies--

camp."

26then Moses stood in the gate of the 34"But go now, lead the people where I camp, and said, "Whoever is for the told you. Behold, My angel shall go LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of

before you; nevertheless in the day

Levi gathered together to him.

when I punish, I will punish them for

their sin."

27He said to them, "Thus says the LORD,

the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put

35Then the LORD smote the people,

his sword upon his thigh, and go back

because of what they did with the calf

and forth from gate to gate in the camp,

which Aaron had made.

and kill every man his brother, and

every man his friend, and every man his

neighbor.'"

33Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

28

"Depart, go up from here, you and the So the sons of Levi did as Moses

people whom you have brought up from

instructed, and about three thousand

the land of Egypt, to the land of which I

men of the people fell that day.

swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

saying, ' To your descendants I will give

29Then

Moses

said,

"Dedicate

it.'

yourselves today to the LORD--for every

man has been against his son and

2"I will send an angel before you and I against his brother--in order that He may will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite,

bestow a blessing upon you today."

the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.

30On the next day Moses said to the

people,

"

You

yourselves

have

3"Go up to a land flowing with milk and committed a great sin; and now I am honey; for I will not go up in your midst,

going up to the LORD, perhaps I can

because you are an obstinate people,

make atonement for your sin."

and I might destroy you on the way."

31Then Moses returned to the LORD,

4When the people heard this sad word,

and said, "Alas, this people has

they went into mourning, and none of

committed a great sin, and they have

them put on his ornaments.

made a god of gold for themselves.

5

32

For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say

"But now, if You will, forgive their sin--

to the sons of Israel, 'You are an

and if not, please blot me out from Your

obstinate people; should I go up in your

book which You have written!"

midst for one moment, I would destroy

you. Now therefore, put off your

33The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever

ornaments from you, that I may know

has sinned against Me, I will blot him out

what I shall do with you.'"

of My book.

6So the sons of Israel stripped 13"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have themselves of their ornaments, from found favor in Your sight, let me know

Mount Horeb onward.

Your ways that I may know You, so that

I may find favor in Your sight. Consider 7Now Moses used to take the tent and

too, that this nation is Your people."

pitch it outside the camp, a good

distance from the camp, and he called it

14And He said, " My presence shall go the tent of meeting. And everyone who

with you, and I will give you rest."

sought the LORD would go out to the

tent of meeting which was outside the

15Then he said to Him, " If Your

camp.

presence does not go with us, do not

lead us up from here.

8And it came about, whenever Moses

went out to the tent, that all the people 16"For how then can it be known that I would arise and stand, each at the have found favor in Your sight, I and

entrance of his tent, and gaze after

Your people? Is it not by Your going with

Moses until he entered the tent.

us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other

9Whenever Moses entered the tent, the

people who are upon the face of the

pillar of cloud would descend and stand

earth?"

at the entrance of the tent; and the

LORD would speak with Moses.

17The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken;

10When all the people saw the pillar of for you have found favor in My sight and

cloud standing at the entrance of the

I have known you by name."

tent, all the people would arise and

worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 18Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!"

11Thus the LORD used to speak to

Moses face to face, just as a man

19And He said, " I Myself will make all speaks to his friend. When Moses

My goodness pass before you, and will

returned to the camp, his servant

proclaim the name of the LORD before

Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man,

you; and I will be gracious to whom I will

would not depart from the tent.

be gracious, and will show compassion

on whom I will show compassion."

12Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, ' Bring up this people!'

20But He said, "You cannot see My face,

But You Yourself have not let me know

for no man can see Me and live!"

whom You will send with me. Moreover,

You have said, 'I have known you by

21Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is

name, and you have also found favor in

a place by Me, and you shall stand there

My sight.'

on the rock;

22and it will come about, while My glory 7who

keeps

lovingkindness

for

is passing by, that I will put you in the thousands,

who

forgives

iniquity,

cleft of the rock and cover you with My transgression and sin; yet He will by no hand until I have passed by.

means leave the guilty unpunished,

visiting the iniquity of fathers on the

23"Then I will take My hand away and children and on the grandchildren to the

you shall see My back, but My face shall

third and fourth generations."

not be seen."

8Moses made haste to bow low toward

the earth and worship.

34Now the LORD said to Moses, 9

"Cut out for yourself two stone tablets He said, " If now I have found favor in like the former ones, and I will write on Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the the tablets the words that were on the

people are so obstinate, and pardon our

former tablets which you shattered.

iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your

2

own possession."

"So be ready by morning, and come up

in the morning to Mount Sinai, and

10Then God said, "Behold, I am going to

present yourself there to Me on the top make a covenant. Before all your people

of the mountain.

I will perform miracles which have not

3

been produced in all the earth nor

" No man is to come up with you, nor among any of the nations; and all the let any man be seen anywhere on the

people among whom you live will see

mountain; even the flocks and the herds

the working of the LORD, for it is a

may not graze in front of that mountain."

fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.

4So he cut out two stone tablets like the

former ones, and Moses rose up early in

11"Be sure to observe what I am

the morning and went up to Mount Sinai,

commanding you this day: behold, I am

as the LORD had commanded him, and

going to drive out the Amorite before

he took two stone tablets in his hand.

you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.

5The LORD descended in the cloud and

stood there with him as he called upon

12" Watch yourself that you make no the name of the LORD.

covenant with the inhabitants of the land

into which you are going, or it will

6Then the LORD passed by in front of

become a snare in your midst.

him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the

LORD

God,

compassionate

and

13" But rather, you are to tear down their gracious, slow to anger, and abounding

altars and smash their sacred pillars and

in lovingkindness and truth;

cut down their Asherim

14--for you shall not worship any other 22"You shall celebrate the Feast of god, for the LORD, whose name is

Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the Jealous, is a jealous God--

wheat harvest, and the Feast of

Ingathering at the turn of the year.

15otherwise you might make a covenant

with the inhabitants of the land and they

23" Three times a year all your males are would play the harlot with their gods and

to appear before the Lord GOD, the God

sacrifice to their gods, and someone

of Israel.

might invite you to eat of his sacrifice,

24"For I will drive out nations before you 16and you might take some of his

and enlarge your borders, and no man

daughters for your sons, and his

shall covet your land when you go up

daughters might play the harlot with

three times a year to appear before the their gods and cause your sons also to

LORD your God.

play the harlot with their gods.

25" You shall not offer the blood of My 17" You shall make for yourself no sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the

molten gods.

sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to

be left over until morning.

18"You shall observe the Feast of

Unleavened Bread. For seven days you

26"You shall bring the very first of the are to eat unleavened bread, as I

first fruits of your soil into the house of commanded you, at the appointed time

the LORD your God. "You shall not boil in the month of Abib, for in the month of

a young goat in its mother's milk."

Abib you came out of Egypt.

27Then the LORD said to Moses, " Write

19" The first offspring from every womb down these words, for in accordance

belongs to Me, and all your male

with these words I have made a

livestock, the first offspring from cattle covenant with you and with Israel."

and sheep.

28So he was there with the LORD forty

20" You shall redeem with a lamb the days and forty nights; he did not eat

first offspring from a donkey; and if you bread or drink water. And he wrote on

do not redeem it, then you shall break

the tablets the words of the covenant,

its neck. You shall redeem all the

the Ten Commandments.

firstborn of your sons. None shall

appear before Me empty-handed.

29It came about when Moses was

coming down from Mount Sinai (and the

21"You shall work six days, but on the two tablets of the testimony were in

seventh day you shall rest; even during

Moses' hand as he was coming down

plowing time and harvest you shall rest.

from the mountain), that Moses did not

know that the skin of his face shone

because of his speaking with Him.

30So when Aaron and all the sons of 3" You shall not kindle a fire in any of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his your dwellings on the sabbath day."

face shone, and they were afraid to

come near him.

4Moses spoke to all the congregation of

the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the 31Then Moses called to them, and Aaron

thing which the LORD has commanded,

and all the rulers in the congregation

saying,

returned to him; and Moses spoke to

them.

5' Take from among you a contribution to

the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart,

32Afterward all the sons of Israel came

let him bring it as the LORD'S

near, and he commanded them to do

contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,

everything that the LORD had spoken to

him on Mount Sinai.

6and blue, purple and scarlet material,

fine linen, goats' hair,

33When Moses had finished speaking

with them, he put a veil over his face.

7and rams' skins dyed red, and porpoise

skins, and acacia wood,

34But whenever Moses went in before

the LORD to speak with Him, he would

8and oil for lighting, and spices for the take off the veil until he came out; and anointing oil, and for the fragrant whenever he came out and spoke to the

incense,

sons of Israel what he had been

commanded,

9and onyx stones and setting stones for

the ephod and for the breastpiece.

35the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face

10' Let every skillful man among you

shone. So Moses would replace the veil

come, and make all that the LORD has

over his face until he went in to speak commanded:

with Him.

11the tabernacle, its tent and its covering,

35

its hooks and its boards, its bars, its Then Moses assembled all the

pillars, and its sockets;

congregation of the sons of Israel, and

said to them, " These are the things that 12the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, the LORD has commanded you to do: and the curtain of the screen;

2" For six days work may be done, but 13the table and its poles, and all its on the seventh day you shall have a

utensils, and the bread of the Presence;

holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it

14the lampstand also for the light and its

shall be put to death.

utensils and its lamps and the oil for the

light;

15and the altar of incense and its poles, 24Everyone

who

could

make

a

and the anointing oil and the fragrant

contribution of silver and bronze brought

incense, and the screen for the doorway

the LORD'S contribution; and every man

at the entrance of the tabernacle;

who had in his possession acacia wood

for any work of the service brought it.

16the altar of burnt offering with its

bronze grating, its poles, and all its

25All the skilled women spun with their

utensils, the basin and its stand;

hands, and brought what they had spun,

in blue and purple and scarlet material

17the hangings of the court, its pillars and in fine linen.

and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;

26All the women whose heart stirred with

a skill spun the goats' hair.

18the pegs of the tabernacle and the

pegs of the court and their cords;

27The rulers brought the onyx stones

and the stones for setting for the ephod

19the woven garments for ministering in

and for the breastpiece;

the holy place, the holy garments for

Aaron the priest and the garments of his

28and the spice and the oil for the light sons, to minister as priests.'"

and for the anointing oil and for the

fragrant incense.

20Then all the congregation of the sons

of Israel departed from Moses' presence. 29The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring 21Everyone whose heart stirred him and

material for all the work, which the

everyone whose spirit moved him came

LORD had commanded through Moses

and brought the LORD'S contribution for

to be done, brought a freewill offering to

the work of the tent of meeting and for the LORD.

all its service and for the holy garments.

30Then Moses said to the sons of Israel,

22Then all whose hearts moved them,

"See, the LORD has called by name

both men and women, came and

Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of

brought brooches and earrings and

the tribe of Judah.

signet rings and bracelets, all articles of

gold; so did every man who presented

31"And He has filled him with the Spirit of an offering of gold to the LORD.

God, in wisdom, in understanding and in

knowledge and in all craftsmanship;

23Every man, who had in his possession

blue and purple and scarlet material and

32to make designs for working in gold

fine linen and goats' hair and rams'

and in silver and in bronze,

skins dyed red and porpoise skins,

brought them.

33and in the cutting of stones for settings 5and they said to Moses, " The people and in the carving of wood, so as to are bringing much more than enough for

perform in every inventive work.

the construction work which the LORD

commanded us to perform."

34"He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of

6So Moses issued a command, and a

Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

proclamation was circulated throughout

the camp, saying, "Let no man or

35" He has filled them with skill to woman any longer perform work for the

perform every work of an engraver and

contributions of the sanctuary." Thus the of a designer and of an embroiderer, in people were restrained from bringing blue and in purple and in scarlet

any more.

material, and in fine linen, and of a

weaver, as performers of every work

7For the material they had was sufficient

and makers of designs.

and more than enough for all the work,

to perform it.

36

8

"Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and

All the skillful men among those who

were performing the work made the

every skillful person in whom the LORD

tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine

has put skill and understanding to know

how to perform all the work in the

twisted linen and blue and purple and

construction of the sanctuary, shall

scarlet material, with cherubim, the work

perform in accordance with all that the

of a skillful workman, Bezalel made

LORD has commanded."

them.

9

2Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab

The length of each curtain was twenty—

and every skillful person in whom the

eight cubits and the width of each

LORD had put skill, everyone whose

curtain four cubits; all the curtains had the same measurements.

heart stirred him, to come to the work to

perform it.

10He joined five curtains to one another

3They received from Moses all the

and the other five curtains he joined to contributions which the sons of Israel

one another.

had brought to perform the work in the

11

construction of the sanctuary. And they

He made loops of blue on the edge of

still continued bringing to him freewill

the outermost curtain in the first set; he offerings every morning.

did likewise on the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second set.

4And all the skillful men who were

12

performing all the work of the sanctuary

He made fifty loops in the one curtain

came, each from the work which he was

and he made fifty loops on the edge of performing,

the curtain that was in the second set; the loops were opposite each other.

13He made fifty clasps of gold and joined 23He made the boards for the tabernacle: the curtains to one another with the

twenty boards for the south side;

clasps, so the tabernacle was a unit.

24and he made forty sockets of silver

14Then he made curtains of goats' hair

under the twenty boards; two sockets

for a tent over the tabernacle; he made under one board for its two tenons and

eleven curtains in all.

two sockets under another board for its

two tenons.

15The length of each curtain was thirty

cubits and four cubits the width of each 25Then for the second side of the

curtain; the eleven curtains had the

tabernacle, on the north side, he made

same measurements.

twenty boards,

16He joined five curtains by themselves

26and their forty sockets of silver; two and the other six curtains by themselves. sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

17Moreover, he made fifty loops on the

edge of the curtain that was outermost

27For the rear of the tabernacle, to the in the first set, and he made fifty loops west, he made six boards.

on the edge of the curtain that was

outermost in the second set.

28He made two boards for the corners of

the tabernacle at the rear.

18He made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it would be a 29They were double beneath, and unit.

together they were complete to its top to

the first ring; thus he did with both of 19He made a covering for the tent of

them for the two corners.

rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of

porpoise skins above.

30There were eight boards with their

sockets of silver, sixteen sockets, two

20Then he made the boards for the

under every board.

tabernacle of acacia wood, standing

upright.

31Then he made bars of acacia wood,

five for the boards of one side of the 21Ten cubits was the length of each

tabernacle,

board and one and a half cubits the

width of each board.

32and five bars for the boards of the

other side of the tabernacle, and five

22There were two tenons for each board,

bars for the boards of the tabernacle for

fitted to one another; thus he did for all the rear side to the west.

the boards of the tabernacle.

33He made the middle bar to pass 4He made poles of acacia wood and through in the center of the boards from

overlaid them with gold.

end to end.

5He put the poles into the rings on the 34He overlaid the boards with gold and

sides of the ark, to carry it.

made their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. 6He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a 35Moreover, he made the veil of blue

half cubits wide.

and purple and scarlet material, and fine

twisted linen; he made it with cherubim,

7He made two cherubim of gold; he

the work of a skillful workman.

made them of hammered work at the

two ends of the mercy seat;

36He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold, with their

8one cherub at the one end and one

hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets

cherub at the other end; he made the

of silver for them.

cherubim of one piece with the mercy

seat at the two ends.

37He made a screen for the doorway of

the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet 9The cherubim had their wings spread

material, and fine twisted linen, the work

upward, covering the mercy seat with

of a weaver;

their wings, with their faces toward each

other; the faces of the cherubim were

38and he made its five pillars with their toward the mercy seat.

hooks, and he overlaid their tops and

their bands with gold; but their five

10Then he made the table of acacia

sockets were of bronze.

wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide

and one and a half cubits high.

37Now Bezalel made the ark of 11He overlaid it with pure gold, and acacia wood; its length was two and a made a gold molding for it all around.

half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half 12He made a rim for it of a handbreadth

cubits;

all around, and made a gold molding for

its rim all around.

2and he overlaid it with pure gold inside

and out, and made a gold molding for it

13He cast four gold rings for it and put all around.

the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet.

3He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of 14Close by the rim were the rings, the it, and two rings on the other side of it.

holders for the poles to carry the table.

15He made the poles of acacia wood 23He made its seven lamps with its and overlaid them with gold, to carry the

snuffers and its trays of pure gold.

table.

24He made it and all its utensils from a 16He made the utensils which were on

talent of pure gold.

the table, its dishes and its pans and its

bowls and its jars, with which to pour out

25Then he made the altar of incense of

drink offerings, of pure gold.

acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit

wide, square, and two cubits high; its

17Then he made the lampstand of pure

horns were of one piece with it.

gold. He made the lampstand of

hammered work, its base and its shaft;

26He overlaid it with pure gold, its top its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of

and its sides all around, and its horns; one piece with it.

and he made a gold molding for it all

around.

18There were six branches going out of

its sides; three branches of the

27He made two golden rings for it under

lampstand from the one side of it and

its molding, on its two sides--on

three branches of the lampstand from

opposite sides--as holders for poles with

the other side of it;

which to carry it.

19three cups shaped like almond

28He made the poles of acacia wood

blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one

and overlaid them with gold.

branch, and three cups shaped like

almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in

29And he made the holy anointing oil

the other branch--so for the six

and the pure, fragrant incense of spices,

branches going out of the lampstand.

the work of a perfumer.

20In the lampstand there were four cups

shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs

38Then he made the altar of burnt

and its flowers;

offering of acacia wood, five cubits long,

21and a bulb was under the first pair of and five cubits wide, square, and three branches coming out of it, and a bulb

cubits high.

under the second pair of branches

2

coming out of it, and a bulb under the He made its horns on its four corners,

third pair of branches coming out of it, its horns being of one piece with it, and

for the six branches coming out of the

he overlaid it with bronze.

lampstand.

3He made all the utensils of the altar, the

22Their bulbs and their branches were of

pails and the shovels and the basins,

one piece with it; the whole of it was a the flesh hooks and the firepans; he

single hammered work of pure gold.

made all its utensils of bronze.

4He made for the altar a grating of 14The hangings for the one side of the bronze network beneath, under its ledge,

gate were fifteen cubits, with their three reaching halfway up.

pillars and their three sockets,

5He cast four rings on the four ends of 15and so for the other side. On both

the bronze grating as holders for the

sides of the gate of the court were

poles.

hangings of fifteen cubits, with their

three pillars and their three sockets.

6He made the poles of acacia wood and

overlaid them with bronze.

16All the hangings of the court all around

were of fine twisted linen.

7He inserted the poles into the rings on

the sides of the altar, with which to carry

17The sockets for the pillars were of

it. He made it hollow with planks.

bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their

bands, of silver; and the overlaying of

8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze

their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of with its base of bronze, from the mirrors

the court were furnished with silver

of the serving women who served at the

bands.

doorway of the tent of meeting.

18The screen of the gate of the court

9Then he made the court: for the south

was the work of the weaver, of blue and

side the hangings of the court were of

purple and scarlet material and fine

fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits;

twisted linen. And the length was twenty

cubits and the height was five cubits,

10

corresponding to the hangings of the

their twenty pillars, and their twenty

court.

sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of

the pillars and their bands were of silver.

19Their four pillars and their four sockets

11

were of bronze; their hooks were of

For the north side there were one

silver, and the overlaying of their tops hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and

and their bands were of silver.

their twenty sockets were of bronze, the

hooks of the pillars and their bands were

20

of silver.

All the pegs of the tabernacle and of

the court all around were of bronze.

12For the west side there were hangings

21

of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and This is the number of the things for the

their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars

tabernacle, the tabernacle of the

and their bands were of silver.

testimony, as they were numbered

according to the command of Moses, for

13

the service of the Levites, by the hand of

For the east side fifty cubits.

Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of bronze altar and its bronze grating, and Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that all the utensils of the altar,

the LORD had commanded Moses.

31and the sockets of the court all around

23With him was Oholiab the son of

and the sockets of the gate of the court,

Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an

and all the pegs of the tabernacle and

engraver and a skillful workman and a

all the pegs of the court all around.

weaver in blue and in purple and in

scarlet material, and fine linen.

39Moreover, from the blue and

24All the gold that was used for the work,

purple and scarlet material, they made

in all the work of the sanctuary, even the

finely woven garments for ministering in

gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents

the holy place as well as the holy

and 730 shekels, according to the

garments which were for Aaron, just as

shekel of the sanctuary.

the LORD had commanded Moses.

25The silver of those of the congregation

2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue

who were numbered was 100 talents

and purple and scarlet material, and fine

and 1,775 shekels, according to the

twisted linen.

shekel of the sanctuary;

3

26

Then they hammered out gold sheets

a beka a head (that is, half a shekel

and cut them into threads to be woven

according

to

the

shekel

of

the

in with the blue and the purple and the sanctuary), for each one who passed

scarlet material, and the fine linen, the over to those who were numbered, from

work of a skillful workman.

twenty years old and upward, for

603,550 men.

4They made attaching shoulder pieces

27

for the ephod; it was attached at its two

The hundred talents of silver were for

upper ends.

casting the sockets of the sanctuary and

the sockets of the veil; one hundred

5

sockets for the hundred talents, a talent

The skillfully woven band which was on

for a socket.

it was like its workmanship, of the same

material: of gold and of blue and purple 28

and scarlet material, and fine twisted

Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks

linen,

just

as

the

LORD

had

for the pillars and overlaid their tops and

commanded Moses.

made bands for them.

6

29

They made the onyx stones, set in gold

The bronze of the wave offering was

filigree settings; they were engraved like

70 talents and 2,400 shekels.

the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.

30With it he made the sockets to the

doorway of the tent of meeting, and the

7And he placed them on the shoulder 17Then they put the two gold cords in the pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones

two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.

for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD

had commanded Moses.

18They put the other two ends of the two

cords on the two filigree settings, and

8He made the breastpiece, the work of a

put them on the shoulder pieces of the

skillful workman, like the workmanship

ephod at the front of it.

of the ephod: of gold and of blue and

purple and scarlet material and fine

19They made two gold rings and placed

twisted linen.

them on the two ends of the breastpiece,

on its inner edge which was next to the 9It was square; they made the

ephod.

breastpiece folded double, a span long

and a span wide when folded double.

20Furthermore, they made two gold rings

and placed them on the bottom of the

10And they mounted four rows of stones

two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on

on it. The first row was a row of ruby, the front of it, close to the place where it

topaz, and emerald;

joined, above the woven band of the

ephod.

11and the second row, a turquoise, a

sapphire and a diamond;

21They bound the breastpiece by its

rings to the rings of the ephod with a 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate,

blue cord, so that it would be on the

and an amethyst;

woven band of the ephod, and that the

breastpiece would not come loose from

13

the ephod, just as the LORD had

and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx,

commanded Moses.

and a jasper. They were set in gold

filigree

settings

when

they

were

22

mounted.

Then he made the robe of the ephod

of woven work, all of blue;

14The stones were corresponding to the

23

names of the sons of Israel; they were

and the opening of the robe was at the

twelve, corresponding to their names,

top in the center, as the opening of a engraved with the engravings of a signet,

coat of mail, with a binding all around its

each with its name for the twelve tribes.

opening, so that it would not be torn.

15

24

They made on the breastpiece chains

They made pomegranates of blue and

like cords, of twisted cordage work in

purple and scarlet material and twisted

pure gold.

linen on the hem of the robe.

16

25

They made two gold filigree settings

They also made bells of pure gold, and

and two gold rings, and put the two rings

put the bells between the pomegranates

on the two ends of the breastpiece.

all around on the hem of the robe,

26alternating a bell and a pomegranate 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread all around on the hem of the robe for the

of the Presence;

service,

just

as

the

LORD

had

commanded Moses.

37the pure gold lampstand, with its

arrangement of lamps and all its utensils,

27They made the tunics of finely woven

and the oil for the light;

linen for Aaron and his sons,

38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil

28and the turban of fine linen, and the and the fragrant incense, and the veil for

decorated caps of fine linen, and the

the doorway of the tent;

linen breeches of fine twisted linen,

39the bronze altar and its bronze grating,

29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and

its poles and all its utensils, the laver blue and purple and scarlet material, the

and its stand;

work of the weaver, just as the LORD

had commanded Moses.

40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the 30They made the plate of the holy crown gate of the court, its cords and its pegs of pure gold, and inscribed it like the and all the equipment for the service of engravings of a signet, "Holy to the the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; LORD."

41the woven garments for ministering in

31They fastened a blue cord to it, to

the holy place and the holy garments for

fasten it on the turban above, just as the

Aaron the priest and the garments of his

LORD had commanded Moses.

sons, to minister as priests.

32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of 42So the sons of Israel did all the work the tent of meeting was completed; and according to all that the LORD had

the sons of Israel did according to all commanded Moses.

that the LORD had commanded Moses;

so they did.

43And Moses examined all the work and

behold, they had done it; just as the

33They brought the tabernacle to Moses,

LORD had commanded, this they had

the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps,

done. So Moses blessed them.

its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its

sockets;

40Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

34and the covering of rams' skins dyed

saying,

red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil;

2" On the first day of the first month you 35

shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of

the ark of the testimony and its poles

meeting.

and the mercy seat;

3" You shall place the ark of the 13" You shall put the holy garments on testimony there, and you shall screen Aaron and anoint him and consecrate

the ark with the veil.

him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.

4"You shall bring in the table and

arrange what belongs on it; and you

14"You shall bring his sons and put shall bring in the lampstand and mount

tunics on them;

its lamps.

15and you shall anoint them even as you

5"Moreover, you shall set the gold altar have anointed their father, that they may

of incense before the ark of the

minister as priests to Me; and their

testimony, and set up the veil for the

anointing will qualify them for a

doorway to the tabernacle.

perpetual priesthood throughout their

generations."

6"You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle

16Thus Moses did; according to all that

of the tent of meeting.

the LORD had commanded him, so he

did.

7"You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put

17Now in the first month of the second

water in it.

year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.

8"You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of 18Moses erected the tabernacle and laid the court.

its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars.

9"Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is

19He spread the tent over the tabernacle

in it, and shall consecrate it and all its and put the covering of the tent on top of

furnishings; and it shall be holy.

it, just as the LORD had commanded

Moses.

10"You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and

20Then he took the testimony and put it

consecrate the altar, and the altar shall into the ark, and attached the poles to be most holy.

the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of

the ark.

11"You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it.

21He brought the ark into the tabernacle,

and set up a veil for the screen, and

12"Then you shall bring Aaron and his screened off the ark of the testimony,

sons to the doorway of the tent of

just as the LORD had commanded

meeting and wash them with water.

Moses.

22Then he put the table in the tent of 31From it Moses and Aaron and his sons meeting on the north side of the

washed their hands and their feet.

tabernacle, outside the veil.

32When they entered the tent of meeting,

23He set the arrangement of bread in

and when they approached the altar,

order on it before the LORD, just as the

they washed, just as the LORD had

LORD had commanded Moses.

commanded Moses.

24Then he placed the lampstand in the

33He erected the court all around the

tent of meeting, opposite the table, on

tabernacle and the altar, and hung up

the south side of the tabernacle.

the veil for the gateway of the court.

Thus Moses finished the work.

25He lighted the lamps before the LORD,

just as the LORD had commanded

34Then the cloud covered the tent of

Moses.

meeting, and the glory of the LORD

filled the tabernacle.

26Then he placed the gold altar in the

tent of meeting in front of the veil;

35Moses was not able to enter the tent of

meeting because the cloud had settled

27and he burned fragrant incense on it,

on it, and the glory of the LORD filled just as the LORD had commanded

the tabernacle.

Moses.

36Throughout

all

their

journeys

28Then he set up the veil for the

whenever the cloud was taken up from

doorway of the tabernacle.

over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel

would set out;

29He set the altar of burnt offering before

37

the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent

but if the cloud was not taken up, then

of meeting, and offered on it the burnt they did not set out until the day when it

offering and the meal offering, just as

was taken up.

the LORD had commanded Moses.

38For throughout all their journeys, the

30He placed the laver between the tent

cloud of the LORD was on the

of meeting and the altar and put water in

tabernacle by day, and there was fire in

it for washing.

it by night, in the sight of all the house of

Israel.

Leviticus

suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.

1Then the LORD called to Moses and 9'Its entrails, however, and its legs he spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,

shall wash with water. And the priest

shall offer up in smoke all of it on the 2

altar for a burnt offering, an offering by

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

them, 'When any man of you brings an

offering to the LORD, you shall bring

10

your offering of animals from the herd or

'But if his offering is from the flock, of the flock.

the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without 3

defect.

'If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without

11

defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of

' He shall slay it on the side of the altar

the tent of meeting, that he may be

northward before the LORD, and

accepted before the LORD.

Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its

blood around on the altar.

4' He shall lay his hand on the head of 12

the burnt offering, that it may be

'He shall then cut it into its pieces with

accepted for him to make atonement on

its head and its suet, and the priest shall

his behalf.

arrange them on the wood which is on

the fire that is on the altar.

5' He shall slay the young bull before the

13

LORD; and Aaron's sons the priests

'The entrails, however, and the legs he

shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the

shall wash with water. And the priest

blood around on the altar that is at the shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, doorway of the tent of meeting.

an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to

6

the LORD.

' He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

14'But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall

7' The sons of Aaron the priest shall put

bring his offering from the turtledoves or

fire on the altar and arrange wood on

from young pigeons.

the fire.

15

8

'The priest shall bring it to the altar,

'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall

and wring off its head and offer it up in arrange the pieces, the head and the

smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be

drained out on the side of the altar.

16'He shall also take away its crop with 7'Now if your offering is a grain offering its feathers and cast it beside the altar made in a pan, it shall be made of fine eastward, to the place of the ashes.

flour with oil.

17'Then he shall tear it by its wings, but

8'When you bring in the grain offering

shall not sever it. And the priest shall which is made of these things to the

offer it up in smoke on the altar on the LORD, it shall be presented to the priest

wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt and he shall bring it to the altar.

offering, an offering by fire of a soothing

aroma to the LORD.

9'The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and

2

shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as

'Now when anyone presents a grain

an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to

the LORD.

offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he 10

shall pour oil on it and put frankincense

' The remainder of the grain offering

on it.

belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing

most holy of the offerings to the LORD

2

by fire.

'He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons the priests; and shall take from it his 11

handful of its fine flour and of its oil with

' No grain offering, which you bring to all of its frankincense. And the priest

the LORD, shall be made with leaven,

shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial

for you shall not offer up in smoke any portion on the altar, an offering by fire of

leaven or any honey as an offering by

a soothing aroma to the LORD.

fire to the LORD.

3

12

' The remainder of the grain offering

' As an offering of first fruits you shall belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing bring them to the LORD, but they shall

most holy, of the offerings to the LORD

not ascend for a soothing aroma on the

by fire.

altar.

4

13

'Now when you bring an offering of a

'Every

grain

offering

of

yours,

grain offering baked in an oven, it shall moreover, you shall season with salt, so

be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed

that the salt of the covenant of your God

with oil, or unleavened wafers spread

shall not be lacking from your grain

with oil.

offering; with all your offerings you shall

offer salt.

5'If your offering is a grain offering made

14

on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour,

'Also if you bring a grain offering of

unleavened, mixed with oil;

early ripened things to the LORD, you

shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted 6you shall break it into bits and pour oil

in the fire, grits of new growth, for the on it; it is a grain offering.

grain offering of your early ripened flock, he shall offer it, male or female, things.

without defect.

15'You shall then put oil on it and lay 7'If he is going to offer a lamb for his incense on it; it is a grain offering.

offering, then he shall offer it before the

LORD,

16'The priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of its grits and its

8and he shall lay his hand on the head oil with all its incense as an offering by of his offering and slay it before the tent fire to the LORD.

of meeting, and Aaron's sons shall

sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

3

9

'Now if his offering is a sacrifice of

'From the sacrifice of peace offerings

he shall bring as an offering by fire to peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, the LORD, its fat, the entire fat tail which

he shall offer it without defect before the

he shall remove close to the backbone,

LORD.

and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

2' He shall lay his hand on the head of 10

his offering and slay it at the doorway of

and the two kidneys with the fat that is

the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons

on them, which is on the loins, and the the priests shall sprinkle the blood

lobe of the liver, which he shall remove around on the altar.

with the kidneys.

11

3'From the sacrifice of the peace

'Then the priest shall offer it up in

offerings he shall present an offering by

smoke on the altar as food, an offering fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the

by fire to the LORD.

entrails and all the fat that is on the 12

entrails,

'Moreover, if his offering is a goat, then

he shall offer it before the LORD,

4and the two kidneys with the fat that is

13

on them, which is on the loins, and the and he shall lay his hand on its head

lobe of the liver, which he shall remove and slay it before the tent of meeting, with the kidneys.

and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

5'Then Aaron's sons shall offer it up in 14

smoke on the altar on the burnt offering,

'From it he shall present his offering as

which is on the wood that is on the fire;

an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat it is an offering by fire of a soothing that covers the entrails and all the fat aroma to the LORD.

that is on the entrails,

6

15

'But if his offering for a sacrifice of and the two kidneys with the fat that is

peace offerings to the LORD is from the

on them, which is on the loins, and the

lobe of the liver, which he shall remove 7'The priest shall also put some of the with the kidneys.

blood on the horns of the altar of

fragrant incense which is before the

16'The priest shall offer them up in

LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the

smoke on the altar as food, an offering blood of the bull he shall pour out at the

by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the

base of the altar of burnt offering which LORD'S.

is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

17

8

'It is a perpetual statute throughout

' He shall remove from it all the fat of your generations in all your dwellings: the bull of the sin offering: the fat that you shall not eat any fat or any blood.'"

covers the entrails, and all the fat which

is on the entrails,

4

9

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the saying, lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys

2"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a person sins unintentionally in any of

10(just as it is removed from the ox of the

the things which the LORD has

sacrifice of peace offerings), and the

commanded not to be done, and

priest is to offer them up in smoke on commits any of them,

the altar of burnt offering.

3if the anointed priest sins so as to bring

11'But the hide of the bull and all its flesh

guilt on the people, then let him offer to

with its head and its legs and its entrails

the LORD a bull without defect as a sin

and its refuse,

offering for the sin he has committed.

12that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to 4'He shall bring the bull to the doorway bring out to a clean place outside the of the tent of meeting before the LORD,

camp where the ashes are poured out,

and he shall lay his hand on the head of

and burn it on wood with fire; where the

the bull and slay the bull before the

ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

LORD.

13

5

' Now if the whole congregation of

'Then the anointed priest is to take

Israel commits error and the matter

some of the blood of the bull and bring it

escapes the notice of the assembly, and

to the tent of meeting,

they commit any of the things which the

LORD has commanded not to be done,

6and the priest shall dip his finger in the

and they become guilty;

blood and sprinkle some of the blood

seven times before the LORD, in front of

14when the sin which they have

the veil of the sanctuary.

committed becomes known, then the

assembly shall offer a bull of the herd

for a sin offering and bring it before the 23if his sin which he has committed is tent of meeting.

made known to him, he shall bring for

his offering a goat, a male without defect.

15'Then the elders of the congregation

shall lay their hands on the head of the 24'He shall lay his hand on the head of bull before the LORD, and the bull shall the male goat and slay it in the place be slain before the LORD.

where they slay the burnt offering before

the LORD; it is a sin offering.

16'Then the anointed priest is to bring

some of the blood of the bull to the tent

25'Then the priest is to take some of the

of meeting;

blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the burnt offering; and the rest of its blood blood and sprinkle it seven times before

he shall pour out at the base of the altar

the LORD, in front of the veil.

of burnt offering.

18

26

'He shall put some of the blood on the

' All its fat he shall offer up in smoke horns of the altar which is before the on the altar as in the case of the fat of LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the

the sacrifice of peace offerings. Thus

blood he shall pour out at the base of the priest shall make atonement for him

the altar of burnt offering which is at the

in regard to his sin, and he will be

doorway of the tent of meeting.

forgiven.

19

27

' He shall remove all its fat from it and

'Now if anyone of the common people

offer it up in smoke on the altar.

sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded

20

not to be done, and becomes guilty,

'He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; 28

thus he shall do with it. So the priest if his sin which he has committed is

shall make atonement for them, and

made known to him, then he shall bring

they will be forgiven.

for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has

21

committed.

'Then he is to bring out the bull to a place outside the camp and burn it as

29

he burned the first bull; it is the sin

' He shall lay his hand on the head of offering for the assembly.

the sin offering and slay the sin offering

at the place of the burnt offering.

22'When

a

leader

sins

and

30

unintentionally does any one of all the

'The priest shall take some of its blood

things which the LORD his God has

with his finger and put it on the horns of

commanded not to be done, and he

the altar of burnt offering; and all the becomes guilty,

rest of its blood he shall pour out at the

base of the altar.

31' Then he shall remove all its fat, just a carcass of unclean swarming things, as the fat was removed from the

though it is hidden from him and he is sacrifice of peace offerings; and the

unclean, then he will be guilty.

priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD.

3'Or if he touches human uncleanness,

Thus the priest shall make atonement

of whatever sort his uncleanness may

for him, and he will be forgiven.

be with which he becomes unclean, and

it is hidden from him, and then he

32'But if he brings a lamb as his offering

comes to know it, he will be guilty.

for a sin offering, he shall bring it, a female without defect.

4'Or if a person swears thoughtlessly

with his lips to do evil or to do good, in 33' He shall lay his hand on the head of

whatever matter a man may speak

the sin offering and slay it for a sin thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is

offering in the place where they slay the

hidden from him, and then he comes to

burnt offering.

know it, he will be guilty in one of these.

34'The priest is to take some of the blood

5'So it shall be when he becomes guilty

of the sin offering with his finger and put

in one of these, that he shall confess

it on the horns of the altar of burnt

that in which he has sinned.

offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.

6'He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has

35'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as

committed, a female from the flock, a

the fat of the lamb is removed from the lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall make atonement on his priest shall offer them up in smoke on

behalf for his sin.

the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make

7'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he

atonement for him in regard to his sin

shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering

which he has committed, and he will be

for that in which he has sinned, two

forgiven.

turtledoves or two young pigeons, one

for a sin offering and the other for a 5

burnt offering.

'Now if a person sins after he hears a

8

public adjuration to testify when he is a

'He shall bring them to the priest, who witness, whether he has seen or

shall offer first that which is for the sin otherwise known, if he does not tell it, offering and shall nip its head at the then he will bear his guilt.

front of its neck, but he shall not sever it.

2

9

'Or if a person touches any unclean

'He shall also sprinkle some of the

thing, whether a carcass of an unclean

blood of the sin offering on the side of beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or

the altar, while the rest of the blood shall

be drained out at the base of the altar: it 16" He shall make restitution for that is a sin offering.

which he has sinned against the holy

thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it 10'The second he shall then prepare as a

and give it to the priest. The priest shall

burnt offering according to the ordinance.

then make atonement for him with the

So the priest shall make atonement on

ram of the guilt offering, and it will be his behalf for his sin which he has

forgiven him.

committed, and it will be forgiven him.

17"Now if a person sins and does any of

11'But if his means are insufficient for the things which the LORD has

two turtledoves or two young pigeons,

commanded not to be done, though he

then for his offering for that which he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of bear his punishment.

an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense 18"He is then to bring to the priest a ram on it, for it is a sin offering.

without defect from the flock, according

to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So

12'He shall bring it to the priest, and the

the priest shall make atonement for him

priest shall take his handful of it as its concerning his error in which he sinned memorial portion and offer it up in

unintentionally and did not know it, and smoke on the altar, with the offerings of

it will be forgiven him.

the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering.

19"It is a guilt offering; he was certainly 13'So the priest shall make atonement guilty before the LORD."

for him concerning his sin which he has

committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall

6Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

become the priest's, like the grain

saying,

offering.'"

2

14

" When a person sins and acts

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

unfaithfully against the LORD, and

saying,

deceives his companion in regard to a

deposit or a security entrusted to him, or

15" If a person acts unfaithfully and sins through robbery, or if he has extorted unintentionally against the LORD'S holy

from his companion,

things, then he shall bring his guilt

offering to the LORD: a ram without

3or has found what was lost and lied

defect from the flock, according to your about it and sworn falsely, so that he

valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of

sins in regard to any one of the things a

the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt man may do;

offering.

4then it shall be, when he sins and

becomes guilty, that he shall restore

what he took by robbery or what he got 12'The fire on the altar shall be kept by extortion, or the deposit which was

burning on it. It shall not go out, but the

entrusted to him or the lost thing which priest shall burn wood on it every

he found,

morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the

5or anything about which he swore

fat portions of the peace offerings on it.

falsely; he shall make restitution for it in

full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall

13'Fire shall be kept burning continually give it to the one to whom it belongs on

on the altar; it is not to go out.

the day he presents his guilt offering.

14'Now this is the law of the grain

6"Then he shall bring to the priest his offering: the sons of Aaron shall present

guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without

it before the LORD in front of the altar.

defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering,

15' Then one of them shall lift up from it a

handful of the fine flour of the grain

7and the priest shall make atonement for

offering, with its oil and all the incense him before the LORD, and he will be

that is on the grain offering, and he shall

forgiven for any one of the things which

offer it up in smoke on the altar, a

he may have done to incur guilt."

soothing aroma, as its memorial offering

to the LORD.

8Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

saying,

16' What is left of it Aaron and his sons are to eat. It shall be eaten as

9"Command Aaron and his sons, saying,

unleavened cakes in a holy place; they

'This is the law for the burnt offering: the

are to eat it in the court of the tent of burnt offering itself shall remain on the meeting.

hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be

17' It shall not be baked with leaven. I kept burning on it.

have given it as their share from My

offerings by fire; it is most holy, like the 10'The priest is to put on his linen robe, sin offering and the guilt offering.

and he shall put on undergarments next

to his flesh; and he shall take up the 18' Every male among the sons of Aaron

ashes to which the fire reduces the

may eat it; it is a permanent ordinance burnt offering on the altar and place

throughout your generations, from the

them beside the altar.

offerings by fire to the LORD. Whoever

touches

them

will

become

11'Then he shall take off his garments

consecrated.'"

and put on other garments, and carry

the ashes outside the camp to a clean

19Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

place.

saying,

20"This is the offering which Aaron and was boiled in a bronze vessel, then it his sons are to present to the LORD on

shall be scoured and rinsed in water.

the day when he is anointed; the tenth

of an ephah of fine flour as a regular 29' Every male among the priests may

grain offering, half of it in the morning eat of it; it is most holy.

and half of it in the evening.

30'But no sin offering of which any of the

21"It shall be prepared with oil on a blood is brought into the tent of meeting

griddle. When it is well stirred, you shall

to make atonement in the holy place

bring it. You shall present the grain

shall be eaten; it shall be burned with offering in baked pieces as a soothing

fire.

aroma to the LORD.

22"The anointed priest who will be in his 7'Now this is the law of the guilt place among his sons shall offer it. By a permanent ordinance it shall be entirely

offering; it is most holy.

offered up in smoke to the LORD.

2'In the place where they slay the burnt

23"So every grain offering of the priest offering they are to slay the guilt offering, shall be burned entirely. It shall not be and he shall sprinkle its blood around on

eaten."

the altar.

3

24Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

'Then he shall offer from it all its fat: the

saying,

fat tail and the fat that covers the

entrails,

25"Speak to Aaron and to his sons,

4

saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering:

and the two kidneys with the fat that is in the place where the burnt offering is on them, which is on the loins, and the slain the sin offering shall be slain lobe on the liver he shall remove with

before the LORD; it is most holy.

the kidneys.

5

26' The priest who offers it for sin shall

'The priest shall offer them up in smoke

eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in

on the altar as an offering by fire to the the court of the tent of meeting.

LORD; it is a guilt offering.

6

27' Anyone who touches its flesh will

' Every male among the priests may eat

become consecrated; and when any of

of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place; it is its blood splashes on a garment, in a

most holy.

holy place you shall wash what was

7

splashed on.

'The guilt offering is like the sin offering,

there is one law for them; the priest who

28'Also the earthenware vessel in which

makes atonement with it shall have it.

it was boiled shall be broken; and if it

8'Also the priest who presents any man's eaten on the day that he offers his burnt offering, that priest shall have for sacrifice, and on the next day what is himself the skin of the burnt offering

left of it may be eaten;

which he has presented.

17but what is left over from the flesh of 9'Likewise, every grain offering that is the sacrifice on the third day shall be baked in the oven and everything

burned with fire.

prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who presents it.

18'So if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of

his peace offerings should ever be

10'Every grain offering, mixed with oil or

eaten on the third day, he who offers it dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron,

will not be accepted, and it will not be to all alike.

reckoned to his benefit. It shall be an offensive thing, and the person who eats

11'Now this is the law of the sacrifice of of it will bear his own iniquity.

peace

offerings

which

shall

be

presented to the LORD.

19'Also the flesh that touches anything

unclean shall not be eaten; it shall be 12'If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, burned with fire. As for other flesh, then along

with the sacrifice of

anyone who is clean may eat such flesh.

thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened

cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened

20' But the person who eats the flesh of

wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well

the sacrifice of peace offerings which

stirred fine flour mixed with oil.

belong to the LORD, in his uncleanness,

that person shall be cut off from his

13'With the sacrifice of his peace

people.

offerings for thanksgiving, he shall

present his offering with cakes of

21' When anyone touches anything

leavened bread.

unclean, whether human uncleanness,

or an unclean animal, or any unclean

14'Of this he shall present one of every detestable thing, and eats of the flesh of

offering as a contribution to the LORD; it

the sacrifice of peace offerings which

shall belong to the priest who sprinkles belong to the LORD, that person shall

the blood of the peace offerings.

be cut off from his people.'"

15

22

' Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall

saying,

be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until

23"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, morning.

'You shall not eat any fat from an ox, a sheep or a goat.

16'But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or a freewill offering, it shall be 24'Also the fat of an animal which dies offerings and the fat, the right thigh shall and the fat of an animal torn by beasts be his as his portion.

may be put to any other use, but you

must certainly not eat it.

34'For I have taken the breast of the

wave offering and the thigh of the

25'For whoever eats the fat of the animal

contribution from the sons of Israel from

from which an offering by fire is offered the sacrifices of their peace offerings, to the LORD, even the person who eats

and have given them to Aaron the priest

shall be cut off from his people.

and to his sons as their due forever from

the sons of Israel.

26' You are not to eat any blood, either of

bird or animal, in any of your dwellings.

35'This is that which is consecrated to

Aaron and that which is consecrated to

27'Any person who eats any blood, even

his sons from the offerings by fire to the

that person shall be cut off from his

LORD, in that day when he presented

people.'"

them to serve as priests to the LORD.

28

36

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

'These the LORD had commanded to

saying,

be given them from the sons of Israel in

the day that He anointed them. It is their

29

due

forever

throughout

their

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, generations.'"

'He who offers the sacrifice of his peace

offerings to the LORD shall bring his

37

offering to the LORD from the sacrifice

This is the law of the burnt offering, the

of his peace offerings.

grain offering and the sin offering and

the guilt offering and the ordination

30

offering and the sacrifice of peace

'His own hands are to bring offerings

offerings,

by fire to the LORD. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may 38

be presented as a wave offering before

which the LORD commanded Moses

the LORD.

at Mount Sinai in the day that He

commanded the sons of Israel to

31

present their offerings to the LORD in

'The priest shall offer up the fat in

the wilderness of Sinai.

smoke on the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons.

32

8

'You shall give the right thigh to the

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

priest as a contribution from the

saying,

sacrifices of your peace offerings.

2" Take Aaron and his sons with him, 33'The one among the sons of Aaron

and the garments and the anointing oil

who offers the blood of the peace

and the bull of the sin offering, and the

two rams and the basket of unleavened 12Then he poured some of the anointing bread,

oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to

consecrate him.

3and assemble all the congregation at

the doorway of the tent of meeting."

13Next Moses had Aaron's sons come

near and clothed them with tunics, and

4So Moses did just as the LORD

girded them with sashes and bound

commanded

him.

When

the

caps on them, just as the LORD had

congregation was assembled at the

commanded Moses.

doorway of the tent of meeting,

14Then he brought the bull of the sin

5Moses said to the congregation, "This offering, and Aaron and his sons laid

is the thing which the LORD has

their hands on the head of the bull of the

commanded to do."

sin offering.

6

15

Then Moses had Aaron and his sons

Next Moses slaughtered it and took

come near and washed them with water.

the blood and with his finger put some of

it around on the horns of the altar, and 7

purified the altar. Then he poured out

He put the tunic on him and girded him

the rest of the blood at the base of the with the sash, and clothed him with the altar and consecrated it, to make robe and put the ephod on him; and he

atonement for it.

girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him.

16He also took all the fat that was on the

8

entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the

He then placed the breastpiece on him,

two kidneys and their fat; and Moses

and in the breastpiece he put the Urim

offered it up in smoke on the altar.

and the Thummim.

17

9

But the bull and its hide and its flesh He also placed the turban on his head,

and its refuse he burned in the fire

and on the turban, at its front, he placed

outside the camp, just as the LORD had

the golden plate, the holy crown, just as

commanded Moses.

the LORD had commanded Moses.

18

10

Then he presented the ram of the

Moses then took the anointing oil and

burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons

anointed the tabernacle and all that was

laid their hands on the head of the ram.

in it, and consecrated them.

19

11

Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the

He sprinkled some of it on the altar

blood around on the altar.

seven times and anointed the altar and

all its utensils, and the basin and its 20

stand, to consecrate them.

When he had cut the ram into its

pieces, Moses offered up the head and

the pieces and the suet in smoke.

21After he had washed the entrails and 28Then Moses took them from their the legs with water, Moses offered up

hands and offered them up in smoke on

the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It the altar with the burnt offering. They

was a burnt offering for a soothing

were an ordination offering for a

aroma; it was an offering by fire to the soothing aroma; it was an offering by

LORD,

just

as

the

LORD

had

fire to the LORD.

commanded Moses.

29Moses also took the breast and

22Then he presented the second ram,

presented it for a wave offering before

the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his

the LORD; it was Moses' portion of the

sons laid their hands on the head of the

ram of ordination, just as the LORD had

ram.

commanded Moses.

23Moses slaughtered it and took some of

30So Moses took some of the anointing

its blood and put it on the lobe of

oil and some of the blood which was on

Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of

the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his right hand and on the big toe of his his garments, on his sons, and on the right foot.

garments of his sons with him; and he

consecrated Aaron, his garments, and

24He also had Aaron's sons come near;

his sons, and the garments of his sons

and Moses put some of the blood on the

with him.

lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb

of their right hand and on the big toe of 31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the

sons, " Boil the flesh at the doorway of rest of the blood around on the altar.

the tent of meeting, and eat it there

together with the bread which is in the 25He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all

basket of the ordination offering, just as the fat that was on the entrails, and the I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and

sons shall eat it.'

their fat and the right thigh.

32" The remainder of the flesh and of the 26From the basket of unleavened bread

bread you shall burn in the fire.

that was before the LORD, he took one

unleavened cake and one cake of bread

33" You shall not go outside the doorway

mixed with oil and one wafer, and

of the tent of meeting for seven days,

placed them on the portions of fat and

until the day that the period of your

on the right thigh.

ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days.

27He then put all these on the hands of

Aaron and on the hands of his sons and

34"The LORD has commanded to do as

presented them as a wave offering

has been done this day, to make

before the LORD.

atonement on your behalf.

35"At the doorway of the tent of meeting, 7Moses then said to Aaron, "Come near moreover, you shall remain day and

to the altar and offer your sin offering night for seven days and keep the

and your burnt offering, that you may

charge of the LORD, so that you will not

make atonement for yourself and for the

die, for so I have been commanded."

people; then make the offering for the

people, that you may make atonement

36Thus Aaron and his sons did all the

for them, just as the LORD has

things which the LORD had commanded

commanded."

through Moses.

8So Aaron came near to the altar and

slaughtered the calf of the sin offering 9Now it came about on the eighth day which was for himself.

that Moses called Aaron and his sons

9Aaron's sons presented the blood to

and the elders of Israel;

him; and he dipped his finger in the

2

blood and put some on the horns of the

and he said to Aaron, " Take for

altar, and poured out the rest of the

yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering blood at the base of the altar.

and a ram for a burnt offering, both

without defect, and offer them before the

10The fat and the kidneys and the lobe

LORD.

of the liver of the sin offering, he then 3

offered up in smoke on the altar just as

"Then to the sons of Israel you shall the LORD had commanded Moses.

speak, saying, 'Take a male goat for a

sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both

11The flesh and the skin, however, he

one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering,

burned with fire outside the camp.

12

4

Then he slaughtered the burnt offering;

and an ox and a ram for peace

and Aaron's sons handed the blood to

offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD,

and a grain offering mixed with oil; for him and he sprinkled it around on the

today the LORD will appear to you.'"

altar.

13

5

They handed the burnt offering to him

So they took what Moses had

in pieces, with the head, and he offered

commanded to the front of the tent of

meeting, and the whole congregation

them up in smoke on the altar.

came near and stood before the LORD.

14He also washed the entrails and the

6

legs, and offered them up in smoke with

Moses said, "This is the thing which the

the burnt offering on the altar.

LORD has commanded you to do, that

the glory of the LORD may appear to

15

you."

Then he presented the people's

offering, and took the goat of the sin

offering which was for the people, and

slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like 24Then fire came out from before the the first.

LORD and consumed the burnt offering

and the portions of fat on the altar; and 16He also presented the burnt offering, when all the people saw it, they shouted

and offered it according to the ordinance. and fell on their faces.

17Next he presented the grain offering,

and filled his hand with some of it and 10Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons

offered it up in smoke on the altar,

of Aaron, took their respective firepans, besides the burnt offering of the morning. and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire 18Then he slaughtered the ox and the

before the LORD, which He had not

ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings

commanded them.

which was for the people; and Aaron's

sons handed the blood to him and he

2And fire came out from the presence of

sprinkled it around on the altar.

the LORD and consumed them, and

they died before the LORD.

19As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the fat

3Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what covering, and the kidneys and the lobe the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who

of the liver,

come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be

20they now placed the portions of fat on

honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept

the breasts; and he offered them up in

silent.

smoke on the altar.

4Moses called also to Mishael and

21But the breasts and the right thigh

Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle

Aaron presented as a wave offering

Uzziel, and said to them, "Come forward,

before the LORD, just as Moses had

carry your relatives away from the front commanded.

of the sanctuary to the outside of the

camp."

22Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward

the people and blessed them, and he

5So they came forward and carried them

stepped down after making the sin

still in their tunics to the outside of the offering and the burnt offering and the camp, as Moses had said.

peace offerings.

6Then Moses said to Aaron and to his

23Moses and Aaron went into the tent of

sons Eleazar and Ithamar, " Do not

meeting. When they came out and

uncover your heads nor tear your

blessed the people, the glory of the

clothes, so that you will not die and that

LORD appeared to all the people.

He will not become wrathful against all

the congregation. But your kinsmen, the

whole house of Israel, shall bewail the

burning which the LORD has brought of the peace offerings of the sons of about.

Israel.

7"You shall not even go out from the 15" The thigh offered by lifting up and the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you breast offered by waving they shall bring

will die; for the LORD'S anointing oil is along with the offerings by fire of the upon you." So they did according to the portions of fat, to present as a wave word of Moses.

offering before the LORD; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your

8The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying, sons with you, just as the LORD has commanded."

9" Do not drink wine or strong drink, 16

neither you nor your sons with you,

But Moses searched carefully for the

when you come into the tent of meeting,

goat of the sin offering, and behold, it so that you will not die--it is a perpetual had been burned up! So he was angry statute throughout your generations--

with Aaron's surviving sons Eleazar and

Ithamar, saying,

10and so as to make a distinction

17

between the holy and the profane, and

"Why did you not eat the sin offering at

between the unclean and the clean,

the holy place? For it is most holy, and He gave it to you to bear away the guilt

11

of the congregation, to make atonement

and so as to teach the sons of Israel

for them before the LORD.

all the statutes which the LORD has

spoken to them through Moses."

18"Behold, since its blood had not been 12

brought inside, into the sanctuary, you

Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to

should certainly have eaten it in the

his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar,

sanctuary, just as I commanded."

" Take the grain offering that is left over from the LORD'S offerings by fire and

19

eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it But Aaron spoke to Moses, "Behold, is most holy.

this very day they presented their sin

offering and their burnt offering before

13

the LORD. When things like these

"You shall eat it, moreover, in a holy happened to me, if I had eaten a sin place, because it is your due and your

offering today, would it have been good

sons' due out of the LORD'S offerings

in the sight of the LORD?"

by fire; for thus I have been commanded.

20

14

When Moses heard that, it seemed

" The breast of the wave offering,

good in his sight.

however, and the thigh of the offering

you may eat in a clean place, you and

your sons and your daughters with you;

for they have been given as your due

11The LORD spoke again to Moses

and your sons' due out of the sacrifices and to Aaron, saying to them,

2"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '

11and they shall be abhorrent to you;

These are the creatures which you may

you may not eat of their flesh, and their

eat from all the animals that are on the carcasses you shall detest.

earth.

12'Whatever in the water does not have

3'Whatever divides a hoof, thus making

fins and scales is abhorrent to you.

split hoofs, and chews the cud, among

the animals, that you may eat.

13'These, moreover, you shall detest

among the birds; they are abhorrent, not

4'Nevertheless, you are not to eat of

to be eaten: the eagle and the vulture

these, among those which chew the cud,

and the buzzard,

or among those which divide the hoof:

the camel, for though it chews cud, it

14and the kite and the falcon in its kind,

does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to

you.

15every raven in its kind,

5'Likewise, the shaphan, for though it

16and the ostrich and the owl and the

chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it

sea gull and the hawk in its kind,

is unclean to you;

17

6

and the little owl and the cormorant

the rabbit also, for though it chews cud,

and the great owl,

it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;

18and the white owl and the pelican and

7

the carrion vulture,

and the pig, for though it divides the

hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does 19

not chew cud, it is unclean to you.

and the stork, the heron in its kinds,

and the hoopoe, and the bat.

8'You shall not eat of their flesh nor

20

touch their carcasses; they are unclean

'All the winged insects that walk on all

to you.

fours are detestable to you.

21

9' These you may eat, whatever is in the

'Yet these you may eat among all the

water: all that have fins and scales,

winged insects which walk on all fours:

those in the water, in the seas or in the those which have above their feet

rivers, you may eat.

jointed legs with which to jump on the

earth.

10' But whatever is in the seas and in the

22

rivers that does not have fins and scales

'These of them you may eat: the locust

among all the teeming life of the water, in its kinds, and the devastating locust in

and among all the living creatures that

its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and

are in the water, they are detestable

the grasshopper in its kinds.

things to you,

23'But all other winged insects which are 32'Also anything on which one of them four-footed are detestable to you.

may fall when they are dead becomes

unclean, including any wooden article,

24'By these, moreover, you will be made

or clothing, or a skin, or a sack--any

unclean:

whoever

touches

their

article of which use is made-- it shall be

carcasses

becomes

unclean

until

put in the water and be unclean until

evening,

evening, then it becomes clean.

25

33

and whoever picks up any of their

'As for any earthenware vessel into

carcasses shall wash his clothes and be

which one of them may fall, whatever is

unclean until evening.

in it becomes unclean and you shall

break the vessel.

26'Concerning all the animals which

34

divide the hoof but do not make a split

'Any of the food which may be eaten,

hoof, or which do not chew cud, they are

on which water comes, shall become

unclean to you: whoever touches them

unclean, and any liquid which may be

becomes unclean.

drunk in every vessel shall become

unclean.

27'Also whatever walks on its paws,

35

among all the creatures that walk on all

'Everything, moreover, on which part

fours, are unclean to you; whoever

of their carcass may fall becomes

touches

their

carcasses

becomes

unclean; an oven or a stove shall be

unclean until evening,

smashed; they are unclean and shall

continue as unclean to you.

28and the one who picks up their

36

carcasses shall wash his clothes and be

'Nevertheless a spring or a cistern

unclean until evening; they are unclean

collecting water shall be clean, though

to you.

the one who touches their carcass shall

be unclean.

29'Now these are to you the unclean

37

among the swarming things which

'If a part of their carcass falls on any swarm on the earth: the mole, and the

seed for sowing which is to be sown, it mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds,

is clean.

30

38

and the gecko, and the crocodile, and

'Though if water is put on the seed and

the lizard, and the sand reptile, and the a part of their carcass falls on it, it is chameleon.

unclean to you.

31

39

'These are to you the unclean among

'Also if one of the animals dies which

all the swarming things; whoever

you have for food, the one who touches

touches them when they are dead

its carcass becomes unclean until

becomes unclean until evening.

evening.

40' He too, who eats some of its carcass edible creature and the creature which shall wash his clothes and be unclean

is not to be eaten.

until evening, and the one who picks up

its carcass shall wash his clothes and

be unclean until evening.

12Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

41

saying,

' Now every swarming thing that

swarms on the earth is detestable, not

2

to be eaten.

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:

'When a woman gives birth and bears a

42

male child, then she shall be unclean for

'Whatever crawls on its belly, and

seven days, as in the days of her

whatever walks on all fours, whatever

menstruation she shall be unclean.

has many feet, in respect to every

swarming thing that swarms on the

3

earth, you shall not eat them, for they

'On the eighth day the flesh of his

are detestable.

foreskin shall be circumcised.

4

43' Do not render yourselves detestable

'Then she shall remain in the blood of

through any of the swarming things that

her purification for thirty-three days; she

swarm; and you shall not make

shall not touch any consecrated thing,

yourselves unclean with them so that

nor enter the sanctuary until the days of

you become unclean.

her purification are completed.

5

44'For I am the LORD your God.

'But if she bears a female child, then

Consecrate yourselves therefore, and

she shall be unclean for two weeks, as

be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not

in her menstruation; and she shall

make yourselves unclean with any of

remain in the blood of her purification for

the swarming things that swarm on the

sixty-six days.

earth.

6' When the days of her purification are

45' For I am the LORD who brought you

completed, for a son or for a daughter, up from the land of Egypt to be your

she shall bring to the priest at the

God; thus you shall be holy, for I am

doorway of the tent of meeting a one

holy.'"

year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin

46

offering.

This is the law regarding the animal

and the bird, and every living thing that 7

moves in the waters and everything that

'Then he shall offer it before the LORD

swarms on the earth,

and make atonement for her, and she

shall be cleansed from the flow of her

47

blood. This is the law for her who bears

to make a distinction between the

a child, whether a male or a female.

unclean and the clean, and between the

8'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then the skin, then the priest shall pronounce she shall take two turtledoves or two

him clean; it is only a scab. And he shall

young pigeons, the one for a burnt

wash his clothes and be clean.

offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for

7"But if the scab spreads farther on the her, and she will be clean.'"

skin after he has shown himself to the

priest for his cleansing, he shall appear 13

again to the priest.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses

8

and to Aaron, saying,

"The priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest 2"When a man has on the skin of his shall pronounce him unclean; it is body a swelling or a scab or a bright

leprosy.

spot, and it becomes an infection of

9

leprosy on the skin of his body, then he

"When the infection of leprosy is on a shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to

man, then he shall be brought to the

one of his sons the priests.

priest.

3

10

"The priest shall look at the mark on the

"The priest shall then look, and if there skin of the body, and if the hair in the is a white swelling in the skin, and it has infection has turned white and the

turned the hair white, and there is quick

infection appears to be deeper than the

raw flesh in the swelling,

skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at

11it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his

him, he shall pronounce him unclean.

body, and the priest shall pronounce

him unclean; he shall not isolate him, for

4"But if the bright spot is white on the he is unclean.

skin of his body, and it does not appear

to be deeper than the skin, and the hair

12"If the leprosy breaks out farther on the on it has not turned white, then the

skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin

priest shall isolate him who has the

of him who has the infection from his

infection for seven days.

head even to his feet, as far as the

priest can see,

5"The priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the

13then the priest shall look, and behold,

infection has not changed and the

if the leprosy has covered all his body, infection has not spread on the skin,

he shall pronounce clean him who has

then the priest shall isolate him for

the infection; it has all turned white and seven more days.

he is clean.

6"The priest shall look at him again on 14"But whenever raw flesh appears on the seventh day, and if the infection has him, he shall be unclean.

faded and the mark has not spread on

15"The priest shall look at the raw flesh, 24"Or if the body sustains in its skin a and he shall pronounce him unclean; burn by fire, and the raw flesh of the the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy.

burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white,

16"Or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to

25then the priest shall look at it. And if the priest,

the hair in the bright spot has turned

white and it appears to be deeper than

17and the priest shall look at him, and the skin, it is leprosy; it has broken out behold, if the infection has turned to in the burn. Therefore, the priest shall white, then the priest shall pronounce

pronounce him unclean; it is an infection

clean him who has the infection; he is

of leprosy.

clean.

26"But if the priest looks at it, and indeed, 18"When the body has a boil on its skin there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is healed, and it is no deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest shall isolate him for 19

seven days;

and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white, bright 27

spot, then it shall be shown to the priest;

and the priest shall look at him on the

seventh day. If it spreads farther in the 20

skin, then the priest shall pronounce him

and the priest shall look, and behold, if

unclean; it is an infection of leprosy.

it appears to be lower than the skin, and

the hair on it has turned white, then the 28

priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is

"But if the bright spot remains in its the infection of leprosy, it has broken out place and has not spread in the skin, but

in the boil.

is dim, it is the swelling from the burn; and the priest shall pronounce him clean,

21

for it is only the scar of the burn.

"But if the priest looks at it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it and it is not

29

lower than the skin and is faded, then

"Now if a man or woman has an

the priest shall isolate him for seven

infection on the head or on the beard,

days;

30then the priest shall look at the

22and if it spreads farther on the skin, infection, and if it appears to be deeper then the priest shall pronounce him than the skin and there is thin yellowish

unclean; it is an infection.

hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce

him unclean; it is a scale, it is leprosy of

23

the head or of the beard.

"But if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is only the

31

scar of the boil; and the priest shall

"But if the priest looks at the infection pronounce him clean.

of the scale, and indeed, it appears to be no deeper than the skin and there is

no black hair in it, then the priest shall are a faint white, it is eczema that has isolate the person with the scaly broken out on the skin; he is clean.

infection for seven days.

40"Now if a man loses the hair of his 32"On the seventh day the priest shall head, he is bald; he is clean.

look at the infection, and if the scale has

not spread and no yellowish hair has

41"If his head becomes bald at the front grown in it, and the appearance of the

and sides, he is bald on the forehead;

scale is no deeper than the skin,

he is clean.

33then he shall shave himself, but he

42"But if on the bald head or the bald shall not shave the scale; and the priest

forehead, there occurs a reddish-white

shall isolate the person with the scale

infection, it is leprosy breaking out on seven more days.

his bald head or on his bald forehead.

34"Then on the seventh day the priest 43"Then the priest shall look at him; and shall look at the scale, and if the scale if the swelling of the infection is reddish-has not spread in the skin and it white on his bald head or on his bald

appears to be no deeper than the skin,

forehead, like the appearance of leprosy

the priest shall pronounce him clean;

in the skin of the body,

and he shall wash his clothes and be

clean.

44he is a leprous man, he is unclean.

The priest shall surely pronounce him

35"But if the scale spreads farther in the unclean; his infection is on his head.

skin after his cleansing,

45"As for the leper who has the infection, 36then the priest shall look at him, and if

his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of

the scale has spread in the skin, the

his head shall be uncovered, and he

priest need not seek for the yellowish

shall cover his mustache and cry, '

hair; he is unclean.

Unclean! Unclean!'

37"If in his sight the scale has remained, 46"He shall remain unclean all the days however, and black hair has grown in it, during which he has the infection; he is the scale has healed, he is clean; and

unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling

the priest shall pronounce him clean.

shall be outside the camp.

38"When a man or a woman has bright 47"When a garment has a mark of

spots on the skin of the body, even

leprosy in it, whether it is a wool

white bright spots,

garment or a linen garment,

39then the priest shall look, and if the 48whether in warp or woof, of linen or of

bright spots on the skin of their bodies wool, whether in leather or in any article

made of leather,

49if the mark is greenish or reddish in the 56"Then if the priest looks, and if the garment or in the leather, or in the warp mark has faded after it has been

or in the woof, or in any article of leather,

washed, then he shall tear it out of the it is a leprous mark and shall be shown garment or out of the leather, whether to the priest.

from the warp or from the woof;

50"Then the priest shall look at the mark 57and if it appears again in the garment,

and shall quarantine the article with the whether in the warp or in the woof, or in

mark for seven days.

any article of leather, it is an outbreak; the article with the mark shall be burned

51"He shall then look at the mark on the

in the fire.

seventh day; if the mark has spread in

the garment, whether in the warp or in

58"The garment, whether the warp or the

the woof, or in the leather, whatever the

woof, or any article of leather from which

purpose for which the leather is used,

the mark has departed when you

the mark is a leprous malignancy, it is washed it, it shall then be washed a

unclean.

second time and will be clean."

52"So he shall burn the garment,

59This is the law for the mark of leprosy

whether the warp or the woof, in wool or

in a garment of wool or linen, whether in

in linen, or any article of leather in which

the warp or in the woof, or in any article

the mark occurs, for it is a leprous

of leather, for pronouncing it clean or

malignancy; it shall be burned in the fire.

unclean.

53"But if the priest shall look, and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment,

14Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

either in the warp or in the woof, or in saying,

any article of leather,

2

54

"This shall be the law of the leper in the then the priest shall order them to

day of his cleansing. Now he shall be

wash the thing in which the mark occurs

brought to the priest,

and he shall quarantine it for seven

more days.

3and the priest shall go out to the

55

outside of the camp. Thus the priest

"After the article with the mark has shall look, and if the infection of leprosy

been washed, the priest shall again look,

has been healed in the leper,

and if the mark has not changed its

appearance, even though the mark has

4

not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn then the priest shall give orders to take

it in the fire, whether an eating away has

two live clean birds and cedar wood and

produced bareness on the top or on the

a scarlet string and hyssop for the one front of it.

who is to be cleansed.

5"The priest shall also give orders to 12"Then the priest shall take the one slay the one bird in an earthenware male lamb and bring it for a guilt offering,

vessel over running water.

with the log of oil, and present them as a

wave offering before the LORD.

6"As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the 13"Next he shall slaughter the male lamb

scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall in the place where they slaughter the sin

dip them and the live bird in the blood of

offering and the burnt offering, at the

the bird that was slain over the running place of the sanctuary--for the guilt

water.

offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.

7" He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the

14"The priest shall then take some of the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean,

blood of the guilt offering, and the priest

and shall let the live bird go free over shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of

the open field.

the one to be cleansed, and on the

thumb of his right hand and on the big 8" The one to be cleansed shall then toe of his right foot.

wash his clothes and shave off all his

hair and bathe in water and be clean.

15"The priest shall also take some of the Now afterward, he may enter the camp,

log of oil, and pour it into his left palm;

but he shall stay outside his tent for

seven days.

16the priest shall then dip his right-hand

finger into the oil that is in his left palm, 9"It will be on the seventh day that he and with his finger sprinkle some of the shall shave off all his hair: he shall oil seven times before the LORD.

shave his head and his beard and his

eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall

17"Of the remaining oil which is in his then wash his clothes and bathe his

palm, the priest shall put some on the

body in water and be clean.

right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed,

and on the thumb of his right hand, and

10"Now on the eighth day he is to take on the big toe of his right foot, on the two male lambs without defect, and a blood of the guilt offering;

yearling ewe lamb without defect, and

three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour

18while the rest of the oil that is in the mixed with oil for a grain offering, and priest's palm, he shall put on the head of one log of oil;

the one to be cleansed. So the priest

shall make atonement on his behalf

11and the priest who pronounces him

before the LORD.

clean shall present the man to be

cleansed and the aforesaid before the

19"The priest shall next offer the sin LORD at the doorway of the tent of

offering and make atonement for the

meeting.

one

to

be

cleansed

from

his

uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall 27and with his right-hand finger the priest slaughter the burnt offering.

shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the

20"The priest shall offer up the burnt LORD.

offering and the grain offering on the

altar. Thus the priest shall make

28"The priest shall then put some of the

atonement for him, and he will be clean.

oil that is in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and

21" But if he is poor and his means are on the thumb of his right hand and on insufficient, then he is to take one male the big toe of his right foot, on the place

lamb for a guilt offering as a wave

of the blood of the guilt offering.

offering to make atonement for him, and

one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed

29"Moreover, the rest of the oil that is in with oil for a grain offering, and a log of the priest's palm he shall put on the

oil,

head of the one to be cleansed, to make

atonement on his behalf before the

22and two turtledoves or two young

LORD.

pigeons which are within his means, the

one shall be a sin offering and the other

30"He shall then offer one of the

a burnt offering.

turtledoves or young pigeons, which are

within his means.

23" Then the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at 31"He shall offer what he can afford, the the doorway of the tent of meeting, one for a sin offering and the other for a

before the LORD.

burnt offering, together with the grain

offering. So the priest shall make

24"The priest shall take the lamb of the atonement before the LORD on behalf

guilt offering and the log of oil, and the of the one to be cleansed.

priest shall offer them for a wave

offering before the LORD.

32"This is the law for him in whom there

is an infection of leprosy, whose means

25"Next he shall slaughter the lamb of are limited for his cleansing."

the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt

33The LORD further spoke to Moses and

offering and put it on the lobe of the right

to Aaron, saying:

ear of the one to be cleansed and on the

thumb of his right hand and on the big 34" When you enter the land of Canaan,

toe of his right foot.

which I give you for a possession, and I

put a mark of leprosy on a house in the

26"The priest shall also pour some of the land of your possession,

oil into his left palm;

35then the one who owns the house

shall come and tell the priest, saying,

'Something like a mark of leprosy has 44then the priest shall come in and make become visible to me in the house.'

an inspection. If he sees that the mark has indeed spread in the house, it is a 36"The priest shall then command that malignant mark in the house; it is they empty the house before the priest

unclean.

goes in to look at the mark, so that

everything in the house need not

45"He shall therefore tear down the

become unclean; and afterward the

house, its stones, and its timbers, and

priest shall go in to look at the house.

all the plaster of the house, and he shall

take them outside the city to an unclean

37"So he shall look at the mark, and if place.

the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and

46"Moreover, whoever goes into the

appears deeper than the surface,

house during the time that he has

quarantined it, becomes unclean until

38then the priest shall come out of the evening.

house, to the doorway, and quarantine

the house for seven days.

47"Likewise, whoever lies down in the house shall wash his clothes, and

39"The priest shall return on the seventh whoever eats in the house shall wash

day and make an inspection. If the mark

his clothes.

has indeed spread in the walls of the

house,

48"If, on the other hand, the priest comes in and makes an inspection and the

40then the priest shall order them to tear

mark has not indeed spread in the

out the stones with the mark in them

house after the house has been

and throw them away at an unclean

replastered,

then

the

priest

shall

place outside the city.

pronounce the house clean because the

mark has not reappeared.

41"He shall have the house scraped all 49

around inside, and they shall dump the

"To cleanse the house then, he shall plaster that they scrape off at an

take two birds and cedar wood and a

unclean place outside the city.

scarlet string and hyssop,

42

50

"Then they shall take other stones and

and he shall slaughter the one bird in

replace those stones, and he shall take

an earthenware vessel over running

other plaster and replaster the house.

water.

43

51

"If, however, the mark breaks out

"Then he shall take the cedar wood

again in the house after he has torn out

and the hyssop and the scarlet string,

the stones and scraped the house, and

with the live bird, and dip them in the after it has been replastered,

blood of the slain bird as well as in the

running water, and sprinkle the house and everything on which he sits seven times.

becomes unclean.

52"He shall thus cleanse the house with 5'Anyone, moreover, who touches his

the blood of the bird and with the

bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in

running water, along with the live bird

water and be unclean until evening;

and with the cedar wood and with the

hyssop and with the scarlet string.

6and whoever sits on the thing on which

the man with the discharge has been

53"However, he shall let the live bird go sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe

free outside the city into the open field.

in water and be unclean until evening.

So he shall make atonement for the

house, and it will be clean."

7'Also whoever touches the person with

the discharge shall wash his clothes and

54This is the law for any mark of leprosy—

bathe in water and be unclean until

-even for a scale,

evening.

55and for the leprous garment or house,

8'Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash 56and for a swelling, and for a scab, and his clothes and bathe in water and be

for a bright spot--

unclean until evening.

57

9

to teach when they are unclean and

'Every saddle on which the person with

when they are clean. This is the law of the discharge rides becomes unclean.

leprosy.

10'Whoever then touches any of the

things which were under him shall be

15The LORD also spoke to Moses unclean until evening, and he who carries them shall wash his clothes and and to Aaron, saying,

bathe in water and be unclean until

evening.

2"Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ' When any man has a discharge

11'Likewise, whomever the one with the

from his body, his discharge is unclean.

discharge touches without having rinsed

his hands in water shall wash his

3'This,

moreover,

shall

be

his

clothes and bathe in water and be

uncleanness in his discharge: it is his

unclean until evening.

uncleanness whether his body allows its

discharge to flow or whether his body

12'However, an earthenware vessel

obstructs its discharge.

which the person with the discharge

touches shall be broken, and every

4'Every bed on which the person with

wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water.

the discharge lies becomes unclean,

13'Now when the man with the discharge 21'Anyone who touches her bed shall becomes cleansed from his discharge,

wash his clothes and bathe in water and

then he shall count off for himself seven

be unclean until evening.

days for his cleansing; he shall then

wash his clothes and bathe his body in

22'Whoever touches any thing on which

running water and will become clean.

she sits shall wash his clothes and

bathe in water and be unclean until

14'Then on the eighth day he shall take evening.

for himself two turtledoves or two young

pigeons, and come before the LORD to

23'Whether it be on the bed or on the

the doorway of the tent of meeting and

thing on which she is sitting, when he

give them to the priest;

touches it, he shall be unclean until

evening.

15and the priest shall offer them, one for

a sin offering and the other for a burnt 24' If a man actually lies with her so that

offering. So the priest shall make

her menstrual impurity is on him, he

atonement on his behalf before the

shall be unclean seven days, and every

LORD because of his discharge.

bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

16' Now if a man has a seminal emission,

25' Now if a woman has a discharge of

he shall bathe all his body in water and her blood many days, not at the period be unclean until evening.

of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a

discharge beyond that period, all the

17'As for any garment or any leather on

days of her impure discharge she shall

which there is seminal emission, it shall continue as though in her menstrual

be washed with water and be unclean

impurity; she is unclean.

until evening.

26'Any bed on which she lies all the days

18'If a man lies with a woman so that

of her discharge shall be to her like her there is a seminal emission, they shall bed at menstruation; and every thing on

both bathe in water and be unclean until

which she sits shall be unclean, like her

evening.

uncleanness at that time.

19' When a woman has a discharge, if

27'Likewise, whoever touches them shall

her discharge in her body is blood, she be unclean and shall wash his clothes

shall continue in her menstrual impurity

and bathe in water and be unclean until

for seven days; and whoever touches

evening.

her shall be unclean until evening.

28'When she becomes clean from her

20'Everything also on which she lies

discharge, she shall count off for herself

during her menstrual impurity shall be

seven days; and afterward she will be

unclean, and everything on which she

clean.

sits shall be unclean.

29'Then on the eighth day she shall take 3"Aaron shall enter the holy place with for herself two turtledoves or two young this: with a bull for a sin offering and a pigeons and bring them in to the priest, ram for a burnt offering.

to the doorway of the tent of meeting.

4"He shall put on the holy linen tunic, 30'The priest shall offer the one for a sin and the linen undergarments shall be

offering and the other for a burnt offering.

next to his body, and he shall be girded

So the priest shall make atonement on

with the linen sash and attired with the her behalf before the LORD because of

linen turban (these are holy garments).

her impure discharge.'

Then he shall bathe his body in water

and put them on.

31"Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so

5"He shall take from the congregation of

that they will not die in their uncleanness

the sons of Israel two male goats for a by their defiling My tabernacle that is

sin offering and one ram for a burnt

among them."

offering.

32This is the law for the one with a

6"Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the discharge, and for the man who has a sin offering which is for himself, that he seminal emission so that he is unclean may make atonement for himself and for

by it,

his household.

33and for the woman who is ill because

7"He shall take the two goats and

of menstrual impurity, and for the one

present them before the LORD at the

who has a discharge, whether a male or

doorway of the tent of meeting.

a female, or a man who lies with an

unclean woman.

8"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot 16

for the scapegoat.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses

9

after the death of the two sons of Aaron,

"Then Aaron shall offer the goat on when

they

had

approached

the

which the lot for the LORD fell, and

presence of the LORD and died.

make it a sin offering.

2

10

The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your

"But the goat on which the lot for the brother Aaron that he shall not enter at scapegoat fell shall be presented alive any time into the holy place inside the before the LORD, to make atonement

veil, before the mercy seat which is on upon it, to send it into the wilderness as

the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in

the scapegoat.

the cloud over the mercy seat.

11"Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his

household, and he shall slaughter the 18"Then he shall go out to the altar that bull of the sin offering which is for is

before

the

LORD

and

make

himself.

atonement for it, and shall take some of

the blood of the bull and of the blood of

12"He shall take a firepan full of coals of the goat and put it on the horns of the fire from upon the altar before the LORD

altar on all sides.

and two handfuls of finely ground sweet

incense, and bring it inside the veil.

19" With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and

13"He shall put the incense on the fire cleanse it, and from the impurities of the before the LORD, that the cloud of

sons of Israel consecrate it.

incense may cover the mercy seat that

is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise

20"When he finishes atoning for the holy

he will die.

place and the tent of meeting and the

altar, he shall offer the live goat.

14"Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his 21"Then Aaron shall lay both of his finger on the mercy seat on the east hands on the head of the live goat, and

side; also in front of the mercy seat he confess over it all the iniquities of the shall sprinkle some of the blood with his sons

of

Israel

and

all

their

finger seven times.

transgressions in regard to all their sins;

and he shall lay them on the head of the

15"Then he shall slaughter the goat of goat and send it away into the

the sin offering which is for the people, wilderness by the hand of a man who

and bring its blood inside the veil and do

stands in readiness.

with its blood as he did with the blood of

the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy

22"The goat shall bear on itself all their seat and in front of the mercy seat.

iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall

release the goat in the wilderness.

16" He shall make atonement for the holy

place, because of the impurities of the

23"Then Aaron shall come into the tent of sons of Israel and because of their

meeting and take off the linen garments

transgressions in regard to all their sins;

which he put on when he went into the

and thus he shall do for the tent of

holy place, and shall leave them there.

meeting which abides with them in the

midst of their impurities.

24" He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and

17"When he goes in to make atonement

come forth and offer his burnt offering

in the holy place, no one shall be in the

and the burnt offering of the people and

tent of meeting until he comes out, that make atonement for himself and for the

he may make atonement for himself and

people.

for his household and for all the

assembly of Israel.

25"Then he shall offer up in smoke the 33and make atonement for the holy fat of the sin offering on the altar.

sanctuary,

and

he

shall

make

atonement for the tent of meeting and

26"The one who released the goat as the

for the altar. He shall also make

scapegoat shall wash his clothes and

atonement for the priests and for all the

bathe his body with water; then

people of the assembly.

afterward he shall come into the camp.

34"Now you shall have this as a

27"But the bull of the sin offering and the permanent statute, to make atonement

goat of the sin offering, whose blood

for the sons of Israel for all their sins was brought in to make atonement in

once every year." And just as the LORD

the holy place, shall be taken outside

had commanded Moses, so he did.

the camp, and they shall burn their

hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the

fire.

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

saying,

28"Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body

2"Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to

with water, then afterward he shall come

all the sons of Israel and say to them, into the camp.

'This is what the LORD has commanded,

saying,

29"This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth 3"Any man from the house of Israel who day of the month, you shall humble your

slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in souls and not do any work, whether the

the camp, or who slaughters it outside

native, or the alien who sojourns among

the camp,

you;

4

30

and has not brought it to the doorway of

for it is on this day that atonement

the tent of meeting to present it as an shall be made for you to cleanse you;

offering to the LORD before the

you will be clean from all your sins

tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguiltiness

before the LORD.

is to be reckoned to that man. He has

shed blood and that man shall be cut off

31"It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for from among his people.

you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.

5"The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they

32"So the priest who is anointed and were sacrificing in the open field, that ordained to serve as priest in his father's they may bring them in to the LORD, at

place shall make atonement: he shall

the doorway of the tent of meeting to the

thus put on the linen garments, the holy

priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices

garments,

of peace offerings to the LORD.

6"The priest shall sprinkle the blood on or a bird which may be eaten, he shall the altar of the LORD at the doorway of pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

the tent of meeting, and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the

14" For as for the life of all flesh, its blood LORD.

is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat

7" They shall no longer sacrifice their the blood of any flesh, for the life of all sacrifices to the goat demons with which flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall they play the harlot. This shall be a

be cut off.'

permanent statute to them throughout

their generations."'

15" When any person eats an animal

which dies or is torn by beasts, whether

8"Then you shall say to them, 'Any man

he is a native or an alien, he shall wash

from the house of Israel, or from the

his clothes and bathe in water, and

aliens who sojourn among them, who

remain unclean until evening; then he

offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

will become clean.

9and does not bring it to the doorway of

16"But if he does not wash them or bathe

the tent of meeting to offer it to the his body, then he shall bear his guilt."

LORD, that man also shall be cut off

from his people.

18Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

10' And any man from the house of Israel,

saying,

or from the aliens who sojourn among

them, who eats any blood, I will set My 2

face against that person who eats blood

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

and will cut him off from among his

them, ' I am the LORD your God.

people.

3'You shall not do what is done in the 11'For the life of the flesh is in the blood,

land of Egypt where you lived, nor are

and I have given it to you on the altar to

you to do what is done in the land of make atonement for your souls; for it is Canaan where I am bringing you; you the blood by reason of the life that

shall not walk in their statutes.

makes atonement.'

4'You are to perform My judgments and

12"Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, keep My statutes, to live in accord with 'No person among you may eat blood,

them; I am the LORD your God.

nor may any alien who sojourns among

5

you eat blood.'

'So you shall keep My statutes and My

judgments, by which a man may live if

13"So when any man from the sons of he does them; I am the LORD.

Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn

among them, in hunting catches a beast

6'None of you shall approach any blood son's wife, you shall not uncover her relative of his to uncover nakedness; I

nakedness.

am the LORD.

16' You shall not uncover the nakedness

7' You shall not uncover the nakedness

of your brother's wife; it is your brother's

of your father, that is, the nakedness of nakedness.

your mother. She is your mother; you

are not to uncover her nakedness.

17' You shall not uncover the nakedness

of a woman and of her daughter, nor

8' You shall not uncover the nakedness

shall you take her son's daughter or her

of your father's wife; it is your father's daughter's daughter, to uncover her

nakedness.

nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is

lewdness.

9' The nakedness of your sister, either

your father's daughter or your mother's

18'You shall not marry a woman in

daughter, whether born at home or born

addition to her sister as a rival while she

outside, their nakedness you shall not

is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

uncover.

19' Also you shall not approach a woman

10'The nakedness of your son's daughter

to uncover her nakedness during her

or your daughter's daughter, their

menstrual impurity.

nakedness you shall not uncover; for

their nakedness is yours.

20' You shall not have intercourse with

your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with 11'The nakedness of your father's wife's

her.

daughter, born to your father, she is

your sister, you shall not uncover her

21'You shall not give any of your

nakedness.

offspring to offer them to Molech, nor

shall you profane the name of your God;

12' You shall not uncover the nakedness

I am the LORD.

of your father's sister; she is your

father's blood relative.

22' You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

13'You shall not uncover the nakedness

of your mother's sister, for she is your 23' Also you shall not have intercourse

mother's blood relative.

with any animal to be defiled with it, nor

shall any woman stand before an animal

14' You shall not uncover the nakedness

to mate with it; it is a perversion.

of your father's brother; you shall not

approach his wife, she is your aunt.

24'Do not defile yourselves by any of

these things; for by all these the nations

15' You shall not uncover the nakedness

which I am casting out before you have

of your daughter-in-law; she is your

become defiled.

25'For the land has become defiled, keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your therefore I have brought its punishment

God.

upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.

4'Do not turn to idols or make for

yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD

26'But as for you, you are to keep My

your God.

statutes and My judgments and shall not

do any of these abominations, neither

5'Now when you offer a sacrifice of

the native, nor the alien who sojourns

peace offerings to the LORD, you shall

among you

offer it so that you may be accepted.

27(for the men of the land who have

6'It shall be eaten the same day you

been before you have done all these

offer it, and the next day; but what

abominations, and the land has become

remains until the third day shall be

defiled);

burned with fire.

28so that the land will not spew you out,

7'So if it is eaten at all on the third day, it should you defile it, as it has spewed out

is an offense; it will not be accepted.

the nation which has been before you.

8'Everyone who eats it will bear his

29'For whoever does any of these

iniquity, for he has profaned the holy

abominations, those persons who do so

thing of the LORD; and that person shall

shall be cut off from among their people.

be cut off from his people.

30'Thus you are to keep My charge, that

9' Now when you reap the harvest of

you do not practice any of the

your land, you shall not reap to the very

abominable customs which have been

corners of your field, nor shall you

practiced before you, so as not to defile

gather the gleanings of your harvest.

yourselves with them; I am the LORD

your God.'"

10'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor

shall you gather the fallen fruit of your 19

vineyard; you shall leave them for the

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

needy and for the stranger. I am the

saying:

LORD your God.

2

11

"Speak to all the congregation of the

' You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, sons of Israel and say to them, ' You

nor lie to one another.

shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

12' You shall not swear falsely by My

name, so as to profane the name of

3'Every one of you shall reverence his

your God; I am the LORD.

mother and his father, and you shall

13' You shall not oppress your neighbor, however, be put to death, because she nor rob him. The wages of a hired man

was not free.

are not to remain with you all night until morning.

21'He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD to the doorway of the tent of

14'You shall not curse a deaf man, nor

meeting, a ram for a guilt offering.

place a stumbling block before the blind,

but you shall revere your God; I am the

22'The priest shall also make atonement

LORD.

for him with the ram of the guilt offering

before the LORD for his sin which he

15' You shall do no injustice in judgment;

has committed, and the sin which he

you shall not be partial to the poor nor has committed will be forgiven him.

defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

23'When you enter the land and plant all

kinds of trees for food, then you shall 16'You shall not go about as a slanderer

count their fruit as forbidden. Three

among your people, and you are not to

years it shall be forbidden to you; it shall

act against the life of your neighbor; I not be eaten.

am the LORD.

24'But in the fourth year all its fruit shall 17'You shall not hate your fellow

be holy, an offering of praise to the

countryman in your heart; you may

LORD.

surely reprove your neighbor, but shall

not incur sin because of him.

25'In the fifth year you are to eat of its fruit, that its yield may increase for you; I 18' You shall not take vengeance, nor

am the LORD your God.

bear any grudge against the sons of

your people, but you shall love your

26'You shall not eat anything with the

neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

blood,

nor

practice

divination

or

soothsaying.

19'You are to keep My statutes. You

shall not breed together two kinds of

27' You shall not round off the side—

your cattle; you shall not sow your field growth of your heads nor harm the

with two kinds of seed, nor wear a

edges of your beard.

garment upon you of two kinds of

material mixed together.

28'You shall not make any cuts in your

body for the dead nor make any tattoo

20' Now if a man lies carnally with a

marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.

woman who is a slave acquired for

another man, but who has in no way

29' Do not profane your daughter by

been redeemed nor given her freedom,

making her a harlot, so that the land will

there shall be punishment; they shall not,

not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness.

30'You shall keep My sabbaths and 3'I will also set My face against that man revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

and will cut him off from among his

people, because he has given some of

31'Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; his offspring to Molech, so as to defile do not seek them out to be defiled by My sanctuary and to profane My holy

them. I am the LORD your God.

name.

32

4

' You shall rise up before the

'If the people of the land, however,

grayheaded and honor the aged, and

should ever disregard that man when he

you shall revere your God; I am the

gives any of his offspring to Molech, so LORD.

as not to put him to death,

33

5

' When a stranger resides with you in

then I Myself will set My face against

your land, you shall not do him wrong.

that man and against his family, and I

will cut off from among their people both

34

him and all those who play the harlot

'The stranger who resides with you

after him, by playing the harlot after

shall be to you as the native among you,

Molech.

and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I 6

am the LORD your God.

'As for the person who turns to

mediums and to spiritists, to play the

35

harlot after them, I will also set My face

' You shall do no wrong in judgment, in

against that person and will cut him off measurement of weight, or capacity.

from among his people.

36'You shall have just balances, just

7'You shall consecrate yourselves

weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I therefore and be holy, for I am the

am the LORD your God, who brought

LORD your God.

you out from the land of Egypt.

8

37

' You shall keep My statutes and

'You shall thus observe all My statutes

practice them; I am the LORD who

and all My ordinances and do them; I

sanctifies you.

am the LORD.'"

9' If there is anyone who curses his

20

father or his mother, he shall surely be Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

put to death; he has cursed his father or

saying,

his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon

him.

2"You shall also say to the sons of Israel:

'Any man from the sons of Israel or from

10' If there is a man who commits

the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives

adultery with another man's wife, one

any of his offspring to Molech, shall

who commits adultery with his friend's

surely be put to death; the people of the

land shall stone him with stones.

wife, the adulterer and the adulteress He

has

uncovered

his

sister's

shall surely be put to death.

nakedness; he bears his guilt.

11' If there is a man who lies with his 18' If there is a man who lies with a father's wife, he has uncovered his menstruous woman and uncovers her

father's nakedness; both of them shall

nakedness, he has laid bare her flow,

surely

be

put

to

death,

their

and she has exposed the flow of her

bloodguiltiness is upon them.

blood; thus both of them shall be cut off

from among their people.

12' If there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall

19' You shall also not uncover the

surely be put to death; they have

nakedness of your mother's sister or of

committed incest, their bloodguiltiness is

your father's sister, for such a one has upon them.

made naked his blood relative; they will bear their guilt.

13' If there is a man who lies with a male

as those who lie with a woman, both of 20' If there is a man who lies with his them have committed a detestable act; uncle's wife he has uncovered his

they shall surely be put to death. Their uncle's nakedness; they will bear their

bloodguiltiness is upon them.

sin. They will die childless.

14' If there is a man who marries a

21' If there is a man who takes his

woman and her mother, it is immorality;

brother's wife, it is abhorrent; he has

both he and they shall be burned with

uncovered his brother's nakedness.

fire, so that there will be no immorality in

They will be childless.

your midst.

22'You are therefore to keep all My

15' If there is a man who lies with an statutes and all My ordinances and do

animal, he shall surely be put to death; them, so that the land to which I am

you shall also kill the animal.

bringing you to live will not spew you out.

16'If there is a woman who approaches

23'Moreover, you shall not follow the

any animal to mate with it, you shall kill customs of the nation which I will drive the woman and the animal; they shall out before you, for they did all these

surely

be

put

to

death.

Their

things, and therefore I have abhorred

bloodguiltiness is upon them.

them.

17' If there is a man who takes his sister,

24'Hence I have said to you, " You are to his father's daughter or his mother's

possess their land, and I Myself will give

daughter,

so

that

he

sees

her

it to you to possess it, a land flowing nakedness and she sees his nakedness,

with milk and honey." I am the LORD

it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off

your God, who has separated you from

in the sight of the sons of their people.

the peoples.

25' You are therefore to make a 6'They shall be holy to their God and not distinction between the clean animal

profane the name of their God, for they and the unclean, and between the

present the offerings by fire to the LORD,

unclean bird and the clean; and you

the food of their God; so they shall be shall not make yourselves detestable by

holy.

animal or by bird or by anything that

creeps on the ground, which I have

7' They shall not take a woman who is

separated for you as unclean.

profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take

a woman divorced from her husband; for

26'Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I he is holy to his God.

the LORD am holy; and I have set you

apart from the peoples to be Mine.

8'You shall consecrate him, therefore,

for he offers the food of your God; he 27'Now a man or a woman who is a

shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who

medium or a spiritist shall surely be put sanctifies you, am holy.

to death. They shall be stoned with

stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon

9' Also the daughter of any priest, if she

them.'"

profanes

herself

by

harlotry,

she

profanes her father; she shall be burned

21

with fire.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

10

"Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron,

'The priest who is the highest among

and say to them: ' No one shall defile his brothers, on whose head the

himself for a dead person among his

anointing oil has been poured and who

people,

has been consecrated to wear the

garments, shall not uncover his head

2except for his relatives who are nearest

nor tear his clothes;

to him, his mother and his father and his

11

son and his daughter and his brother,

nor shall he approach any dead

person, nor defile himself even for his

3also for his virgin sister, who is near to

father or his mother;

him because she has had no husband;

12

for her he may defile himself.

nor shall he go out of the sanctuary

nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for

4'He shall not defile himself as a relative

the consecration of the anointing oil of by marriage among his people, and so

his God is on him; I am the LORD.

profane himself.

13'He shall take a wife in her virginity.

5' They shall not make any baldness on

14

their heads, nor shave off the edges of

' A widow, or a divorced woman, or

their beards, nor make any cuts in their one who is profaned by harlotry, these

flesh.

he may not take; but rather he is to

marry a virgin of his own people,

15so that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the LORD

22Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

who sanctifies him.'"

saying,

16Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

2"Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful saying,

with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to

17"Speak to Aaron, saying, 'No man of profane My holy name; I am the LORD.

your

offspring

throughout

their

generations who has a defect shall

3"Say to them, ' If any man among all approach to offer the food of his God.

your

descendants

throughout

your

generations approaches the holy gifts

18' For no one who has a defect shall

which the sons of Israel dedicate to the approach: a blind man, or a lame man,

LORD, while he has an uncleanness,

or he who has a disfigured face, or any

that person shall be cut off from before deformed limb,

Me; I am the LORD.

19or a man who has a broken foot or

4' No man of the descendants of Aaron,

broken hand,

who is a leper or who has a discharge, may eat of the holy gifts until he is clean.

20or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who

And if one touches anything made

has a defect in his eye or eczema or

unclean by a corpse or if a man has a scabs or crushed testicles.

seminal emission,

21'No man among the descendants of

5or if a man touches any teeming things

Aaron the priest who has a defect is to by which he is made unclean, or any

come near to offer the LORD'S offerings

man by whom he is made unclean,

by fire; since he has a defect, he shall whatever his uncleanness;

not come near to offer the food of his God.

6a person who touches any such shall

be unclean until evening, and shall not

22'He may eat the food of his God, both

eat of the holy gifts unless he has

of the most holy and of the holy,

bathed his body in water.

23

7

only he shall not go in to the veil or

'But when the sun sets, he will be clean,

come near the altar because he has a

and afterward he shall eat of the holy

defect, so that he will not profane My

gifts, for it is his food.

sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who

sanctifies them.'"

8'He shall not eat an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean

24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his

by it; I am the LORD.

sons and to all the sons of Israel.

9'They shall therefore keep My charge,

' Any man of the house of Israel or of the

so that they will not bear sin because of

aliens in Israel who presents his offering,

it and die thereby because they profane

whether it is any of their votive or any of

it; I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

their freewill offerings, which they

present to the LORD for a burnt offering—

10' No layman, however, is to eat the

-

holy gift; a sojourner with the priest or a

hired man shall not eat of the holy gift.

19for you to be accepted--it must be a

male without defect from the cattle, the 11' But if a priest buys a slave as his sheep, or the goats.

property with his money, that one may

eat of it, and those who are born in his 20' Whatever has a defect, you shall not

house may eat of his food.

offer, for it will not be accepted for you.

12'If a priest's daughter is married to a 21'When a man offers a sacrifice of

layman, she shall not eat of the offering

peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a of the gifts.

special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be 13'But if a priest's daughter becomes a

perfect to be accepted; there shall be no

widow or divorced, and has no child and

defect in it.

returns to her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's food;

22'Those that are blind or fractured or

but no layman shall eat of it.

maimed or having a running sore or

eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to 14' But if a man eats a holy gift

the LORD, nor make of them an offering

unintentionally, then he shall add to it a by fire on the altar to the LORD.

fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest.

23'In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member,

15' They shall not profane the holy gifts you may present it for a freewill offering,

of the sons of Israel which they offer to but for a vow it will not be accepted.

the LORD,

24'Also anything with its testicles bruised

16and so cause them to bear

or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not punishment for guilt by eating their holy offer to the LORD, or sacrifice in your gifts; for I am the LORD who sanctifies land, them.'"

25nor shall you accept any such from the

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

hand of a foreigner for offering as the saying,

food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall 18

not be accepted for you.'"

"Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them,

26Then the LORD spoke to Moses, 3' For six days work may be done, but saying,

on the seventh day there is a sabbath of

complete rest, a holy convocation. You

27"When an ox or a sheep or a goat is shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to born, it shall remain seven days with its

the LORD in all your dwellings.

mother, and from the eighth day on it

shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an

4'These are the appointed times of the

offering by fire to the LORD.

LORD, holy convocations which you

shall proclaim at the times appointed for

28" But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, them.

you shall not kill both it and its young in

one day.

5' In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the

29"When you sacrifice a sacrifice of LORD'S Passover.

thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall

sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.

6'Then on the fifteenth day of the same

month there is the Feast of Unleavened

30"It shall be eaten on the same day, you Bread to the LORD; for seven days you

shall leave none of it until morning; I am

shall eat unleavened bread.

the LORD.

7'On the first day you shall have a holy 31"

So

you

shall

keep

My

convocation; you shall not do any

commandments, and do them; I am the

laborious work.

LORD.

8'But for seven days you shall present

32"You shall not profane My holy name, an offering by fire to the LORD. On the but I will be sanctified among the sons seventh day is a holy convocation; you of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies

shall not do any laborious work.'"

you,

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

33who brought you out from the land of

saying,

Egypt, to be your God; I am the LORD."

10"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I

23The LORD spoke again to Moses, am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf saying,

of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

2"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

them, ' The LORD'S appointed times

11'He shall wave the sheaf before the

which you shall proclaim as holy

LORD for you to be accepted; on the

convocations--My appointed times are

day after the sabbath the priest shall

these:

wave it.

12'Now on the day when you wave the 19'You shall also offer one male goat for sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one

a sin offering and two male lambs one

year old without defect for a burnt

year old for a sacrifice of peace

offering to the LORD.

offerings.

13'Its grain offering shall then be two—

20'The priest shall then wave them with

tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed

the bread of the first fruits for a wave with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD

offering with two lambs before the

for a soothing aroma, with its drink

LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD

offering, a fourth of a hin of wine.

for the priest.

14'Until this same day, until you have

21'On this same day you shall make a

brought in the offering of your God, you

proclamation as well; you are to have a

shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain

holy convocation. You shall do no

nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in statute in all your dwelling places

all your dwelling places.

throughout your generations.

15' You shall also count for yourselves

22' When you reap the harvest of your

from the day after the sabbath, from the

land, moreover, you shall not reap to the

day when you brought in the sheaf of

very corners of your field nor gather the

the wave offering; there shall be seven

gleaning of your harvest; you are to

complete sabbaths.

leave them for the needy and the alien. I

am the LORD your God.'"

16'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you

23Again the LORD spoke to Moses,

shall present a new grain offering to the

saying,

LORD.

24"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '

17'You shall bring in from your dwelling In the seventh month on the first of the places two loaves of bread for a wave month you shall have a rest, a reminder

offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah;

by

blowing

of

trumpets,

a

holy

they shall be of a fine flour, baked with convocation.

leaven as first fruits to the LORD.

25'You shall not do any laborious work,

18'Along with the bread you shall present

but you shall present an offering by fire seven one year old male lambs without

to the LORD.'"

defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to 26The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, the LORD, with their grain offering and

their drink offerings, an offering by fire of

27"On exactly the tenth day of this a soothing aroma to the LORD.

seventh month is the day of atonement;

it shall be a holy convocation for you,

and you shall humble your souls and fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You present an offering by fire to the LORD.

shall do no laborious work.

28"You shall not do any work on this 37'These are the appointed times of the same day, for it is a day of atonement, LORD which you shall proclaim as holy

to make atonement on your behalf

convocations, to present offerings by fire

before the LORD your God.

to the LORD--burnt offerings and grain

offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, 29"If there is any person who will not each day's matter on its own day--

humble himself on this same day, he

shall be cut off from his people.

38besides those of the sabbaths of the

LORD, and besides your gifts and

30"As for any person who does any work

besides all your votive and freewill

on this same day, that person I will

offerings, which you give to the LORD.

destroy from among his people.

39'On exactly the fifteenth day of the

31"You shall do no work at all. It is to be seventh

month,

when

you

have

a perpetual statute throughout your

gathered in the crops of the land, you

generations in all your dwelling places.

shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for

seven days, with a rest on the first day 32

and a rest on the eighth day.

"It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls;

40

on the ninth of the month at evening,

'Now on the first day you shall take for

from evening until evening you shall

yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees,

keep your sabbath."

palm branches and boughs of leafy

trees and willows of the brook, and you 33

shall rejoice before the LORD your God

Again the LORD spoke to Moses,

for seven days.

saying,

41

34

'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, to the LORD for seven days in the year.

'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is

It shall be a perpetual statute throughout

the Feast of Booths for seven days to

your generations; you shall celebrate it

the LORD.

in the seventh month.

35'On the first day is a holy convocation;

42'You shall live in booths for seven days;

you shall do no laborious work of any

all the native-born in Israel shall live in kind.

booths,

36' For seven days you shall present an

43so that your generations may know

offering by fire to the LORD. On the

that I had the sons of Israel live in

eighth day you shall have a holy

booths when I brought them out from

convocation and present an offering by

the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your 9" It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and God.'"

they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the LORD'S

44So Moses declared to the sons of

offerings by fire, his portion forever."

Israel the appointed times of the LORD.

10Now the son of an Israelite woman,

whose father was an Egyptian, went out

24Then the LORD spoke to Moses, among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of saying,

Israel struggled with each other in the

camp.

2"Command the sons of Israel that they

bring to you clear oil from beaten olives

11The son of the Israelite woman

for the light, to make a lamp burn

blasphemed the Name and cursed. So

continually.

they brought him to Moses. (Now his

mother's name was Shelomith, the

3"Outside the veil of testimony in the tent daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the

12They put him in custody so that the

LORD continually; it shall be a perpetual

command of the LORD might be made

statute throughout your generations.

clear to them.

4"He shall keep the lamps in order on 13Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

the pure gold lampstand before the

saying,

LORD continually.

14

5

"Bring the one who has cursed outside

" Then you shall take fine flour and the camp, and let all who heard him lay

bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of their hands on his head; then let all the an ephah shall be in each cake.

congregation stone him.

6"You shall set them in two rows, six to a 15"You shall speak to the sons of Israel, row, on the pure gold table before the saying, ' If anyone curses his God, then

LORD.

he will bear his sin.

7"You shall put pure frankincense on 16'Moreover, the one who blasphemes

each row that it may be a memorial

the name of the LORD shall surely be

portion for the bread, even an offering

put to death; all the congregation shall by fire to the LORD.

certainly stone him. The alien as well as

the native, when he blasphemes the

8" Every sabbath day he shall set it in Name, shall be put to death.

order before the LORD continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of

17' If a man takes the life of any human

Israel.

being, he shall surely be put to death.

18' The one who takes the life of an 5'Your harvest's aftergrowth you shall animal shall make it good, life for life.

not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed

vines you shall not gather; the land shall

19'If a man injures his neighbor, just as have a sabbatical year.

he has done, so it shall be done to him:

6' All of you shall have the sabbath

20fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth

products of the land for food; yourself, for tooth; just as he has injured a man, and your male and female slaves, and so it shall be inflicted on him.

your hired man and your foreign

resident, those who live as aliens with

21

you.

'Thus the one who kills an animal shall

make it good, but the one who kills a

7

man shall be put to death.

'Even your cattle and the animals that

are in your land shall have all its crops 22

to eat.

'There shall be one standard for you; it

shall be for the stranger as well as the 8

native, for I am the LORD your God.'"

'You are also to count off seven

sabbaths of years for yourself, seven

23

times seven years, so that you have the

Then Moses spoke to the sons of

time of the seven sabbaths of years,

Israel, and they brought the one who

namely, forty-nine years.

had cursed outside the camp and

stoned him with stones. Thus the sons

9

of Israel did, just as the LORD had

'You shall then sound a ram's horn

commanded Moses.

abroad on the tenth day of the seventh

month; on the day of atonement you

shall sound a horn all through your land.

25The LORD then spoke to Moses 10'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth at Mount Sinai, saying, year and proclaim a release through the

land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a 2"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to jubilee for you, and each of you shall

them, 'When you come into the land

return to his own property, and each of which I shall give you, then the land

you shall return to his family.

shall have a sabbath to the LORD.

11'You shall have the fiftieth year as a 3' Six years you shall sow your field, and

jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its six years you shall prune your vineyard

aftergrowth, nor gather in from its

and gather in its crop,

untrimmed vines.

4but during the seventh year the land

12'For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to you. You shall eat its crops out of the the LORD; you shall not sow your field field.

nor prune your vineyard.

13' On this year of jubilee each of you 23'The land, moreover, shall not be sold shall return to his own property.

permanently, for the land is Mine; for

you are but aliens and sojourners with

14'If you make a sale, moreover, to your

Me.

friend or buy from your friend's hand,

you shall not wrong one another.

24'Thus for every piece of your property,

you are to provide for the redemption of

15'Corresponding to the number of years

the land.

after the jubilee, you shall buy from your

friend; he is to sell to you according to 25' If a fellow countryman of yours

the number of years of crops.

becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is

16' In proportion to the extent of the

to come and buy back what his relative

years you shall increase its price, and in

has sold.

proportion to the fewness of the years

you shall diminish its price, for it is a 26'Or in case a man has no kinsman, but

number of crops he is selling to you.

so recovers his means as to find

sufficient for its redemption,

17'So you shall not wrong one another,

but you shall fear your God; for I am the

27then he shall calculate the years since

LORD your God.

its sale and refund the balance to the

man to whom he sold it, and so return to

18'You shall thus observe My statutes

his property.

and keep My judgments, so as to carry

them out, that you may live securely on 28'But if he has not found sufficient

the land.

means to get it back for himself, then

what he has sold shall remain in the

19'Then the land will yield its produce, so

hands of its purchaser until the year of that you can eat your fill and live

jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, securely on it.

that he may return to his property.

20

29

'But if you say, " What are we going to

'Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling

eat on the seventh year if we do not sow

house in a walled city, then his

or gather in our crops?"

redemption right remains valid until a full

year from its sale; his right of

21

redemption lasts a full year.

then I will so order My blessing for you

in the sixth year that it will bring forth the 30

crop for three years.

'But if it is not bought back for him

within the space of a full year, then the 22

house that is in the walled city passes

'When you are sowing the eighth year,

permanently to its purchaser throughout

you can still eat old things from the crop,

his generations; it does not revert in the

eating the old until the ninth year when jubilee.

its crop comes in.

31'The houses of the villages, however, himself to you, you shall not subject him which have no surrounding wall shall be

to a slave's service.

considered as open fields; they have

redemption rights and revert in the

40'He shall be with you as a hired man, jubilee.

as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve

with you until the year of jubilee.

32'As for cities of the Levites, the Levites

have a permanent right of redemption

41'He shall then go out from you, he and

for the houses of the cities which are

his sons with him, and shall go back to their possession.

his family, that he may return to the

property of his forefathers.

33'What, therefore, belongs to the

Levites may be redeemed and a house

42'For they are My servants whom I

sale in the city of this possession reverts

brought out from the land of Egypt; they

in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities

are not to be sold in a slave sale.

of the Levites are their possession

among the sons of Israel.

43' You shall not rule over him with

severity, but are to revere your God.

34' But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual 44'As for your male and female slaves possession.

whom you may have--you may acquire

male and female slaves from the pagan

35' Now in case a countryman of yours

nations that are around you.

becomes poor and his means with

regard to you falter, then you are to

45'Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sustain him, like a stranger or a

sojourners who live as aliens among

sojourner, that he may live with you.

you that you may gain acquisition, and

out of their families who are with you, 36' Do not take usurious interest from

whom they will have produced in your

him, but revere your God, that your

land; they also may become your

countryman may live with you.

possession.

37'You shall not give him your silver at 46'You may even bequeath them to your

interest, nor your food for gain.

sons after you, to receive as a

possession; you can use them as

38' I am the LORD your God, who

permanent slaves. But in respect to your

brought you out of the land of Egypt to countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall

give you the land of Canaan and to be

not rule with severity over one another.

your God.

47'Now if the means of a stranger or of a

39' If a countryman of yours becomes so

sojourner with you becomes sufficient,

poor with regard to you that he sells

and a countryman of yours becomes so

poor with regard to him as to sell himself

to a stranger who is sojourning with you, out from the land of Egypt. I am the or to the descendants of a stranger's

LORD your God.

family,

48then he shall have redemption right

26'You shall not make for yourselves

after he has been sold. One of his

idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves

brothers may redeem him,

an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall

you place a figured stone in your land to

49or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may bow down to it; for I am the LORD your

redeem him, or one of his blood

God.

relatives from his family may redeem

him; or if he prospers, he may redeem

2' You shall keep My sabbaths and

himself.

reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

50'He then with his purchaser shall

3' If you walk in My statutes and keep calculate from the year when he sold

My commandments so as to carry them

himself to him up to the year of jubilee; out,

and the price of his sale shall

correspond to the number of years. It is

4

like the days of a hired man that he shall

then I shall give you rains in their

be with him.

season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will 51

bear their fruit.

'If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in

5

proportion

to

them

for

his

own

' Indeed, your threshing will last for you

redemption;

until

grape

gathering,

and

grape

gathering will last until sowing time. You

52

will thus eat your food to the full and live

and if few years remain until the year

securely in your land.

of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him.

In proportion to his years he is to refund

6

the amount for his redemption.

' I shall also grant peace in the land, so

that you may lie down with no one

53

making you tremble. I shall also

'Like a man hired year by year he shall

eliminate harmful beasts from the land,

be with him; he shall not rule over him and no sword will pass through your

with severity in your sight.

land.

54'Even if he is not redeemed by these

7'But you will chase your enemies and

means, he shall still go out in the year of

they will fall before you by the sword;

jubilee, he and his sons with him.

8

55

five of you will chase a hundred, and a

'For the sons of Israel are My servants;

hundred of you will chase ten thousand,

they are My servants whom I brought

and your enemies will fall before you by

the sword.

9'So I will turn toward you and make you 18'If also after these things you do not fruitful and multiply you, and I will obey Me, then I will punish you seven

confirm My covenant with you.

times more for your sins.

10' You will eat the old supply and clear

19'I will also break down your pride of out the old because of the new.

power; I will also make your sky like iron

and your earth like bronze.

11' Moreover, I will make My dwelling

among you, and My soul will not reject

20' Your strength will be spent uselessly,

you.

for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield 12' I will also walk among you and be their fruit.

your God, and you shall be My people.

21'If then, you act with hostility against 13' I am the LORD your God, who

Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will brought you out of the land of Egypt so increase the plague on you seven times that you would not be their slaves, and I

according to your sins.

broke the bars of your yoke and made

you walk erect.

22' I will let loose among you the beasts

of the field, which will bereave you of 14' But if you do not obey Me and do not

your children and destroy your cattle

carry out all these commandments,

and reduce your number so that your

roads lie deserted.

15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and

23

if your soul abhors My ordinances so as

' And if by these things you are not

not to carry out all My commandments,

turned to Me, but act with hostility

and so break My covenant,

against Me,

16

24

I, in turn, will do this to you: I will then I will act with hostility against you;

appoint over you a sudden terror,

and I, even I, will strike you seven times

consumption and fever that will waste

for your sins.

away the eyes and cause the soul to

pine away; also, you will sow your seed

25'I will also bring upon you a sword

uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up.

which will execute vengeance for the

covenant; and when you gather together

17'I will set My face against you so that into your cities, I will send pestilence you will be struck down before your among you, so that you shall be

enemies; and those who hate you will

delivered into enemy hands.

rule over you, and you will flee when no

one is pursuing you.

26' When I break your staff of bread, ten

women will bake your bread in one oven,

and they will bring back your bread in

rationed amounts, so that you will eat 36'As for those of you who may be left, I and not be satisfied.

will also bring weakness into their hearts

in the lands of their enemies. And the

27'Yet if in spite of this you do not obey

sound of a driven leaf will chase them, Me, but act with hostility against Me,

and even when no one is pursuing they

will flee as though from the sword, and 28

they will fall.

then I will act with wrathful hostility

against you, and I, even I, will punish 37

you seven times for your sins.

' They will therefore stumble over each

other as if running from the sword,

29

although no one is pursuing; and you

'Further, you will eat the flesh of your will have no strength to stand up before

sons and the flesh of your daughters

your enemies.

you will eat.

38

30

'But you will perish among the nations,

'I then will destroy your high places,

and your enemies' land will consume

and cut down your incense altars, and

you.

heap your remains on the remains of

your idols, for My soul shall abhor you.

39' So those of you who may be left will

31

rot away because of their iniquity in the

'I will lay waste your cities as well and

lands of your enemies; and also

will make your sanctuaries desolate,

because of the iniquities of their

and I will not smell your soothing

forefathers they will rot away with them.

aromas.

40

32

' If they confess their iniquity and the

'I will make the land desolate so that

iniquity of their forefathers, in their

your enemies who settle in it will be

unfaithfulness which they committed

appalled over it.

against Me, and also in their acting with

hostility against Me--

33'You, however, I will scatter among the

nations and will draw out a sword after 41I also was acting with hostility against you, as your land becomes desolate and them, to bring them into the land of their

your cities become waste.

enemies-- or if their uncircumcised heart

becomes humbled so that they then

34' Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths

make amends for their iniquity,

all the days of the desolation, while you

are in your enemies' land; then the land

42then I will remember My covenant with

will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

Jacob, and I will remember also My

covenant with Isaac, and My covenant

35'All the days of its desolation it will with Abraham as well, and I will

observe the rest which it did not observe

remember the land.

on your sabbaths, while you were living

on it.

43' For the land will be abandoned by 5'If it be from five years even to twenty them, and will make up for its sabbaths years old then your valuation for the while it is made desolate without them.

male shall be twenty shekels and for the

They, meanwhile, will be making

female ten shekels.

amends for their iniquity, because they

rejected My ordinances and their soul

6'But if they are from a month even up to

abhorred My statutes.

five years old, then your valuation shall be five shekels of silver for the male, 44'Yet in spite of this, when they are in and for the female your valuation shall the land of their enemies, I will not reject

be three shekels of silver.

them, nor will I so abhor them as to

destroy them, breaking My covenant

7'If they are from sixty years old and

with them; for I am the LORD their God.

upward, if it is a male, then your

valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and

45'But I will remember for them the

for the female ten shekels.

covenant with their ancestors, whom I

brought out of the land of Egypt in the 8'But if he is poorer than your valuation,

sight of the nations, that I might be their

then he shall be placed before the priest

God. I am the LORD.'"

and the priest shall value him; according

to the means of the one who vowed, the

46These are the statutes and ordinances

priest shall value him.

and laws which the LORD established

between Himself and the sons of Israel

9'Now if it is an animal of the kind which

through Moses at Mount Sinai.

men can present as an offering to the

LORD, any such that one gives to the

27

LORD shall be holy.

Again, the LORD spoke to Moses,

10

saying,

' He shall not replace it or exchange it,

a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or

2"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

if he does exchange animal for animal,

them, ' When a man makes a difficult

then both it and its substitute shall

vow, he shall be valued according to

become holy.

your valuation of persons belonging to

11

the LORD.

'If, however, it is any unclean animal of

the kind which men do not present as an

3'If your valuation is of the male from offering to the LORD, then he shall

twenty years even to sixty years old,

place the animal before the priest.

then your valuation shall be fifty shekels

12

of silver, after the shekel of the

'The priest shall value it as either good

sanctuary.

or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be.

4'Or if it is a female, then your valuation

shall be thirty shekels.

13'But if he should ever wish to redeem it, field set apart; it shall be for the priest as then he shall add one-fifth of it to your his property.

valuation.

22'Or if he consecrates to the LORD a

14'Now if a man consecrates his house

field which he has bought, which is not a

as holy to the LORD, then the priest

part of the field of his own property,

shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.

23then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your valuation up to the

15'Yet if the one who consecrates it

year of jubilee; and he shall on that day

should wish to redeem his house, then

give your valuation as holy to the LORD.

he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his.

24'In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought

16'Again, if a man consecrates to the

it, to whom the possession of the land

LORD part of the fields of his own

belongs.

property, then your valuation shall be

proportionate to the seed needed for it: 25'Every valuation of yours, moreover,

a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of

shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary.

silver.

The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.

17'If he consecrates his field as of the 26' However, a firstborn among animals,

year of jubilee, according to your

which as a firstborn belongs to the

valuation it shall stand.

LORD, no man may consecrate it;

whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD'S.

18'If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall

27'But if it is among the unclean animals,

calculate the price for him proportionate

then he shall redeem it according to

to the years that are left until the year of

your valuation and add to it one-fifth of it;

jubilee; and it shall be deducted from

and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be

your valuation.

sold according to your valuation.

19'If the one who consecrates it should

28'Nevertheless, anything which a man

ever wish to redeem the field, then he

sets apart to the LORD out of all that he

shall add one-fifth of your valuation price

has, of man or animal or of the fields of

to it, so that it may pass to him.

his own property, shall not be sold or

redeemed.

Anything

devoted

to

20'Yet if he will not redeem the field, but

destruction is most holy to the LORD.

has sold the field to another man, it may

no longer be redeemed;

29'No one who may have been set apart

among men shall be ransomed; he shall

21and when it reverts in the jubilee, the surely be put to death.

field shall be holy to the LORD, like a

30'Thus all the tithe of the land, of the 33' He is not to be concerned whether it seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree,

is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it;

is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD.

or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It 31'If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem shall not be redeemed.'"

part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it.

34These are the commandments which

the LORD commanded Moses for the

32'For every tenth part of herd or flock, sons of Israel at Mount Sinai.

whatever passes under the rod, the

tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.

Numbers

Manasseh,

Gamaliel

the

son

of

Pedahzur;

1Then the LORD spoke to Moses in 11of Benjamin, Abidan the son of the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second Gideoni;

month, in the second year after they had

12

come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

of

Dan,

Ahiezer

the

son

of

Ammishaddai;

2" Take a census of all the congregation

13

of the sons of Israel, by their families, by

of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;

their fathers' households, according to

the number of names, every male, head

14of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

by head

15of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

3from twenty years old and upward,

whoever is able to go out to war in Israel,

16"These are they who were called of the

you and Aaron shall number them by

congregation, the leaders of their

their armies.

fathers' tribes; they were the heads of

divisions of Israel."

4"With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his

17So Moses and Aaron took these men

father's household.

who had been designated by name,

5"These then are the names of the men

18and

they

assembled

all

the

who shall stand with you: of Reuben,

congregation together on the first of the Elizur the son of Shedeur;

second month. Then they registered by

ancestry in their families, by their

6of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of

fathers' households, according to the

Zurishaddai;

number of names, from twenty years old

and upward, head by head,

7of Judah, Nahshon the son of

Amminadab;

19just as the LORD had commanded

Moses. So he numbered them in the

8of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

wilderness of Sinai.

9

20

of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

Now the sons of Reuben, Israel's

firstborn, their genealogical registration

10of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim,

by their families, by their fathers'

Elishama the son of Ammihud; of

households, according to the number of

names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever twenty years old and upward, whoever

was able to go out to war,

was able to go out to war,

29their numbered men of the tribe of

21their numbered men of the tribe of

Issachar were 54,400.

Reuben were 46,500.

30Of the sons of Zebulun, their

22Of the sons of Simeon, their

genealogical

registration

by

their

genealogical

registration

by

their

families, by their fathers' households,

families, by their fathers' households,

according to the number of names, from

their numbered men, according to the

twenty years old and upward, whoever

number of names, head by head, every

was able to go out to war,

male from twenty years old and upward,

whoever was able to go out to war,

31their numbered men of the tribe of

Zebulun were 57,400.

23their numbered men of the tribe of

Simeon were 59,300.

32Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the

sons of Ephraim, their genealogical

24Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical

registration by their families, by their

registration by their families, by their

fathers' households, according to the

fathers' households, according to the

number of names, from twenty years old

number of names, from twenty years old

and upward, whoever was able to go out

and upward, whoever was able to go out

to war,

to war,

33their numbered men of the tribe of

25their numbered men of the tribe of Gad

Ephraim were 40,500.

were 45,650.

34Of the sons of Manasseh, their

26Of the sons of Judah, their

genealogical

registration

by

their

genealogical

registration

by

their

families, by their fathers' households,

families, by their fathers' households,

according to the number of names, from

according to the number of names, from

twenty years old and upward, whoever

twenty years old and upward, whoever

was able to go out to war,

was able to go out to war,

35their numbered men of the tribe of

27their numbered men of the tribe of

Manasseh were 32,200.

Judah were 74,600.

36Of the sons of Benjamin, their

28Of the sons of Issachar, their

genealogical

registration

by

their

genealogical

registration

by

their

families, by their fathers' households,

families, by their fathers' households,

according to the number of names, from

according to the number of names, from

twenty years old and upward, whoever

was able to go out to war,

37their numbered men of the tribe of whoever was able to go out to war in Benjamin were 35,400.

Israel,

38Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical

46even all the numbered men were

registration by their families, by their

603,550.

fathers' households, according to the

number of names, from twenty years old

47The Levites, however, were not

and upward, whoever was able to go out

numbered among them by their fathers'

to war,

tribe.

39their numbered men of the tribe of Dan

48For the LORD had spoken to Moses,

were 62,700.

saying,

40Of the sons of Asher, their

49"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not genealogical

registration

by

their

number, nor shall you take their census

families, by their fathers' households,

among the sons of Israel.

according to the number of names, from

twenty years old and upward, whoever

50"But you shall appoint the Levites over was able to go out to war,

the tabernacle of the testimony, and

over all its furnishings and over all that 41their numbered men of the tribe of

belongs to it. They shall carry the

Asher were 41,500.

tabernacle and all its furnishings, and

they shall take care of it; they shall also

42Of the sons of Naphtali, their

camp around the tabernacle.

genealogical

registration

by

their

families, by their fathers' households,

51" So when the tabernacle is to set out, according to the number of names, from

the Levites shall take it down; and when

twenty years old and upward, whoever

the tabernacle encamps, the Levites

was able to go out to war,

shall set it up. But the layman who

comes near shall be put to death.

43their numbered men of the tribe of

Naphtali were 53,400.

52" The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by

44These are the ones who were

his own standard, according to their

numbered, whom Moses and Aaron

armies.

numbered, with the leaders of Israel,

twelve men, each of whom was of his

53" But the Levites shall camp around father's household.

the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no

wrath on the

45So all the numbered men of the sons

congregation of the sons of Israel. So

of Israel by their fathers' households,

the Levites shall keep charge of the

from twenty years old and upward,

tabernacle of the testimony."

54Thus the sons of Israel did; according 10"On the south side shall be the to all which the LORD had commanded

standard of the camp of Reuben by their

Moses, so they did.

armies, and the leader of the sons of

Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur,

2

11

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and

and his army, even their numbered

to Aaron, saying,

men, 46,500.

12

2

"Those who camp next to him shall be

" The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of

the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of

their fathers' households; they shall

the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son

camp around the tent of meeting at a

of Zurishaddai,

distance.

13and his army, even their numbered

3"Now those who camp on the east side

men, 59,300.

toward the sunrise shall be of the

14

standard of the camp of Judah, by their

"Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the

armies, and the leader of the sons of

leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab,

son of Deuel,

4

15

and his army, even their numbered

and his army, even their numbered

men, 74,600.

men, 45,650.

5

16

"Those who camp next to him shall be

"The total of the numbered men of the

the tribe of Issachar, and the leader of camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their

the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son

armies. And they shall set out second.

of Zuar,

17" Then the tent of meeting shall set out 6and his army, even their numbered

with the camp of the Levites in the midst

men, 54,400.

of the camps; just as they camp, so they

shall set out, every man in his place by 7

their standards.

"Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab

18

the son of Helon,

"On the west side shall be the

standard of the camp of Ephraim by

8and his army, even his numbered men,

their armies, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of

57,400.

Ammihud,

9"The total of the numbered men of the 19

camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies.

and his army, even their numbered

They shall set out first.

men, 40,500.

20"Next to him shall be the tribe of 31"The total of the numbered men of the Manasseh, and the leader of the sons of

camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall

Manasseh:

Gamaliel

the

son

of

set out last by their standards."

Pedahzur,

32These are the numbered men of the

21and his army, even their numbered

sons

of

Israel

by

their

fathers'

men, 32,200.

households; the total of the numbered

men of the camps by their armies,

22"Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, 603,550.

and the leader of the sons of Benjamin:

Abidan the son of Gideoni,

33The Levites, however, were not

numbered among the sons of Israel, just

23and his army, even their numbered

as the LORD had commanded Moses.

men, 35,400.

34Thus the sons of Israel did; according

24"The total of the numbered men of the

to all that the LORD commanded Moses,

camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their

so they camped by their standards, and

armies. And they shall set out third.

so they set out, every one by his family according to his father's household.

25"On the north side shall be the

standard of the camp of Dan by their

armies, and the leader of the sons of

3Now these are the records of the Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,

generations of Aaron and Moses at the

time when the LORD spoke with Moses

26and his army, even their numbered

on Mount Sinai.

men, 62,700.

2These then are the names of the sons

27"Those who camp next to him shall be

of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu,

the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the

Eleazar and Ithamar.

sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran,

3These are the names of the sons of

28and his army, even their numbered

Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he

men, 41,500.

ordained to serve as priests.

29

4

"Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and

But Nadab and Abihu died before the

the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira

LORD when they offered strange fire

the son of Enan,

before the LORD in the wilderness of

Sinai; and they had no children. So

30and his army, even their numbered

Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in

men, 53,400.

the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

saying,

6" Bring the tribe of Levi near and set 15" Number the sons of Levi by their them before Aaron the priest, that they fathers' households, by their families;

may serve him.

every male from a month old and

upward you shall number."

7"They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before

16So Moses numbered them according

the tent of meeting, to do the service of

to the word of the LORD, just as he had

the tabernacle.

been commanded.

8"They shall also keep all the furnishings 17These then are the sons of Levi by

of the tent of meeting, along with the

their names: Gershon and Kohath and

duties of the sons of Israel, to do the Merari.

service of the tabernacle.

18These are the names of the sons of

9"You shall thus give the Levites to Gershon by their families: Libni and

Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly

Shimei;

given to him from among the sons of

Israel.

19and the sons of Kohath by their

families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and

10"So you shall appoint Aaron and his Uzziel;

sons

that

they

may

keep

their

priesthood, but the layman who comes

20and the sons of Merari by their families:

near shall be put to death."

Mahli and Mushi. These are the families

of the Levites according to their fathers'

11Again the LORD spoke to Moses,

households.

saying,

21Of Gershon was the family of the

12"Now, behold, I have taken the Levites

Libnites and the family of the Shimeites;

from among the sons of Israel instead of

these

were

the

families

of

the

every firstborn, the first issue of the

Gershonites.

womb among the sons of Israel. So the

Levites shall be Mine.

22Their

numbered

men,

in

the

numbering of every male from a month

13"For all the firstborn are Mine; on the old and upward, even their numbered day that I struck down all the firstborn in

men were 7,500.

the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to 23The families of the Gershonites were beast. They shall be Mine; I am the

to camp behind the tabernacle westward,

LORD."

24and the leader of the fathers'

14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the

households of the Gershonites was

wilderness of Sinai, saying,

Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25Now the duties of the sons of Gershon 33Of Merari was the family of the in the tent of meeting involved the

Mahlites and the family of the Mushites;

tabernacle and the tent, its covering,

these were the families of Merari.

and the screen for the doorway of the

tent of meeting,

34Their numbered men in the numbering

of every male from a month old and

26and the hangings of the court, and the

upward, were 6,200.

screen for the doorway of the court

which is around the tabernacle and the

35The leader of the fathers' households

altar, and its cords, according to all the of the families of Merari was Zuriel the service concerning them.

son of Abihail. They were to camp on

the northward side of the tabernacle.

27Of Kohath was the family of the

Amramites and the family of the

36Now the appointed duties of the sons

Izharites

and

the

family

of

the

of Merari involved the frames of the

Hebronites and the family of the

tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its

Uzzielites; these were the families of the

sockets, all its equipment, and the

Kohathites.

service concerning them,

28In the numbering of every male from a

37and the pillars around the court with

month old and upward, there were 8,600,

their sockets and their pegs and their

performing the duties of the sanctuary.

cords.

29The families of the sons of Kohath

38Now those who were to camp before

were to camp on the southward side of

the tabernacle eastward, before the tent

the tabernacle,

of meeting toward the sunrise, are

Moses and Aaron and his sons,

30and the leader of the fathers'

performing the duties of the sanctuary

households of the Kohathite families

for the obligation of the sons of Israel; was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

but the layman coming near was to be

put to death.

31Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the

39All the numbered men of the Levites,

utensils of the sanctuary with which they

whom Moses and Aaron numbered at

minister, and the screen, and all the

the command of the LORD by their

service concerning them;

families, every male from a month old

and upward, were 22,000.

32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the

priest was the chief of the leaders of

40Then the LORD said to Moses, "

Levi, and had the oversight of those who

Number every firstborn male of the sons

perform the duties of the sanctuary.

of Israel from a month old and upward,

and make a list of their names.

41"You shall take the Levites for Me, I 51Then Moses gave the ransom money am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn

to Aaron and to his sons, at the

among the sons of Israel, and the cattle

command of the LORD, just as the

of the Levites instead of all the firstborn

LORD had commanded Moses.

among the cattle of the sons of Israel."

42So Moses numbered all the firstborn

4Then the LORD spoke to Moses and

among the sons of Israel, just as the

to Aaron, saying,

LORD had commanded him;

2

43

"Take a census of the descendants of and all the firstborn males by the

Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by

number of names from a month old and

their

families,

by

their

fathers'

upward, for their numbered men were

households,

22,273.

3

44

from thirty years and upward, even to

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

fifty years old, all who enter the service saying,

to do the work in the tent of meeting.

45" Take the Levites instead of all the 4"This is the work of the descendants of firstborn among the sons of Israel and

Kohath

in

the

tent

of

meeting,

the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites

concerning the most holy things.

shall be Mine; I am the LORD.

5

46

"When the camp sets out, Aaron and

" For the ransom of the 273 of the his sons shall go in and they shall take firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in down the veil of the screen and cover

excess beyond the Levites,

the ark of the testimony with it;

47you shall take five shekels apiece, per

6and they shall lay a covering of

head; you shall take them in terms of

porpoise skin on it, and shall spread

the shekel of the sanctuary ( the shekel

over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall is twenty gerahs),

insert its poles.

48and give the money, the ransom of

7"Over the table of the bread of the those who are in excess among them, to

Presence they shall also spread a cloth

Aaron and to his sons."

of blue and put on it the dishes and the

pans and the sacrificial bowls and the

49So Moses took the ransom money

jars for the drink offering, and the

from those who were in excess, beyond

continual bread shall be on it.

those ransomed by the Levites;

8"They shall spread over them a cloth of

50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel

scarlet material, and cover the same

he took the money in terms of the

with a covering of porpoise skin, and

shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365.

they shall insert its poles.

9"Then they shall take a blue cloth and 16"The responsibility of Eleazar the son cover the lampstand for the light, along of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light with its lamps and its snuffers, and its and the fragrant incense and the

trays and all its oil vessels, by which continual

grain

offering

and

the

they serve it;

anointing oil--the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the 10and they shall put it and all its utensils

sanctuary and its furnishings."

in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall

put it on the carrying bars.

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses and

to Aaron, saying,

11"Over the golden altar they shall

spread a blue cloth and cover it with a 18"Do not let the tribe of the families of covering of porpoise skin, and shall the Kohathites be cut off from among

insert its poles;

the Levites.

12and they shall take all the utensils of 19"But do this to them that they may live service, with which they serve in the and not die when they approach the

sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth most holy objects: Aaron and his sons

and cover them with a covering of

shall go in and assign each of them to porpoise skin, and put them on the

his work and to his load;

carrying bars.

20but they shall not go in to see the holy

13"Then they shall take away the ashes objects even for a moment, or they will from the altar, and spread a purple cloth die."

over it.

21Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

14"They shall also put on it all its utensils saying,

by which they serve in connection with it:

the firepans, the forks and shovels and

22"Take a census of the sons of Gershon

the basins, all the utensils of the altar; also, by their fathers' households, by

and they shall spread a cover of

their families;

porpoise skin over it and insert its poles.

23from thirty years and upward to fifty

15"When Aaron and his sons have

years old, you shall number them; all

finished covering the holy objects and all

who enter to perform the service to do

the furnishings of the sanctuary, when

the work in the tent of meeting.

the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them,

24"This is the service of the families of so that they will not touch the holy the Gershonites, in serving and in

objects and die. These are the things in

carrying:

the tent of meeting which the sons of

Kohath are to carry.

25they shall carry the curtains of the

tabernacle and the tent of meeting with

its covering and the covering of porpoise each man by name the items he is to skin that is on top of it, and the screen carry.

for the doorway of the tent of meeting,

33"This is the service of the families of 26and the hangings of the court, and the the sons of Merari, according to all their

screen for the doorway of the gate of the

service in the tent of meeting, under the

court which is around the tabernacle

direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the

and the altar, and their cords and all the

priest."

equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform.

34So Moses and Aaron and the leaders

of the congregation numbered the sons

27"All the service of the sons of the of the Kohathites by their families and Gershonites, in all their loads and in all by their fathers' households,

their work, shall be performed at the

command of Aaron and his sons; and

35from thirty years and upward even to

you shall assign to them as a duty all fifty years old, everyone who entered

their loads.

the service for work in the tent of

meeting.

28"This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent 36Their numbered men by their families of meeting, and their duties shall be

were 2,750.

under the direction of Ithamar the son of

Aaron the priest.

37These are the numbered men of the

Kohathite families, everyone who was

29"As for the sons of Merari, you shall serving in the tent of meeting, whom number them by their families, by their

Moses and Aaron numbered according

fathers' households;

to the commandment of the LORD

through Moses.

30from thirty years and upward even to

fifty years old, you shall number them,

38The numbered men of the sons of

everyone who enters the service to do

Gershon by their families and by their

the work of the tent of meeting.

fathers' households,

31"Now this is the duty of their loads, for 39from thirty years and upward even to

all their service in the tent of meeting: fifty years old, everyone who entered

the boards of the tabernacle and its bars

the service for work in the tent of

and its pillars and its sockets,

meeting.

32and the pillars around the court and

40Their numbered men by their families,

their sockets and their pegs and their

by their fathers' households, were 2,630.

cords, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign

41These are the numbered men of the

families of the sons of Gershon,

everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron

5Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

numbered

according

to

the

saying,

commandment of the LORD.

2

42

"Command the sons of Israel that they The numbered men of the families of

send away from the camp every leper

the sons of Merari by their families, by and everyone having a discharge and

their fathers' households,

everyone who is unclean because of a

dead person.

43from thirty years and upward even to

fifty years old, everyone who entered

3"You shall send away both male and the service for work in the tent of

female; you shall send them outside the

meeting.

camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst."

44Their numbered men by their families

were 3,200.

4The sons of Israel did so and sent them

outside the camp; just as the LORD had

45These are the numbered men of the

spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel

families of the sons of Merari, whom

did.

Moses and Aaron numbered according

to the commandment of the LORD

5Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

through Moses.

saying,

46All the numbered men of the Levites,

6"Speak to the sons of Israel, ' When a whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders

man or woman commits any of the sins

of Israel numbered, by their families and

of mankind, acting unfaithfully against

by their fathers' households,

the LORD, and that person is guilty,

47from thirty years and upward even to

7then he shall confess his sins which he

fifty years old, everyone who could enter

has committed, and he shall make

to do the work of service and the work of

restitution in full for his wrong and add to

carrying in the tent of meeting.

it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom

he has wronged.

48Their numbered men were 8,580.

8'But if the man has no relative to whom

49According to the commandment of the

restitution may be made for the wrong,

LORD through Moses, they were

the restitution which is made for the

numbered, everyone by his serving or

wrong must go to the LORD for the

carrying; thus these were his numbered

priest, besides the ram of atonement, by

men, just as the LORD had commanded

which atonement is made for him.

Moses.

9' Also every contribution pertaining to

all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel,

which they offer to the priest, shall be of the tabernacle and put it into the his.

water.

10'So every man's holy gifts shall be his;

18'The priest shall then have the woman

whatever any man gives to the priest, it stand before the LORD and let the hair

becomes his.'"

of the woman's head go loose, and

place the grain offering of memorial in

11Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

her hands, which is the grain offering of

saying,

jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is

to be the water of bitterness that brings 12

a curse.

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

them, 'If any man's wife goes astray and

19

is unfaithful to him,

'The priest shall have her take an oath

and shall say to the woman, "If no man 13

has lain with you and if you have not

and a man has intercourse with her

gone astray into uncleanness, being

and it is hidden from the eyes of her

under the authority of your husband, be

husband

and

she

is

undetected,

immune to this water of bitterness that

although she has defiled herself, and

brings a curse;

there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,

20if you, however, have gone astray,

14

being under the authority of your

if a spirit of jealousy comes over him

husband, and if you have defiled

and he is jealous of his wife when she yourself and a man other than your

has defiled herself, or if a spirit of

husband has had intercourse with you"

jealousy comes over him and he is

jealous of his wife when she has not

21

defiled herself,

(then the priest shall have the woman

swear with the oath of the curse, and

15

the priest shall say to the woman), "the the man shall then bring his wife to the

LORD make you a curse and an oath

priest, and shall bring as an offering for among your people by the LORD'S

her one-tenth of an ephah of barley

making your thigh waste away and your

meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put abdomen swell;

frankincense on it, for it is a grain

offering of jealousy, a grain offering of 22

memorial, a reminder of iniquity.

and this water that brings a curse shall

go into your stomach, and make your

16

abdomen swell and your thigh waste

'Then the priest shall bring her near

away." And the woman shall say, "Amen.

and have her stand before the LORD,

Amen."

17and the priest shall take holy water in

23'The priest shall then write these

an earthenware vessel; and he shall

curses on a scroll, and he shall wash

take some of the dust that is on the floor

them off into the water of bitterness.

24'Then he shall make the woman drink 31'Moreover, the man will be free from the water of bitterness that brings a

guilt, but that woman shall bear her

curse, so that the water which brings a guilt.'"

curse will go into her and cause

bitterness.

6Again the LORD spoke to Moses,

25'The priest shall take the grain offering

saying,

of jealousy from the woman's hand, and

he shall wave the grain offering before

2

the LORD and bring it to the altar;

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

them, 'When a man or woman makes a

26

special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to

and the priest shall take a handful of

dedicate himself to the LORD,

the grain offering as its memorial

offering and offer it up in smoke on the 3

altar, and afterward he shall make the

he shall abstain from wine and strong

woman drink the water.

drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether

made from wine or strong drink, nor

27

shall he drink any grape juice nor eat

'When he has made her drink the

fresh or dried grapes.

water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been

4

unfaithful to her husband, that the water

'All the days of his separation he shall which brings a curse will go into her and

not eat anything that is produced by the

cause bitterness, and her abdomen will

grape vine, from the seeds even to the

swell and her thigh will waste away, and

skin.

the woman will become a curse among

5

her people.

'All the days of his vow of separation no

razor shall pass over his head. He shall

28'But if the woman has not defiled

be holy until the days are fulfilled for herself and is clean, she will then be

which he separated himself to the LORD;

free and conceive children.

he shall let the locks of hair on his head

grow long.

29'This is the law of jealousy: when a

6

wife, being under the authority of her

' All the days of his separation to the husband, goes astray and defiles herself, LORD he shall not go near to a dead person.

30or when a spirit of jealousy comes

7

over a man and he is jealous of his wife,

'He shall not make himself unclean for

he shall then make the woman stand

his father or for his mother, for his

before the LORD, and the priest shall

brother or for his sister, when they die, apply all this law to her.

because his separation to God is on his

head.

8'All the days of his separation he is holy

to the LORD.

9'But if a man dies very suddenly beside 16'Then the priest shall present them him and he defiles his dedicated head of

before the LORD and shall offer his sin hair, then he shall shave his head on the

offering and his burnt offering.

day when he becomes clean; he shall

shave it on the seventh day.

17'He shall also offer the ram for a

sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD,

10'Then on the eighth day he shall bring

together with the basket of unleavened

two turtledoves or two young pigeons to

cakes; the priest shall likewise offer its the priest, to the doorway of the tent of grain offering and its drink offering.

meeting.

18' The Nazirite shall then shave his

11'The priest shall offer one for a sin dedicated head of hair at the doorway of

offering and the other for a burnt offering,

the tent of meeting, and take the

and make atonement for him concerning

dedicated hair of his head and put it on his sin because of the dead person. And

the fire which is under the sacrifice of that same day he shall consecrate his

peace offerings.

head,

19' The priest shall take the ram's

12and shall dedicate to the LORD his

shoulder when it has been boiled, and

days as a Nazirite, and shall bring a

one unleavened cake out of the basket

male lamb a year old for a guilt offering;

and one unleavened wafer, and shall

but the former days will be void because

put them on the hands of the Nazirite

his separation was defiled.

after he has shaved his dedicated hair.

13'Now this is the law of the Nazirite

20'Then the priest shall wave them for a

when the days of his separation are

wave offering before the LORD. It is

fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the

holy for the priest, together with the

doorway of the tent of meeting.

breast offered by waving and the thigh

offered by lifting up; and afterward the 14'He shall present his offering to the

Nazirite may drink wine.'

LORD: one male lamb a year old

without defect for a burnt offering and

21"This is the law of the Nazirite who one ewe-lamb a year old without defect vows his offering to the LORD according

for a sin offering and one ram without

to his separation, in addition to what

defect for a peace offering,

else he can afford; according to his vow

which he takes, so he shall do according

15and a basket of unleavened cakes of

to the law of his separation."

fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened

wafers spread with oil, along with their 22Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

grain offering and their drink offering.

saying,

23"Speak to Aaron and to his sons, to the Levites, to each man according to saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of

his service."

Israel. You shall say to them:

6So Moses took the carts and the oxen

24The LORD bless you, and keep you;

and gave them to the Levites.

25The LORD make His face shine on

7Two carts and four oxen he gave to the

you, And be gracious to you;

sons of Gershon, according to their

service,

26The LORD lift up His countenance on

you, And give you peace.'

8and four carts and eight oxen he gave

to the sons of Merari, according to their 27"So they shall invoke My name on the

service, under the direction of Ithamar

sons of Israel, and I then will bless

the son of Aaron the priest.

them."

9But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service

7Now on the day that Moses had of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.

finished setting up the tabernacle, he

anointed it and consecrated it with all its

10

furnishings and the altar and all its

The leaders offered the dedication

utensils;

he

anointed

them

and

offering for the altar when it was

anointed, so the leaders offered their

consecrated them also.

offering before the altar.

2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of

11

their fathers' households, made an

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Let

offering (they were the leaders of the

them present their offering, one leader

each day, for the dedication of the altar."

tribes; they were the ones who were

over the numbered men).

12Now the one who presented his

3When they brought their offering before

offering on the first day was Nahshon

the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of

the LORD, six covered carts and twelve

Judah;

oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders

and an ox for each one, then they

13

presented them before the tabernacle.

and his offering was one silver dish

whose weight was one hundred and

4

thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

shekels, according to the shekel of the

saying,

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 5

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

"Accept these things from them, that they may be used in the service of the 14one gold pan of ten shekels, full of tent of meeting, and you shall give them

incense;

15one bull, one ram, one male lamb one sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour year old, for a burnt offering; mixed with oil for a grain offering;

16one male goat for a sin offering;

26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

incense;

17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

27one young bull, one ram, one male

five male lambs one year old. This was

lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;

the offering of Nahshon the son of

Amminadab.

28one male goat for a sin offering;

18On the second day Nethanel the son

29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

an offering;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

19he presented as his offering one silver

dish whose weight was one hundred

30On the fourth day it was Elizur the son

and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of

of Shedeur, leader of the sons of

seventy shekels, according to the shekel

Reuben;

of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine

flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

31his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

20one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

incense;

shekels, according to the shekel of the

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 21one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

year old, for a burnt offering;

32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

22one male goat for a sin offering;

incense;

23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

33one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

year old, for a burnt offering;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

34one male goat for a sin offering;

24On the third day it was Eliab the son of

35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun;

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

five male lambs one year old. This was

25his offering was one silver dish whose

the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

weight was one hundred and thirty

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

36On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the shekels, according to the shekel of the

son of Zurishaddai, leader of the

children of Simeon;

37his offering was one silver dish whose 48On the seventh day it was Elishama weight was one hundred and thirty

the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

of Ephraim;

shekels, according to the shekel of the

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 49his offering was one silver dish whose

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

weight was one hundred and thirty

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

38one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

shekels, according to the shekel of the

incense;

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

39one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

year old, for a burnt offering;

50one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

incense;

40one male goat for a sin offering;

51one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

year old, for a burnt offering;

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

five male lambs one year old. This was

52one male goat for a sin offering;

the offering of Shelumiel the son of

Zurishaddai.

53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

42On the sixth day it was Eliasaph the

five male lambs one year old. This was

son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad;

the offering of Elishama the son of

Ammihud.

43his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

54On the eighth day it was Gamaliel the

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of

shekels, according to the shekel of the

Manasseh;

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

55his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

incense;

shekels, according to the shekel of the

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 45one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

year old, for a burnt offering;

56one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

46one male goat for a sin offering;

incense;

47

57

and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

year old, for a burnt offering;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 58one male goat for a sin offering;

59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, 69one bull, one ram, one male lamb one two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

year old, for a burnt offering;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Gamaliel the son of

70one male goat for a sin offering;

Pedahzur.

71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

60On the ninth day it was Abidan the son

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

of Gideoni, leader of the sons of

five male lambs one year old. This was

Benjamin;

the offering of Ahiezer the son of

Ammishaddai.

61his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

72On the eleventh day it was Pagiel the

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

son of Ochran, leader of the sons of

shekels, according to the shekel of the

Asher;

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;

73his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

incense;

shekels, according to the shekel of the

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 63one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

year old, for a burnt offering;

74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

64one male goat for a sin offering;

incense;

65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

75one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

year old, for a burnt offering;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni. 76one male goat for a sin offering; 66On the tenth day it was Ahiezer the 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

of Dan;

five male lambs one year old. This was

the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

67his offering was one silver dish whose

weight was one hundred and thirty

78On the twelfth day it was Ahira the son

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali;

shekels, according to the shekel of the

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 79his offering was one silver dish whose

mixed with oil for a grain offering;

weight was one hundred and thirty

shekels, one silver bowl of seventy

68one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

shekels, according to the shekel of the

incense;

sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour 89Now when Moses went into the tent of mixed with oil for a grain offering;

meeting to speak with Him, he heard the

voice speaking to him from above the

80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of

mercy seat that was on the ark of the

incense;

testimony, from between the two

cherubim, so He spoke to him.

81one bull, one ram, one male lamb one

year old, for a burnt offering;

8Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

82one male goat for a sin offering;

saying,

83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings,

2"Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When

two oxen, five rams, five male goats,

you mount the lamps, the seven lamps

five male lambs one year old. This was

will give light in the front of the

the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

lampstand.'"

84This was the dedication offering for the

3Aaron therefore did so; he mounted its

altar from the leaders of Israel when it lamps at the front of the lampstand, just

was anointed: twelve silver dishes,

as the LORD had commanded Moses.

twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans,

4Now this was the workmanship of the

85each silver dish weighing one hundred

lampstand, hammered work of gold;

and thirty shekels and each bowl

from its base to its flowers it was

seventy; all the silver of the utensils was

hammered work; according to the

2,400 shekels, according to the shekel

pattern which the LORD had shown

of the sanctuary;

Moses, so he made the lampstand.

86the twelve gold pans, full of incense, 5Again the LORD spoke to Moses,

weighing ten shekels apiece, according

saying,

to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 shekels;

6"Take the Levites from among the sons

of Israel and cleanse them.

87all the oxen for the burnt offering

twelve bulls, all the rams twelve, the

7"Thus you shall do to them, for their male lambs one year old with their grain

cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on

offering twelve, and the male goats for a

them, and let them use a razor over

sin offering twelve;

their whole body and wash their clothes,

and they will be clean.

88and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60,

8"Then let them take a bull with its grain the male goats 60, the male lambs one

offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a year old 60. This was the dedication

second bull you shall take for a sin

offering for the altar after it was anointed. offering.

9"So you shall present the Levites among the animals; on the day that I before the tent of meeting. You shall

struck down all the firstborn in the land also assemble the whole congregation

of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.

of the sons of Israel,

18"But I have taken the Levites instead 10and present the Levites before the

of every firstborn among the sons of

LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay

Israel.

their hands on the Levites.

19" I have given the Levites as a gift to 11"Aaron then shall present the Levites Aaron and to his sons from among the before the LORD as a wave offering

sons of Israel, to perform the service of from the sons of Israel, that they may the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting

qualify to perform the service of the

and to make atonement on behalf of the

LORD.

sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their

12"Now the Levites shall lay their hands coming near to the sanctuary."

on the heads of the bulls; then offer the

one for a sin offering and the other for a

20Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the

burnt offering to the LORD, to make

congregation of the sons of Israel to the

atonement for the Levites.

Levites; according to all that the LORD

had commanded Moses concerning the

13"You shall have the Levites stand

Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

before Aaron and before his sons so as

to present them as a wave offering to

21The Levites, too, purified themselves

the LORD.

from sin and washed their clothes; and

Aaron presented them as a wave

14"Thus you shall separate the Levites offering before the LORD. Aaron also

from among the sons of Israel, and the

made atonement for them to cleanse

Levites shall be Mine.

them.

15

22

"Then after that the Levites may go in Then after that the Levites went in to to serve the tent of meeting. But you

perform their service in the tent of

shall cleanse them and present them as

meeting before Aaron and before his

a wave offering;

sons;

just

as

the

LORD

had

commanded Moses concerning the

16

Levites, so they did to them.

for they are wholly given to Me from

among the sons of Israel. I have taken

23

them for Myself instead of every first

Now the LORD spoke to Moses,

issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the

saying,

sons of Israel.

24"This is what applies to the Levites: 17"For every firstborn among the sons of from twenty-five years old and upward

Israel is Mine, among the men and

they shall enter to perform service in the 7Those men said to him, "Though we work of the tent of meeting.

are unclean because of the dead person,

why are we restrained from presenting

25"But at the age of fifty years they shall the offering of the LORD at its appointed

retire from service in the work and not time among the sons of Israel?"

work any more.

8Moses therefore said to them, " Wait, 26"They may, however, assist their

and I will listen to what the LORD will brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep command concerning you."

an obligation, but they themselves shall

do no work. Thus you shall deal with the

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

Levites concerning their obligations."

saying,

10

9

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If Thus the LORD spoke to Moses in

any one of you or of your generations

the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month

becomes unclean because of a dead

of the second year after they had come

person, or is on a distant journey, he

out of the land of Egypt, saying,

may, however, observe the Passover to

the LORD.

2"Now, let the sons of Israel observe the 11

Passover at its appointed time.

'In the second month on the fourteenth

day at twilight, they shall observe it; they

3

shall eat it with unleavened bread and

"On the fourteenth day of this month, at

bitter herbs.

twilight, you shall observe it at its

appointed time; you shall observe it

12

according to all its statutes and

'They shall leave none of it until

according to all its ordinances."

morning, nor break a bone of it;

according to all the statute of the

4

Passover they shall observe it.

So Moses told the sons of Israel to

observe the Passover.

13' But the man who is clean and is not

5

on a journey, and yet neglects to

They observed the Passover in the first

observe the Passover, that person shall

month, on the fourteenth day of the

then be cut off from his people, for he month, at twilight, in the wilderness of did not present the offering of the LORD

Sinai; according to all that the LORD

at its appointed time. That man will bear

had commanded Moses, so the sons of

his sin.

Israel did.

14

6

' If an alien sojourns among you and

But there were some men who were

observes the Passover to the LORD,

unclean because of the dead person, so

according to the statute of the Passover

that they could not observe Passover on

and according to its ordinance, so he

that day; so they came before Moses

shall do; you shall have one statute,

and Aaron on that day.

both for the alien and for the native of 22Whether it was two days or a month or the land.'"

a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of

15Now on the day that the tabernacle

Israel remained camped and did not set

was erected the cloud covered the

out; but when it was lifted, they did set tabernacle, the tent of the testimony,

out.

and in the evening it was like the

appearance of fire over the tabernacle,

23At the command of the LORD they

until morning.

camped, and at the command of the

LORD they set out; they kept the

16So it was continuously; the cloud

LORD'S charge, according to the

would cover it by day, and the

command of the LORD through Moses.

appearance of fire by night.

17Whenever the cloud was lifted from

10The LORD spoke further to Moses,

over the tent, afterward the sons of

saying,

Israel would then set out; and in the

place where the cloud settled down,

2"Make yourself two trumpets of silver, there the sons of Israel would camp.

of hammered work you shall make them;

and you shall use them for summoning

18At the command of the LORD the sons

the congregation and for having the

of Israel would set out, and at the

camps set out.

command of the LORD they would

camp; as long as the cloud settled over

3" When both are blown, all the

the tabernacle, they remained camped.

congregation shall gather themselves to

you at the doorway of the tent of

19Even when the cloud lingered over the

meeting.

tabernacle for many days, the sons of

Israel would keep the LORD'S charge

4"Yet if only one is blown, then the and not set out.

leaders, the heads of the divisions of

Israel, shall assemble before you.

20If sometimes the cloud remained a few

days over the tabernacle, according to

5"But when you blow an alarm, the

the command of the LORD they

camps that are pitched on the east side

remained camped. Then according to

shall set out.

the command of the LORD they set out.

6

21

"When you blow an alarm the second

If sometimes the cloud remained from

time, the camps that are pitched on the

evening until morning, when the cloud

south side shall set out; an alarm is to was lifted in the morning, they would

be blown for them to set out.

move out; or if it remained in the

daytime and at night, whenever the

cloud was lifted, they would set out.

7"When convening the assembly, 15and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the however,

you

shall

blow

without

tribal army of the sons of Issachar;

sounding an alarm.

16and Eliab the son of Helon over the

8" The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover,

tribal army of the sons of Zebulun.

shall blow the trumpets; and this shall

be

for

you

a

perpetual

statute

17Then the tabernacle was taken down;

throughout your generations.

and the sons of Gershon and the sons

of Merari, who were carrying the

9"When you go to war in your land

tabernacle, set out.

against the adversary who attacks you,

then you shall sound an alarm with the

18Next the standard of the camp of

trumpets, that you may be remembered

Reuben, according to their armies, set

before the LORD your God, and be

out with Elizur the son of Shedeur, over

saved from your enemies.

its army,

10"Also in the day of your gladness and 19and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai

in your appointed feasts, and on the first

over the tribal army of the sons of

days of your months, you shall blow the

Simeon,

trumpets over your burnt offerings, and

over the sacrifices of your peace

20and Eliasaph the son of Deuel was

offerings; and they shall be as a

over the tribal army of the sons of Gad.

reminder of you before your God. I am

the LORD your God."

21Then the Kohathites set out, carrying

11

the holy objects; and the tabernacle was

Now in the second year, in the second

set up before their arrival.

month, on the twentieth of the month,

the cloud was lifted from over the

22

tabernacle of the testimony;

Next the standard of the camp of the

sons of Ephraim, according to their

12

armies, was set out, with Elishama the

and the sons of Israel set out on their son of Ammihud over its army,

journeys from the wilderness of Sinai.

Then the cloud settled down in the

23

wilderness of Paran.

and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur

over the tribal army of the sons of

13

Manasseh;

So they moved out for the first time

according to the commandment of the

24

LORD through Moses.

and Abidan the son of Gideoni over

the tribal army of the sons of Benjamin.

14The standard of the camp of the sons

25

of Judah, according to their armies, set Then the standard of the camp of the

out first, with Nahshon the son of

sons of Dan, according to their armies,

Amminadab, over its army,

which formed the rear guard for all the

camps, set out, with Ahiezer the son of 35Then it came about when the ark set Ammishaddai over its army,

out that Moses said, " Rise up, O LORD!

And let Your enemies be scattered, And

26and Pagiel the son of Ochran over the

let those who hate You flee before You."

tribal army of the sons of Asher;

36When it came to rest, he said, " Return, 27and Ahira the son of Enan over the

O LORD, To the myriad thousands of

tribal army of the sons of Naphtali.

Israel."

28This was the order of march of the

sons of Israel by their armies as they set

11Now the people became like those

out.

who complain of adversity in the hearing

of the LORD; and when the LORD

29Then Moses said to Hobab the son of

heard it, His anger was kindled, and the

Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in—

fire of the LORD burned among them

law, "We are setting out to the place of and consumed some of the outskirts of which the LORD said, ' I will give it to the camp.

you'; come with us and we will do you

good, for the LORD has promised good

2The people therefore cried out to

concerning Israel."

Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD

and the fire died out.

30But he said to him, " I will not come, but rather will go to my own land and 3So the name of that place was called

relatives."

Taberah, because the fire of the LORD

burned among them.

31Then he said, "Please do not leave us,

inasmuch as you know where we should

4The rabble who were among them had

camp in the wilderness, and you will be greedy desires; and also the sons of

as eyes for us.

Israel wept again and said, " Who will give us meat to eat?

32"So it will be, if you go with us, that whatever good the LORD does for us, 5" We remember the fish which we used

we will do for you."

to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and

the melons and the leeks and the onions

33Thus they set out from the mount of

and the garlic,

the LORD three days' journey, with the

ark of the covenant of the LORD

6but now our appetite is gone. There is journeying in front of them for the three nothing at all to look at except this days, to seek out a resting place for

manna."

them.

7Now the manna was like coriander

34The cloud of the LORD was over them

seed, and its appearance like that of

by day when they set out from the camp. bdellium.

8The people would go about and gather elders of Israel, whom you know to be it and grind it between two millstones or

the elders of the people and their

beat it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot

officers and bring them to the tent of

and make cakes with it; and its taste

meeting, and let them take their stand

was as the taste of cakes baked with oil.

there with you.

9When the dew fell on the camp at night,

17" Then I will come down and speak the manna would fall with it.

with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him

10Now Moses heard the people weeping

upon them; and they shall bear the

throughout their families, each man at

burden of the people with you, so that

the doorway of his tent; and the anger of

you will not bear it all alone.

the LORD was kindled greatly, and

Moses was displeased.

18"Say to the people, ' Consecrate

yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall

11So Moses said to the LORD, "Why

eat meat; for you have wept in the ears

have You been so hard on Your servant?

of the LORD, saying, "Oh that someone

And why have I not found favor in Your

would give us meat to eat! For we were

sight, that You have laid the burden of well-off in Egypt." Therefore the LORD

all this people on me?

will give you meat and you shall eat.

12

19

"Was it I who conceived all this people?

'You shall eat, not one day, nor two

Was it I who brought them forth, that

days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor

You should say to me, 'Carry them in

twenty days,

your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing

infant, to the land which You swore to

20but a whole month, until it comes out their fathers'?

of your nostrils and becomes loathsome

to you; because you have rejected the

13"Where am I to get meat to give to all

LORD who is among you and have wept

this people? For they weep before me,

before Him, saying, "Why did we ever saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!'

leave Egypt?"'"

14

21

" I alone am not able to carry all this But Moses said, "The people, among people, because it is too burdensome

whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet

for me.

You have said, 'I will give them meat, so

that they may eat for a whole month.'

15" So if You are going to deal thus with 22

me, please kill me at once, if I have

"Should

flocks

and

herds

be

found favor in Your sight, and do not let

slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for

me see my wretchedness."

them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be

16

sufficient for them?"

The LORD therefore said to Moses,

"Gather for Me seventy men from the

23The LORD said to Moses, "Is the 31Now there went forth a wind from the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall

LORD and it brought quail from the sea,

see whether My word will come true for

and let them fall beside the camp, about

you or not."

a day's journey on this side and a day's

journey on the other side, all around the

24So Moses went out and told the

camp and about two cubits deep on the

people the words of the LORD. Also, he

surface of the ground.

gathered seventy men of the elders of

the people, and stationed them around

32The people spent all day and all night

the tent.

and all the next day, and gathered the

quail (he who gathered least gathered

25Then the LORD came down in the

ten homers) and they spread them out

cloud and spoke to him; and He took of

for themselves all around the camp.

the Spirit who was upon him and placed

Him upon the seventy elders. And when

33While the meat was still between their

the Spirit rested upon them, they

teeth, before it was chewed, the anger

prophesied. But they did not do it again.

of the LORD was kindled against the

people, and the LORD struck the people

26But two men had remained in the

with a very severe plague.

camp; the name of one was Eldad and

the name of the other Medad. And the

34So the name of that place was called

Spirit rested upon them (now they were

Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they

among those who had been registered,

buried the people who had been greedy.

but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.

35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people set

out for Hazeroth, and they remained at

27So a young man ran and told Moses

Hazeroth.

and said, "Eldad and Medad are

prophesying in the camp."

12Then Miriam and Aaron spoke

28Then Joshua the son of Nun, the

against Moses because of the Cushite

attendant of Moses from his youth, said,

woman whom he had married (for he

" Moses, my lord, restrain them."

had married a Cushite woman);

29But Moses said to him, "Are you

2and they said, "Has the LORD indeed jealous for my sake? Would that all the spoken only through Moses? Has He LORD'S people were prophets, that the

not spoken through us as well?" And the

LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

LORD heard it.

30Then Moses returned to the camp,

3(Now the man Moses was very humble,

both he and the elders of Israel.

more than any man who was on the

face of the earth.)

4Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and 13Moses cried out to the LORD, saying,

Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come

"O God, heal her, I pray!"

out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out.

14But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would 5Then the LORD came down in a pillar

she not bear her shame for seven days?

of cloud and stood at the doorway of the

Let her be shut up for seven days

tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam.

outside the camp, and afterward she

When they had both come forward,

may be received again."

6He said, "Hear now My words: If there 15So Miriam was shut up outside the

is a prophet among you, I, the LORD,

camp for seven days, and the people

shall make Myself known to him in a

did not move on until Miriam was

vision. I shall speak with him in a dream.

received again.

7"Not so, with My servant Moses, He is 16Afterward, however, the people moved

faithful in all My household;

out from Hazeroth and camped in the

wilderness of Paran.

8With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even

openly, and not in dark sayings, And he

beholds the form of the LORD. Why

13Then the LORD spoke to Moses

then were you not afraid To speak

saying,

against My servant, against Moses?"

2

9

" Send out for yourself men so that they

So the anger of the LORD burned

may spy out the land of Canaan, which I

against them and He departed.

am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their

10But when the cloud had withdrawn

fathers' tribes, every one a leader

from over the tent, behold, Miriam was

among them."

leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron

turned toward Miriam, behold, she was

3So Moses sent them from the

leprous.

wilderness of Paran at the command of

the LORD, all of them men who were

11Then Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my heads of the sons of Israel.

lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to

us, in which we have acted foolishly and

4These then were their names: from the

in which we have sinned.

tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of

Zaccur;

12"Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he

5from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the

comes from his mother's womb!"

son of Hori;

6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son 18"See what the land is like, and whether of Jephunneh; the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many.

7from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;

19"How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in 8from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the which they live, are they like open

son of Nun;

camps or with fortifications?

9

20

from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son

" How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are of Raphu;

there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land."

10

Now the time was the time of the first from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the

ripe grapes.

son of Sodi;

21

11

So they went up and spied out the

from the tribe of Joseph, from the tribe

land from the wilderness of Zin as far as

of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;

Rehob, at Lebo-hamath.

12from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son

22When they had gone up into the

of Gemalli;

Negev, they came to Hebron where

Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the

13from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son

descendants of Anak were. (Now

of Michael;

Hebron was built seven years before

Zoan in Egypt.)

14from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the

son of Vophsi;

23Then they came to the valley of Eshcol

and from there cut down a branch with a

15from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of

single cluster of grapes; and they

Machi.

carried it on a pole between two men,

with some of the pomegranates and the

16These are the names of the men

figs.

whom Moses sent to spy out the land;

but Moses called Hoshea the son of

24That place was called the valley of

Nun, Joshua.

Eshcol, because of the cluster which the

sons of Israel cut down from there.

17When Moses sent them to spy out the

land of Canaan, he said to them, "Go up

25When they returned from spying out

there into the Negev; then go up into the

the land, at the end of forty days,

hill country.

26they proceeded to come to Moses and

Aaron and to all the congregation of the

sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran,

at Kadesh; and they brought back word own sight, and so we were in their to them and to all the congregation and

sight."

showed them the fruit of the land.

27Thus they told him, and said, "We 14Then all the congregation lifted up

went in to the land where you sent us; their voices and cried, and the people

and it certainly does flow with milk and wept that night.

honey, and this is its fruit.

2

28

All the sons of Israel grumbled against

"Nevertheless, the people who live in Moses and Aaron; and the whole

the land are strong, and the cities are congregation said to them, " Would that

fortified and very large; and moreover,

we had died in the land of Egypt! Or

we saw the descendants of Anak there.

would that we had died in this

wilderness!

29"Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites

3"Why is the LORD bringing us into this

and the Amorites are living in the hill land, to fall by the sword? Our wives

country, and the Canaanites are living

and our little ones will become plunder; by the sea and by the side of the

would it not be better for us to return to Jordan."

Egypt?"

30Then Caleb quieted the people before

4So they said to one another, " Let us Moses and said, "We should by all appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

means go up and take possession of it,

for we will surely overcome it."

5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their

31

faces in the presence of all the

But the men who had gone up with

assembly of the congregation of the

him said, " We are not able to go up sons of Israel.

against the people, for they are too

strong for us."

6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the

32

son of Jephunneh, of those who had

So they gave out to the sons of Israel

spied out the land, tore their clothes;

a bad report of the land which they had

spied out, saying, "The land through 7

which we have gone, in spying it out, is

and they spoke to all the congregation

a land that devours its inhabitants; and of the sons of Israel, saying, " The land all the people whom we saw in it are which we passed through to spy out is

men of great size.

an exceedingly good land.

8

33"There also we saw the Nephilim (the

" If the LORD is pleased with us, then sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); He will bring us into this land and give it and we became like grasshoppers in our

to us-- a land which flows with milk and

honey.

9"Only do not rebel against the LORD; 17"But now, I pray, let the power of the and do not fear the people of the land, Lord be great, just as You have for they will be our prey. Their protection

declared,

has been removed from them, and the

LORD is with us; do not fear them."

18' The LORD is slow to anger and

abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving

10But all the congregation said to stone iniquity and transgression; but He will by

them with stones. Then the glory of the no means clear the guilty, visiting the

LORD appeared in the tent of meeting

iniquity of the fathers on the children to to all the sons of Israel.

the third and the fourth generations.'

11The LORD said to Moses, "How long 19" Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this will this people spurn Me? And how long people according to the greatness of

will they not believe in Me, despite all Your lovingkindness, just as You also

the signs which I have performed in their

have forgiven this people, from Egypt

midst?

even until now."

12"I will smite them with pestilence and 20So the LORD said, " I have pardoned dispossess them, and I will make you

them according to your word;

into a nation greater and mightier than

they."

21but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.

13But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your

22"Surely all the men who have seen My

strength You brought up this people

glory and My signs which I performed in

from their midst,

Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have

put Me to the test these ten times and 14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of

have not listened to My voice,

this land. They have heard that You, O

LORD, are in the midst of this people,

23shall by no means see the land which I

for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye,

swore to their fathers, nor shall any of while Your cloud stands over them; and

those who spurned Me see it.

You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

24"But My servant Caleb, because he

has had a different spirit and has

15"Now if You slay this people as one followed Me fully, I will bring into the man, then the nations who have heard land which he entered, and his

of Your fame will say,

descendants shall take possession of it.

16'Because the LORD could not bring

25" Now the Amalekites and the

this people into the land which He

Canaanites live in the valleys; turn

promised them by oath, therefore He

tomorrow and set out to the wilderness

slaughtered them in the wilderness.'

by the way of the Red Sea."

26The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, 35' I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this saying,

I will do to all this evil congregation who

are gathered together against Me. In

27"How long shall I bear with this evil this wilderness they shall be destroyed, congregation who are grumbling against

and there they will die.'"

Me? I have heard the complaints of the

sons of Israel, which they are making

36As for the men whom Moses sent to

against Me.

spy out the land and who returned and

made all the congregation grumble

28"Say to them, ' As I live,' says the against him by bringing out a bad report

LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My

concerning the land,

hearing, so I will surely do to you;

37even those men who brought out the

29your corpses will fall in this wilderness,

very bad report of the land died by a

even all your numbered men, according

plague before the LORD.

to your complete number from twenty

years old and upward, who have

38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb

grumbled against Me.

the son of Jephunneh remained alive

out of those men who went to spy out

30'Surely you shall not come into the

the land.

land in which I swore to settle you,

except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and

39When Moses spoke these words to all

Joshua the son of Nun.

the sons of Israel, the people mourned

greatly.

31' Your children, however, whom you

said would become a prey--I will bring

40In the morning, however, they rose up

them in, and they will know the land

early and went up to the ridge of the hill

which you have rejected.

country, saying, " Here we are; we have

indeed sinned, but we will go up to the 32' But as for you, your corpses will fall in

place which the LORD has promised."

this wilderness.

41But Moses said, " Why then are you 33'Your sons shall be shepherds for forty

transgressing the commandment of the

years in the wilderness, and they will

LORD, when it will not succeed?

suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.

42" Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the

34'According to the number of days

LORD is not among you.

which you spied out the land, forty days,

for every day you shall bear your guilt a

43"For

the

Amalekites

and

the

year, even forty years, and you will

Canaanites will be there in front of you, know My opposition.

and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch

as you have turned back from following

the LORD. And the LORD will not be 7and for the drink offering you shall offer with you."

one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the LORD.

44But they went up heedlessly to the

ridge of the hill country; neither the ark 8'When you prepare a bull as a burnt

of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses

offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special left the camp.

vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD,

45Then the Amalekites and the

9then you shall offer with the bull a grain

Canaanites who lived in that hill country

offering of three-tenths of an ephah of

came down, and struck them and beat

fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil;

them down as far as Hormah.

10and you shall offer as the drink offering

15

one-half a hin of wine as an offering by Now the LORD spoke to Moses,

fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD.

saying,

11'Thus it shall be done for each ox, or 2

for each ram, or for each of the male

" Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

lambs, or of the goats.

them, 'When you enter the land where

you are to live, which I am giving you,

12'According to the number that you

3then make an offering by fire to the

prepare, so you shall do for everyone

according to their number.

LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill 13

offering or in your appointed times, to

'All who are native shall do these

make a soothing aroma to the LORD,

things in this manner, in presenting an

from the herd or from the flock.

offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD.

4' The one who presents his offering

14

shall present to the LORD a grain

'If an alien sojourns with you, or one

offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine

who may be among you throughout your

flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to 5and you shall prepare wine for the drink the LORD, just as you do so he shall do.

offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the

15

burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for

'As for the assembly, there shall be

each lamb.

one statute for you and for the alien who

sojourns with you, a perpetual statute

6'Or for a ram you shall prepare as a

throughout your generations; as you are,

grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of so shall the alien be before the LORD.

fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of

oil;

16'There is to be one law and one 25'Then the priest shall make atonement ordinance for you and for the alien who for all the congregation of the sons of sojourns with you.'"

Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

their offering, an offering by fire to the saying,

LORD, and their sin offering before the

LORD, for their error.

18"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to 26

them, 'When you enter the land where I

'So all the congregation of the sons of

bring you,

Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who

sojourns among them, for it happened to

19

all the people through error.

then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an 27

offering to the LORD.

'Also if one person sins unintentionally,

then he shall offer a one year old female

20

goat for a sin offering.

' Of the first of your dough you shall lift

up a cake as an offering; as the offering

28

of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it

' The priest shall make atonement

up.

before the LORD for the person who

goes astray when he sins unintentionally,

21

making atonement for him that he may

'From the first of your dough you shall

be forgiven.

give to the LORD an offering throughout

your generations.

29'You shall have one law for him who

22

does anything unintentionally, for him

'But when you unwittingly fail and do

who is native among the sons of Israel

not observe all these commandments,

and for the alien who sojourns among

which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

them.

23even all that the LORD has

30'But the person who does anything

commanded you through Moses, from

defiantly, whether he is native or an

the

day

when

the

LORD

gave

alien, that one is blaspheming the LORD;

commandment and onward throughout

and that person shall be cut off from

your generations,

among his people.

24then it shall be, if it is done

31'Because he has despised the word of

unintentionally, without the knowledge of

the

LORD

and

has

broken

His

the

congregation,

that

all

the

commandment, that person shall be

congregation shall offer one bull for a

completely cut off; his guilt will be on burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to

him.'"

the LORD, with its grain offering and its

drink

offering,

according

to

the

ordinance, and one male goat for a sin

offering.

32Now while the sons of Israel were in 41"I am the LORD your God who brought the wilderness, they found a man

you out from the land of Egypt to be

gathering wood on the sabbath day.

your God; I am the LORD your God."

33Those who found him gathering wood

brought him to Moses and Aaron and to

16Now Korah the son of Izhar, the

all the congregation;

son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with

Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab,

34and they put him in custody because it

and On the son of Peleth, sons of

had not been declared what should be

Reuben, took action,

done to him.

2and they rose up before Moses,

35Then the LORD said to Moses, "The together with some of the sons of Israel,

man shall surely be put to death; all the

two hundred and fifty leaders of the

congregation shall stone him with

congregation, chosen in the assembly,

stones outside the camp."

men of renown.

36So all the congregation brought him

3They assembled together against

outside the camp and stoned him to

Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "

death with stones, just as the LORD had

You have gone far enough, for all the

commanded Moses.

congregation are holy, every one of

them, and the LORD is in their midst; so

37The LORD also spoke to Moses,

why do you exalt yourselves above the

saying,

assembly of the LORD?"

38

4

"Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell When Moses heard this, he fell on his them

that

they

shall

make

for

face;

themselves tassels on the corners of

their

garments

throughout

their

5and he spoke to Korah and all his

generations, and that they shall put on

company, saying, "Tomorrow morning

the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

the LORD will show who is His, and who

is holy, and will bring him near to

39"It shall be a tassel for you to look at Himself; even the one whom He will and remember all the commandments of

choose, He will bring near to Himself.

the LORD, so as to do them and not

follow after your own heart and your

6"Do this: take censers for yourselves, own eyes, after which you played the

Korah and all your company,

harlot,

7and put fire in them, and lay incense

40so that you may remember to do all

upon them in the presence of the LORD

My commandments and be holy to your

tomorrow; and the man whom the LORD

God.

chooses shall be the one who is holy.

You have gone far enough, you sons of donkey from them, nor have I done Levi!"

harm to any of them."

8Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now,

16Moses said to Korah, "You and all your

you sons of Levi,

company be present before the LORD

tomorrow, both you and they along with

9is it not enough for you that the God of

Aaron.

Israel has separated you from the rest of

the congregation of Israel, to bring you 17"Each of you take his firepan and put near to Himself, to do the service of the incense on it, and each of you bring his

tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand

censer before the LORD, two hundred

before the congregation to minister to

and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron

them;

shall each bring his firepan."

10and that He has brought you near,

18So they each took his own censer and

Korah, and all your brothers, sons of

put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and

Levi, with you? And are you seeking for

they stood at the doorway of the tent of

the priesthood also?

meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

11"Therefore you and all your company 19Thus Korah assembled all the

are gathered together against the LORD;

congregation against them at the

but as for Aaron, who is he that you

doorway of the tent of meeting. And the

grumble against him?"

glory of the LORD appeared to all the

congregation.

12Then Moses sent a summons to

Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab;

20Then the LORD spoke to Moses and

but they said, "We will not come up.

Aaron, saying,

13"Is it not enough that you have brought 21" Separate yourselves from among this

us up out of a land flowing with milk and

congregation, that I may consume them

honey to have us die in the wilderness, instantly."

but you would also lord it over us?

22But they fell on their faces and said, "O

14"Indeed, you have not brought us into God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when

a land flowing with milk and honey, nor one man sins, will You be angry with the

have you given us an inheritance of

entire congregation?"

fields and vineyards. Would you put out

the eyes of these men? We will not

23Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

come up!"

saying,

15Then Moses became very angry and

24"Speak to the congregation, saying, '

said to the LORD, " Do not regard their Get back from around the dwellings of offering! I have not taken a single

Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'"

25Then Moses arose and went to Dathan 33So they and all that belonged to them and Abiram, with the elders of Israel

went down alive to Sheol; and the earth

following him,

closed over them, and they perished

from the midst of the assembly.

26and he spoke to the congregation,

saying, " Depart now from the tents of 34All Israel who were around them fled these wicked men, and touch nothing

at their outcry, for they said, "The earth that belongs to them, or you will be may swallow us up!"

swept away in all their sin."

35Fire also came forth from the LORD

27So they got back from around the

and consumed the two hundred and fifty

dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram;

men who were offering the incense.

and Dathan and Abiram came out and

stood at the doorway of their tents,

36Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

along with their wives and their sons

saying,

and their little ones.

37"Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the 28Moses said, "By this you shall know priest, that he shall take up the censers that the LORD has sent me to do all

out of the midst of the blaze, for they are

these deeds; for this is not my doing.

holy; and you scatter the burning coals

abroad.

29"If these men die the death of all men

or if they suffer the fate of all men, then

38"As for the censers of these men who

the LORD has not sent me.

have sinned at the cost of their lives, let

them be made into hammered sheets

30"But if the LORD brings about an

for a plating of the altar, since they did entirely new thing and the ground opens

present them before the LORD and they

its mouth and swallows them up with all

are holy; and they shall be for a sign to that is theirs, and they descend alive the sons of Israel."

into Sheol, then you will understand that

these men have spurned the LORD."

39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze

censers which the men who were

31As he finished speaking all these

burned had offered, and they hammered

words, the ground that was under them

them out as a plating for the altar,

split open;

40as a reminder to the sons of Israel that

32and the earth opened its mouth and

no

layman

who

is

not

of

the

swallowed

them

up,

and

their

descendants of Aaron should come near

households, and all the men who

to burn incense before the LORD; so

belonged

to

Korah

with

their

that he will not become like Korah and

possessions.

his company--just as the LORD had

spoken to him through Moses.

41But on the next day all the 49But those who died by the plague were

congregation of the sons of Israel

14,700, besides those who died on

grumbled against Moses and Aaron,

account of Korah.

saying, "You are the ones who have

caused the death of the LORD'S

50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the

people."

doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.

42It came about, however, when the

congregation had assembled against

Moses and Aaron, that they turned

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

toward the tent of meeting, and behold,

the cloud covered it and the glory of the

saying,

LORD appeared.

2"Speak to the sons of Israel, and get 43Then Moses and Aaron came to the

from them a rod for each father's

front of the tent of meeting,

household: twelve rods, from all their

leaders according to their fathers'

44

households. You shall write each name

and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, on his rod, 45" Get away from among this

3and write Aaron's name on the rod of

congregation, that I may consume them

Levi; for there is one rod for the head of

instantly." Then they fell on their faces.

each of their fathers' households.

46Moses said to Aaron, "Take your

4"You shall then deposit them in the tent censer and put in it fire from the altar, of meeting in front of the testimony, and lay incense on it; then bring it

where I meet with you.

quickly to the congregation and make

atonement for them, for wrath has gone

5

forth from the LORD, the plague has

"It will come about that the rod of the begun!"

man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I

will lessen from upon Myself the

47

grumblings of the sons of Israel, who

Then Aaron took it as Moses had

are grumbling against you."

spoken, and ran into the midst of the

assembly, for behold, the plague had

6

begun among the people. So he put on

Moses therefore spoke to the sons of

the incense and made atonement for the

Israel, and all their leaders gave him a people.

rod apiece, for each leader according to

their fathers' households, twelve rods,

48

with the rod of Aaron among their rods.

He took his stand between the dead

and the living, so that the plague was

7

checked.

So Moses deposited the rods before

the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8Now on the next day Moses went into serve you, while you and your sons with the tent of the testimony; and behold,

you are before the tent of the testimony.

the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and

3"And they shall thus attend to your produced blossoms, and it bore ripe

obligation and the obligation of all the almonds.

tent, but they shall not come near to the

furnishings of the sanctuary and the

9Moses then brought out all the rods

altar, or both they and you will die.

from the presence of the LORD to all the

sons of Israel; and they looked, and

4"They shall be joined with you and each man took his rod.

attend to the obligations of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; 10But the LORD said to Moses, "Put but an outsider may not come near you.

back the rod of Aaron before the

testimony to be kept as a sign against

5"So you shall attend to the obligations the rebels, that you may put an end to of the sanctuary and the obligations of their grumblings against Me, so that

the altar, so that there will no longer be they will not die."

wrath on the sons of Israel.

11Thus Moses did; just as the LORD had

6"Behold, I Myself have taken your

commanded him, so he did.

fellow Levites from among the sons of

Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated 12Then the sons of Israel spoke to

to the LORD, to perform the service for Moses, saying, " Behold, we perish, we the tent of meeting.

are dying, we are all dying!

7"But you and your sons with you shall 13" Everyone who comes near, who

attend to your priesthood for everything

comes near to the tabernacle of the

concerning the altar and inside the veil, LORD, must die. Are we to perish

and you are to perform service. I am

completelyNULL"

giving you the priesthood as a bestowed

service, but the outsider who comes

near shall be put to death."

18So the LORD said to Aaron, "You 8Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Now and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt

behold, I Myself have given you charge

in connection with the sanctuary, and

of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of

you and your sons with you shall bear

the sons of Israel I have given them to the guilt in connection with your

you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.

priesthood.

9

2"But bring with you also your brothers,

"This shall be yours from the most holy

the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father,

gifts reserved from the fire; every

that they may be joined with you and

offering of theirs, even every grain

offering and every sin offering and every 17"But the firstborn of an ox or the guilt offering, which they shall render to firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a Me, shall be most holy for you and for goat, you shall not redeem; they are your sons.

holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on

the altar and shall offer up their fat in 10"As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; smoke as an offering by fire, for a every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to

soothing aroma to the LORD.

you.

18"Their meat shall be yours; it shall be 11"This also is yours, the offering of their yours like the breast of a wave offering gift, even all the wave offerings of the and like the right thigh.

sons of Israel; I have given them to you

and to your sons and daughters with

19" All the offerings of the holy gifts, you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone which the sons of Israel offer to the

of your household who is clean may eat

LORD, I have given to you and your

it.

sons and your daughters with you, as a

perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting 12" All the best of the fresh oil and all the covenant of salt before the LORD to you best of the fresh wine and of the grain, and your descendants with you."

the first fruits of those which they give to

the LORD, I give them to you.

20Then the LORD said to Aaron, " You shall have no inheritance in their land 13" The first ripe fruits of all that is in their nor own any portion among them; I am land, which they bring to the LORD,

your portion and your inheritance among

shall be yours; everyone of your

the sons of Israel.

household who is clean may eat it.

21"To the sons of Levi, behold, I have 14" Every devoted thing in Israel shall be given all the tithe in Israel for an yours.

inheritance, in return for their service

which they perform, the service of the

15

tent of meeting.

" Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which

22

they offer to the LORD, shall be yours;

" The sons of Israel shall not come nevertheless the firstborn of man you

near the tent of meeting again, or they shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of

will bear sin and die.

unclean animals you shall redeem.

23"Only the Levites shall perform the 16"As to their redemption price, from a service of the tent of meeting, and they month old you shall redeem them, by shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a your valuation, five shekels in silver,

perpetual

statute

throughout

your

according to the shekel of the sanctuary,

generations, and among the sons of

which is twenty gerahs.

Israel they shall have no inheritance.

24"For the tithe of the sons of Israel, 32'You will bear no sin by reason of it which they offer as an offering to the when you have offered the best of it. But

LORD, I have given to the Levites for an

you shall not profane the sacred gifts of

inheritance; therefore I have said

the sons of Israel, or you will die.'"

concerning them, ' They shall have no

inheritance among the sons of Israel.'"

19Then the LORD spoke to Moses

25Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

and Aaron, saying,

saying,

2

26

"This is the statute of the law which the

"Moreover, you shall speak to the

LORD has commanded, saying, 'Speak

Levites and say to them, 'When you take

to the sons of Israel that they bring you from the sons of Israel the tithe which I an unblemished red heifer in which is no have given you from them for your

defect and on which a yoke has never

inheritance, then you shall present an

been placed.

offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.

3'You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, 27

and it shall be brought outside the camp

'Your offering shall be reckoned to you

and be slaughtered in his presence.

as the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat.

4'Next Eleazar the priest shall take some

28

of its blood with his finger and sprinkle

'So you shall also present an offering

some of its blood toward the front of the

to the LORD from your tithes, which you

tent of meeting seven times.

receive from the sons of Israel; and from

it you shall give the LORD'S offering to 5

Aaron the priest.

'Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood,

29

with its refuse, shall be burned.

'Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all

6

the best of them, the sacred part from

'The priest shall take cedar wood and

them.'

hyssop and scarlet material and cast it

into the midst of the burning heifer.

30"You shall say to them, 'When you 7

have offered from it the best of it, then

'The priest shall then wash his clothes

the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites

and bathe his body in water, and

as the product of the threshing floor, and

afterward come into the camp, but the

as the product of the wine vat.

priest shall be unclean until evening.

8

31'You may eat it anywhere, you and

'The one who burns it shall also wash

your

households,

for

it

is

your

his clothes in water and bathe his body compensation in return for your service

in water, and shall be unclean until

in the tent of meeting.

evening.

9'Now a man who is clean shall gather 16' Also, anyone who in the open field up the ashes of the heifer and deposit

touches one who has been slain with a

them outside the camp in a clean place,

sword or who has died naturally, or a

and the congregation of the sons of

human bone or a grave, shall be

Israel shall keep it as water to remove unclean for seven days.

impurity; it is purification from sin.

17'Then for the unclean person they shall

10'The one who gathers the ashes of the

take some of the ashes of the burnt

heifer shall wash his clothes and be

purification from sin and flowing water

unclean until evening; and it shall be a shall be added to them in a vessel.

perpetual statute to the sons of Israel

and to the alien who sojourns among

18'A clean person shall take hyssop and

them.

dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the

tent and on all the furnishings and on

11' The one who touches the corpse of

the persons who were there, and on the

any person shall be unclean for seven

one who touched the bone or the one

days.

slain or the one dying naturally or the grave.

12'That one shall purify himself from

uncleanness with the water on the third

19'Then the clean person shall sprinkle

day and on the seventh day, and then

on the unclean on the third day and on he will be clean; but if he does not purify

the seventh day; and on the seventh

himself on the third day and on the

day

he

shall

purify

him

from

seventh day, he will not be clean.

uncleanness, and he shall wash his

clothes and bathe himself in water and

13' Anyone who touches a corpse, the

shall be clean by evening.

body of a man who has died, and does

not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle

20'But the man who is unclean and does

of the LORD; and that person shall be

not purify himself from uncleanness, that

cut off from Israel. Because the water

person shall be cut off from the midst of

for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he

the assembly, because he has defiled

shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still

the sanctuary of the LORD; the water for

on him.

impurity has not been sprinkled on him,

he is unclean.

14'This is the law when a man dies in a

tent: everyone who comes into the tent

21'So it shall be a perpetual statute for and everyone who is in the tent shall be

them. And he who sprinkles the water

unclean for seven days.

for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity

15'Every open vessel, which has no

shall be unclean until evening.

covering tied down on it, shall be

unclean.

22' Furthermore, anything that the

unclean

person

touches shall be

unclean; and the person who touches it for them out of the rock and let the shall be unclean until evening.'"

congregation and their beasts drink."

9

20

So Moses took the rod from before the

Then the sons of Israel, the whole

LORD, just as He had commanded him;

congregation, came to the wilderness of

10

Zin in the first month; and the people

and Moses and Aaron gathered the

stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died

assembly before the rock. And he said

there and was buried there.

to them, " Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this 2There was no water for the rock?"

congregation, and they assembled

11

themselves against Moses and Aaron.

Then Moses lifted up his hand and

struck the rock twice with his rod; and 3The people thus contended with Moses

water came forth abundantly, and the

and spoke, saying, " If only we had congregation and their beasts drank.

perished when our brothers perished

12

before the LORD!

But the LORD said to Moses and

Aaron, " Because you have not believed

4" Why then have you brought the

Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of LORD'S assembly into this wilderness,

the sons of Israel, therefore you shall

for us and our beasts to die here?

not bring this assembly into the land

which I have given them."

5"Why have you made us come up from

13

Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched

Those were the waters of Meribah,

place? It is not a place of grain or figs or

because the sons of Israel contended

vines or pomegranates, nor is there

with the LORD, and He proved Himself

holy among them.

water to drink."

14

6Then Moses and Aaron came in from

From Kadesh Moses then sent

the presence of the assembly to the

messengers to the king of Edom: "Thus

doorway of the tent of meeting and fell your brother Israel has said, 'You know

all the hardship that has befallen us;

on their faces. Then the glory of the

LORD appeared to them;

15that our fathers went down to Egypt,

7and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and

the Egyptians treated us and our fathers

badly.

8"Take the rod; and you and your

brother

Aaron

assemble

the

16

congregation and speak to the rock

'But when we cried out to the LORD,

before their eyes, that it may yield its He heard our voice and sent an angel

water. You shall thus bring forth water

and brought us out from Egypt; now

behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the 25"Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and edge of your territory.

bring them up to Mount Hor;

17'Please let us pass through your land.

26and strip Aaron of his garments and

We will not pass through field or through

put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron

vineyard; we will not even drink water

will be gathered to his people, and will from a well. We will go along the king's die there."

highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.'"

27So Moses did just as the LORD had

commanded, and they went up to Mount

18Edom, however, said to him, "You

Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

shall not pass through us, or I will come

out with the sword against you."

28After Moses had stripped Aaron of his

garments and put them on his son

19Again, the sons of Israel said to him, Eleazar, Aaron died there on the

"We will go up by the highway, and if I mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar and my livestock do drink any of your

came down from the mountain.

water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing

29When all the congregation saw that

else."

Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

20But he said, " You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against

him with a heavy force and with a strong

21When the Canaanite, the king of

hand.

Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that

21

Israel was coming by the way of Atharim,

Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to

then he fought against Israel and took

pass through his territory; so Israel

some of them captive.

turned away from him.

2

22

So Israel made a vow to the LORD and

Now when they set out from Kadesh,

said, "If You will indeed deliver this the

sons

of

Israel,

the

whole

people into my hand, then I will utterly congregation, came to Mount Hor.

destroy their cities."

23Then the LORD spoke to Moses and

3The LORD heard the voice of Israel

Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the

and delivered up the Canaanites; then

land of Edom, saying,

they utterly destroyed them and their

cities. Thus the name of the place was

24"Aaron will be gathered to his people; called Hormah.

for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel,

4Then they set out from Mount Hor by

because you rebelled against My

the way of the Red Sea, to go around

command at the waters of Meribah.

the land of Edom; and the people

became impatient because of the which is in the wilderness that comes journey.

out of the border of the Amorites, for the

Arnon is the border of Moab, between

5The people spoke against God and

Moab and the Amorites.

Moses, " Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

14Therefore it is said in the Book of the For there is no food and no water, and Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, we loathe this miserable food."

And the wadis of the Arnon,

6The LORD sent fiery serpents among

15And the slope of the wadis That

the people and they bit the people, so

extends to the site of Ar, And leans to that many people of Israel died.

the border of Moab."

7So the people came to Moses and said,

16From there they continued to Beer,

"We have sinned, because we have

that is the well where the LORD said to

spoken against the LORD and you;

Moses, "Assemble the people, that I

intercede with the LORD, that He may

may give them water."

remove the serpents from us." And

Moses interceded for the people.

17Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

8Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard;

18"The well, which the leaders sank, and it shall come about, that everyone

Which the nobles of the people dug,

who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will

With the scepter and with their staffs."

live."

And from the wilderness they continued

to Mattanah,

9And Moses made a bronze serpent and

set it on the standard; and it came about,

19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and

that if a serpent bit any man, when he from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

20and from Bamoth to the valley that is 10Now the sons of Israel moved out and

in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah

camped in Oboth.

which overlooks the wasteland.

11They journeyed from Oboth and

21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon,

camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness

king of the Amorites, saying,

which is opposite Moab, to the east.

22" Let me pass through your land. We 12From there they set out and camped in

will not turn off into field or vineyard; we

Wadi Zered.

will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king's highway until we have

13From there they journeyed and

passed through your border."

camped on the other side of the Arnon,

23But Sihon would not permit Israel to 32Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they pass through his border. So Sihon

captured its villages and dispossessed

gathered all his people and went out

the Amorites who were there.

against Israel in the wilderness, and

came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 33Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of 24Then Israel struck him with the edge of

Bashan went out with all his people, for the sword, and took possession of his

battle at Edrei.

land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as

far as the sons of Ammon; for the border

34But the LORD said to Moses, " Do not

of the sons of Ammon was Jazer.

fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; 25Israel took all these cities and Israel and you shall do to him as you did to lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, and in all her villages.

Heshbon."

26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon,

35So they killed him and his sons and all

king of the Amorites, who had fought

his people, until there was no remnant

against the former king of Moab and had

left him; and they possessed his land.

taken all his land out of his hand, as far

as the Arnon.

22Then the sons of Israel journeyed,

27Therefore those who use proverbs say,

and camped in the plains of Moab

"Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

the city of Sihon be established.

2

28

Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all

" For a fire went forth from Heshbon, A

that Israel had done to the Amorites.

flame from the town of Sihon; It

devoured Ar of Moab, The dominant

3

heights of the Arnon.

So Moab was in great fear because of

the people, for they were numerous; and

29

Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

" Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined,

O people of Chemosh! He has given his

4

sons as fugitives, And his daughters into

Moab said to the elders of Midian,

captivity, To an Amorite king, Sihon.

"Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass 30

of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor

"But we have cast them down,

was king of Moab at that time.

Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon, Then

we have laid waste even to Nophah,

5

Which reaches to Medeba."

So he sent messengers to Balaam the

son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the

31

River, in the land of the sons of his

Thus Israel lived in the land of the

people, to call him, saying, "Behold, a Amorites.

people came out of Egypt; behold, they

cover the surface of the land, and they 14The leaders of Moab arose and went are living opposite me.

to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

6" Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too

15Then Balak again sent leaders, more

mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to

numerous and more distinguished than

defeat them and drive them out of the

the former.

land. For I know that he whom you bless

is blessed, and he whom you curse is

16They came to Balaam and said to him,

cursed."

"Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Let

nothing, I beg you, hinder you from

7So the elders of Moab and the elders of

coming to me;

Midian departed with the fees for

divination in their hand; and they came

17for I will indeed honor you richly, and I

to Balaam and repeated Balak's words

will do whatever you say to me. Please

to him.

come then, curse this people for me.'"

8He said to them, "Spend the night here,

18Balaam replied to the servants of

and I will bring word back to you as the

Balak, " Though Balak were to give me LORD may speak to me." And the

his house full of silver and gold, I could leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

not do anything, either small or great,

contrary to the command of the LORD

9Then God came to Balaam and said,

my God.

"Who are these men with you?"

19"Now please, you also stay here

10Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of

tonight, and I will find out what else the Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to LORD will speak to me."

me,

20God came to Balaam at night and said

11'Behold, there is a people who came

to him, "If the men have come to call out of Egypt and they cover the surface

you, rise up and go with them; but only of the land; now come, curse them for

the word which I speak to you shall you

me; perhaps I may be able to fight

do."

against them and drive them out.'"

21So Balaam arose in the morning, and

12God said to Balaam, "Do not go with saddled his donkey and went with the

them; you shall not curse the people, for

leaders of Moab.

they are blessed."

22But God was angry because he was

13So Balaam arose in the morning and

going, and the angel of the LORD took

said to Balak's leaders, "Go back to your his stand in the way as an adversary

land, for the LORD has refused to let me

against him. Now he was riding on his

go with you."

donkey and his two servants were with been accustomed to do so to you?" And him.

he said, "No."

23When the donkey saw the angel of the

31Then the LORD opened the eyes of

LORD standing in the way with his

Balaam, and he saw the angel of the

drawn sword in his hand, the donkey

LORD standing in the way with his

turned off from the way and went into

drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed

the field; but Balaam struck the donkey

all the way to the ground.

to turn her back into the way.

32The angel of the LORD said to him,

24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a

"Why have you struck your donkey

narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall

these three times? Behold, I have come

on this side and a wall on that side.

out as an adversary, because your way

was contrary to me.

25When the donkey saw the angel of the

LORD, she pressed herself to the wall

33"But the donkey saw me and turned and pressed Balaam's foot against the

aside from me these three times. If she wall, so he struck her again.

had not turned aside from me, I would

surely have killed you just now, and let 26The angel of the LORD went further,

her live."

and stood in a narrow place where there

was no way to turn to the right hand or 34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD,

the left.

" I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against 27When the donkey saw the angel of the

me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you,

LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so

I will turn back."

Balaam was angry and struck the

donkey with his stick.

35But the angel of the LORD said to

Balaam, "Go with the men, but you shall

28And the LORD opened the mouth of

speak only the word which I tell you." So the donkey, and she said to Balaam,

Balaam went along with the leaders of

"What have I done to you, that you have

Balak.

struck me these three times?"

36When Balak heard that Balaam was

29Then Balaam said to the donkey,

coming, he went out to meet him at the

"Because you have made a mockery of city of Moab, which is on the Arnon

me! If there had been a sword in my

border, at the extreme end of the border.

hand, I would have killed you by now."

37Then Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not

30The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not

urgently send to you to call you? Why

your donkey on which you have ridden

did you not come to me? Am I really

all your life to this day? Have I ever unable to honor you?"

38So Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I 6So he returned to him, and behold, he have come now to you! Am I able to

was standing beside his burnt offering,

speak anything at all? The word that

he and all the leaders of Moab.

God puts in my mouth, that I shall

speak."

7He took up his discourse and said,

"From Aram Balak has brought me,

39And Balaam went with Balak, and they

Moab's king from the mountains of the

came to Kiriath-huzoth.

East, ' Come curse Jacob for me, And

come, denounce Israel!'

40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and

sent some to Balaam and the leaders

8" How shall I curse whom God has not

who were with him.

cursed? And how can I denounce whom

the LORD has not denounced?

41Then it came about in the morning that

Balak took Balaam and brought him up

9"As I see him from the top of the rocks, to the high places of Baal, and he saw And I look at him from the hills; Behold, from there a portion of the people.

a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.

23

10

Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build

" Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or

seven altars for me here, and prepare

number the fourth part of Israel? Let me

seven bulls and seven rams for me

die the death of the upright, And let my here."

end be like his!"

11

2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken,

Then Balak said to Balaam, "What

and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull

have you done to me? I took you to

and a ram on each altar.

curse my enemies, but behold, you have

actually blessed them!"

3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand

12

beside your burnt offering, and I will go;

He replied, "Must I not be careful to perhaps the LORD will come to meet

speak what the LORD puts in my

me, and whatever He shows me I will

mouth?"

tell you." So he went to a bare hill.

13Then Balak said to him, "Please come

4Now God met Balaam, and he said to

with me to another place from where

Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and you may see them, although you will

I have offered up a bull and a ram on only see the extreme end of them and

will not see all of them; and curse them

each altar."

for me from there."

5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's

14

mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and So he took him to the field of Zophim,

you shall speak thus."

to the top of Pisgah, and built seven

altars and offered a bull and a ram on 24" Behold, a people rises like a lioness, each altar.

And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And 15And he said to Balak, "Stand here drinks the blood of the slain."

beside your burnt offering while I myself

meet the LORD over there."

25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

16Then the LORD met Balaam and put a

word in his mouth and said, "Return to 26But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not Balak, and thus you shall speak."

tell you, ' Whatever the LORD speaks,

that I must do'?"

17He came to him, and behold, he was

standing beside his burnt offering, and

27Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak

come, I will take you to another place; said to him, "What has the LORD

perhaps it will be agreeable with God

spoken?"

that you curse them for me from there."

18Then he took up his discourse and

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of

said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear Peor which overlooks the wasteland.

to me, O son of Zippor!

29Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven 19" God is not a man, that He should lie, altars for me here and prepare seven Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

bulls and seven rams for me here."

Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it

30Balak did just as Balaam had said, and

good?

offered up a bull and a ram on each

altar.

20"Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I

cannot revoke it.

24When Balaam saw that it pleased

21

the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go

" He has not observed misfortune in as at other times to seek omens but he

Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;

set his face toward the wilderness.

The LORD his God is with him, And the

shout of a king is among them.

2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw

22

Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the

" God brings them out of Egypt, He is Spirit of God came upon him.

for them like the horns of the wild ox.

3

23

He took up his discourse and said, "

" For there is no omen against Jacob, The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, Nor is there any divination against Israel;

And the oracle of the man whose eye is

At the proper time it shall be said to opened;

Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!

4The oracle of him who hears the words 12Balaam said to Balak, " Did I not tell of God, Who sees the vision of the your messengers whom you had sent to

Almighty, Falling down, yet having his

me, saying,

eyes uncovered,

13'Though Balak were to give me his

5How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your

house full of silver and gold, I could not

dwellings, O Israel!

do anything contrary to the command of

the LORD, either good or bad, of my

6"Like valleys that stretch out, Like own accord. What the LORD speaks,

gardens beside the river, Like aloes

that I will speak'?

planted by the LORD, Like cedars

beside the waters.

14"And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what

7"Water will flow from his buckets, And this people will do to your people in the his seed will be by many waters, And his days to come."

king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

15He took up his discourse and said, "

The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

8" God brings him out of Egypt, He is for And the oracle of the man whose eye is

him like the horns of the wild ox. He will

opened,

devour the nations who are his

adversaries, And will crush their bones

16The oracle of him who hears the words

in pieces, And shatter them with his

of God, And knows the knowledge of the

arrows.

Most High, Who sees the vision of the

Almighty, Falling down, yet having his

9" He couches, he lies down as a lion, eyes uncovered.

And as a lion, who dares rouse him?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you,

17"I see him, but not now; I behold him,

And cursed is everyone who curses

but not near; A star shall come forth

you."

from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from

Israel, And shall crush through the

10Then Balak's anger burned against

forehead of Moab, And tear down all the

Balaam, and he struck his hands

sons of Sheth.

together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but

18" Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its behold, you have persisted in blessing

enemies, also will be a possession,

them these three times!

While Israel performs valiantly.

11"Therefore, flee to your place now. I 19"One from Jacob shall have dominion, said I would honor you greatly, but

And will destroy the remnant from the

behold, the LORD has held you back

city."

from honor."

20And he looked at Amalek and took up that the fierce anger of the LORD may his discourse and said, "Amalek was the

turn away from Israel."

first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction."

5So Moses said to the judges of Israel,

"Each of you slay his men who have 21And he looked at the Kenite, and took

joined themselves to Baal of Peor."

up his discourse and said, "Your

dwelling place is enduring, And your

6Then behold, one of the sons of Israel

nest is set in the cliff.

came and brought to his relatives a

Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses

22"Nevertheless Kain will be consumed; and in the sight of all the congregation How long will Asshur keep you captive?"

of the sons of Israel, while they were

weeping at the doorway of the tent of

23Then he took up his discourse and

meeting.

said, "Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?

7When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the

son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose

24"But ships shall come from the coast of from the midst of the congregation and

Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur and took a spear in his hand,

will afflict Eber; So they also will come to

destruction."

8and he went after the man of Israel into

the tent and pierced both of them

25Then Balaam arose and departed and

through, the man of Israel and the

returned to his place, and Balak also

woman, through the body. So the

went his way.

plague on the sons of Israel was

checked.

25

9

While Israel remained at Shittim,

Those who died by the plague were

24,000.

the people began to play the harlot with

the daughters of Moab.

10Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

2

saying,

For they invited the people to the

sacrifices of their gods, and the people 11

ate and bowed down to their gods.

" Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son

of Aaron the priest, has turned away My

3

wrath from the sons of Israel in that he So Israel joined themselves to Baal of

was jealous with My jealousy among

Peor, and the LORD was angry against

them, so that I did not destroy the sons Israel.

of Israel in My jealousy.

4The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the

12"Therefore say, ' Behold, I give him My leaders of the people and execute them

covenant of peace;

in broad daylight before the LORD, so

13and it shall be for him and his 3So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke descendants after him, a covenant of a

with them in the plains of Moab by the perpetual priesthood, because he was

Jordan at Jericho, saying,

jealous

for

his

God

and

made

atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

4"Take a census of the people from

twenty years old and upward, as the

14Now the name of the slain man of

LORD has commanded Moses." Now

Israel who was slain with the Midianite

the sons of Israel who came out of the woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a

land of Egypt were:

leader of a father's household among

the Simeonites.

5Reuben, Israel's firstborn, the sons of

Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the

15The name of the Midianite woman who

Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the

was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur,

Palluites;

who was head of the people of a father's

household in Midian.

6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites;

of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

16Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

saying,

7These are the families of the

Reubenites, and those who were

17" Be hostile to the Midianites and strike numbered of them were 43,730.

them;

8The son of Pallu: Eliab.

18for they have been hostile to you with

their tricks, with which they have

9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan

deceived you in the affair of Peor and in

and Abiram. These are the Dathan and

the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the Abiram who were called by the

leader of Midian, their sister who was

congregation, who contended against

slain on the day of the plague because

Moses and against Aaron in the

of Peor."

company

of

Korah,

when

they

contended against the LORD,

26Then it came about after the 10and the earth opened its mouth and plague, that the LORD spoke to Moses swallowed them up along with Korah,

and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the

when that company died, when the fire

priest, saying,

devoured 250 men, so that they became

a warning.

2" Take a census of all the congregation

11

of the sons of Israel from twenty years The sons of Korah, however, did not

old and upward, by their fathers'

die.

households, whoever is able to go out to

war in Israel."

12The sons of Simeon according to their

families: of Nemuel, the family of the

Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the 23The sons of Issachar according to their Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the

families: of Tola, the family of the

Jachinites;

Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the

Punites;

13of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of

Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites;

of

Shimron,

the

family

of

the

14These are the families of the

Shimronites.

Simeonites, 22,200.

25These are the families of Issachar

15The sons of Gad according to their

according to those who were numbered

families: of Zephon, the family of the

of them, 64,300.

Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the

Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the

26The sons of Zebulun according to their

Shunites;

families: of Sered, the family of the

Seredites; of Elon, the family of the

16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the

Eri, the family of the Erites;

Jahleelites.

17

27

of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of These

are

the

families

of

the

Areli, the family of the Arelites.

Zebulunites according to those who

were numbered of them, 60,500.

18These are the families of the sons of 28

Gad according to those who were

The sons of Joseph according to their

numbered of them, 40,500.

families: Manasseh and Ephraim.

19

29

The sons of Judah were Er and Onan,

The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the

but Er and Onan died in the land of

family of the Machirites; and Machir

Canaan.

became the father of Gilead: of Gilead,

the family of the Gileadites.

20The sons of Judah according to their

30

families were: of Shelah, the family of

These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer,

the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of

the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the

family of the Helekites;

Zerahites.

31and of Asriel, the family of the

21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron,

Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of

the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul,

the Shechemites;

the family of the Hamulites.

32and of Shemida, the family of the

22These are the families of Judah

Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family

according to those who were numbered

of the Hepherites.

of them, 76,500.

33Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher who were numbered of them were

had no sons, but only daughters; and

45,600.

the

names

of

the

daughters

of

Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah,

42These are the sons of Dan according

Milcah and Tirzah.

to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the

34These are the families of Manasseh;

families of Dan according to their

and those who were numbered of them

families.

were 52,700.

43All the families of the Shuhamites,

35These are the sons of Ephraim

according to those who were numbered

according to their families: of Shuthelah,

of them, were 64,400.

the family of the Shuthelahites; of

Becher, the family of the Becherites; of 44The sons of Asher according to their

Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

families: of Imnah, the family of the

Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the

36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of

Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the

Eran, the family of the Eranites.

Beriites.

37These are the families of the sons of 45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the

Ephraim according to those who were

family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the numbered of them, 32,500. These are

family of the Malchielites.

the sons of Joseph according to their

families.

46The name of the daughter of Asher

was Serah.

38The sons of Benjamin according to

their families: of Bela, the family of the 47These are the families of the sons of Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Asher according to those who were

Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the numbered of them, 53,400.

Ahiramites;

48The sons of Naphtali according to their

39of Shephupham, the family of the

families: of Jahzeel, the family of the

Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of

Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the

the Huphamites.

Gunites;

40The sons of Bela were Ard and

49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of

Naaman: of Ard, the family of the

Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the

Naamites.

50These are the families of Naphtali

according to their families; and those

41These are the sons of Benjamin

who were numbered of them were

according to their families; and those

45,400.

51These are those who were numbered to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their of the sons of Israel, 601,730.

sister Miriam.

52Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu,

saying,

Eleazar and Ithamar.

53"Among these the land shall be divided

61But Nadab and Abihu died when they

for an inheritance according to the

offered strange fire before the LORD.

number of names.

62Those who were numbered of them

54" To the larger group you shall

were 23,000, every male from a month

increase their inheritance, and to the

old and upward, for they were not

smaller group you shall diminish their

numbered among the sons of Israel

inheritance; each shall be given their

since no inheritance was given to them

inheritance according to those who were

among the sons of Israel.

numbered of them.

63These are those who were numbered

55"But the land shall be divided by lot.

by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who

They shall receive their inheritance

numbered the sons of Israel in the

according to the names of the tribes of plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

their fathers.

64But among these there was not a man

56"According to the selection by lot, their of those who were numbered by Moses

inheritance shall be divided between the

and Aaron the priest, who numbered the

larger and the smaller groups."

sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

57These are those who were numbered

65For the LORD had said of them, "

of the Levites according to their families:

They shall surely die in the wilderness."

of

Gershon,

the

family

of

the

And not a man was left of them, except

Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the

Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua

Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the the son of Nun.

Merarites.

58These are the families of Levi: the

27Then the daughters of

family of the Libnites, the family of the Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son

Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites,

of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of the family of the Mushites, the family of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the Korahites. Kohath became the father

the son of Joseph, came near; and

of Amram.

these are the names of his daughters:

Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah

59The name of Amram's wife was

and Tirzah.

Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who

was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore

2They stood before Moses and before 11'If his father has no brothers, then you Eleazar the priest and before the

shall give his inheritance to his nearest leaders and all the congregation, at the relative in his own family, and he shall doorway of the tent of meeting, saying, possess it; and it shall be a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as 3"Our father died in the wilderness, yet the LORD commanded Moses.'"

he was not among the company of

those

who

gathered

themselves

12Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up

together against the LORD in the

to this mountain of Abarim, and see the

company of Korah; but he died in his

land which I have given to the sons of own sin, and he had no sons.

Israel.

4"Why should the name of our father be

13"When you have seen it, you too will withdrawn from among his family

be gathered to your people, as Aaron

because he had no son? Give us a

your brother was;

possession

among

our

father's

brothers."

14for in the wilderness of Zin, during the

strife of the congregation, you rebelled

5So Moses brought their case before the

against My command to treat Me as

LORD.

holy before their eyes at the water."

(These are the waters of Meribah of

6Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

saying,

15Then Moses spoke to the LORD,

7" The daughters of Zelophehad are

saying,

right in their statements. You shall

surely

give

them

a

hereditary

16" May the LORD, the God of the spirits

possession

among

their

father's

of all flesh, appoint a man over the

brothers, and you shall transfer the

congregation,

inheritance of their father to them.

17who will go out and come in before

8"Further, you shall speak to the sons of them, and who will lead them out and

Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no

bring them in, so that the congregation

son, then you shall transfer his

of the LORD will not be like sheep which

inheritance to his daughter.

have no shepherd."

9'If he has no daughter, then you shall 18So the LORD said to Moses, "Take

give his inheritance to his brothers.

Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom

is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

10'If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's

19and have him stand before Eleazar the

brothers.

priest and before all the congregation,

and commission him in their sight.

20"You shall put some of your authority 5also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for on him, in order that all the congregation

a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a

of the sons of Israel may obey him.

hin of beaten oil.

21"Moreover, he shall stand before

6'It is a continual burnt offering which Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for was ordained in Mount Sinai as a him by the judgment of the Urim before

soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the

the LORD. At his command they shall

LORD.

go out and at his command they shall

come in, both he and the sons of Israel 7'Then the drink offering with it shall be a

with him, even all the congregation."

fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy

place you shall pour out a drink offering

22Moses did just as the LORD

of strong drink to the LORD.

commanded him; and he took Joshua

and set him before Eleazar the priest

8'The other lamb you shall offer at

and before all the congregation.

twilight; as the grain offering of the

morning and as its drink offering, you

23Then he laid his hands on him and

shall offer it, an offering by fire, a

commissioned him, just as the LORD

soothing aroma to the LORD.

had spoken through Moses.

9'Then on the sabbath day two male

28

lambs one year old without defect, and

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour

mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its

saying,

drink offering:

2"Command the sons of Israel and say 10

to them, 'You shall be careful to present

'This is the burnt offering of every

sabbath in addition to the continual

My offering, My food for My offerings by

burnt offering and its drink offering.

fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.'

11'Then at the beginning of each of your

3" You shall say to them, 'This is the months you shall present a burnt

offering to the LORD: two bulls and one

offering by fire which you shall offer to ram, seven male lambs one year old

the LORD: two male lambs one year old

without defect as a continual burnt

without defect;

offering every day.

12and three-tenths of an ephah of fine

4

flour mixed with oil for a grain offering,

'You shall offer the one lamb in the

for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour

morning and the other lamb you shall

offer at twilight;

mixed with oil for a grain offering, for the

one ram;

13and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour 23'You shall present these besides the mixed with oil for a grain offering for burnt offering of the morning, which is

each lamb, for a burnt offering of a

for a continual burnt offering.

soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the

LORD.

24'After this manner you shall present

daily, for seven days, the food of the

14'Their drink offerings shall be half a hin

offering by fire, of a soothing aroma to of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for

the LORD; it shall be presented with its the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb;

drink offering in addition to the continual

this is the burnt offering of each month burnt offering.

throughout the months of the year.

25'On the seventh day you shall have a

15'And one male goat for a sin offering to

holy convocation; you shall do no

the LORD; it shall be offered with its

laborious work.

drink offering in addition to the continual

burnt offering.

26'Also on the day of the first fruits, when

you present a new grain offering to the 16' Then on the fourteenth day of the first

LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall

month shall be the LORD'S Passover.

have a holy convocation; you shall do

no laborious work.

17' On the fifteenth day of this month

shall be a feast, unleavened bread shall

27'You shall offer a burnt offering for a be eaten for seven days.

soothing aroma to the LORD: two young

bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one

18'On the first day shall be a holy

year old;

convocation; you shall do no laborious

work.

28and their grain offering, fine flour

mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah

19'You shall present an offering by fire, a

for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls

and one ram and seven male lambs one

29a tenth for each of the seven lambs;

year old, having them without defect.

30also one male goat to make

20'For their grain offering, you shall offer

atonement for you.

fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a bull and two-tenths for 31' Besides the continual burnt offering

the ram.

and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They

21'A tenth of an ephah you shall offer for

shall be without defect.

each of the seven lambs;

22and one male goat for a sin offering to

29' Now in the seventh month, on

make atonement for you.

the first day of the month, you shall also

have a holy convocation; you shall do 11one male goat for a sin offering, no laborious work. It will be to you a day

besides the sin offering of atonement

for blowing trumpets.

and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

2'You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull,

12'Then on the fifteenth day of the

one ram, and seven male lambs one

seventh month you shall have a holy

year old without defect;

convocation; you shall do no laborious

work, and you shall observe a feast to

3also their grain offering, fine flour mixed

the LORD for seven days.

with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the

bull, two-tenths for the ram,

13'You shall present a burnt offering, an

offering by fire as a soothing aroma to 4and one-tenth for each of the seven

the LORD: thirteen bulls, two rams,

lambs.

fourteen male lambs one year old, which

are without defect;

5'Offer one male goat for a sin offering, 14

to make atonement for you,

and their grain offering, fine flour

mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah

6

for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths

besides the burnt offering of the new

for each of the two rams,

moon and its grain offering, and the

continual burnt offering and its grain

15

offering, and their drink offerings,

and a tenth for each of the fourteen

according to their ordinance, for a

lambs;

soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the

LORD.

16and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its 7'Then on the tenth day of this seventh grain offering and its drink offering.

month

you

shall

have

a

holy

convocation, and you shall humble

17'Then on the second day: twelve bulls,

yourselves; you shall not do any work.

two rams, fourteen male lambs one year

old without defect;

8'You shall present a burnt offering to

the LORD as a soothing aroma: one bull,

18and their grain offering and their drink

one ram, seven male lambs one year

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and old, having them without defect;

for the lambs, by their number according

to the ordinance;

9and their grain offering, fine flour mixed

with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the

19and one male goat for a sin offering, bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

besides the continual burnt offering and

its grain offering, and their drink

10a tenth for each of the seven lambs;

offerings.

20'Then on the third day: eleven bulls, 30and their grain offering and their drink two rams, fourteen male lambs one year

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and old without defect;

for the lambs, by their number according

to the ordinance;

21and their grain offering and their drink

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and 31and one male goat for a sin offering, for the lambs, by their number according besides the continual burnt offering, its to the ordinance;

grain offering and its drink offerings.

22and one male goat for a sin offering, 32'Then on the seventh day: seven bulls,

besides the continual burnt offering and

two rams, fourteen male lambs one year

its grain offering and its drink offering.

old without defect;

23'Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two

33and their grain offering and their drink

rams, fourteen male lambs one year old

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and without defect;

for the lambs, by their number according

to the ordinance;

24their grain offering and their drink

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and 34and one male goat for a sin offering, for the lambs, by their number according besides the continual burnt offering, its to the ordinance;

grain offering and its drink offering.

25and one male goat for a sin offering, 35' On the eighth day you shall have a besides the continual burnt offering, its solemn assembly; you shall do no grain offering and its drink offering.

laborious work.

26'Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two 36'But you shall present a burnt offering,

rams, fourteen male lambs one year old

an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma without defect;

to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven

male lambs one year old without defect;

27and their grain offering and their drink

offerings for the bulls, for the rams and 37their grain offering and their drink

for the lambs, by their number according

offerings for the bull, for the ram and for

to the ordinance;

the lambs, by their number according to

the ordinance;

28and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering and

38and one male goat for a sin offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

besides the continual burnt offering and

its grain offering and its drink offering.

29'Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two

rams, fourteen male lambs one year old

39'You shall present these to the LORD

without defect;

at your appointed times, besides your

votive

offerings

and

your

freewill

offerings, for your burnt offerings and for 7and her husband hears of it and says your grain offerings and for your drink

nothing to her on the day he hears it, offerings and for your peace offerings.'"

then her vows shall stand and her

obligations by which she has bound

40Moses spoke to the sons of Israel in

herself shall stand.

accordance with all that the LORD had

commanded Moses.

8"But if on the day her husband hears of

it, he forbids her, then he shall annul her

vow which she is under and the rash

30Then Moses spoke to the heads statement of her lips by which she has bound herself; and the LORD will forgive of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying,

her.

"This is the word which the LORD has commanded.

9"But the vow of a widow or of a

2

divorced woman, everything by which

" If a man makes a vow to the LORD, she has bound herself, shall stand

or takes an oath to bind himself with a against her.

binding obligation, he shall not violate

his word; he shall do according to all

10"However, if she vowed in her

that proceeds out of his mouth.

husband's house, or bound herself by

3

an obligation with an oath,

"Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an

11

obligation in her father's house in her

and her husband heard it, but said

nothing to her and did not forbid her,

youth,

then all her vows shall stand and every 4

obligation by which she bound herself

and her father hears her vow and her

shall stand.

obligation by which she has bound

herself, and her father says nothing to

12"But if her husband indeed annuls

her, then all her vows shall stand and

every obligation by which she has

them on the day he hears them, then

bound herself shall stand.

whatever proceeds out of her lips

concerning her vows or concerning the

5

obligation of herself shall not stand; her

"But if her father should forbid her on husband has annulled them, and the

the day he hears of it, none of her vows

LORD will forgive her.

or her obligations by which she has

bound herself shall stand; and the

13

LORD will forgive her because her

"Every vow and every binding oath to father had forbidden her.

humble herself, her husband may

confirm it or her husband may annul it.

6"However, if she should marry while 14

under her vows or the rash statement of

"But if her husband indeed says

her lips by which she has bound herself,

nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her

obligations which are on her; he has 7So they made war against Midian, just confirmed them, because he said

as the LORD had commanded Moses,

nothing to her on the day he heard them. and they killed every male.

15"But if he indeed annuls them after he

8They killed the kings of Midian along

has heard them, then he shall bear her

with the rest of their slain: Evi and

guilt."

Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the

five kings of Midian; they also killed

16These are the statutes which the

Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

LORD commanded Moses, as between

a man and his wife, and as between a

9The sons of Israel captured the women

father and his daughter, while she is in of Midian and their little ones; and all her youth in her father's house.

their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered.

31

10

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

Then they burned all their cities where

saying,

they lived and all their camps with fire.

11

2

They took all the spoil and all the prey,

" Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you both of man and of beast.

will be gathered to your people."

12They brought the captives and the

3

prey and the spoil to Moses, and to

Moses spoke to the people, saying,

Eleazar

the

priest

and

to

the

"Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to

congregation of the sons of Israel, to the

execute the LORD'S vengeance on

camp at the plains of Moab, which are

Midian.

by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

13

4"A thousand from each tribe of all the Moses and Eleazar the priest and all tribes of Israel you shall send to the

the leaders of the congregation went out

war."

to meet them outside the camp.

14

5

Moses was angry with the officers of

So there were furnished from the

thousands of Israel, a thousand from

the army, the captains of thousands and

each tribe, twelve thousand armed for

the captains of hundreds, who had

war.

come from service in the war.

15

6

And Moses said to them, "Have you

Moses sent them, a thousand from

each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the

spared all the women?

son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with

16

them, and the holy vessels and the

" Behold, these caused the sons of

trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to

trespass against the LORD in the matter

of Peor, so the plague was among the 26"You and Eleazar the priest and the congregation of the LORD.

heads of the fathers' households of the

congregation take a count of the booty

17" Now therefore, kill every male among

that was captured, both of man and of

the little ones, and kill every woman who

animal;

has known man intimately.

27and divide the booty between the

18"But all the girls who have not known warriors who went out to battle and all man intimately, spare for yourselves.

the congregation.

19

28

" And you, camp outside the camp

" Levy a tax for the LORD from the seven days; whoever has killed any

men of war who went out to battle, one person and whoever has touched any

in five hundred of the persons and of the

slain, purify yourselves, you and your

cattle and of the donkeys and of the

captives, on the third day and on the

sheep;

seventh day.

29take it from their half and give it to 20"You shall purify for yourselves every Eleazar the priest, as an offering to the garment and every article of leather and LORD.

all the work of goats' hair, and all articles

of wood."

30"From the sons of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of

21Then Eleazar the priest said to the

the persons, of the cattle, of the

men of war who had gone to battle,

donkeys and of the sheep, from all the

"This is the statute of the law which the animals, and give them to the Levites LORD has commanded Moses:

who keep charge of the tabernacle of

the LORD."

22only the gold and the silver, the bronze,

31

the iron, the tin and the lead,

Moses and Eleazar the priest did just

as the LORD had commanded Moses.

23everything that can stand the fire, you

32

shall pass through the fire, and it shall Now the booty that remained from the

be clean, but it shall be purified with spoil which the men of war had

water for impurity. But whatever cannot

plundered was 675,000 sheep,

stand the fire you shall pass through the

water.

33and 72,000 cattle,

24"And you shall wash your clothes on 34and 61,000 donkeys,

the seventh day and be clean, and

afterward you may enter the camp."

35and of human beings, of the women

who had not known man intimately, all

25Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

the persons were 32,000.

saying,

36The half, the portion of those who went 48Then the officers who were over the out to war, was as follows: the number

thousands of the army, the captains of

of sheep was 337,500,

thousands and the captains of hundreds,

approached Moses,

37and the LORD'S levy of the sheep was

675;

49and they said to Moses, "Your

servants have taken a census of men of

38and the cattle were 36,000, from which

war who are in our charge, and no man

the LORD'S levy was 72;

of us is missing.

39

50

and the donkeys were 30,500, from

"So we have brought as an offering to

which the LORD'S levy was 61;

the LORD what each man found,

articles of gold, armlets and bracelets,

40

signet rings, earrings and necklaces, to

and the human beings were 16,000,

make atonement for ourselves before

from whom the LORD'S levy was 32

the LORD."

persons.

51

41

Moses and Eleazar the priest took the

Moses gave the levy which was the

gold from them, all kinds of wrought

LORD'S offering to Eleazar the priest,

articles.

just as the LORD had commanded

Moses.

52All the gold of the offering which they 42

offered up to the LORD, from the

As for the sons of Israel's half, which captains of thousands and the captains

Moses separated from the men who had

of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.

gone to war--

53

43

The men of war had taken booty,

now the congregation's half was

every man for himself.

337,500 sheep,

54

44

So Moses and Eleazar the priest took

and 36,000 cattle,

the gold from the captains of thousands

and of hundreds, and brought it to the

45and 30,500 donkeys,

tent of meeting as a memorial for the

sons of Israel before the LORD.

46and the human beings were 16,000--

47and from the sons of Israel's half,

32Now the sons of Reuben and the

Moses took one drawn out of every fifty,

sons of Gad had an exceedingly large

both of man and of animals, and gave

number of livestock. So when they saw

them to the Levites, who kept charge of

the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead,

the tabernacle of the LORD, just as the that it was indeed a place suitable for LORD had commanded Moses.

livestock,

2the sons of Gad and the sons of 11' None of the men who came up from Reuben came and spoke to Moses and

Egypt, from twenty years old and

to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders upward, shall see the land which I swore

of the congregation, saying,

to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for

they did not follow Me fully,

3" Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah,

Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and

12except Caleb the son of Jephunneh

Beon,

the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun,

for they have followed the LORD fully.'

4the land which the LORD conquered

before the congregation of Israel, is a

13" So the LORD'S anger burned against

land for livestock, and your servants

Israel, and He made them wander in the

have livestock."

wilderness forty years, until the entire

generation of those who had done evil in

5They said, "If we have found favor in the sight of the LORD was destroyed.

your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take

14"Now behold, you have risen up in us across the Jordan."

your fathers' place, a brood of sinful

men, to add still more to the burning

6But Moses said to the sons of Gad and

anger of the LORD against Israel.

to the sons of Reuben, "Shall your

brothers go to war while you yourselves

15"For if you turn away from following sit here?

Him, He will once more abandon them

in the wilderness, and you will destroy

7" Now why are you discouraging the all these people."

sons of Israel from crossing over into

the land which the LORD has given

16Then they came near to him and said,

them?

"We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones;

8"This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see

17but we ourselves will be armed ready

the land.

to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while 9"For when they went up to the valley of

our little ones live in the fortified cities Eshcol

and

saw

the

land,

they

because of the inhabitants of the land.

discouraged the sons of Israel so that

they did not go into the land which the 18" We will not return to our homes until LORD had given them.

every one of the sons of Israel has

possessed his inheritance.

10"So the LORD'S anger burned in that day, and He swore, saying,

19"For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the

Jordan and beyond, because our

inheritance has fallen to us on this side Joshua the son of Nun, and to the of the Jordan toward the east."

heads of the fathers' households of the

tribes of the sons of Israel.

20So Moses said to them, "If you will do

this, if you will arm yourselves before

29Moses said to them, "If the sons of the LORD for the war,

Gad and the sons of Reuben, everyone

who is armed for battle, will cross with 21and all of you armed men cross over

you over the Jordan in the presence of

the Jordan before the LORD until He

the LORD, and the land is subdued

has driven His enemies out from before

before you, then you shall give them the

Him,

land of Gilead for a possession;

22

30

and the land is subdued before the

but if they will not cross over with you LORD, then afterward you shall return

armed, they shall have possessions

and be free of obligation toward the

among you in the land of Canaan."

LORD and toward Israel, and this land

shall be yours for a possession before

31The sons of Gad and the sons of

the LORD.

Reuben answered, saying, "As the

LORD has said to your servants, so we

23"But if you will not do so, behold, you will do.

have sinned against the LORD, and be

sure your sin will find you out.

32"We ourselves will cross over armed in

the presence of the LORD into the land

24"Build yourselves cities for your little of Canaan, and the possession of our ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep,

inheritance shall remain with us across

and do what you have promised."

the Jordan."

25

33

The sons of Gad and the sons of

So Moses gave to them, to the sons of

Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, "Your Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to

servants will do just as my lord

the half-tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh,

commands.

the kingdom of Sihon, king of the

Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the

26

king of Bashan, the land with its cities

" Our little ones, our wives, our

with their territories, the cities of the livestock and all our cattle shall remain surrounding land.

there in the cities of Gilead;

34

27

The sons of Gad built Dibon and

while your servants, everyone who is

Ataroth and Aroer,

armed for war, will cross over in the

presence of the LORD to battle, just as 35

my lord says."

and Atroth-shophan and Jazer and

Jogbehah,

28So Moses gave command concerning

them to Eleazar the priest, and to

36and Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran as Passover the sons of Israel started out fortified cities, and sheepfolds for sheep.

boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

37The sons of Reuben built Heshbon

4while the Egyptians were burying all

and Elealeh and Kiriathaim,

their firstborn whom the LORD had

struck down among them. The LORD

38and Nebo and Baal-meon--their

had also executed judgments on their

names being changed--and Sibmah,

gods.

and they gave other names to the cities

which they built.

5Then the sons of Israel journeyed from

Rameses and camped in Succoth.

39The sons of Machir the son of

Manasseh went to Gilead and took it,

6They journeyed from Succoth and

and dispossessed the Amorites who

camped in Etham, which is on the edge

were in it.

of the wilderness.

40So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the

7They journeyed from Etham and turned

son of Manasseh, and he lived in it.

back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.

41Jair the son of Manasseh went and

took its towns, and called them Havvoth—

8They journeyed from before Hahiroth

jair.

and passed through the midst of the sea

into the wilderness; and they went three

42Nobah went and took Kenath and its

days' journey in the wilderness of Etham

villages, and called it Nobah after his

and camped at Marah.

own name.

9They journeyed from Marah and came

to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve

33These are the journeys of the springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

sons of Israel, by which they came out

from the land of Egypt by their armies, 10They journeyed from Elim and camped

under the leadership of Moses and

by the Red Sea.

Aaron.

11

2Moses recorded their starting places

They journeyed from the Red Sea and

according to their journeys by the

camped in the wilderness of Sin.

command of the LORD, and these are

12

their journeys according to their starting They journeyed from the wilderness of

places.

Sin and camped at Dophkah.

3

13

They journeyed from Rameses in the

They journeyed from Dophkah and

first month, on the fifteenth day of the camped at Alush.

first month; on the next day after the

14They journeyed from Alush and 28They journeyed from Terah and

camped at Rephidim; now it was there

camped at Mithkah.

that the people had no water to drink.

29They journeyed from Mithkah and

15They journeyed from Rephidim and

camped at Hashmonah.

camped in the wilderness of Sinai.

30They journeyed from Hashmonah and

16They journeyed from the wilderness of

camped at Moseroth.

Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

31They journeyed from Moseroth and

17They

journeyed

from

Kibroth—

camped at Bene-jaakan.

hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

32They journeyed from Bene-jaakan and

18They journeyed from Hazeroth and

camped at Hor-haggidgad.

camped at Rithmah.

33They journeyed from Hor-haggidgad

19They journeyed from Rithmah and

and camped at Jotbathah.

camped at Rimmon-perez.

34They journeyed from Jotbathah and

20They journeyed from Rimmon-perez

camped at Abronah.

and camped at Libnah.

35They journeyed from Abronah and

21They journeyed from Libnah and

camped at Ezion-geber.

camped at Rissah.

36They journeyed from Ezion-geber and

22They journeyed from Rissah and

camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is,

camped in Kehelathah.

Kadesh.

23They journeyed from Kehelathah and

37They journeyed from Kadesh and

camped at Mount Shepher.

camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the

land of Edom.

24They journeyed from Mount Shepher

and camped at Haradah.

38Then Aaron the priest went up to

Mount Hor at the command of the LORD,

25They journeyed from Haradah and

and died there in the fortieth year after camped at Makheloth.

the sons of Israel had come from the

land of Egypt, on the first day in the fifth

26

month.

They journeyed from Makheloth and

camped at Tahath.

39Aaron was one hundred twenty-three

27

years old when he died on Mount Hor.

They journeyed from Tahath and

camped at Terah.

40Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad 52then you shall drive out all the who lived in the Negev in the land of

inhabitants of the land from before you, Canaan, heard of the coming of the

and destroy all their figured stones, and

sons of Israel.

destroy all their molten images and

demolish all their high places;

41Then they journeyed from Mount Hor

and camped at Zalmonah.

53and you shall take possession of the

land and live in it, for I have given the 42They journeyed from Zalmonah and

land to you to possess it.

camped at Punon.

54' You shall inherit the land by lot

43They journeyed from Punon and

according to your families; to the larger camped at Oboth.

you shall give more inheritance, and to

the

smaller

you

shall

give

less

44

inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to

They journeyed from Oboth and

anyone, that shall be his. You shall

camped at Iyeabarim, at the border of

inherit according to the tribes of your

Moab.

fathers.

45They journeyed from Iyim and camped

55'But if you do not drive out the

at Dibon-gad.

inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those

46They journeyed from Dibon-gad and

whom you let remain of them will

camped at Almon-diblathaim.

become as pricks in your eyes and as

thorns in your sides, and they will

47They journeyed from Almon-diblathaim

trouble you in the land in which you live.

and camped in the mountains of Abarim,

before Nebo.

56'And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'"

48They journeyed from the mountains of

Abarim and camped in the plains of

Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

34Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

49

saying,

They camped by the Jordan, from

Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in

2

the plains of Moab.

"Command the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of

50

Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to

Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the

you as an inheritance, even the land of plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite

Canaan according to its borders.

Jericho, saying,

3

51

' Your southern sector shall extend

"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to

from the wilderness of Zin along the side

them, ' When you cross over the Jordan

of Edom, and your southern border shall

into the land of Canaan,

extend from the end of the Salt Sea the Salt Sea. This shall be your land eastward.

according to its borders all around.'"

4'Then your border shall turn direction

13So Moses commanded the sons of

from the south to the ascent of

Israel, saying, " This is the land that you Akrabbim and continue to Zin, and its

are to apportion by lot among you as a termination shall be to the south of

possession, which the LORD has

Kadesh-barnea; and it shall reach

commanded to give to the nine and a

Hazaraddar and continue to Azmon.

half tribes.

5'The border shall turn direction from

14" For the tribe of the sons of Reuben Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its have received theirs according to their

termination shall be at the sea.

fathers' households, and the tribe of the

sons of Gad according to their fathers'

6'As for the western border, you shall

households,

and

the

half-tribe

of

have the Great Sea, that is, its coastline;

Manasseh

have

received

their

this shall be your west border.

possession.

7

15

' And this shall be your north border:

"The two and a half tribes have

you shall draw your border line from the

received their possession across the

Great Sea to Mount Hor.

Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward

toward the sunrising."

8'You shall draw a line from Mount Hor

16

to the Lebo-hamath, and the termination

Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

of the border shall be at Zedad;

saying,

9

17

and the border shall proceed to Ziphron,

" These are the names of the men who

and its termination shall be at Hazar—

shall apportion the land to you for

enan. This shall be your north border.

inheritance: Eleazar the priest and

Joshua the son of Nun.

10'For your eastern border you shall also

18

draw a line from Hazar-enan to

"You shall take one leader of every Shepham,

tribe to apportion the land for inheritance.

11

19

and the border shall go down from

"These are the names of the men: of Shepham to Riblah on the east side of

the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of

Ain; and the border shall go down and

Jephunneh.

reach to the slope on the east side of the Sea of Chinnereth.

20"Of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud.

12'And the border shall go down to the

Jordan and its termination shall be at

21"Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

22"Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a 4"The pasture lands of the cities which leader, Bukki the son of Jogli.

you shall give to the Levites shall extend

from the wall of the city outward a

23"Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of thousand cubits around.

the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel

the son of Ephod.

5"You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits,

24"Of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a and on the south side two thousand

leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

cubits, and on the west side two

thousand cubits, and on the north side

25

two thousand cubits, with the city in the

"Of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a center. This shall become theirs as

leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

pasture lands for the cities.

26"Of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a 6"The cities which you shall give to the leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer 27"Of the tribe of the sons of Asher a to flee to; and in addition to them you leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

shall give forty-two cities.

28"Of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a 7"All the cities which you shall give to leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."

the Levites shall be forty-eight cities,

together with their pasture lands.

29These are those whom the LORD

commanded to apportion the inheritance

8" As for the cities which you shall give to the sons of Israel in the land of from the possession of the sons of Israel,

Canaan.

you shall take more from the larger and

you shall take less from the smaller;

35

each shall give some of his cities to the

Now the LORD spoke to Moses in

Levites in proportion to his possession

the plains of Moab by the Jordan

which he inherits."

opposite Jericho, saying,

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses,

2"Command the sons of Israel that they

saying,

give to the Levites from the inheritance 10

of their possession cities to live in; and

" Speak to the sons of Israel and say you shall give to the Levites pasture to them, 'When you cross the Jordan

lands around the cities.

into the land of Canaan,

3

11

"The cities shall be theirs to live in; and then you shall select for yourselves

their pasture lands shall be for their

cities to be your cities of refuge, that the

cattle and for their herds and for all their

manslayer who has killed any person

beasts.

unintentionally may flee there.

12' The cities shall be to you as a refuge one who struck him shall surely be put from the avenger, so that the manslayer

to death, he is a murderer; the blood

will not die until he stands before the avenger shall put the murderer to death

congregation for trial.

when he meets him.

13'The cities which you are to give shall

22' But if he pushed him suddenly

be your six cities of refuge.

without enmity, or threw something at

him without lying in wait,

14'You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of

23or with any deadly object of stone, and

Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

without seeing it dropped on him so that

he died, while he was not his enemy nor

15'These six cities shall be for refuge for

seeking his injury,

the sons of Israel, and for the alien and

for the sojourner among them; that

24then the congregation shall judge

anyone

who

kills

a

person

between the slayer and the blood

unintentionally may flee there.

avenger according to these ordinances.

16' But if he struck him down with an iron

25'The congregation shall deliver the

object, so that he died, he is a murderer;

manslayer from the hand of the blood

the murderer shall surely be put to death. avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which 17'If he struck him down with a stone in he fled; and he shall live in it until the the hand, by which he will die, and as a death of the high priest who was

result he died, he is a murderer; the

anointed with the holy oil.

murderer shall surely be put to death.

26'But if the manslayer at any time goes

18'Or if he struck him with a wooden

beyond the border of his city of refuge to

object in the hand, by which he might

which he may flee,

die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be

27and the blood avenger finds him

put to death.

outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the

19'The blood avenger himself shall put

manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood

the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

28because he should have remained in

his city of refuge until the death of the 20' If he pushed him of hatred, or threw high priest. But after the death of the something at him lying in wait and as a high priest the manslayer shall return to result he died,

the land of his possession.

21or if he struck him down with his hand

in enmity, and as a result he died, the

29'These things shall be for a statutory lord was commanded by the LORD to ordinance to you throughout your

give the inheritance of Zelophehad our

generations in all your dwellings.

brother to his daughters.

30' If anyone kills a person, the murderer

3"But if they marry one of the sons of the shall be put to death at the evidence of other tribes of the sons of Israel, their witnesses, but no person shall be put to inheritance will be withdrawn from the

death on the testimony of one witness.

inheritance of our fathers and will be

added to the inheritance of the tribe to 31'Moreover, you shall not take ransom

which they belong; thus it will be

for the life of a murderer who is guilty of

withdrawn from our allotted inheritance.

death, but he shall surely be put to

death.

4"When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be 32'You shall not take ransom for him who

added to the inheritance of the tribe to has fled to his city of refuge, that he may

which they belong; so their inheritance

return to live in the land before the death

will be withdrawn from the inheritance of

of the priest.

the tribe of our fathers."

33

5

' So you shall not pollute the land in Then Moses commanded the sons of

which you are; for blood pollutes the

Israel according to the word of the

land and no expiation can be made for

LORD, saying, "The tribe of the sons of the land for the blood that is shed on it, Joseph are right in their statements.

except by the blood of him who shed it.

6" This is what the LORD has

34'You shall not defile the land in which commanded concerning the daughters

you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for

of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry

I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of whom they wish; only they must marry

the sons of Israel.'"

within the family of the tribe of their father.'

36

7

And the heads of the fathers'

"Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to households of the family of the sons of tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his

Manasseh, of the families of the sons of

fathers.

Joseph, came near and spoke before

Moses and before the leaders, the

8

heads of the fathers' households of the

" Every daughter who comes into

possession of an inheritance of any tribe

sons of Israel,

of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one

2

of the family of the tribe of her father, so

and they said, "The LORD commanded

that the sons of Israel each may

my lord to give the land by lot to the possess the inheritance of his fathers.

sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my

9"Thus

no

inheritance

shall

be

12They married those from the families

transferred from one tribe to another

of the sons of Manasseh the son of

tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel Joseph, and their inheritance remained shall each hold to his own inheritance."

with the tribe of the family of their father.

10Just as the LORD had commanded

13These are the commandments and the

Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad

ordinances

which

the

LORD

did:

commanded to the sons of Israel

through Moses in the plains of Moab by

11Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and

the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad

married their uncles' sons.

Deuteronomy

8'See, I have placed the land before you;

go in and possess the land which the

1These are the words which Moses LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in them and their descendants after them.'

the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite

Suph, between Paran and Tophel and

9

Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab.

"I spoke to you at that time, saying, ' I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.

2It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by

the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. 10'The LORD your God has multiplied 3

you, and behold, you are this day like

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the stars of heaven in number.

the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the

children of Israel, according to all that 11

the LORD had commanded him to give

'May the LORD, the God of your

to them,

fathers, increase you a thousand-fold

more than you are and bless you, just

4

as He has promised you!

after he had defeated Sihon the king of

the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and

12

Og the king of Bashan, who lived in

'How can I alone bear the load and

Ashtaroth and Edrei.

burden of you and your strife?

13

5

' Choose wise and discerning and

Across the Jordan in the land of Moab,

Moses undertook to expound this law,

experienced men from your tribes, and I

saying,

will appoint them as your heads.'

14

6

"You answered me and said, 'The

"The LORD our God spoke to us at

thing which you have said to do is good.'

Horeb, saying, 'You have stayed long

enough at this mountain.

15"So I took the heads of your tribes, 7'Turn and set your journey, and go to wise

and

experienced

men,

and

appointed them heads over you, leaders

the hill country of the Amorites, and to of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the and of tens, and officers for your tribes.

Negev and by the seacoast, the land of

16

the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as

"Then I charged your judges at that the great river, the river Euphrates.

time, saying, 'Hear the cases between

your fellow countrymen, and judge

righteously between a man and his

fellow countryman, or the alien who is 24" They turned and went up into the hill with him.

country, and came to the valley of

Eshcol and spied it out.

17' You shall not show partiality in

judgment; you shall hear the small and

25"Then they took some of the fruit of the the great alike. You shall not fear man, land in their hands and brought it down for the judgment is God's. The case that to us; and they brought us back a report

is too hard for you, you shall bring to me,

and said, 'It is a good land which the and I will hear it.'

LORD our God is about to give us.'

18" I commanded you at that time all the

26" Yet you were not willing to go up, but things that you should do.

rebelled against the command of the

LORD your God;

19"Then we set out from Horeb, and

went through all that great and terrible 27and you grumbled in your tents and

wilderness which you saw on the way to

said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He

the hill country of the Amorites, just as has brought us out of the land of Egypt the LORD our God had commanded us; to deliver us into the hand of the

and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

Amorites to destroy us.

20"I said to you, 'You have come to the 28'Where can we go up? Our brethren hill country of the Amorites which the

have made our hearts melt, saying, "The

LORD our God is about to give us.

people are bigger and taller than we; the

cities are large and fortified to heaven.

21'See, the LORD your God has placed

And besides, we saw the sons of the

the land before you; go up, take

Anakim there."'

possession, as the LORD, the God of

your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not

29"Then I said to you, 'Do not be

fear or be dismayed.'

shocked, nor fear them.

22" Then all of you approached me and 30'The LORD your God who goes before

said, 'Let us send men before us, that

you will Himself fight on your behalf, just

they may search out the land for us, and

as He did for you in Egypt before your bring back to us word of the way by

eyes,

which we should go up and the cities

which we shall enter.'

31and in the wilderness where you saw

how the LORD your God carried you,

23"The thing pleased me and I took

just as a man carries his son, in all the twelve of your men, one man for each way which you have walked until you

tribe.

came to this place.'

32"But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,

33who goes before you on your way, to you girded on his weapons of war, and seek out a place for you to encamp, in regarded it as easy to go up into the hill

fire by night and cloud by day, to show country.

you the way in which you should go.

42" And the LORD said to me, 'Say to 34"Then the LORD heard the sound of them, "Do not go up nor fight, for I am your words, and He was angry and took not among you; otherwise you will be

an oath, saying,

defeated before your enemies."'

35' Not one of these men, this evil

43"So I spoke to you, but you would not

generation, shall see the good land

listen. Instead you rebelled against the

which I swore to give your fathers,

command of the LORD, and acted

presumptuously and went up into the hill

36except Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

country.

he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has

44" The Amorites who lived in that hill set foot, because he has followed the country came out against you and

LORD fully.'

chased you as bees do, and crushed

you from Seir to Hormah.

37" The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, ' Not even you

45"Then you returned and wept before shall enter there.

the LORD; but the LORD did not listen

to your voice nor give ear to you.

38'Joshua the son of Nun, who stands

before you, he shall enter there;

46"So you remained in Kadesh many

encourage him, for he will cause Israel

days, the days that you spent there.

to inherit it.

39'Moreover, your little ones who you

2" Then we turned and set out for the said would become a prey, and your

wilderness by the way to the Red Sea,

sons, who this day have no knowledge

as the LORD spoke to me, and circled

of good or evil, shall enter there, and I Mount Seir for many days.

will give it to them and they shall

possess it.

2"And the LORD spoke to me, saying,

40'But as for you, turn around and set out

3

for the wilderness by the way to the Red

'You have circled this mountain long

Sea.'

enough. Now turn north,

4

41" Then you said to me, 'We have

and command the people, saying, "You

sinned against the LORD; we will indeed

will pass through the territory of your

go up and fight, just as the LORD our

brothers the sons of Esau who live in

God commanded us.' And every man of

Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful;

5do not provoke them, for I will not give did to the land of their possession which you any of their land, even as little as a

the LORD gave to them.)

footstep because I have given Mount

Seir to Esau as a possession.

13'Now arise and cross over the brook

Zered yourselves.' So we crossed over

6"You shall buy food from them with the brook Zered.

money so that you may eat, and you

shall also purchase water from them

14"Now the time that it took for us to with money so that you may drink.

come from Kadesh-barnea until we

crossed over the brook Zered was thirty—

7"For the LORD your God has blessed eight years, until all the generation of you in all that you have done; He has the men of war perished from within the

known your wanderings through this

camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.

great wilderness. These forty years the

LORD your God has been with you; you

15" Moreover the hand of the LORD was

have not lacked a thing."'

against them, to destroy them from

within the camp until they all perished.

8"So we passed beyond our brothers the

sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away

16"So it came about when all the men of

from the Arabah road, away from Elath

war had finally perished from among the

and from Ezion-geber. And we turned

people,

and passed through by the way of the

wilderness of Moab.

17that the LORD spoke to me, saying,

9"Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not 18'Today you shall cross over Ar, the

harass Moab, nor provoke them to war,

border of Moab.

for I will not give you any of their land as

a possession, because I have given Ar

19

to the sons of Lot as a possession.

'When you come opposite the sons of

Ammon, do not harass them nor

10

provoke them, for I will not give you any

(The Emim lived there formerly, a

of the land of the sons of Ammon as a people as great, numerous, and tall as

possession, because I have given it to

the Anakim.

the sons of Lot as a possession.'

11Like the Anakim, they are also

20(It is also regarded as the land of the regarded as Rephaim, but the Moabites

Rephaim, for Rephaim formerly lived in

call them Emim.

it, but the Ammonites call them

Zamzummin,

12The Horites formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them

21a people as great, numerous, and tall

and destroyed them from before them

as the Anakim, but the LORD destroyed

and settled in their place, just as Israel them

before

them.

And

they

dispossessed them and settled in their for me, until I cross over the Jordan into place,

the land which the LORD our God is

giving to us.'

22just as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the

30"But Sihon king of Heshbon was not Horites

from

before

them;

they

willing for us to pass through his land; dispossessed them and settled in their

for the LORD your God hardened his

place even to this day.

spirit and made his heart obstinate, in

order to deliver him into your hand, as 23And the Avvim, who lived in villages as

he is today.

far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came

from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived

31"The LORD said to me, 'See, I have in their place.)

begun to deliver Sihon and his land over

to you. Begin to occupy, that you may

24'Arise, set out, and pass through the

possess his land.'

valley of Arnon. Look! I have given

Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and

32"Then Sihon with all his people came his land into your hand; begin to take out to meet us in battle at Jahaz.

possession and contend with him in

battle.

33" The LORD our God delivered him

over to us, and we defeated him with his

25'This day I will begin to put the dread sons and all his people.

and fear of you upon the peoples

everywhere under the heavens, who,

34"So we captured all his cities at that when they hear the report of you, will time and utterly destroyed the men,

tremble and be in anguish because of

women and children of every city. We

you.'

left no survivor.

26" So I sent messengers from the

35"We took only the animals as our

wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of

booty and the spoil of the cities which Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

we had captured.

27'Let me pass through your land, I will 36"From Aroer which is on the edge of travel only on the highway; I will not turn the valley of Arnon and from the city

aside to the right or to the left.

which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for 28'You will sell me food for money so us; the LORD our God delivered all over

that I may eat, and give me water for

to us.

money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot,

37" Only you did not go near to the land

of the sons of Ammon, all along the river

29just as the sons of Esau who live in Jabbok and the cities of the hill country,

Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did

and wherever the LORD our God had from the valley of Arnon to Mount commanded us.

Hermon

9

3

(Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the

" Then we turned and went up the

Amorites call it Senir):

road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan,

10

with all his people came out to meet us all the cities of the plateau and all

in battle at Edrei.

Gilead and all Bashan, as far as

Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom

2"But the LORD said to me, 'Do not fear

of Og in Bashan.

him, for I have delivered him and all his

11

people and his land into your hand; and

(For only Og king of Bashan was left of

you shall do to him just as you did to the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his

Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at

bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Heshbon.'

Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its

length was nine cubits and its width four

3"So the LORD our God delivered Og

cubits by ordinary cubit.)

also, king of Bashan, with all his people

12

into our hand, and we smote them until

"So we took possession of this land at

no survivor was left.

that time. From Aroer, which is by the

valley of Arnon, and half the hill country

4"We captured all his cities at that time; of Gilead and its cities I gave to the there was not a city which we did not Reubenites and to the Gadites.

take from them: sixty cities, all the

13

region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in

"The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the

Bashan.

kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of

Manasseh, all the region of Argob

5

(concerning all Bashan, it is called the

"All these were cities fortified with high land of Rephaim.

walls, gates and bars, besides a great

many unwalled towns.

14Jair the son of Manasseh took all the 6"We utterly destroyed them, as we did region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly

and called it, that is, Bashan, after his destroying

the

men,

women

and

children of every city.

own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day.)

7" But all the animals and the spoil of the 15" To Machir I gave Gilead.

cities we took as our booty.

16

8" Thus we took the land at that time

"To the Reubenites and to the Gadites

from the hand of the two kings of the

I gave from Gilead even as far as the

Amorites who were beyond the Jordan,

valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley

as a border and as far as the river

Jabbok, the border of the sons of Your strong hand; for what god is there Ammon; in heaven or on earth who can do such

works and mighty acts as Yours?

17the Arabah also, with the Jordan as a

border, from Chinnereth even as far as

25'Let me, I pray, cross over and see the

the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, at fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that the foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the good hill country and Lebanon.'

east.

26"But the LORD was angry with me on

18"Then I commanded you at that time, your account, and would not listen to me;

saying, ' The LORD your God has given

and the LORD said to me, 'Enough!

you this land to possess it; all you

Speak to Me no more of this matter.

valiant men shall cross over armed

before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

27'Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up

your eyes to the west and north and

19' But your wives and your little ones south and east, and see it with your

and your livestock (I know that you have

eyes, for you shall not cross over this much livestock) shall remain in your

Jordan.

cities which I have given you,

28' But charge Joshua and encourage

20until the LORD gives rest to your

him and strengthen him, for he shall go fellow countrymen as to you, and they

across at the head of this people, and

also possess the land which the LORD

he will give them as an inheritance the your God will give them beyond the

land which you will see.'

Jordan. Then you may return every man

to his possession which I have given

29"So we remained in the valley opposite

you.'

Beth-peor.

21"I commanded Joshua at that time,

saying, 'Your eyes have seen all that the

4"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the and the judgments which I am teaching

kingdoms into which you are about to

you to perform, so that you may live and

cross.

go in and take possession of the land

which the LORD, the God of your

22

fathers, is giving you.

'Do not fear them, for the LORD your

God is the one fighting for you.'

2" You shall not add to the word which I

23

am commanding you, nor take away

"I also pleaded with the LORD at that from it, that you may keep the

time, saying,

commandments of the LORD your God

which I command you.

24'O Lord GOD, You have begun to

show Your servant Your greatness and

3" Your eyes have seen what the LORD

to Me, that I may let them hear My

has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all

words so they may learn to fear Me all the men who followed Baal-peor, the

the days they live on the earth, and that

LORD your God has destroyed them

they may teach their children.'

from among you.

11"You came near and stood at the foot

4"But you who held fast to the LORD

of the mountain, and the mountain

your God are alive today, every one of

burned with fire to the very heart of the you.

heavens: darkness, cloud and thick

gloom.

5"See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God

12"Then the LORD spoke to you from the

commanded me, that you should do

midst of the fire; you heard the sound of

thus in the land where you are entering words, but you saw no form--only a

to possess it.

voice.

6"So keep and do them, for that is your

13"So He declared to you His covenant wisdom and your understanding in the

which He commanded you to perform,

sight of the peoples who will hear all

that is, the Ten Commandments; and

these statutes and say, 'Surely this great

He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

nation is a wise and understanding

people.'

14"The LORD commanded me at that

time

to

teach

you

statutes

and

7"For what great nation is there that has judgments, that you might perform them

a god so near to it as is the LORD our in the land where you are going over to God whenever we call on Him?

possess it.

8"Or what great nation is there that has 15"So watch yourselves carefully, since statutes and judgments as righteous as you did not see any form on the day the

this whole law which I am setting before

LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the

you today?

midst of the fire,

9"Only give heed to yourself and keep 16so that you do not act corruptly and your soul diligently, so that you do not make a graven image for yourselves in

forget the things which your eyes have

the form of any figure, the likeness of seen and they do not depart from your

male or female,

heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your

17the likeness of any animal that is on grandsons.

the earth, the likeness of any winged

bird that flies in the sky,

10"Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the

LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people

18the likeness of anything that creeps on the sight of the LORD your God so as to the ground, the likeness of any fish that

provoke Him to anger,

is in the water below the earth.

26I call heaven and earth to witness

19"And beware not to lift up your eyes to against you today, that you will surely

heaven and see the sun and the moon

perish quickly from the land where you

and the stars, all the host of heaven,

are going over the Jordan to possess it.

and be drawn away and worship them

You shall not live long on it, but will be and serve them, those which the LORD

utterly destroyed.

your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

27"The LORD will scatter you among the

peoples, and you will be left few in

20"But the LORD has taken you and

number among the nations where the

brought you out of the iron furnace, from

LORD drives you.

Egypt, to be a people for His own

possession, as today.

28" There you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which

21" Now the LORD was angry with me neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

on your account, and swore that I would

not cross the Jordan, and that I would

29" But from there you will seek the not enter the good land which the LORD

LORD your God, and you will find Him if

your God is giving you as an inheritance. you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

22"For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross 30"When you are in distress and all and take possession of this good land.

these things have come upon you, in the

latter days you will return to the LORD

23"So watch yourselves, that you do not

your God and listen to His voice.

forget the covenant of the LORD your

God which He made with you, and make

31"For the LORD your God is a

for yourselves a graven image in the

compassionate God; He will not fail you

form of anything against which the

nor destroy you nor forget the covenant

LORD your God has commanded you.

with your fathers which He swore to

them.

24"For the LORD your God is a

consuming fire, a jealous God.

32"Indeed, ask now concerning the

former days which were before you,

25"When you become the father of

since the day that God created man on

children and children's children and

the earth, and inquire from one end of

have remained long in the land, and act

the heavens to the other. Has anything

corruptly, and make an idol in the form been done like this great thing, or has of anything, and do that which is evil in anything been heard like it?

33" Has any people heard the voice of the LORD your God is giving you for all God speaking from the midst of the fire,

time."

as you have heard it, and survived?

41Then Moses set apart three cities

34" Or has a god tried to go to take for across the Jordan to the east,

himself a nation from within another

nation by trials, by signs and wonders

42that a manslayer might flee there, who

and by war and by a mighty hand and

unintentionally slew his neighbor without

by an outstretched arm and by great

having enmity toward him in time past;

terrors, as the LORD your God did for

and by fleeing to one of these cities he you in Egypt before your eyes?

might live:

35"To you it was shown that you might 43Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau

know that the LORD, He is God; there is

for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in

no other besides Him.

Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in

Bashan for the Manassites.

36" Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth

44Now this is the law which Moses set

He let you see His great fire, and you before the sons of Israel;

heard His words from the midst of the

fire.

45these are the testimonies and the

statutes and the ordinances which

37" Because He loved your fathers,

Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when

therefore He chose their descendants

they came out from Egypt,

after them. And He personally brought

you from Egypt by His great power,

46across the Jordan, in the valley

opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon

38driving out from before you nations

king of the Amorites who lived at

greater and mightier than you, to bring

Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of

you in and to give you their land for an Israel defeated when they came out

inheritance, as it is today.

from Egypt.

39"Know therefore today, and take it to 47They took possession of his land and your heart, that the LORD, He is God in

the land of Og king of Bashan, the two heaven above and on the earth below;

kings of the Amorites, who were across

there is no other.

the Jordan to the east,

40" So you shall keep His statutes and 48from Aroer, which is on the edge of the

His commandments which I am giving

valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount

you today, that it may go well with you Sion (that is, Hermon),

and with your children after you, and

that you may live long on the land which

49with all the Arabah across the Jordan

to the east, even as far as the sea of the

Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of and the fourth generations of those who Pisgah.

hate Me,

10

5

but

showing

lovingkindness

to

Then Moses summoned all Israel

thousands, to those who love Me and

and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the keep My commandments.

statutes and the ordinances which I am

11

speaking today in your hearing, that you

' You shall not take the name of the

may learn them and observe them

LORD your God in vain, for the LORD

carefully.

will not leave him unpunished who takes

His name in vain.

2"The LORD our God made a covenant

12

with us at Horeb.

' Observe the sabbath day to keep it

holy,

as

the

LORD

your

God

3" The LORD did not make this covenant

commanded you.

with our fathers, but with us, with all 13

those of us alive here today.

'Six days you shall labor and do all

your work,

4"The LORD spoke to you face to face 14

at the mountain from the midst of the fire,

but the seventh day is a sabbath of the

LORD your God; in it you shall not do

5while I was standing between the

any work, you or your son or your

daughter or your male servant or your

LORD and you at that time, to declare to

female servant or your ox or your

you the word of the LORD; for you were

afraid because of the fire and did not go

donkey or any of your cattle or your

up the mountain. He said,

sojourner who stays with you, so that

your male servant and your female

servant may rest as well as you.

6' I am the LORD your God who brought

you out of the land of Egypt, out of the 15

house of slavery.

' You shall remember that you were a

slave in the land of Egypt, and the

7

LORD your God brought you out of

' You shall have no other gods before

there by a mighty hand and by an

Me.

outstretched arm; therefore the LORD

your God commanded you to observe

8' You shall not make for yourself an idol,

the sabbath day.

or any likeness of what is in heaven

above or on the earth beneath or in the

16' Honor your father and your mother,

water under the earth.

as the LORD your God has commanded

you, that your days may be prolonged

9'You shall not worship them or serve

and that it may go well with you on the them; for I, the LORD your God, am a

land which the LORD your God gives

jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the you.

fathers on the children, and on the third

17' You shall not murder.

speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

18' You shall not commit adultery.

27'Go near and hear all that the LORD

19' You shall not steal.

our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and

20

we will hear and do it.'

' You shall not bear false witness

against your neighbor.

28"The LORD heard the voice of your 21

words when you spoke to me, and the

' You shall not covet your neighbor's

LORD said to me, 'I have heard the

wife, and you shall not desire your

voice of the words of this people which neighbor's house, his field or his male

they have spoken to you. They have

servant or his female servant, his ox or done well in all that they have spoken.

his donkey or anything that belongs to

your neighbor.'

29' Oh that they had such a heart in them,

22

that they would fear Me and keep all My

"These words the LORD spoke to all

commandments always, that it may be

your assembly at the mountain from the

well with them and with their sons

midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the

forever!

thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two

30

tablets of stone and gave them to me.

'Go, say to them, "Return to your

tents."

23"And when you heard the voice from 31

the midst of the darkness, while the

' But as for you, stand here by Me, that

mountain was burning with fire, you

I

may

speak

to

you

all

the

came near to me, all the heads of your commandments and the statutes and

tribes and your elders.

the judgments which you shall teach

them, that they may observe them in the

24

land which I give them to possess.'

"You said, 'Behold, the LORD our God

has shown us His glory and His

32

greatness, and we have heard His voice

"So you shall observe to do just as the

from the midst of the fire; we have seen

LORD your God has commanded you;

today that God speaks with man, yet he

you shall not turn aside to the right or to

lives.

the left.

25

33

' Now then why should we die? For

" You shall walk in all the way which this great fire will consume us; if we the LORD your God has commanded

hear the voice of the LORD our God any

you, that you may live and that it may be

longer, then we will die.

well with you, and that you may prolong

your days in the land which you will

26

possess.

'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God

9

6

" You shall write them on the doorposts

"Now this is the commandment, the

of your house and on your gates.

statutes and the judgments which the

10

LORD your God has commanded me to

"Then it shall come about when the

teach you, that you might do them in the

LORD your God brings you into the land

land where you are going over to

which He swore to your fathers,

possess it,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you,

great and splendid cities which you did

2

not build,

so that you and your son and your

grandson might fear the LORD your

11

God, to keep all His statutes and His

and houses full of all good things

commandments which I command you,

which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns

all the days of your life, and that your which you did not dig, vineyards and

days may be prolonged.

olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,

3"O Israel, you should listen and be 12

careful to do it, that it may be well with then watch yourself, that you do not you and that you may multiply greatly,

forget the LORD who brought you from

just as the LORD, the God of your

the land of Egypt, out of the house of fathers, has promised you, in a land

slavery.

flowing with milk and honey.

13" You shall fear only the LORD your 4" Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, God; and you shall worship Him and

the LORD is one!

swear by His name.

5

14

" You shall love the LORD your God

" You shall not follow other gods, any with all your heart and with all your soul of the gods of the peoples who surround

and with all your might.

you,

6

15

"

These

words,

which

I

am

for the LORD your God in the midst of

commanding you today, shall be on your

you is a jealous God; otherwise the

heart.

anger of the LORD your God will be

kindled against you, and He will wipe

7

you off the face of the earth.

" You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit

16

in your house and when you walk by the

" You shall not put the LORD your God

way and when you lie down and when

to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

you rise up.

17" You should diligently keep the

8" You shall bind them as a sign on your

commandments of the LORD your God,

hand and they shall be as frontals on

and His testimonies and His statutes

your forehead.

which He has commanded you.

18"You shall do what is right and good in nations before you, the Hittites and the the sight of the LORD, that it may be Girgashites and the Amorites and the

well with you and that you may go in

Canaanites and the Perizzites and the

and possess the good land which the

Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations

LORD swore to give your fathers,

greater and stronger than you,

19by driving out all your enemies from

2and when the LORD your God delivers

before you, as the LORD has spoken.

them before you and you defeat them,

then you shall utterly destroy them. You

20" When your son asks you in time to shall make no covenant with them and

come, saying, 'What do the testimonies

show no favor to them.

and the statutes and the judgments

mean which the LORD our God

3"Furthermore, you shall not intermarry commanded you?'

with them; you shall not give your

daughters to their sons, nor shall you

21then you shall say to your son, 'We

take their daughters for your sons.

were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and

the LORD brought us from Egypt with a

4"For they will turn your sons away from

mighty hand.

following Me to serve other gods; then

the anger of the LORD will be kindled

22'Moreover, the LORD showed great

against you and He will quickly destroy

and distressing signs and wonders

you.

before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh

and all his household;

5"But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash 23He brought us out from there in order

their sacred pillars, and hew down their to bring us in, to give us the land which

Asherim, and burn their graven images

He had sworn to our fathers.'

with fire.

24

6

"So the LORD commanded us to

"For you are a holy people to the LORD

observe all these statutes, to fear the

your God; the LORD your God has

LORD our God for our good always and

chosen you to be a people for His own

for our survival, as it is today.

possession out of all the peoples who

are on the face of the earth.

25" It will be righteousness for us if we 7

are

careful

to

observe

all

this

" The LORD did not set His love on you

commandment before the LORD our

nor choose you because you were more

God, just as He commanded us.

in number than any of the peoples, for

you were the fewest of all peoples,

7

8

" When the LORD your God brings

but because the LORD loved you and

kept the oath which He swore to your

you into the land where you are entering

forefathers, the LORD brought you out

to possess it, and clears away many

by a mighty hand and redeemed you of the harmful diseases of Egypt which from the house of slavery, from the hand

you have known, but He will lay them on

of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

all who hate you.

9"Know therefore that the LORD your

16"You shall consume all the peoples God, He is God, the faithful God, who

whom the LORD your God will deliver to

keeps

His

covenant

and

His

you; your eye shall not pity them, nor

lovingkindness

to

a

thousandth

shall you serve their gods, for that would

generation with those who love Him and

be a snare to you.

keep His commandments;

17"If you should say in your heart, 'These 10but repays those who hate Him to their

nations are greater than I; how can I

faces, to destroy them; He will not delay

dispossess them?'

with him who hates Him, He will repay

him to his face.

18you shall not be afraid of them; you

shall well remember what the LORD

11"Therefore, you shall keep the

your God did to Pharaoh and to all

commandment and the statutes and the

Egypt:

judgments which I am commanding you

today, to do them.

19the great trials which your eyes saw

and the signs and the wonders and the

12" Then it shall come about, because mighty hand and the outstretched arm

you listen to these judgments and keep

by which the LORD your God brought

and do them, that the LORD your God

you out. So shall the LORD your God do

will keep with you His covenant and His

to all the peoples of whom you are

lovingkindness which He swore to your

afraid.

forefathers.

20"Moreover, the LORD your God will

13"He will love you and bless you and send the hornet against them, until

multiply you; He will also bless the fruit those who are left and hide themselves of your womb and the fruit of your

from you perish.

ground, your grain and your new wine

and your oil, the increase of your herd 21"You shall not dread them, for the and the young of your flock, in the land LORD your God is in your midst, a great which He swore to your forefathers to

and awesome God.

give you.

22" The LORD your God will clear away

14"You shall be blessed above all

these nations before you little by little; peoples; there will be no male or female

you will not be able to put an end to barren among you or among your cattle.

them quickly, for the wild beasts would

grow too numerous for you.

15" The LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any

23" But the LORD your God will deliver man does not live by bread alone, but them before you, and will throw them

man lives by everything that proceeds

into great confusion until they are

out of the mouth of the LORD.

destroyed.

4" Your clothing did not wear out on you, 24" He will deliver their kings into your nor did your foot swell these forty years.

hand so that you will make their name

perish from under heaven; no man will

5" Thus you are to know in your heart be able to stand before you until you that

the

LORD

your

God

was

have destroyed them.

disciplining you just as a man disciplines

his son.

25"The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you shall not covet

6"Therefore, you shall keep the

the silver or the gold that is on them, nor

commandments of the LORD your God,

take it for yourselves, or you will be

to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

snared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.

7"For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of

26"You shall not bring an abomination water, of fountains and springs, flowing

into your house, and like it come under forth in valleys and hills;

the ban; you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is

8a land of wheat and barley, of vines

something banned.

and fig trees and pomegranates, a land

of olive oil and honey;

8"All the commandments that I am 9a land where you will eat food without commanding you today you shall be scarcity, in which you will not lack

careful to do, that you may live and

anything; a land whose stones are iron,

multiply, and go in and possess the land

and out of whose hills you can dig

which the LORD swore to give to your

copper.

forefathers.

10"When you have eaten and are

2" You shall remember all the way which

satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your

the LORD your God has led you in the

God for the good land which He has

wilderness these forty years, that He

given you.

might humble you, testing you, to know

what was in your heart, whether you

11"Beware that you do not forget the would keep His commandments or not.

LORD your God by not keeping His

commandments and His ordinances and

3"He humbled you and let you be hungry,

His statutes which I am commanding

and fed you with manna which you did

you today;

not know, nor did your fathers know,

that He might make you understand that

12otherwise, when you have eaten and because you would not listen to the are satisfied, and have built good

voice of the LORD your God.

houses and lived in them,

13and when your herds and your flocks

9"Hear, O Israel! You are crossing multiply, and your silver and gold

over the Jordan today to go in to

multiply, and all that you have multiplies,

dispossess nations greater and mightier

than you, great cities fortified to heaven,

14then your heart will become proud and

you will forget the LORD your God who

2a people great and tall, the sons of the

brought you out from the land of Egypt, Anakim, whom you know and of whom

out of the house of slavery.

you have heard it said, ' Who can stand

before the sons of Anak?'

15"He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents

3"Know therefore today that it is the and scorpions and thirsty ground where

LORD your God who is crossing over

there was no water; He brought water

before you as a consuming fire. He will for you out of the rock of flint.

destroy them and He will subdue them

before you, so that you may drive them

16"In the wilderness He fed you manna out and destroy them quickly, just as the

which your fathers did not know, that He

LORD has spoken to you.

might humble you and that He might test

you, to do good for you in the end.

4" Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out

17"Otherwise, you may say in your heart,

before

you,

'Because

of

my

'My power and the strength of my hand

righteousness the LORD has brought

made me this wealth.'

me in to possess this land,' but it is because of the wickedness of these

18"But you shall remember the LORD

nations that the LORD is dispossessing

your God, for it is He who is giving you them before you.

power to make wealth, that He may

confirm His covenant which He swore to

5"It is not for your righteousness or for your fathers, as it is this day.

the uprightness of your heart that you

are going to possess their land, but it is

19"It shall come about if you ever forget because of the wickedness of these

the LORD your God and go after other

nations that the LORD your God is

gods and serve them and worship them,

driving them out before you, in order to I testify against you today that you will confirm the oath which the LORD swore surely perish.

to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and

Jacob.

20"Like the nations that the LORD makes

6

to perish before you, so you shall perish;

"Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God

is giving you this good land to possess, 13"The LORD spoke further to me, for you are a stubborn people.

saying, 'I have seen this people, and

indeed, it is a stubborn people.

7"Remember, do not forget how you

provoked the LORD your God to wrath

14' Let Me alone, that I may destroy them

in the wilderness; from the day that you

and blot out their name from under

left the land of Egypt until you arrived at

heaven; and I will make of you a nation

this place, you have been rebellious

mightier and greater than they.'

against the LORD.

15" So I turned and came down from the

8"Even at Horeb you provoked the

mountain while the mountain was

LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so

burning with fire, and the two tablets of angry with you that He would have

the covenant were in my two hands.

destroyed you.

16"And I saw that you had indeed sinned

9"When I went up to the mountain to against the LORD your God. You had

receive the tablets of stone, the tablets made for yourselves a molten calf; you

of the covenant which the LORD had

had turned aside quickly from the way

made with you, then I remained on the

which the LORD had commanded you.

mountain forty days and nights; I neither

ate bread nor drank water.

17"I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands and

10"The LORD gave me the two tablets of

smashed them before your eyes.

stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the

18" I fell down before the LORD, as at LORD had spoken with you at the

the first, forty days and nights; I neither mountain from the midst of the fire on ate bread nor drank water, because of

the day of the assembly.

all your sin which you had committed in

doing what was evil in the sight of the 11"It came about at the end of forty days LORD to provoke Him to anger.

and nights that the LORD gave me the

two tablets of stone, the tablets of the 19"For I was afraid of the anger and hot

covenant.

displeasure with which the LORD was

wrathful against you in order to destroy 12" Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, go

you, but the LORD listened to me that

down from here quickly, for your people

time also.

whom you brought out of Egypt have

acted corruptly. They have quickly

20"The LORD was angry enough with

turned aside from the way which I

Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed

commanded them; they have made a

for Aaron at the same time.

molten image for themselves.'

21" I took your sinful thing, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small brought them out to slay them in the until it was as fine as dust; and I threw wilderness."

its dust into the brook that came down

from the mountain.

29'Yet they are Your people, even Your

inheritance, whom You have brought out

22"Again at Taberah and at Massah and

by

Your

great

power

and

Your

at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the

outstretched arm.'

LORD to wrath.

23"When the LORD sent you from

10"At that time the LORD said to me, Kadesh-barnea, saying, ' Go up and

' Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone

possess the land which I have given

like the former ones, and come up to Me

you,' then you rebelled against the

on the mountain, and make an ark of

command of the LORD your God; you

wood for yourself.

neither believed Him nor listened to His voice.

2' I will write on the tablets the words 24

that were on the former tablets which

" You have been rebellious against the

you shattered, and you shall put them in

LORD from the day I knew you.

the ark.'

25" So I fell down before the LORD the 3"So I made an ark of acacia wood and forty days and nights, which I did

cut out two tablets of stone like the

because the LORD had said He would

former ones, and went up on the

destroy you.

mountain with the two tablets in my

hand.

26" I prayed to the LORD and said, 'O

Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people,

4"He wrote on the tablets, like the former even Your inheritance, whom You have

writing, the Ten Commandments which

redeemed through Your greatness,

the LORD had spoken to you on the

whom You have brought out of Egypt

mountain from the midst of the fire on

with a mighty hand.

the day of the assembly; and the LORD

gave them to me.

27'Remember Your servants, Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob; do not look at the

5"Then I turned and came down from the

stubbornness of this people or at their

mountain and put the tablets in the ark wickedness or their sin.

which I had made; and there they are,

as the LORD commanded me."

28'Otherwise the land from which You

brought us may say, " Because the

6(Now the sons of Israel set out from

LORD was not able to bring them into

Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There

the land which He had promised them

Aaron died and there he was buried and

and because He hated them He has

Eleazar his son ministered as priest in

his place.

7From there they set out to Gudgodah, 15" Yet on your fathers did the LORD set and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land

His affection to love them, and He chose

of brooks of water.

their descendants after them, even you

above all peoples, as it is this day.

8At that time the LORD set apart the

tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the

16" So circumcise your heart, and stiffen covenant of the LORD, to stand before

your neck no longer.

the LORD to serve Him and to bless in

His name until this day.

17" For the LORD your God is the God of

gods and the Lord of lords, the great,

9Therefore, Levi does not have a portion

the mighty, and the awesome God who

or inheritance with his brothers; the

does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

LORD is his inheritance, just as the

LORD your God spoke to him.)

18"He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for

10" I, moreover, stayed on the mountain

the alien by giving him food and clothing.

forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the LORD listened to me that

19" So show your love for the alien, for time also; the LORD was not willing to you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

destroy you.

20"You shall fear the LORD your God; 11"Then the LORD said to me, 'Arise, you shall serve Him and cling to Him, proceed on your journey ahead of the

and you shall swear by His name.

people, that they may go in and possess

the land which I swore to their fathers to

21"He is your praise and He is your God,

give them.'

who has done

these great and

awesome things for you which your

12" Now, Israel, what does the LORD

eyes have seen.

your God require from you, but to fear

the LORD your God, to walk in all His

22" Your fathers went down to Egypt ways and love Him, and to serve the

seventy persons in all, and now the

LORD your God with all your heart and

LORD your God has made you as

with all your soul,

numerous as the stars of heaven.

13and

to

keep

the

LORD'S

commandments and His statutes which I

11"You shall therefore love the am commanding you today for your

good?

LORD your God, and always keep His

charge, His statutes, His ordinances,

14"Behold, to the LORD your God belong

and His commandments.

heaven and the highest heavens, the

2

earth and all that is in it.

"Know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and

who have not seen the discipline of the

LORD your God--His greatness, His water it with your foot like a vegetable mighty hand and His outstretched arm, garden.

3and His signs and His works which He

11"But the land into which you are about

did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the

to cross to possess it, a land of hills and

king of Egypt and to all his land;

valleys, drinks water from the rain of

heaven,

4and what He did to Egypt's army, to its

horses and its chariots, when He made

12a land for which the LORD your God

the water of the Red Sea to engulf them

cares; the eyes of the LORD your God

while they were pursuing you, and the

are always on it, from the beginning

LORD completely destroyed them;

even to the end of the year.

5and what He did to you in the

13"It shall come about, if you listen wilderness until you came to this place;

obediently to my commandments which

I am commanding you today, to love the

6and what He did to Dathan and Abiram,

LORD your God and to serve Him with

the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben,

all your heart and all your soul,

when the earth opened its mouth and

swallowed them, their households, their

14that He will give the rain for your land

tents, and every living thing that

in its season, the early and late rain, that

followed them, among all Israel--

you may gather in your grain and your

new wine and your oil.

7but your own eyes have seen all the

great work of the LORD which He did.

15" He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be 8"You shall therefore keep every

satisfied.

commandment which I am commanding

you today, so that you may be strong

16" Beware that your hearts are not and go in and possess the land into

deceived, and that you do not turn away

which you are about to cross to possess

and serve other gods and worship them.

it;

17"Or the anger of the LORD will be 9so that you may prolong your days on

kindled against you, and He will shut up

the land which the LORD swore to your

the heavens so that there will be no rain

fathers to give to them and to their

and the ground will not yield its fruit; and

descendants, a land flowing with milk

you will perish quickly from the good

and honey.

land which the LORD is giving you.

10"For the land, into which you are 18" You shall therefore impress these entering to possess it, is not like the words of mine on your heart and on your land of Egypt from which you came,

soul; and you shall bind them as a sign where you used to sow your seed and

on your hand, and they shall be as 26" See, I am setting before you today a frontals on your forehead.

blessing and a curse:

19" You shall teach them to your sons, 27the blessing, if you listen to the

talking of them when you sit in your

commandments of the LORD your God,

house and when you walk along the

which I am commanding you today;

road and when you lie down and when

you rise up.

28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your

20" You shall write them on the

God, but turn aside from the way which I

doorposts of your house and on your

am commanding you today, by following

gates,

other gods which you have not known.

21so that your days and the days of your

29"It shall come about, when the LORD

sons may be multiplied on the land

your God brings you into the land where

which the LORD swore to your fathers

you are entering to possess it, that you to give them, as long as the heavens

shall place the blessing on Mount

remain above the earth.

Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

22"For if you are careful to keep all this 30"Are they not across the Jordan, west commandment which I am commanding of the way toward the sunset, in the land

you to do, to love the LORD your God,

of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah,

to walk in all His ways and hold fast to opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of

Him,

Moreh?

23then the LORD will drive out all these 31"For you are about to cross the Jordan

nations from before you, and you will

to go in to possess the land which the dispossess nations greater and mightier

LORD your God is giving you, and you

than you.

shall possess it and live in it,

24" Every place on which the sole of your 32and you shall be careful to do all the foot treads shall be yours; your border statutes and the judgments which I am

will be from the wilderness to Lebanon,

setting before you today.

and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea.

12"These are the statutes and the 25" No man will be able to stand before judgments which you shall carefully you; the LORD your God will lay the

observe in the land which the LORD, the

dread of you and the fear of you on all God of your fathers, has given you to

the land on which you set foot, as He

possess as long as you live on the earth.

has spoken to you.

2"You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall

dispossess serve their gods, on the high rest from all your enemies around you mountains and on the hills and under

so that you live in security,

every green tree.

11then it shall come about that the place

3" You shall tear down their altars and in which the LORD your God will choose

smash their sacred pillars and burn their

for His name to dwell, there you shall

Asherim with fire, and you shall cut

bring all that I command you: your burnt

down the engraved images of their gods

offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes

and obliterate their name from that place. and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which 4"You shall not act like this toward the you will vow to the LORD.

LORD your God.

12"And you shall rejoice before the

5" But you shall seek the LORD at the LORD your God, you and your sons and

place which the LORD your God will

daughters, your male and female

choose from all your tribes, to establish servants, and the Levite who is within

His name there for His dwelling, and

your gates, since he has no portion or

there you shall come.

inheritance with you.

6

13

"There you shall bring your burnt

" Be careful that you do not offer your offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the burnt offerings in every cultic place you contribution of your hand, your votive

see,

offerings, your freewill offerings, and the

firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

14but in the place which the LORD

chooses in one of your tribes, there you

7"There also you and your households shall offer your burnt offerings, and

shall eat before the LORD your God,

there you shall do all that I command

and rejoice in all your undertakings in

you.

which the LORD your God has blessed

you.

15" However, you may slaughter and eat

meat within any of your gates, whatever

8"You shall not do at all what we are you desire, according to the blessing of doing here today, every man doing the LORD your God which He has given

whatever is right in his own eyes;

you; the unclean and the clean may eat

of it, as of the gazelle and the deer.

9for you have not as yet come to the

16

resting place and the inheritance which

" Only you shall not eat the blood; you

the LORD your God is giving you.

are to pour it out on the ground like

water.

10"When you cross the Jordan and live 17

in the land which the LORD your God is

" You are not allowed to eat within giving you to inherit, and He gives you your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd

or flock, or any of your votive offerings for you will be doing what is right in the which you vow, or your freewill offerings, sight of the LORD.

or the contribution of your hand.

26" Only your holy things which you may

18"But you shall eat them before the have and your votive offerings, you shall

LORD your God in the place which the

take and go to the place which the

LORD your God will choose, you and

LORD chooses.

your son and daughter, and your male

and female servants, and the Levite who

27"And you shall offer your burnt

is within your gates; and you shall

offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the

rejoice before the LORD your God in all

altar of the LORD your God; and the

your undertakings.

blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, 19" Be careful that you do not forsake the and you shall eat the flesh.

Levite as long as you live in your land.

28"Be careful to listen to all these words 20"When the LORD your God extends

which I command you, so that it may be

your border as He has promised you,

well with you and your sons after you

and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because forever, for you will be doing what is

you desire to eat meat, then you may

good and right in the sight of the LORD

eat meat, whatever you desire.

your God.

21"If the place which the LORD your God

29"When the LORD your God cuts off

chooses to put His name is too far from

before you the nations which you are

you, then you may slaughter of your

going in to dispossess, and you

herd and flock which the LORD has

dispossess them and dwell in their land,

given you, as I have commanded you;

and you may eat within your gates

30beware that you are not ensnared to

whatever you desire.

follow them, after they are destroyed

before you, and that you do not inquire 22"Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, after their gods, saying, 'How do these so you will eat it; the unclean and the nations serve their gods, that I also may

clean alike may eat of it.

do likewise?'

23"Only be sure not to eat the blood, for 31" You shall not behave thus toward the

the blood is the life, and you shall not LORD your God, for every abominable

eat the life with the flesh.

act which the LORD hates they have

done for their gods; for they even burn 24"You shall not eat it; you shall pour it their sons and daughters in the fire to out on the ground like water.

their gods.

25"You shall not eat it, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you,

32" Whatever I command you, you shall 7of the gods of the peoples who are be careful to do; you shall not add to nor

around you, near you or far from you,

take away from it.

from one end of the earth to the other end),

13

8

" If a prophet or a dreamer of

you shall not yield to him or listen to dreams arises among you and gives you

him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor

a sign or a wonder,

shall you spare or conceal him.

9

2and the sign or the wonder comes true,

" But you shall surely kill him; your concerning which he spoke to you,

hand shall be first against him to put him

saying, ' Let us go after other gods

to death, and afterwards the hand of all (whom you have not known) and let us

the people.

serve them,'

10"So you shall stone him to death

3you shall not listen to the words of that

because he has sought to seduce you

prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for

from the LORD your God who brought

the LORD your God is testing you to find

you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

out if you love the LORD your God with

all your heart and with all your soul.

11"Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, 4" You shall follow the LORD your God and will never again do such a wicked and fear Him; and you shall keep His

thing among you.

commandments, listen to His voice,

12

serve Him, and cling to Him.

"If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to live

5"But that prophet or that dreamer of in, anyone saying that

dreams shall be put to death, because

13

he has counseled rebellion against the

some worthless men have gone out

LORD your God who brought you from

from among you and have seduced the

the land of Egypt and redeemed you

inhabitants of their city, saying, ' Let us from the house of slavery, to seduce

go and serve other gods' (whom you

you from the way in which the LORD

have not known),

your God commanded you to walk. So

you shall purge the evil from among you. 14then you shall investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly. If it is true 6" If your brother, your mother's son, or and the matter established that this your son or daughter, or the wife you

abomination has been done among you,

cherish, or your friend who is as your

own soul, entice you secretly, saying, '

15you shall surely strike the inhabitants Let us go and serve other gods' (whom

of that city with the edge of the sword, neither you nor your fathers have known, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

16" Then you shall gather all its booty 6"Any animal that divides the hoof and into the middle of its open square and has the hoof split in two and chews the burn the city and all its booty with fire as

cud, among the animals, that you may

a whole burnt offering to the LORD your

eat.

God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.

7"Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud,

17"Nothing from that which is put under or among those that divide the hoof in the ban shall cling to your hand, in order

two: the camel and the rabbit and the

that the LORD may turn from His

shaphan, for though they chew the cud,

burning anger and show mercy to you,

they do not divide the hoof; they are

and have compassion on you and make

unclean for you.

you increase, just as He has sworn to

your fathers,

8"The pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean

18if you will listen to the voice of the for you. You shall not eat any of their LORD your God, keeping all His flesh nor touch their carcasses.

commandments

which

I

am

commanding you today, and doing what

9"These you may eat of all that are in is right in the sight of the LORD your water: anything that has fins and scales God.

you may eat,

10

14

but anything that does not have fins

"You are the sons of the LORD

and scales you shall not eat; it is

your God; you shall not cut yourselves

unclean for you.

nor shave your forehead for the sake of

the dead.

11"You may eat any clean bird.

2"For you are a holy people to the LORD

12"But these are the ones which you your God, and the LORD has chosen

shall not eat: the eagle and the vulture you to be a people for His own

and the buzzard,

possession out of all the peoples who

are on the face of the earth.

13and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds,

3" You shall not eat any detestable thing.

14and every raven in its kind,

4" These are the animals which you may

eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,

15and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds,

5the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the

16the little owl, the great owl, the white mountain sheep.

owl,

17the pelican, the carrion vulture, the 26"You may spend the money for cormorant,

whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or

sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or

18the stork, and the heron in their kinds,

whatever your heart desires; and there

and the hoopoe and the bat.

you shall eat in the presence of the

LORD your God and rejoice, you and

19

your household.

"And all the teeming life with wings are

unclean to you; they shall not be eaten.

27"Also you shall not neglect the Levite 20

who is in your town, for he has no

"You may eat any clean bird.

portion or inheritance among you.

21" You shall not eat anything which dies 28" At the end of every third year you of itself. You may give it to the alien who shall bring out all the tithe of your

is in your town, so that he may eat it, or

produce in that year, and shall deposit it

you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are

in your town.

a holy people to the LORD your God.

You shall not boil a young goat in its 29

mother's milk.

"The Levite, because he has no

portion or inheritance among you, and

22

the alien, the orphan and the widow who

"You shall surely tithe all the produce are in your town, shall come and eat from what you sow, which comes out of

and be satisfied, in order that the LORD

the field every year.

your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

23"You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He

chooses to establish His name, the tithe

15

of your grain, your new wine, your oil,

" At the end of every seven years

and the firstborn of your herd and your you shall grant a remission of debts.

flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

2"This is the manner of remission: every

creditor shall release what he has

24"If the distance is so great for you that loaned to his neighbor; he shall not

you are not able to bring the tithe, since

exact it of his neighbor and his brother, the place where the LORD your God

because the LORD'S remission has

chooses to set His name is too far away

been proclaimed.

from you when the LORD your God

blesses you,

3" From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of

25then you shall exchange it for money,

yours is with your brother.

and bind the money in your hand and go

to the place which the LORD your God

4"However, there will be no poor among

chooses.

you, since the LORD will surely bless

you in the land which the LORD your

God is giving you as an inheritance to to your brother, to your needy and poor possess, in your land.'

5if only you listen obediently to the voice

12" If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or of the LORD your God, to observe

woman, is sold to you, then he shall

carefully all this commandment which I

serve you six years, but in the seventh am commanding you today.

year you shall set him free.

6" For the LORD your God will bless you

13"When you set him free, you shall not

as He has promised you, and you will

send him away empty-handed.

lend to many nations, but you will not

borrow; and you will rule over many

14"You shall furnish him liberally from nations, but they will not rule over you.

your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to

7"If there is a poor man with you, one of him as the LORD your God has blessed

your brothers, in any of your towns in

you.

your land which the LORD your God is

giving you, you shall not harden your

15"You shall remember that you were a heart, nor close your hand from your

slave in the land of Egypt, and the

poor brother;

LORD

your

God

redeemed

you;

therefore I command you this today.

8but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him

16"It shall come about if he says to you, 'I sufficient for his need in whatever he will not go out from you,' because he

lacks.

loves you and your household, since he

fares well with you;

9"Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ' The seventh year,

17then you shall take an awl and pierce it

the year of remission, is near,' and your

through his ear into the door, and he

eye is hostile toward your poor brother, shall be your servant forever. Also you

and you give him nothing; then he may

shall do likewise to your maidservant.

cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you.

18"It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you 10"You shall generously give to him, and six years with double the service of a

your heart shall not be grieved when

hired man; so the LORD your God will

you give to him, because for this thing bless you in whatever you do.

the LORD your God will bless you in all

your work and in all your undertakings.

19" You shall consecrate to the LORD

your God all the firstborn males that are

11" For the poor will never cease to be in born of your herd and of your flock; you

the land; therefore I command you,

shall not work with the firstborn of your saying, 'You shall freely open your hand

herd, nor shear the firstborn of your the evening of the first day shall remain flock.

overnight until morning.

20" You and your household shall eat it 5"You are not allowed to sacrifice the every year before the LORD your God in Passover in any of your towns which the

the place which the LORD chooses.

LORD your God is giving you;

21" But if it has any defect, such as 6but at the place where the LORD your

lameness or blindness, or any serious

God chooses to establish His name, you

defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the shall sacrifice the Passover in the

LORD your God.

evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt.

22"You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, 7"You shall cook and eat it in the place as a gazelle or a deer.

which the LORD your God chooses. In

the morning you are to return to your

23"Only you shall not eat its blood; you tents.

are to pour it out on the ground like

water.

8"Six days you shall eat unleavened

bread, and on the seventh day there

shall be a solemn assembly to the

16"Observe the month of Abib and LORD your God; you shall do no work on it.

celebrate the Passover to the LORD

your God, for in the month of Abib the 9

LORD your God brought you out of

" You shall count seven weeks for

Egypt by night.

yourself; you shall begin to count seven

weeks from the time you begin to put

the sickle to the standing grain.

2"You shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God from the flock and the

10

herd, in the place where the LORD

"Then you shall celebrate the Feast of

chooses to establish His name.

Weeks to the LORD your God with a

tribute of a freewill offering of your hand,

which you shall give just as the LORD

3" You shall not eat leavened bread with

your God blesses you;

it; seven days you shall eat with it

unleavened bread, the bread of affliction

11

(for you came out of the land of Egypt in

and you shall rejoice before the LORD

haste), so that you may remember all

your God, you and your son and your

daughter and your male and female

the days of your life the day when you servants and the Levite who is in your

came out of the land of Egypt.

town, and the stranger and the orphan

4

and the widow who are in your midst, in

"For seven days no leaven shall be

the place where the LORD your God

seen with you in all your territory, and chooses to establish His name.

none of the flesh which you sacrifice on

12" You shall remember that you were a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful wise and perverts the words of the to observe these statutes.

righteous.

13" You shall celebrate the Feast of 20"Justice, and only justice, you shall Booths seven days after you have pursue, that you may live and possess

gathered in from your threshing floor

the land which the LORD your God is

and your wine vat;

giving you.

14and you shall rejoice in your feast, you

21" You shall not plant for yourself an and your son and your daughter and

Asherah of any kind of tree beside the

your male and female servants and the

altar of the LORD your God, which you

Levite and the stranger and the orphan

shall make for yourself.

and the widow who are in your towns.

22" You shall not set up for yourself a 15"Seven days you shall celebrate a sacred pillar which the LORD your God

feast to the LORD your God in the place

hates.

which the LORD chooses, because the

LORD your God will bless you in all your

produce and in all the work of your

17" You shall not sacrifice to the hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

LORD your God an ox or a sheep which

has a blemish or any defect, for that is a

16

detestable thing to the LORD your God.

" Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God

2

in the place which He chooses, at the

" If there is found in your midst, in any Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the of your towns, which the LORD your

Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of

God is giving you, a man or a woman

Booths, and they shall not appear

who does what is evil in the sight of the

before the LORD empty-handed.

LORD your God, by transgressing His

covenant,

17"Every man shall give as he is able, 3

according to the blessing of the LORD

and has gone and served other gods

your God which He has given you.

and worshiped them, or the sun or the

moon or any of the heavenly host, which

18

I have not commanded,

"You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the 4

LORD your God is giving you, according

and if it is told you and you have heard

to your tribes, and they shall judge the of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly.

people with righteous judgment.

Behold, if it is true and the thing certain

that this detestable thing has been done

19

in Israel,

" You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a 5then you shall bring out that man or that 12"The man who acts presumptuously by woman who has done this evil deed to

not listening to the priest who stands

your gates, that is, the man or the

there to serve the LORD your God, nor

woman, and you shall stone them to

to the judge, that man shall die; thus you

death.

shall purge the evil from Israel.

6" On the evidence of two witnesses or 13"Then all the people will hear and be three witnesses, he who is to die shall afraid, and will not act presumptuously be put to death; he shall not be put to again.

death on the evidence of one witness.

14"When you enter the land which the 7" The hand of the witnesses shall be LORD your God gives you, and you first against him to put him to death, and

possess it and live in it, and you say, ' I

afterward the hand of all the people. So

will set a king over me like all the

you shall purge the evil from your midst.

nations who are around me,'

8" If any case is too difficult for you to 15you shall surely set a king over you decide, between one kind of homicide or

whom the LORD your God chooses,

another, between one kind of lawsuit or

one from among your countrymen you

another, and between one kind of

shall set as king over yourselves; you

assault or another, being cases of

may not put a foreigner over yourselves

dispute in your courts, then you shall

who is not your countryman.

arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses.

16" Moreover, he shall not multiply

horses for himself, nor shall he cause

9"So you shall come to the Levitical the people to return to Egypt to multiply

priest or the judge who is in office in horses, since the LORD has said to you,

those days, and you shall inquire of

'You shall never again return that way.'

them and they will declare to you the

verdict in the case.

17" He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall

10"You shall do according to the terms of he greatly increase silver and gold for

the verdict which they declare to you

himself.

from that place which the LORD

chooses; and you shall be careful to

18"Now it shall come about when he sits

observe according to all that they teach

on the throne of his kingdom, he shall

you.

write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical 11" According to the terms of the law priests.

which they teach you, and according to

the verdict which they tell you, you shall

19"It shall be with him and he shall read do; you shall not turn aside from the

it all the days of his life, that he may word which they declare to you, to the learn to fear the LORD his God, by

right or the left.

carefully observing all the words of this 7then he shall serve in the name of the law and these statutes,

LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites

who stand there before the LORD.

20that his heart may not be lifted up

above his countrymen and that he may

8" They shall eat equal portions, except not turn aside from the commandment,

what they receive from the sale of their to the right or the left, so that he and his

fathers' estates.

sons may continue long in his kingdom

in the midst of Israel.

9"When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not

18

learn to imitate the detestable things of

" The Levitical priests, the whole

those nations.

tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or 10

inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the

"There shall not be found among you LORD'S offerings by fire and His portion. anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who 2" They shall have no inheritance among

uses divination, one who practices

their countrymen; the LORD is their

witchcraft, or one who interprets omens,

or a sorcerer,

inheritance, as He promised them.

11

3" Now this shall be the priests' due from or one who casts a spell, or a medium,

the people, from those who offer a

or a spiritist, or one who calls up the sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep, of

dead.

which they shall give to the priest the 12

shoulder and the two cheeks and the

"For whoever does these things is

stomach.

detestable to the LORD; and because of

these detestable things the LORD your

4

God will drive them out before you.

"You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, 13

and the first shearing of your sheep.

" You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.

5" For the LORD your God has chosen 14

him and his sons from all your tribes, to

"For those nations, which you shall

stand and serve in the name of the

dispossess, listen to those who practice

LORD forever.

witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you,

the LORD your God has not allowed you

6"Now if a Levite comes from any of to do so.

your towns throughout Israel where he

15

resides, and comes whenever he

" The LORD your God will raise up for

desires to the place which the LORD

you a prophet like me from among you,

chooses,

from your countrymen, you shall listen to

him.

16"This is according to all that you asked 2you shall set aside three cities for of the LORD your God in Horeb on the

yourself in the midst of your land, which

day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not

the LORD your God gives you to

hear again the voice of the LORD my

possess.

God, let me not see this great fire

anymore, or I will die.'

3"You shall prepare the roads for

yourself, and divide into three parts the 17" The LORD said to me, 'They have territory of your land which the LORD

spoken well.

your God will give you as a possession,

so that any manslayer may flee there.

18'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put 4" Now this is the case of the manslayer My words in his mouth, and he shall

who may flee there and live: when he

speak to them all that I command him.

kills his friend unintentionally, not hating

him previously--

19' It shall come about that whoever will

not listen to My words which he shall

5as when a man goes into the forest with

speak in My name, I Myself will require it

his friend to cut wood, and his hand

of him.

swings the axe to cut down the tree, and

the iron head slips off the handle and

20'But the prophet who speaks a word

strikes his friend so that he dies--he may

presumptuously in My name which I

flee to one of these cities and live;

have not commanded him to speak, or

which he speaks in the name of other

6otherwise the avenger of blood might

gods, that prophet shall die.'

pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the

21"You may say in your heart, 'How will way is long, and take his life, though he

we know the word which the LORD has

was not deserving of death, since he

not spoken?'

had not hated him previously.

22

7

" When a prophet speaks in the name

"Therefore, I command you, saying,

of the LORD, if the thing does not come

'You shall set aside three cities for

about or come true, that is the thing

yourself.'

which the LORD has not spoken. The

prophet has spoken it presumptuously;

8"If the LORD your God enlarges your you shall not be afraid of him.

territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which

He promised to give your fathers--

19" When the LORD your God cuts 9

off the nations, whose land the LORD

if you carefully observe all this

your God gives you, and you dispossess

commandment which I command you

them and settle in their cities and in their

today, to love the LORD your God, and

houses,

to walk in His ways always-- then you

shall add three more cities for yourself, 18"The

judges

shall

investigate

besides these three.

thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother

10"So innocent blood will not be shed in

falsely,

the midst of your land which the LORD

your God gives you as an inheritance,

19then you shall do to him just as he had

and bloodguiltiness be on you.

intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

11"But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and 20" The rest will hear and be afraid, and rises up against him and strikes him so will never again do such an evil thing that he dies, and he flees to one of

among you.

these cities,

21"Thus you shall not show pity: life for 12then the elders of his city shall send life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for and take him from there and deliver him

hand, foot for foot.

into the hand of the avenger of blood,

that he may die.

20"When you go out to battle against 13" You shall not pity him, but you shall your enemies and see horses and purge the blood of the innocent from

chariots and people more numerous

Israel, that it may go well with you.

than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you

14" You shall not move your neighbor's up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

boundary mark, which the ancestors

have set, in your inheritance which you

2"When you are approaching the battle, will inherit in the land that the LORD

the priest shall come near and speak to

your God gives you to possess.

the people.

15" A single witness shall not rise up 3"He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, against a man on account of any iniquity you are approaching the battle against

or any sin which he has committed; on

your enemies today. Do not be

the evidence of two or three witnesses a

fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, matter shall be confirmed.

or tremble before them,

16" If a malicious witness rises up 4for the LORD your God is the one who

against a man to accuse him of

goes with you, to fight for you against wrongdoing,

your enemies, to save you.'

17then both the men who have the

5"The officers also shall speak to the dispute shall stand before the LORD,

people, saying, 'Who is the man that has

before the priests and the judges who

built a new house and has not dedicated

will be in office in those days.

it? Let him depart and return to his

house, otherwise he might die in the 13"When the LORD your God gives it battle and another man would dedicate

into your hand, you shall strike all the it.

men in it with the edge of the sword.

6'Who is the man that has planted a

14"Only the women and the children and

vineyard and has not begun to use its

the animals and all that is in the city, all

fruit? Let him depart and return to his its spoil, you shall take as booty for

house, otherwise he might die in the

yourself; and you shall use the spoil of battle and another man would begin to

your enemies which the LORD your God

use its fruit.

has given you.

7' And who is the man that is engaged to

15"Thus you shall do to all the cities that a woman and has not married her? Let

are very far from you, which are not of him depart and return to his house,

the cities of these nations nearby.

otherwise he might die in the battle and

another man would marry her.'

16" Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as

8"Then the officers shall speak further to an inheritance, you shall not leave alive the people and say, ' Who is the man anything that breathes.

that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that 17"But you shall utterly destroy them, the he might not make his brothers' hearts Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite

melt like his heart.'

and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the

Jebusite, as the LORD your God has

9"When the officers have finished

commanded you,

speaking to the people, they shall

appoint commanders of armies at the

18so that they may not teach you to do head of the people.

according to all their detestable things

which they have done for their gods, so

10"When you approach a city to fight that you would sin against the LORD

against it, you shall offer it terms of your God.

peace.

19"When you besiege a city a long time,

11"If it agrees to make peace with you to make war against it in order to

and opens to you, then all the people

capture it, you shall not destroy its trees

who are found in it shall become your

by swinging an axe against them; for

forced labor and shall serve you.

you may eat from them, and you shall

not cut them down. For is the tree of the

12"However, if it does not make peace field a man, that it should be besieged with you, but makes war against you, by you?

then you shall besiege it.

20"Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down,

that

you

may

construct

8' Forgive Your people Israel whom You

siegeworks against the city that is

have redeemed, O LORD, and do not

making war with you until it falls.

place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.' And the

bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.

21"If a slain person is found lying in 9

the open country in the land which the

" So you shall remove the guilt of LORD your God gives you to possess,

innocent blood from your midst, when

you do what is right in the eyes of the and it is not known who has struck him,

LORD.

2then your elders and your judges shall

10

go out and measure the distance to the

"When you go out to battle against

cities which are around the slain one.

your enemies, and the LORD your God

delivers them into your hands and you

3

take them away captive,

"It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of 11

that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, and see among the captives a

which has not been worked and which

beautiful woman, and have a desire for

her and would take her as a wife for

has not pulled in a yoke;

yourself,

4and the elders of that city shall bring 12

the heifer down to a valley with running then you shall bring her home to your

water, which has not been plowed or

house, and she shall shave her head

and trim her nails.

sown, and shall break the heifer's neck

there in the valley.

13"She shall also remove the clothes of 5"Then the priests, the sons of Levi, her captivity and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and mother

shall come near, for the LORD your God

a full month; and after that you may go has chosen them to serve Him and to

bless in the name of the LORD; and

in to her and be her husband and she

every dispute and every assault shall be

shall be your wife.

settled by them.

14"It shall be, if you are not pleased with 6

her, then you shall let her go wherever

"All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their

she wishes; but you shall certainly not

hands over the heifer whose neck was

sell her for money, you shall not mistreat

broken in the valley;

her, because you have humbled her.

15

7

"If a man has two wives, the one loved

and they shall answer and say, 'Our

hands did not shed this blood, nor did

and the other unloved, and both the

our eyes see it.

loved and the unloved have borne him

sons, if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,

16then it shall be in the day he wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the 22" You shall not see your

son of the loved the firstborn before the

countryman's ox or his sheep straying

son of the unloved, who is the firstborn.

away, and pay no attention to them; you

shall certainly bring them back to your

17"But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, countryman.

the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he 2"If your countryman is not near you, or is the beginning of his strength; to him if you do not know him, then you shall belongs the right of the firstborn.

bring it home to your house, and it shall

remain with you until your countryman

18"If any man has a stubborn and

looks for it; then you shall restore it to rebellious son who will not obey his

him.

father or his mother, and when they

chastise him, he will not even listen to 3"Thus you shall do with his donkey, and

them,

you shall do the same with his garment,

and you shall do likewise with anything

19then his father and mother shall seize

lost by your countryman, which he has

him, and bring him out to the elders of lost and you have found. You are not

his city at the gateway of his hometown.

allowed to neglect them.

20"They shall say to the elders of his city, 4"You shall not see your countryman's 'This son of ours is stubborn and

donkey or his ox fallen down on the way,

rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a and pay no attention to them; you shall glutton and a drunkard.'

certainly help him to raise them up.

21" Then all the men of his city shall 5"A woman shall not wear man's clothing, stone him to death; so you shall remove

nor shall a man put on a woman's

the evil from your midst, and all Israel clothing; for whoever does these things

will hear of it and fear.

is an abomination to the LORD your

God.

22"If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you

6"If you happen to come upon a bird's hang him on a tree,

nest along the way, in any tree or on the

ground, with young ones or eggs, and

23his corpse shall not hang all night on the mother sitting on the young or on the

the tree, but you shall surely bury him eggs, you shall not take the mother with

on the same day (for he who is hanged

the young;

is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your

7you shall certainly let the mother go,

God gives you as an inheritance.

but the young you may take for yourself,

in order that it may be well with you and

that you may prolong your days.

8"When you build a new house, you they shall spread the garment before the shall make a parapet for your roof, so

elders of the city.

that you will not bring bloodguilt on your

house if anyone falls from it.

18"So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him,

9" You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of 19and they shall fine him a hundred the seed which you have sown and the

shekels of silver and give it to the girl's increase of the vineyard will become

father, because he publicly defamed a

defiled.

virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his

wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.

10" You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

20"But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin,

11" You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together.

21then they shall bring out the girl to the

doorway of her father's house, and the

12" You shall make yourself tassels on men of her city shall stone her to death the four corners of your garment with because she has committed an act of

which you cover yourself.

folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her

father's house; thus you shall purge the

13" If any man takes a wife and goes in

evil from among you.

to her and then turns against her,

22" If a man is found lying with a married 14and charges her with shameful deeds

woman, then both of them shall die, the

and publicly defames her, and says, 'I

man who lay with the woman, and the

took this woman, but when I came near

woman; thus you shall purge the evil

her, I did not find her a virgin,'

from Israel.

15

23

then the girl's father and her mother

" If there is a girl who is a virgin shall take and bring out the evidence of

engaged to a man, and another man

the girl's virginity to the elders of the city finds her in the city and lies with her,

at the gate.

24then you shall bring them both out to 16"The girl's father shall say to the elders, the gate of that city and you shall stone 'I gave my daughter to this man for a

them to death; the girl, because she did

wife, but he turned against her;

not cry out in the city, and the man,

because he has violated his neighbor's

17

wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from and behold, he has charged her with

among you.

shameful deeds, saying, "I did not find your daughter a virgin." But this is the 25

evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And

"But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her

and lies with her, then only the man who 4because they did not meet you with lies with her shall die.

food and water on the way when you

came out of Egypt, and because they

26"But you shall do nothing to the girl; hired against you Balaam the son of there is no sin in the girl worthy of death,

Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to

for just as a man rises against his

curse you.

neighbor and murders him, so is this

case.

5"Nevertheless, the LORD your God

was not willing to listen to Balaam, but 27"When he found her in the field, the the LORD your God turned the curse engaged girl cried out, but there was no

into a blessing for you because the

one to save her.

LORD your God loves you.

28

6

" If a man finds a girl who is a virgin,

" You shall never seek their peace or who is not engaged, and seizes her and

their prosperity all your days.

lies with her and they are discovered,

7"You shall not detest an Edomite, for he 29then the man who lay with her shall

is your brother; you shall not detest an give to the girl's father fifty shekels of Egyptian, because you were an alien in silver, and she shall become his wife

his land.

because he has violated her; he cannot

divorce her all his days.

8"The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the

30" A man shall not take his father's wife assembly of the LORD.

so that he will not uncover his father's skirt.

9"When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself

from every evil thing.

23" No one who is emasculated or 10

has his male organ cut off shall enter

" If there is among you any man who is

the assembly of the LORD.

unclean

because

of

a

nocturnal

emission, then he must go outside the

camp; he may not reenter the camp.

2"No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his 11

descendants,

even

to

the

tenth

"But it shall be when evening

generation, shall enter the assembly of

approaches, he shall bathe himself with

the LORD.

water, and at sundown he may reenter

the camp.

3" No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter 12

the assembly of the LORD; none of their

"You shall also have a place outside descendants,

even

to

the

tenth

the camp and go out there,

generation,

shall

ever

enter

the

assembly of the LORD,

13and you shall have a spade among 21" When you make a vow to the LORD

your tools, and it shall be when you sit your God, you shall not delay to pay it, down outside, you shall dig with it and for it would be sin in you, and the LORD

shall turn to cover up your excrement.

your God will surely require it of you.

14"Since the LORD your God walks in 22"However, if you refrain from vowing, it the midst of your camp to deliver you would not be sin in you.

and to defeat your enemies before you,

therefore your camp must be holy; and

23"You shall be careful to perform what He must not see anything indecent

goes out from your lips, just as you have

among you or He will turn away from

voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God,

you.

what you have promised.

15" You shall not hand over to his master 24"When you enter your neighbor's

a slave who has escaped from his

vineyard, then you may eat grapes until

master to you.

you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket.

16"He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one 25" When you enter your neighbor's

of your towns where it pleases him; you

standing grain, then you may pluck the

shall not mistreat him.

heads with your hand, but you shall not

wield a sickle in your neighbor's

17" None of the daughters of Israel shall standing grain.

be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute.

24"When a man takes a wife and 18"You shall not bring the hire of a harlot marries her, and it happens that she or the wages of a dog into the house of

finds no favor in his eyes because he

the LORD your God for any votive

has found some indecency in her, and

offering, for both of these are an

he writes her a certificate of divorce and

abomination to the LORD your God.

puts it in her hand and sends her out

from his house,

19" You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or

2and she leaves his house and goes and

anything that may be loaned at interest.

becomes another man's wife,

20" You may charge interest to a

3and if the latter husband turns against foreigner, but to your countrymen you

her and writes her a certificate of

shall not charge interest, so that the

divorce and puts it in her hand and

LORD your God may bless you in all

sends her out of his house, or if the

that you undertake in the land which you

latter husband dies who took her to be

are about to enter to possess.

his wife,

4then her former husband who sent her 12"If he is a poor man, you shall not away is not allowed to take her again to sleep with his pledge.

be his wife, since she has been defiled;

for that is an abomination before the

13" When the sun goes down you shall LORD, and you shall not bring sin on

surely return the pledge to him, that he the land which the LORD your God

may sleep in his cloak and bless you;

gives you as an inheritance.

and it will be righteousness for you

before the LORD your God.

5" When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be

14" You shall not oppress a hired servant charged with any duty; he shall be free who is poor and needy, whether he is at home one year and shall give

one of your countrymen or one of your

happiness to his wife whom he has

aliens who is in your land in your towns.

taken.

15" You shall give him his wages on his

6"No one shall take a handmill or an day before the sun sets, for he is poor upper millstone in pledge, for he would and sets his heart on it; so that he will be taking a life in pledge.

not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you.

7" If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, 16" Fathers shall not be put to death for and he deals with him violently or sells their sons, nor shall sons be put to him, then that thief shall die; so you

death for their fathers; everyone shall be

shall purge the evil from among you.

put to death for his own sin.

8" Be careful against an infection of 17" You shall not pervert the justice due leprosy, that you diligently observe and an alien or an orphan, nor take a

do according to all that the Levitical

widow's garment in pledge.

priests teach you; as I have commanded

them, so you shall be careful to do.

18"But you shall remember that you were

a slave in Egypt, and that the LORD

9"Remember what the LORD your God

your God redeemed you from there;

did to Miriam on the way as you came

therefore I am commanding you to do

out of Egypt.

this thing.

10" When you make your neighbor a loan

19" When you reap your harvest in your of any sort, you shall not enter his house

field and have forgotten a sheaf in the to take his pledge.

field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and 11"You shall remain outside, and the for the widow, in order that the LORD

man to whom you make the loan shall

your God may bless you in all the work bring the pledge out to you.

of your hands.

20" When you beat your olive tree, you 6"It shall be that the firstborn whom she shall not go over the boughs again; it bears shall assume the name of his

shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and

dead brother, so that his name will not for the widow.

be blotted out from Israel.

21"When you gather the grapes of your 7" But if the man does not desire to take vineyard, you shall not go over it again; his brother's wife, then his brother's wife it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, shall go up to the gate to the elders and

and for the widow.

say, 'My husband's brother refuses to

establish a name for his brother in Israel;

22"You shall remember that you were a he is not willing to perform the duty of a

slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am

husband's brother to me.'

commanding you to do this thing.

8"Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if

25" If there is a dispute between he persists and says, 'I do not desire to take her,'

men and they go to court, and the

judges decide their case, and they

9then his brother's wife shall come to

justify the righteous and condemn the

him in the sight of the elders, and pull wicked,

his sandal off his foot and spit in his face;

2

and she shall declare, 'Thus it is done to

then it shall be if the wicked man

the man who does not build up his

deserves to be beaten, the judge shall

brother's house.'

then make him lie down and be beaten

in his presence with the number of

10

stripes according to his guilt.

"In Israel his name shall be called,

'The house of him whose sandal is

3

removed.'

" He may beat him forty times but no more, so that he does not beat him with

11

many more stripes than these and your

"If two men, a man and his

brother is not degraded in your eyes.

countryman, are struggling together,

and the wife of one comes near to

4

deliver her husband from the hand of

" You shall not muzzle the ox while he the one who is striking him, and puts out

is threshing.

her hand and seizes his genitals,

5"When brothers live together and one 12then you shall cut off her hand; you

of them dies and has no son, the wife of

shall not show pity.

the deceased shall not be married

outside the family to a strange man. Her

13

husband's brother shall go in to her and

" You shall not have in your bag

take her to himself as wife and perform differing weights, a large and a small.

the duty of a husband's brother to her.

14"You shall not have in your house 3"You shall go to the priest who is in differing measures, a large and a small.

office at that time and say to him, 'I declare this day to the LORD my God

15"You shall have a full and just weight; that I have entered the land which the

you shall have a full and just measure, LORD swore to our fathers to give us.'

that your days may be prolonged in the

land which the LORD your God gives

4"Then the priest shall take the basket you.

from your hand and set it down before

the altar of the LORD your God.

16"For everyone who does these things,

everyone who acts unjustly is an

5"You shall answer and say before the abomination to the LORD your God.

LORD your God, ' My father was a

wandering Aramean, and he went down

17" Remember what Amalek did to you to Egypt and sojourned there, few in

along the way when you came out from

number; but there he became a great,

Egypt,

mighty and populous nation.

18

6

how he met you along the way and

'And the Egyptians treated us harshly

attacked among you all the stragglers at

and afflicted us, and imposed hard labor

your rear when you were faint and

on us.

weary; and he did not fear God.

7'Then we cried to the LORD, the God of

19"Therefore it shall come about when our fathers, and the LORD heard our

the LORD your God has given you rest

voice and saw our affliction and our toil from all your surrounding enemies, in

and our oppression;

the land which the LORD your God

gives you as an inheritance to possess,

8and the LORD brought us out of Egypt

you shall blot out the memory of Amalek

with a mighty hand and an outstretched

from under heaven; you must not forget.

arm and with great terror and with signs

and wonders;

26

9

"Then it shall be, when you enter

and He has brought us to this place

and has given us this land, a land

the land which the LORD your God

flowing with milk and honey.

gives you as an inheritance, and you

possess it and live in it,

10'Now behold, I have brought the first of

2that you shall take some of the first of the produce of the ground which You, O

LORD have given me.' And you shall set

all the produce of the ground which you

it down before the LORD your God, and

bring in from your land that the LORD

your God gives you, and you shall put it

worship before the LORD your God;

in a basket and go to the place where

11

the LORD your God chooses to

and you and the Levite and the alien

establish His name.

who is among you shall rejoice in all the

good which the LORD your God has 18"The LORD has today declared you to given you and your household.

be His people, a treasured possession,

as He promised you, and that you

12" When you have finished paying all should keep all His commandments;

the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall 19and that He will set you high above all give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to nations which He has made, for praise, the orphan and to the widow, that they

fame, and honor; and that you shall be a

may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

consecrated people to the LORD your

God, as He has spoken."

13"You shall say before the LORD your God, 'I have removed the sacred portion

from my house, and also have given it to

27Then Moses and the elders of

the Levite and the alien, the orphan and

Israel charged the people, saying, "Keep

the widow, according to all Your

all

the

commandments

which

I

commandments

which

You

have

command you today.

commanded

me;

I

have

not

transgressed or forgotten any of Your

2

commandments.

" So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the 14

LORD your God gives you, that you

'I have not eaten of it while mourning, shall set up for yourself large stones and

nor have I removed any of it while I was

coat them with lime

unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead.

I have listened to the voice of the LORD

3

my God; I have done according to all

and write on them all the words of this that You have commanded me.

law, when you cross over, so that you

may enter the land which the LORD

15

your God gives you, a land flowing with

' Look down from Your holy habitation,

milk and honey, as the LORD, the God

from heaven, and bless Your people

of your fathers, promised you.

Israel, and the ground which You have

given us, a land flowing with milk and

4

honey, as You swore to our fathers.'

"So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up on Mount Ebal,

16

these stones, as I am commanding you

"This day the LORD your God

today, and you shall coat them with lime.

commands you to do these statutes and

ordinances. You shall therefore be

5

careful to do them with all your heart

"Moreover, you shall build there an

and with all your soul.

altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool 17

on them.

" You have today declared the LORD

to be your God, and that you would walk

6

in His ways and keep His statutes, His

"You shall build the altar of the LORD

commandments and His ordinances,

your God of uncut stones, and you shall

and listen to His voice.

offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD

16' Cursed is he who dishonors his father

your God;

or mother.' And all the people shall say,

'Amen.'

7and you shall sacrifice peace offerings

and eat there, and rejoice before the

17' Cursed is he who moves his

LORD your God.

neighbor's boundary mark.' And all the

people shall say, 'Amen.'

8"You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly."

18' Cursed is he who misleads a blind

person on the road.' And all the people 9Then Moses and the Levitical priests

shall say, 'Amen.'

spoke to all Israel, saying, "Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have

19' Cursed is he who distorts the justice become a people for the LORD your

due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And

God.

all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

10"You shall therefore obey the LORD

20' Cursed is he who lies with his father's

your God, and do His commandments

wife, because he has uncovered his

and His statutes which I command you

father's skirt.' And all the people shall today."

say, 'Amen.'

11Moses also charged the people on that

21' Cursed is he who lies with any

day, saying,

animal.' And all the people shall say,

'Amen.'

12"When you cross the Jordan, these

shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless

22' Cursed is he who lies with his sister,

the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah,

the daughter of his father or of his

Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

mother.' And all the people shall say,

'Amen.'

13"For the curse, these shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher,

23' Cursed is he who lies with his

Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

mother-in-law.' And all the people shall

say, 'Amen.'

14"The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud 24' Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor voice,

in secret.' And all the people shall say,

'Amen.'

15'Cursed is the man who makes an idol

or a molten image, an abomination to

25' Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to

the LORD, the work of the hands of the

strike down an innocent person.' And all

craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' And

the people shall say, 'Amen.'

all the people shall answer and say,

'Amen.'

26' Cursed is he who does not confirm 9" The LORD will establish you as a holy the words of this law by doing them.'

people to Himself, as He swore to you, if

And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

you keep the commandments of the

LORD your God and walk in His ways.

28

10

" Now it shall be, if you diligently

"So all the peoples of the earth will see obey the LORD your God, being careful

that you are called by the name of the to do all His commandments which I

LORD, and they will be afraid of you.

command you today, the LORD your

11

God will set you high above all the

" The LORD will make you abound in nations of the earth.

prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in

2"All these blessings will come upon you

the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers

and overtake you if you obey the LORD

to give you.

your God:

12

3"Blessed shall you be in the city, and

"The LORD will open for you His good

blessed shall you be in the country.

storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to

your land in its season and to bless all 4

the work of your hand; and you shall

"Blessed shall be the offspring of your lend to many nations, but you shall not body and the produce of your ground borrow.

and the offspring of your beasts, the

increase of your herd and the young of

13" The LORD will make you the head your flock.

and not the tail, and you only will be 5

above, and you will not be underneath, if

"Blessed shall be your basket and your

you listen to the commandments of the

kneading bowl.

LORD your God, which I charge you

today, to observe them carefully,

6"Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you

14and do not turn aside from any of the

go out.

words which I command you today, to

the right or to the left, to go after other 7"The LORD shall cause your enemies gods to serve them.

who rise up against you to be defeated

before you; they will come out against

15" But it shall come about, if you do not you one way and will flee before you

obey the LORD your God, to observe to

seven ways.

do all His commandments and His

statutes with which I charge you today,

8"The LORD will command the blessing

that all these curses will come upon you

upon you in your barns and in all that and overtake you:

you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your

God gives you.

16" Cursed shall you be in the city, and 25" The LORD shall cause you to be cursed shall you be in the country.

defeated before your enemies; you will

go out one way against them, but you

17" Cursed shall be your basket and your

will flee seven ways before them, and

kneading bowl.

you will be an example of terror to all the

kingdoms of the earth.

18" Cursed shall be the offspring of your 26

body and the produce of your ground,

" Your carcasses will be food to all the increase of your herd and the young

birds of the sky and to the beasts of the

of your flock.

earth, and there will be no one to

frighten them away.

19" Cursed shall you be when you come

27

in, and cursed shall you be when you go

" The LORD will smite you with the out.

boils of Egypt and with tumors and with

the scab and with the itch, from which

20

you cannot be healed.

" The LORD will send upon you curses,

confusion, and rebuke, in all you

28

undertake to do, until you are destroyed

"The LORD will smite you with

and until you perish quickly, on account madness and with blindness and with

of the evil of your deeds, because you

bewilderment of heart;

have forsaken Me.

29and you will grope at noon, as the

21" The LORD will make the pestilence blind man gropes in darkness, and you

cling to you until He has consumed you

will not prosper in your ways; but you

from the land where you are entering to

shall only be oppressed and robbed

possess it.

continually, with none to save you.

22

30

" The LORD will smite you with

" You shall betroth a wife, but another consumption and with fever and with

man will violate her; you shall build a inflammation and with fiery heat and

house, but you will not live in it; you with the sword and with blight and with shall plant a vineyard, but you will not mildew, and they will pursue you until use its fruit.

you perish.

31"Your ox shall be slaughtered before 23"The heaven which is over your head your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your shall be bronze, and the earth which is donkey shall be torn away from you, and

under you, iron.

will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you

24

will have none to save you.

" The LORD will make the rain of your

land powder and dust; from heaven it

32

shall come down on you until you are

" Your sons and your daughters shall destroyed.

be given to another people, while your

eyes look on and yearn for them

continually; but there will be nothing you 41" You shall have sons and daughters can do.

but they will not be yours, for they will go

into captivity.

33" A people whom you do not know

shall eat up the produce of your ground

42" The cricket shall possess all your and all your labors, and you will never trees and the produce of your ground.

be anything but oppressed and crushed

continually.

43" The alien who is among you shall rise above you higher and higher, but

34"You shall be driven mad by the sight you will go down lower and lower.

of what you see.

44" He shall lend to you, but you will not 35" The LORD will strike you on the lend to him; he shall be the head, and knees and legs with sore boils, from you will be the tail.

which you cannot be healed, from the

sole of your foot to the crown of your 45"So all these curses shall come on you

head.

and pursue you and overtake you until

you are destroyed, because you would

36" The LORD will bring you and your not obey the LORD your God by

king, whom you set over you, to a nation

keeping His commandments and His

which neither you nor your fathers have

statutes which He commanded you.

known, and there you shall serve other

gods, wood and stone.

46"They shall become a sign and a

wonder on you and your descendants

37" You shall become a horror, a proverb, forever.

and a taunt among all the people where

the LORD drives you.

47" Because you did not serve the LORD

your God with joy and a glad heart, for 38" You shall bring out much seed to the

the abundance of all things;

field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it.

48therefore you shall serve your enemies

whom the LORD will send against you,

39" You shall plant and cultivate

in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in

vineyards, but you will neither drink of the lack of all things; and He will put an

the wine nor gather the grapes, for the iron yoke on your neck until He has

worm will devour them.

destroyed you.

40" You shall have olive trees throughout 49" The LORD will bring a nation against

your territory but you will not anoint

you from afar, from the end of the earth,

yourself with the oil, for your olives will as the eagle swoops down, a nation

drop off.

whose

language

you

shall

not

understand,

50a nation of fierce countenance who will hostile

toward

the

husband

she

have no respect for the old, nor show

cherishes and toward her son and

favor to the young.

daughter,

51"Moreover, it shall eat the offspring of 57and toward her afterbirth which issues

your herd and the produce of your

from between her legs and toward her

ground until you are destroyed, who

children whom she bears; for she will

also leaves you no grain, new wine, or

eat them secretly for lack of anything

oil, nor the increase of your herd or the else, during the siege and the distress young of your flock until they have

by which your enemy will oppress you in

caused you to perish.

your towns.

52" It shall besiege you in all your towns 58"If you are not careful to observe all until your high and fortified walls in the words of this law which are written in

which

you

trusted

come

down

this book, to fear this honored and

throughout your land, and it shall

awesome name, the LORD your God,

besiege you in all your towns throughout

your land which the LORD your God has

59then the LORD will bring extraordinary

given you.

plagues on you and your descendants,

even severe and lasting plagues, and

53" Then you shall eat the offspring of miserable and chronic sicknesses.

your own body, the flesh of your sons

and of your daughters whom the LORD

60" He will bring back on you all the your God has given you, during the

diseases of Egypt of which you were

siege and the distress by which your

afraid, and they will cling to you.

enemy will oppress you.

61"Also every sickness and every plague

54"The man who is refined and very

which, not written in the book of this law,

delicate among you shall be hostile

the LORD will bring on you until you are

toward his brother and toward the wife

destroyed.

he cherishes and toward the rest of his children who remain,

62"Then you shall be left few in number,

whereas you were as numerous as the

55so that he will not give even one of stars of heaven, because you did not

them any of the flesh of his children

obey the LORD your God.

which he will eat, since he has nothing else left, during the siege and the

63"It shall come about that as the LORD

distress by which your enemy will

delighted over you to prosper you, and

oppress you in all your towns.

multiply you, so the LORD will delight

over you to make you perish and

56" The refined and delicate woman

destroy you; and you will be torn from

among you, who would not venture to

the land where you are entering to

set the sole of her foot on the ground for

possess it.

delicateness and refinement, shall be

64"Moreover, the LORD will scatter you of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants among all peoples, from one end of the

and all his land;

earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood

3the great trials which your eyes have

and stone, which you or your fathers

seen, those great signs and wonders.

have not known.

4"Yet to this day the LORD has not 65" Among those nations you shall find given you a heart to know, nor eyes to no rest, and there will be no resting see, nor ears to hear.

place for the sole of your foot; but there

the LORD will give you a trembling heart,

5"I have led you forty years in the failing of eyes, and despair of soul.

wilderness; your clothes have not worn

out on you, and your sandal has not

66"So your life shall hang in doubt before worn out on your foot.

you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of

6" You have not eaten bread, nor have your life.

you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the LORD

67" In the morning you shall say, 'Would

your God.

that it were evening!' And at evening you

shall say, 'Would that it were morning!'

7" When you reached this place, Sihon because of the dread of your heart

the king of Heshbon and Og the king of

which you dread, and for the sight of

Bashan came out to meet us for battle,

your eyes which you will see.

but we defeated them;

68"The LORD will bring you back to

8and we took their land and gave it as Egypt in ships, by the way about which I

an inheritance to the Reubenites, the

spoke to you, 'You will never see it

Gadites, and the half-tribe of the

again!'

And

there

you

will

offer

Manassites.

yourselves for sale to your enemies as

male and female slaves, but there will

9

be no buyer."

" So keep the words of this covenant to

do them, that you may prosper in all that

you do.

29These are the words of the 10"You stand today, all of you, before the covenant which the LORD commanded LORD your God: your chiefs, your tribes,

Moses to make with the sons of Israel in

your elders and your officers, even all

the land of Moab, besides the covenant

the men of Israel,

which He had made with them at Horeb.

11your little ones, your wives, and the

2And Moses summoned all Israel and

alien who is within your camps, from the

said to them, "You have seen all that the one who chops your wood to the one

LORD did before your eyes in the land

who draws your water,

12that you may enter into the covenant 20"The LORD shall never be willing to with the LORD your God, and into His forgive him, but rather the anger of the oath which the LORD your God is

LORD and His jealousy will burn against

making with you today,

that man, and every curse which is

written in this book will rest on him, and

13in order that He may establish you

the LORD will blot out his name from

today as His people and that He may be

under heaven.

your God, just as He spoke to you and

as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham,

21"Then the LORD will single him out for

Isaac, and Jacob.

adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the

14"Now not with you alone am I making covenant which are written in this book this covenant and this oath,

of the law.

15

22

but both with those who stand here

"Now the generation to come, your

with us today in the presence of the

sons who rise up after you and the

LORD our God and with those who are

foreigner who comes from a distant land,

not with us here today

when they see the plagues of the land

and the diseases with which the LORD

16

has afflicted it, will say,

(for you know how we lived in the land

of Egypt, and how we came through the

23

midst of the nations through which you

'All its land is brimstone and salt, a

passed;

burning

waste,

unsown

and

unproductive, and no grass grows in it,

17

like the overthrow of Sodom and

moreover,

you

have

seen

their

Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which

abominations and their idols of wood,

the LORD overthrew in His anger and in

stone, silver, and gold, which they had

His wrath.'

with them);

24

18

"All the nations will say, ' Why has the

so that there will not be among you a

LORD done thus to this land? Why this

man or woman, or family or tribe, whose

great outburst of anger?'

heart turns away today from the LORD

our God, to go and serve the gods of

25

those nations; that there will not be

"Then men will say, ' Because they

among you a root bearing poisonous

forsook the covenant of the LORD, the

fruit and wormwood.

God of their fathers, which He made

with them when He brought them out of

19

the land of Egypt.

"It shall be when he hears the words of

this curse, that he will boast, saying, 'I 26

have peace though I walk in the

'They went and served other gods and

stubbornness of my heart in order to

worshiped them, gods whom they have

destroy the watered land with the dry.'

not known and whom He had not

allotted to them.

27'Therefore, the anger of the LORD

and He will prosper you and multiply you

burned against that land, to bring upon it

more than your fathers.

every curse which is written in this book;

6"Moreover the LORD your God will

28and the LORD uprooted them from

circumcise your heart and the heart of

their land in anger and in fury and in your descendants, to love the LORD

great wrath, and cast them into another

your God with all your heart and with all

land, as it is this day.'

your soul, so that you may live.

29" The secret things belong to the 7" The LORD your God will inflict all LORD our God, but the things revealed these curses on your enemies and on

belong to us and to our sons forever,

those who hate you, who persecuted

that we may observe all the words of

you.

this law.

8"And you shall again obey the LORD, 30

and observe all His commandments

"So it shall be when all of these

which I command you today.

things have come upon you, the

9

blessing and the curse which I have set

" Then the LORD your God will prosper

before you, and you call them to mind in

you abundantly in all the work of your

all nations where the LORD your God

hand, in the offspring of your body and has banished you,

in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD

2

will again rejoice over you for good, just

and you return to the LORD your God

as He rejoiced over your fathers;

and obey Him with all your heart and

soul according to all that I command you

10

today, you and your sons,

if you obey the LORD your God to

keep His commandments and His

3

statutes which are written in this book of

then the LORD your God will restore

you

from

captivity,

and

have

the law, if you turn to the LORD your

compassion on you, and will gather you

God with all your heart and soul.

again from all the peoples where the

11

LORD your God has scattered you.

"For this commandment which I

command you today is not too difficult

4"If your outcasts are at the ends of the for you, nor is it out of reach.

earth, from there the LORD your God

12

will gather you, and from there He will

"It is not in heaven, that you should bring you back.

say, ' Who will go up to heaven for us to

get it for us and make us hear it, that we

5" The LORD your God will bring you may observe it?'

into the land which your fathers

13

possessed, and you shall possess it;

"Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'

31So Moses went and spoke these

words to all Israel.

14"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may

2And he said to them, "I am a hundred observe it.

and twenty years old today; I am no

longer able to come and go, and the

15"See, I have set before you today life LORD has said to me, ' You shall not and prosperity, and death and adversity;

cross this Jordan.'

16in that I command you today to love

3" It is the LORD your God who will the LORD your God, to walk in His ways

cross ahead of you; He will destroy

and to keep His commandments and

these nations before you, and you shall

His statutes and His judgments, that you

dispossess them. Joshua is the one who

may live and multiply, and that the

will cross ahead of you, just as the

LORD your God may bless you in the

LORD has spoken.

land where you are entering to possess

it.

4"The LORD will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the 17"But if your heart turns away and you Amorites, and to their land, when He will not obey, but are drawn away and

destroyed them.

worship other gods and serve them,

5" The LORD will deliver them up before

18I declare to you today that you shall you, and you shall do to them according

surely perish. You will not prolong your to all the commandments which I have

days in the land where you are crossing

commanded you.

the Jordan to enter and possess it.

6" Be strong and courageous, do not be

19" I call heaven and earth to witness afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD

against you today, that I have set before

your God is the one who goes with you.

you life and death, the blessing and the

He will not fail you or forsake you."

curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

7Then Moses called to Joshua and said

to him in the sight of all Israel, " Be 20by loving the LORD your God, by

strong and courageous, for you shall go

obeying His voice, and by holding fast to

with this people into the land which the Him; for this is your life and the length of

LORD has sworn to their fathers to give

your days, that you may live in the land

them, and you shall give it to them as an

which the LORD swore to your fathers,

inheritance.

to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give

them."

8" The LORD is the one who goes

ahead of you; He will be with you. He

will not fail you or forsake you. Do not 16The LORD said to Moses, "Behold, fear or be dismayed."

you are about to lie down with your

fathers; and this people will arise and

9So Moses wrote this law and gave it to

play the harlot with the strange gods of the priests, the sons of Levi who carried

the land, into the midst of which they are

the ark of the covenant of the LORD,

going, and will forsake Me and break My

and to all the elders of Israel.

covenant which I have made with them.

10

17

Then Moses commanded them, saying,

" Then My anger will be kindled

"At the end of every seven years, at the

against them in that day, and I will

time of the year of remission of debts, at

forsake them and hide My face from

the Feast of Booths,

them, and they will be consumed, and

many evils and troubles will come upon

11

them; so that they will say in that day, '

when all Israel comes to appear before

Is it not because our God is not among the LORD your God at the place which

us that these evils have come upon us?'

He will choose, you shall read this law in

front of all Israel in their hearing.

18"But I will surely hide My face in that 12

day because of all the evil which they

"Assemble the people, the men and

will do, for they will turn to other gods.

the women and children and the alien

who is in your town, so that they may

19

hear and learn and fear the LORD your

"Now therefore, write this song for

God, and be careful to observe all the

yourselves, and teach it to the sons of words of this law.

Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against 13

the sons of Israel.

"Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD

20

your God, as long as you live on the

" For when I bring them into the land land which you are about to cross the flowing with milk and honey, which I

Jordan to possess."

swore to their fathers, and they have

eaten and are satisfied and become

14

prosperous, then they will turn to other Then the LORD said to Moses,

gods and serve them, and spurn Me and

"Behold, the time for you to die is near; break My covenant.

call Joshua, and present yourselves at

the tent of meeting, that I may

21

commission him." So Moses and Joshua

"Then it shall come about, when many

went and presented themselves at the

evils and troubles have come upon them,

tent of meeting.

that this song will testify before them as

a witness (for it shall not be forgotten 15

from the lips of their descendants); for I The LORD appeared in the tent in a

know their intent which they are

pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud developing today, before I have brought

stood at the doorway of the tent.

them into the land which I swore."

22So Moses wrote this song the same 30Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.

the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete:

23Then He commissioned Joshua the

son of Nun, and said, " Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the sons

32" Give ear, O heavens, and let me of Israel into the land which I swore to speak; And let the earth hear the words them, and I will be with you."

of my mouth.

24It came about, when Moses finished

2" Let my teaching drop as the rain, My

writing the words of this law in a book speech distill as the dew, As the

until they were complete,

droplets on the fresh grass And as the

showers on the herb.

25that Moses commanded the Levites

who carried the ark of the covenant of

3" For I proclaim the name of the LORD;

the LORD, saying,

Ascribe greatness to our God!

26"Take this book of the law and place it 4" The Rock! His work is perfect, For all beside the ark of the covenant of the His ways are just; A God of faithfulness

LORD your God, that it may remain

and without injustice, Righteous and

there as a witness against you.

upright is He.

27"For I know your rebellion and your 5" They have acted corruptly toward Him, stubbornness; behold, while I am still

They are not His children, because of

alive with you today, you have been

their defect; But are a perverse and

rebellious against the LORD; how much

crooked generation.

more, then, after my death?

6

28

"Do you thus repay the LORD, O

"Assemble to me all the elders of your

foolish and unwise people? Is not He

tribes and your officers, that I may

your Father who has bought you? He

speak these words in their hearing and

has made you and established you.

call the heavens and the earth to

witness against them.

7"Remember the days of old, Consider 29

the years of all generations. Ask your

"For I know that after my death you will

father, and he will inform you, Your

act corruptly and turn from the way

elders, and they will tell you.

which I have commanded you; and evil

will befall you in the latter days, for you 8

will do that which is evil in the sight of

" When the Most High gave the nations

the LORD, provoking Him to anger with

their inheritance, When He separated

the work of your hands."

the sons of man, He set the boundaries

of the peoples According to the number

of the sons of Israel.

9" For the LORD'S portion is His people; 18"You neglected the Rock who begot Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.

you, And forgot the God who gave you

birth.

10" He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He

19" The LORD saw this, and spurned

encircled him, He cared for him, He

them Because of the provocation of His

guarded him as the pupil of His eye.

sons and daughters.

11" Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, 20"Then He said, 'I will hide My face from That hovers over its young, He spread them, I will see what their end shall be; His wings and caught them, He carried

For they are a perverse generation,

them on His pinions.

Sons in whom is no faithfulness.

12" The LORD alone guided him, And

21' They have made Me jealous with

there was no foreign god with him.

what is not God; They have provoked

Me to anger with their idols. So I will 13" He made him ride on the high places

make them jealous with those who are

of the earth, And he ate the produce of not a people; I will provoke them to

the field; And He made him suck honey

anger with a foolish nation,

from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock, 22For a fire is kindled in My anger, And 14Curds of cows, and milk of the flock, burns to the lowest part of Sheol, And With fat of lambs, And rams, the breed

consumes the earth with its yield, And

of Bashan, and goats, With the finest of

sets on fire the foundations of the

the wheat-- And of the blood of grapes

mountains.

you drank wine.

23' I will heap misfortunes on them; I will

15" But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked--

use My arrows on them.

You are grown fat, thick, and sleek--

Then he forsook God who made him,

24' They will be wasted by famine, and

And scorned the Rock of his salvation.

consumed

by

plague

And

bitter

destruction; And the teeth of beasts I will

16" They made Him jealous with strange

send upon them, With the venom of

gods; With abominations they provoked

crawling things of the dust.

Him to anger.

25' Outside the sword will bereave, And

17" They sacrificed to demons who were

inside terror-- Both young man and

not God, To gods whom they have not

virgin, The nursling with the man of gray

known, New gods who came lately,

hair.

Whom your fathers did not dread.

26'I would have said, " I will cut them to pieces, I will remove the memory of

them from men,"

27Had I not feared the provocation by strength is gone, And there is none the enemy, That their adversaries would

remaining, bond or free.

misjudge, That they would say, " Our hand is triumphant, And the LORD has

37"And He will say, ' Where are their not done all this."'

gods, The rock in which they sought

refuge?

28" For they are a nation lacking in counsel, And there is no understanding

38' Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, in them.

And drank the wine of their drink offering?

Let them rise up and help you, Let them

29" Would that they were wise, that they

be your hiding place!

understood this, That they would discern

their future!

39' See now that I, I am He, And there is

no god besides Me; It is I who put to 30" How could one chase a thousand, death and give life. I have wounded and And two put ten thousand to flight,

it is I who heal, And there is no one who

Unless their Rock had sold them, And

can deliver from My hand.

the LORD had given them up?

40'Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven, 31"Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, And say, as I live forever, Even our enemies themselves judge this.

41If I sharpen My flashing sword, And My

32"For their vine is from the vine of hand takes hold on justice, I will render Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; vengeance on My adversaries, And I will

Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their

repay those who hate Me.

clusters, bitter.

42' I will make My arrows drunk with

33"Their wine is the venom of serpents, blood, And My sword will devour flesh, And the deadly poison of cobras.

With the blood of the slain and the

captives, From the long-haired leaders

34' Is it not laid up in store with Me, of the enemy.'

Sealed up in My treasuries?

43" Rejoice, O nations, with His people; 35' Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, For He will avenge the blood of His

In due time their foot will slip; For the servants, And will render vengeance on

day of their calamity is near, And the

His adversaries, And will atone for His

impending things are hastening upon

land and His people."

them.'

44Then Moses came and spoke all the

36" For the LORD will vindicate His words of this song in the hearing of the people, And will have compassion on people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun.

His servants, When He sees that their

45When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel,

33Now this is the blessing with

which Moses the man of God blessed

46he said to them, " Take to your heart the sons of Israel before his death.

all the words with which I am warning

you today, which you shall command

2He said, " The LORD came from Sinai,

your sons to observe carefully, even all And dawned on them from Seir; He

the words of this law.

shone forth from Mount Paran, And He

came from the midst of ten thousand

47"For it is not an idle word for you; holy ones; At His right hand there was indeed it is your life. And by this word flashing lightning for them.

you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan

3" Indeed, He loves the people; All Your

to possess."

holy ones are in Your hand, And they

followed in Your steps; Everyone

48The LORD spoke to Moses that very

receives of Your words.

same day, saying,

4" Moses charged us with a law, A

49" Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, possession for the assembly of Jacob.

Mount Nebo, which is in the land of

Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the

5" And He was king in Jeshurun, When land of Canaan, which I am giving to the

the heads of the people were gathered,

sons of Israel for a possession.

The tribes of Israel together.

50"Then die on the mountain where you

6" May Reuben live and not die, Nor his

ascend, and be gathered to your people,

men be few."

as Aaron your brother died on Mount

Hor and was gathered to his people,

7And this regarding Judah; so he said,

51

"Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, And

because you broke faith with Me in the

bring him to his people. With his hands midst of the sons of Israel at the waters

he contended for them, And may You be

of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of

a help against his adversaries."

Zin, because you did not treat Me as

holy in the midst of the sons of Israel.

8Of Levi he said, "Let Your Thummim 52

and Your Urim belong to Your godly

" For you shall see the land at a man, Whom You proved at Massah,

distance, but you shall not go there, into

With whom You contended at the waters

the land which I am giving the sons of of Meribah;

Israel."

9Who said of his father and his mother, 'I

did not consider them'; And he did not

acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he

regard his own sons, For they observed earth. And those are the ten thousands Your word, And kept Your covenant.

of

Ephraim,

And

those

are

the

thousands of Manasseh."

10" They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They

18Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun,

shall put incense before You, And whole

in your going forth, And, Issachar, in

burnt offerings on Your altar.

your tents.

11"O LORD, bless his substance, And

19" They will call peoples to the mountain; accept the work of his hands; Shatter

There they will offer righteous sacrifices;

the loins of those who rise up against

For they will draw out the abundance of

him, And those who hate him, so that

the seas, And the hidden treasures of

they will not rise again."

the sand."

12Of Benjamin he said, " May the

20Of Gad he said, "Blessed is the one beloved of the LORD dwell in security

who enlarges Gad; He lies down as a

by Him, Who shields him all the day,

lion, And tears the arm, also the crown And he dwells between His shoulders."

of the head.

13Of Joseph he said, " Blessed of the 21" Then he provided the first part for LORD be his land, With the choice himself, For there the ruler's portion was

things of heaven, with the dew, And

reserved; And he came with the leaders

from the deep lying beneath,

of the people; He executed the justice of

the LORD, And His ordinances with

14And with the choice yield of the sun, Israel."

And with the choice produce of the

months.

22Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's whelp, That leaps forth from Bashan."

15"And with the best things of the ancient mountains, And with the choice things of

23Of Naphtali he said, " O Naphtali, the everlasting hills,

satisfied with favor, And full of the

blessing of the LORD, Take possession

16And with the choice things of the earth

of the sea and the south."

and its fullness, And the favor of Him

who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the

24Of Asher he said, "More blessed than head of Joseph, And to the crown of the

sons is Asher; May he be favored by his

head of the one distinguished among his

brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil.

brothers.

25" Your locks will be iron and bronze, 17"As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is And according to your days, so will your his, And his horns are the horns of the leisurely walk be.

wild ox; With them he will push the

peoples, All at once, to the ends of the

26" There is none like the God of descendants'; I have let you see it with Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your eyes, but you shall not go over

your help, And through the skies in His there."

majesty.

5So Moses the servant of the LORD

27" The eternal God is a dwelling place, died there in the land of Moab,

And underneath are the everlasting

according to the word of the LORD.

arms; And He drove out the enemy from

before you, And said, 'Destroy!'

6And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but

28" So Israel dwells in security, The no man knows his burial place to this

fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of

day.

grain and new wine; His heavens also

drop down dew.

7Although Moses was one hundred and

twenty years old when he died, his eye

29" Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like was not dim, nor his vigor abated.

you, a people saved by the LORD, Who

is the shield of your help And the sword

8So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in

of your majesty! So your enemies will

the plains of Moab thirty days; then the cringe before you, And you will tread

days of weeping and mourning for

upon their high places."

Moses came to an end.

9

34

Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled

Now Moses went up from the

with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had

plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the

laid his hands on him; and the sons of top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho.

Israel listened to him and did as the

And the LORD showed him all the land,

LORD had commanded Moses.

Gilead as far as Dan,

10Since that time no prophet has risen in

2and all Naphtali and the land of

Israel like Moses, whom the LORD

Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land

knew face to face,

of Judah as far as the western sea,

11for all the signs and wonders which the

3and the Negev and the plain in the

LORD sent him to perform in the land of

valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants,

as far as Zoar.

and all his land,

4

12

Then the LORD said to him, "This is the

and for all the mighty power and for all

land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac,

the great terror which Moses performed

and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your in the sight of all Israel.

Joshua

8" This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate 1Now it came about after the death of on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is Moses the servant of the LORD, that the

written in it; for then you will make your LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun,

way prosperous, and then you will have

Moses' servant, saying,

success.

2"Moses My servant is dead; now

9"Have I not commanded you? Be

therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you

strong and courageous! Do not tremble

and all this people, to the land which I or be dismayed, for the LORD your God

am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

is with you wherever you go."

3" Every place on which the sole of your

10Then Joshua commanded the officers

foot treads, I have given it to you, just as

of the people, saying,

I spoke to Moses.

11

4

"Pass through the midst of the camp

" From the wilderness and this Lebanon,

and command the people, saying,

even as far as the great river, the river

'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for

Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, within three days you are to cross this and as far as the Great Sea toward the Jordan, to go in to possess the land setting of the sun will be your territory.

which the LORD your God is giving you,

to possess it.'"

5" No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I 12To the Reubenites and to the Gadites have been with Moses, I will be with you;

and to the half-tribe of Manasseh,

I will not fail you or forsake you.

Joshua said,

6" Be strong and courageous, for you 13"Remember the word which Moses the

shall give this people possession of the servant of the LORD commanded you,

land which I swore to their fathers to

saying, ' The LORD your God gives you

give them.

rest and will give you this land.'

7"Only be strong and very courageous; 14"Your wives, your little ones, and your be careful to do according to all the law cattle shall remain in the land which

which Moses My servant commanded

Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but

you; do not turn from it to the right or to

you shall cross before your brothers in

the left, so that you may have success

battle array, all your valiant warriors,

wherever you go.

and shall help them,

15until the LORD gives your brothers 4But the woman had taken the two men rest, as He gives you, and they also

and hidden them, and she said, "Yes, possess the land which the LORD your

the men came to me, but I did not know

God is giving them. Then you shall

where they were from.

return to your own land, and possess

that which Moses the servant of the

5"It came about when it was time to shut

LORD gave you beyond the Jordan

the gate at dark, that the men went out; I

toward the sunrise."

do not know where the men went.

Pursue them quickly, for you will

16They answered Joshua, saying, "All

overtake them."

that you have commanded us we will do,

and wherever you send us we will go.

6But she had brought them up to the

roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax

17"Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, which she had laid in order on the roof.

so we will obey you; only may the LORD

your God be with you as He was with

7So the men pursued them on the road

Moses.

to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had

18"Anyone who rebels against your

gone out, they shut the gate.

command and does not obey your

words in all that you command him,

8Now before they lay down, she came

shall be put to death; only be strong and

up to them on the roof,

courageous."

9and said to the men, " I know that the 2

LORD has given you the land, and that

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two

the terror of you has fallen on us, and men as spies secretly from Shittim,

that all the inhabitants of the land have saying, "Go, view the land, especially melted away before you.

Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was

10" For we have heard how the LORD

Rahab, and lodged there.

dried up the water of the Red Sea

before you when you came out of Egypt,

2It was told the king of Jericho, saying, and what you did to the two kings of the

"Behold, men from the sons of Israel Amorites who were beyond the Jordan,

have come here tonight to search out

to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly

the land."

destroyed.

3

11

And the king of Jericho sent word to

"When we heard it, our hearts melted Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who and no courage remained in any man have come to you, who have entered

any longer because of you; for the

your house, for they have come to

LORD your God, He is God in heaven

search out all the land."

above and on earth beneath.

12"Now therefore, please swear to me by head, and we shall be free; but anyone the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with

who is with you in the house, his blood you, that you also will deal kindly with shall be on our head if a hand is laid on my father's household, and give me a

him.

pledge of truth,

20"But if you tell this business of ours, 13and spare my father and my mother then we shall be free from the oath

and my brothers and my sisters, with all

which you have made us swear."

who belong to them, and deliver our

lives from death."

21She said, "According to your words, so

be it." So she sent them away, and they

14So the men said to her, "Our life for departed; and she tied the scarlet cord yours if you do not tell this business of in the window.

ours; and it shall come about when the

LORD gives us the land that we will deal

22They departed and came to the hill

kindly and faithfully with you."

country, and remained there for three

days until the pursuers returned. Now

15Then she let them down by a rope

the pursuers had sought them all along

through the window, for her house was

the road, but had not found them.

on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall.

23Then the two men returned and came

down from the hill country and crossed

16She said to them, " Go to the hill over and came to Joshua the son of

country, so that the pursuers will not

Nun, and they related to him all that had

happen upon you, and hide yourselves

happened to them.

there for three days until the pursuers

return. Then afterward you may go on

24They said to Joshua, "Surely the

your way."

LORD has given all the land into our

hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of

17The men said to her, " We shall be the land have melted away before us."

free from this oath to you which you

have made us swear,

3Then Joshua rose early in the

18unless, when we come into the land,

morning; and he and all the sons of

you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the Israel set out from Shittim and came to window through which you let us down, the Jordan, and they lodged there

and gather to yourself into the house

before they crossed.

your father and your mother and your

brothers and all your father's household.

2At the end of three days the officers

19

went through the midst of the camp;

"It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into

3

the street, his blood shall be on his own

and they commanded the people,

saying, "When you see the ark of the

covenant of the LORD your God with Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the the Levitical priests carrying it, then you Amorite, and the Jebusite.

shall set out from your place and go

after it.

11"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over

4"However, there shall be between you ahead of you into the Jordan.

and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that

12"Now then, take for yourselves twelve you may know the way by which you

men from the tribes of Israel, one man

shall go, for you have not passed this

for each tribe.

way before."

13"It shall come about when the soles of

5Then Joshua said to the people, "

the feet of the priests who carry the ark

Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow

of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, the LORD will do wonders among you."

rest in the waters of the Jordan, the

waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and

6And Joshua spoke to the priests,

the waters which are flowing down from

saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant

above will stand in one heap."

and cross over ahead of the people." So

they took up the ark of the covenant and

14So when the people set out from their

went ahead of the people.

tents to cross the Jordan with the priests

carrying the ark of the covenant before

7Now the LORD said to Joshua, "This the people,

day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just 15and when those who carried the ark

as I have been with Moses, I will be with

came into the Jordan, and the feet of the

you.

priests carrying the ark were dipped in

the edge of the water (for the Jordan

8"You shall, moreover, command the

overflows all its banks all the days of priests who are carrying the ark of the harvest), covenant, saying, 'When you come to

the edge of the waters of the Jordan,

16the waters which were flowing down

you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

from above stood and rose up in one

heap, a great distance away at Adam,

9Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel,

the city that is beside Zarethan; and

"Come here, and hear the words of the those which were flowing down toward

LORD your God."

the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,

were completely cut off. So the people

10Joshua said, "By this you shall know crossed opposite Jericho.

that the living God is among you, and

that He will assuredly dispossess from

17And the priests who carried the ark of

before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the

the covenant of the LORD stood firm on

dry ground in the middle of the Jordan

while all Israel crossed on dry ground, 8Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua until all the nation had finished crossing commanded, and took up twelve stones

the Jordan.

from the middle of the Jordan, just as

the LORD spoke to Joshua, according

to the number of the tribes of the sons of

4Now when all the nation had finished Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to

down there.

Joshua, saying,

9

2

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in

" Take for yourselves twelve men from the middle of the Jordan at the place

the people, one man from each tribe,

where the feet of the priests who carried

the ark of the covenant were standing,

3and command them, saying, 'Take up

and they are there to this day.

for yourselves twelve stones from here

out of the middle of the Jordan, from the

10For the priests who carried the ark

place where the priests' feet are

were standing in the middle of the

standing firm, and carry them over with

Jordan until everything was completed

you and lay them down in the lodging

that the LORD had commanded Joshua

place where you will lodge tonight.'"

to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

4So Joshua called the twelve men whom

And the people hurried and crossed;

he had appointed from the sons of Israel,

one man from each tribe;

11and when all the people had finished

crossing, the ark of the LORD and the

5and Joshua said to them, "Cross again

priests crossed before the people.

to the ark of the LORD your God into the

middle of the Jordan, and each of you

12The sons of Reuben and the sons of

take up a stone on his shoulder,

Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh

according to the number of the tribes of

crossed over in battle array before the

the sons of Israel.

sons of Israel, just as Moses had

spoken to them;

6"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying,

13about 40,000 equipped for war,

'What do these stones mean to you?'

crossed for battle before the LORD to

the desert plains of Jericho.

7then you shall say to them, 'Because

the waters of the Jordan were cut off

14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua

before the ark of the covenant of the

in the sight of all Israel; so that they LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the

revered him, just as they had revered

waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So

Moses all the days of his life.

these stones shall become a memorial

to the sons of Israel forever."

15Now the LORD said to Joshua,

16"Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony that they come up 5Now it came about when all the kings

from the Jordan."

of the Amorites who were beyond the

Jordan to the west, and all the kings of 17So Joshua commanded the priests,

the Canaanites who were by the sea,

saying, "Come up from the Jordan."

heard how the LORD had dried up the

waters of the Jordan before the sons of 18It came about when the priests who

Israel until they had crossed, that their carried the ark of the covenant of the

hearts melted, and there was no spirit in

LORD had come up from the middle of

them any longer because of the sons of

the Jordan, and the soles of the priests'

Israel.

feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that

the waters of the Jordan returned to

2At that time the LORD said to Joshua,

their place, and went over all its banks

"Make for yourself flint knives and

as before.

circumcise again the sons of Israel the

second time."

19Now the people came up from the

Jordan on the tenth of the first month

3So Joshua made himself flint knives

and camped at Gilgal on the eastern

and circumcised the sons of Israel at

edge of Jericho.

Gibeath-haaraloth.

20Those twelve stones which they had

4This is the reason why Joshua

taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at

circumcised them: all the people who

Gilgal.

came out of Egypt who were males, all

the men of war, died in the wilderness

21He said to the sons of Israel, "When along the way after they came out of your children ask their fathers in time to

Egypt.

come, saying, 'What are these stones?'

5For all the people who came out were

22then you shall inform your children,

circumcised, but all the people who

saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on

were born in the wilderness along the

dry ground.'

way as they came out of Egypt had not

been circumcised.

23"For the LORD your God dried up the

waters of the Jordan before you until

6For the sons of Israel walked forty

you had crossed, just as the LORD your

years in the wilderness, until all the

God had done to the Red Sea, which He

nation, that is, the men of war who came

dried up before us until we had crossed;

out of Egypt, perished because they did

not listen to the voice of the LORD, to 24that all the peoples of the earth may whom the LORD had sworn that He know that the hand of the LORD is

would not let them see the land which

mighty, so that you may fear the LORD

the LORD had sworn to their fathers to

your God forever."

give us, a land flowing with milk and 14He said, "No; rather I indeed come honey.

now as captain of the host of the

LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to 7Their children whom He raised up in

the earth, and bowed down, and said to

their place, Joshua circumcised; for they

him, "What has my lord to say to his were uncircumcised, because they had

servant?"

not circumcised them along the way.

15The captain of the LORD'S host said

8Now

when

they

had

finished

to Joshua, " Remove your sandals from

circumcising

all

the

nation,

they

your feet, for the place where you are

remained in their places in the camp

standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

until they were healed.

9Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today

6Now Jericho was tightly shut

I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt

because of the sons of Israel; no one

from you." So the name of that place is went out and no one came in.

called Gilgal to this day.

2The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have

10While the sons of Israel camped at

given Jericho into your hand, with its

Gilgal they observed the Passover on

king and the valiant warriors.

the evening of the fourteenth day of the

month on the desert plains of Jericho.

3"You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You

11On the day after the Passover, on that

shall do so for six days.

very day, they ate some of the produce

of the land, unleavened cakes and

4"Also seven priests shall carry seven parched grain.

trumpets of rams' horns before the ark;

then on the seventh day you shall march

12The manna ceased on the day after

around the city seven times, and the

they had eaten some of the produce of

priests shall blow the trumpets.

the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of

5"It shall be that when they make a long

the yield of the land of Canaan during

blast with the ram's horn, and when you

that year.

hear the sound of the trumpet, all the

people shall shout with a great shout;

13Now it came about when Joshua was

and the wall of the city will fall down flat,

by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and

and the people will go up every man

looked, and behold, a man was standing

straight ahead."

opposite him with his sword drawn in his

hand, and Joshua went to him and said

6So Joshua the son of Nun called the

to him, "Are you for us or for our priests and said to them, "Take up the adversaries?"

ark of the covenant, and let seven

priests carry seven trumpets of rams'

14Thus the second day they marched

horns before the ark of the LORD."

around the city once and returned to the

camp; they did so for six days.

7Then he said to the people, "Go

forward, and march around the city, and

15Then on the seventh day they rose

let the armed men go on before the ark

early at the dawning of the day and

of the LORD."

marched around the city in the same

manner seven times; only on that day

8And it was so, that when Joshua had

they marched around the city seven

spoken to the people, the seven priests

times.

carrying the seven trumpets of rams'

horns before the LORD went forward

16At the seventh time, when the priests

and blew the trumpets; and the ark of

blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the

the covenant of the LORD followed

people, " Shout! For the LORD has

them.

given you the city.

9The armed men went before the priests

17"The city shall be under the ban, it and who blew the trumpets, and the rear

all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only

guard came after the ark, while they

Rahab the harlot and all who are with

continued to blow the trumpets.

her in the house shall live, because she

hid the messengers whom we sent.

10But Joshua commanded the people,

saying, "You shall not shout nor let your 18"But as for you, only keep yourselves voice be heard nor let a word proceed from the things under the ban, so that

out of your mouth, until the day I tell you,

you do not covet them and take some of

'Shout!' Then you shall shout!"

the things under the ban, and make the

camp of Israel accursed and bring

11So he had the ark of the LORD taken

trouble on it.

around the city, circling it once; then

they came into the camp and spent the

19" But all the silver and gold and articles night in the camp.

of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD;

they shall go into the treasury of the

12Now Joshua rose early in the morning,

LORD."

and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

20So the people shouted, and priests

blew the trumpets; and when the people

13The seven priests carrying the seven

heard the sound of the trumpet, the

trumpets of rams' horns before the ark

people shouted with a great shout and

of the LORD went on continually, and

the wall fell down flat, so that the people

blew the trumpets; and the armed men

went up into the city, every man straight

went before them and the rear guard

ahead, and they took the city.

came after the ark of the LORD, while

they continued to blow the trumpets.

21They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young 7But the sons of Israel acted

and old, and ox and sheep and donkey,

unfaithfully in regard to the things under

with the edge of the sword.

the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi,

the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from

22Joshua said to the two men who had

the tribe of Judah, took some of the

spied out the land, " Go into the harlot's things under the ban, therefore the

house and bring the woman and all she

anger of the LORD burned against the

has out of there, as you have sworn to sons of Israel.

her."

2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to

23So the young men who were spies

Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of

went in and brought out Rahab and her

Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and father and her mother and her brothers

spy out the land." So the men went up and all she had; they also brought out all

and spied out Ai.

her relatives and placed them outside

the camp of Israel.

3They returned to Joshua and said to

him, "Do not let all the people go up; 24They burned the city with fire, and all only about two or three thousand men that was in it. Only the silver and gold, need go up to Ai; do not make all the and articles of bronze and iron, they put people toil up there, for they are few."

into the treasury of the house of the

LORD.

4So about three thousand men from the

people went up there, but they fled from

25However, Rahab the harlot and her

the men of Ai.

father's household and all she had,

Joshua spared; and she has lived in the

5The men of Ai struck down about thirty—

midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the

six of their men, and pursued them from

messengers whom Joshua sent to spy

the gate as far as Shebarim and struck

out Jericho.

them down on the descent, so the

hearts of the people melted and became

26Then Joshua made them take an oath

as water.

at that time, saying, " Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and

6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to

builds this city Jericho; with the loss of the earth on his face before the ark of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, the LORD until the evening, both he and and with the loss of his youngest son he

the elders of Israel; and they put dust on

shall set up its gates."

their heads.

27So the LORD was with Joshua, and

7Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why his fame was in all the land.

did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the shall come near by families, and the Jordan!

family which the LORD takes shall come

near by households, and the household

8"O Lord, what can I say since Israel has which the LORD takes shall come near

turned their back before their enemies?

man by man.

9

15

" For the Canaanites and all the

' It shall be that the one who is taken inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and

with the things under the ban shall be

they will surround us and cut off our

burned with fire, he and all that belongs

name from the earth. And what will You

to him, because he has transgressed

do for Your great name?"

the covenant of the LORD, and because

he has committed a disgraceful thing in

10

Israel.'"

So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up!

Why is it that you have fallen on your 16

face?

So Joshua arose early in the morning

and brought Israel near by tribes, and

11

the tribe of Judah was taken.

"Israel has sinned, and they have also

transgressed My covenant which I

17

commanded them. And they have even

He brought the family of Judah near,

taken some of the things under the ban

and he took the family of the Zerahites; and have both stolen and deceived.

and he brought the family of the

Moreover, they have also put them

Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi

among their own things.

was taken.

12

18

"Therefore the sons of Israel cannot He brought his household near man by

stand before their enemies; they turn

man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of

their backs before their enemies, for

Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of

they have become accursed. I will not

Judah, was taken.

be with you anymore unless you destroy

the things under the ban from your midst. 19Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the 13"Rise up! Consecrate the people and God of Israel, and give praise to Him;

say,

'Consecrate

yourselves

for

and tell me now what you have done.

tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God

Do not hide it from me."

of Israel, has said, " There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel.

20So Achan answered Joshua and said,

You cannot stand before your enemies

"Truly, I have sinned against the LORD,

until you have removed the things under

the God of Israel, and this is what I did:

the ban from your midst."

21when I saw among the spoil a beautiful

14'In the morning then you shall come

mantle from Shinar and two hundred

near by your tribes. And it shall be that shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty the tribe which the LORD takes by lot shekels in weight, then I coveted them

and took them; and behold, they are 2"You shall do to Ai and its king just as concealed in the earth inside my tent you did to Jericho and its king; you shall

with the silver underneath it."

take only its spoil and its cattle as

plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they

for the city behind it."

ran to the tent; and behold, it was

concealed in his tent with the silver

3So Joshua rose with all the people of

underneath it.

war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose

30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent

23They took them from inside the tent

them out at night.

and brought them to Joshua and to all

the sons of Israel, and they poured them

4He commanded them, saying, "See,

out before the LORD.

you are going to ambush the city from

behind it. Do not go very far from the 24Then Joshua and all Israel with him,

city, but all of you be ready.

took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver,

the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his

5"Then I and all the people who are with

daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his

me will approach the city. And when

sheep, his tent and all that belonged to they come out to meet us as at the first,

him; and they brought them up to the

we will flee before them.

valley of Achor.

6"They will come out after us until we 25Joshua said, "Why have you troubled have drawn them away from the city, for us? The LORD will trouble you this day."

they will say, 'They are fleeing before us

And all Israel stoned them with stones;

as at the first.' So we will flee before and they burned them with fire after they

them.

had stoned them with stones.

7"And you shall rise from your ambush 26They raised over him a great heap of and take possession of the city, for the stones that stands to this day, and the LORD your God will deliver it into your LORD turned from the fierceness of His hand.

anger. Therefore the name of that place

has been called the valley of Achor to

8"Then it will be when you have seized this day.

the city, that you shall set the city on fire.

You shall do it according to the word of 8

the LORD. See, I have commanded

Now the LORD said to Joshua, " Do

you."

not fear or be dismayed. Take all the

9

people of war with you and arise, go up

So Joshua sent them away, and they

to Ai; see, I have given into your hand went to the place of ambush and

the king of Ai, his people, his city, and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the

his land.

west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that

night among the people.

10Now Joshua rose early in the morning 18Then the LORD said to Joshua, "

and mustered the people, and he went

Stretch out the javelin that is in your up with the elders of Israel before the hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your people to Ai.

hand." So Joshua stretched out the

javelin that was in his hand toward the 11Then all the people of war who were

city.

with him went up and drew near and

arrived in front of the city, and camped 19The men in ambush rose quickly from

on the north side of Ai. Now there was a

their place, and when he had stretched

valley between him and Ai.

out his hand, they ran and entered the

city and captured it, and they quickly set

12And he took about 5,000 men and set

the city on fire.

them in ambush between Bethel and Ai,

on the west side of the city.

20When the men of Ai turned back and

looked, behold, the smoke of the city

13So they stationed the people, all the

ascended to the sky, and they had no

army that was on the north side of the place to flee this way or that, for the city, and its rear guard on the west side people who had been fleeing to the

of the city, and Joshua spent that night wilderness turned against the pursuers.

in the midst of the valley.

21When Joshua and all Israel saw that

14It came about when the king of Ai saw

the men in ambush had captured the

it, that the men of the city hurried and city and that the smoke of the city

rose up early and went out to meet

ascended, they turned back and slew

Israel in battle, he and all his people at the men of Ai.

the appointed place before the desert

plain. But he did not know that there

22The others came out from the city to

was an ambush against him behind the

encounter them, so that they were

city.

trapped in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; and

15Joshua and all Israel pretended to be

they slew them until no one was left of beaten before them, and fled by the way

those who survived or escaped.

of the wilderness.

23But they took alive the king of Ai and 16And all the people who were in the city

brought him to Joshua.

were called together to pursue them,

and they pursued Joshua and were

24Now when Israel had finished killing all

drawn away from the city.

the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them,

17So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel and all of them were fallen by the edge who had not gone out after Israel, and of the sword until they were destroyed,

they left the city unguarded and pursued

then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it

Israel.

with the edge of the sword.

25All who fell that day, both men and sides of the ark before the Levitical women, were 12,000--all the people of

priests who carried the ark of the

Ai.

covenant of the LORD, the stranger as

well as the native. Half of them stood in

26For Joshua did not withdraw his hand

front of Mount Gerizim and half of them with which he stretched out the javelin

in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the

until he had utterly destroyed all the

servant of the LORD had given

inhabitants of Ai.

command at first to bless the people of Israel.

27Israel took only the cattle and the spoil

34

of that city as plunder for themselves,

Then afterward he read all the words

according to the word of the LORD

of the law, the blessing and the curse, which He had commanded Joshua.

according to all that is written in the book of the law.

28So Joshua burned Ai and made it a

35

heap forever, a desolation until this day.

There was not a word of all that Moses

had commanded which Joshua did not

29

read before all the assembly of Israel

He hanged the king of Ai on a tree

with the women and the little ones and

until evening; and at sunset Joshua

the strangers who were living among

gave command and they took his body

them.

down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and raised

over it a great heap of stones that

stands to this day.

9Now it came about when all the kings

who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill 30Then Joshua built an altar to the

country and in the lowland and on all the

LORD, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal,

coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon,

the Hittite and the Amorite, the

31just as Moses the servant of the LORD

Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and

had commanded the sons of Israel, as it

the Jebusite, heard of it,

is written in the book of the law of

2

Moses, an altar of uncut stones on

that they gathered themselves together

which no man had wielded an iron tool;

with one accord to fight with Joshua and

and they offered burnt offerings on it to with Israel.

the

LORD,

and

sacrificed

peace

offerings.

3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard

what Joshua had done to Jericho and to

32He wrote there on the stones a copy of

Ai,

the law of Moses, which he had written,

in the presence of the sons of Israel.

4they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on

33All Israel with their elders and officers their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out

and their judges were standing on both

and torn and mended,

5and worn-out and patched sandals on houses on the day that we left to come their feet, and worn-out clothes on to you; but now behold, it is dry and has

themselves; and all the bread of their

become crumbled.

provision was dry and had become

crumbled.

13"These wineskins which we filled were

new, and behold, they are torn; and

6They went to Joshua to the camp at

these our clothes and our sandals are

Gilgal and said to him and to the men of

worn out because of the very long

Israel, "We have come from a far

journey."

country;

now

therefore,

make

a

covenant with us."

14So the men of Israel took some of their

provisions, and did not ask for the

7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, counsel of the LORD.

"Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with

15Joshua made peace with them and

you?"

made a covenant with them, to let them

live; and the leaders of the congregation

8But they said to Joshua, " We are your

swore an oath to them.

servants." Then Joshua said to them,

"Who are you and where do you come 16It came about at the end of three days

from?"

after they had made a covenant with

them, that they heard that they were

9They said to him, "Your servants have neighbors and that they were living

come from a very far country because of

within their land.

the fame of the LORD your God; for we

have heard the report of Him and all that

17Then the sons of Israel set out and

He did in Egypt,

came to their cities on the third day.

Now their cities were Gibeon and

10and all that He did to the two kings of

Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath—

the Amorites who were beyond the

jearim.

Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to

Og king of Bashan who was at

18The sons of Israel did not strike them

Ashtaroth.

because the leaders of the congregation

had sworn to them by the LORD the

11"So our elders and all the inhabitants God

of

Israel.

And

the

whole

of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take

congregation grumbled against the

provisions in your hand for the journey, leaders.

and go to meet them and say to them, "

We are your servants; now then, make a

19But all the leaders said to the whole covenant with us."'

congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and

12"This our bread was warm when we

now we cannot touch them.

took it for our provisions out of our

20"This we will do to them, even let them the LORD, to this day, in the place live, so that wrath will not be upon us for

which He would choose.

the oath which we swore to them."

21The leaders said to them, "Let them 10Now it came about when Adoni-live." So they became hewers of wood zedek king of Jerusalem heard that and drawers of water for the whole

Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly

congregation, just as the leaders had

destroyed it (just as he had done to

spoken to them.

Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants

22Then Joshua called for them and

of Gibeon had made peace with Israel

spoke to them, saying, "Why have you and were within their land,

deceived us, saying, 'We are very far

from you,' when you are living within our

2that he feared greatly, because Gibeon

land?

was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than

23"Now therefore, you are cursed, and Ai, and all its men were mighty.

you shall never cease being slaves,

both hewers of wood and drawers of

3Therefore

Adoni-zedek

king

of

water for the house of my God."

Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of

Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth

24So they answered Joshua and said, "

and to Japhia king of Lachish and to

Because it was certainly told your

Debir king of Eglon, saying,

servants that the LORD your God had

commanded His servant Moses to give

4"Come up to me and help me, and let you all the land, and to destroy all the us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace inhabitants of the land before you;

with Joshua and with the sons of Israel."

therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this

5

thing.

So the five kings of the Amorites, the

king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,

25

the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish,

"Now behold, we are in your hands; do

and the king of Eglon, gathered together

as it seems good and right in your sight

and went up, they with all their armies, to do to us."

and camped by Gibeon and fought

against it.

26Thus he did to them, and delivered

them from the hands of the sons of

6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to

Israel, and they did not kill them.

Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying,

"Do not abandon your servants; come

27But Joshua made them that day

up to us quickly and save us and help

hewers of wood and drawers of water

us, for all the kings of the Amorites that

for the congregation and for the altar of live in the hill country have assembled against us."

7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and 14There was no day like that before it or all the people of war with him and all the

after it, when the LORD listened to the valiant warriors.

voice of a man; for the LORD fought for

Israel.

8The LORD said to Joshua, " Do not fear them, for I have given them into

15Then Joshua and all Israel with him

your hands; not one of them shall stand

returned to the camp to Gilgal.

before you."

16Now these five kings had fled and

9So Joshua came upon them suddenly

hidden themselves in the cave at

by marching all night from Gilgal.

Makkedah.

10And the LORD confounded them

17It was told Joshua, saying, "The five before Israel, and He slew them with a kings have been found hidden in the

great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued

cave at Makkedah."

them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah

18Joshua said, "Roll large stones against and Makkedah.

the mouth of the cave, and assign men

by it to guard them,

11As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon,

19but do not stay there yourselves;

the LORD threw large stones from

pursue your enemies and attack them in

heaven on them as far as Azekah, and

the rear. Do not allow them to enter their

they died; there were more who died

cities, for the LORD your God has

from the hailstones than those whom

delivered them into your hand."

the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

20It came about when Joshua and the

12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in

sons of Israel had finished slaying them

the day when the LORD delivered up

with a very great slaughter, until they

the Amorites before the sons of Israel,

were destroyed, and the survivors who

and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, remained of them had entered the

stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the

fortified cities,

valley of Aijalon."

21that all the people returned to the

13So the sun stood still, and the moon

camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace.

stopped, Until the nation avenged

No one uttered a word against any of

themselves of their enemies. Is it not

the sons of Israel.

written in the book of Jashar? And the

sun stopped in the middle of the sky and

22Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of

did not hasten to go down for about a

the cave and bring these five kings out whole day.

to me from the cave."

23They did so, and brought these five 30The LORD gave it also with its king kings out to him from the cave: the king

into the hands of Israel, and he struck it

of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the

and every person who was in it with the

king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and

edge of the sword. He left no survivor in

the king of Eglon.

it. Thus he did to its king just as he had

done to the king of Jericho.

24When they brought these kings out to

Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of

31And Joshua and all Israel with him

Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men

passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and

of war who had gone with him, "Come they camped by it and fought against it.

near, put your feet on the necks of these

kings." So they came near and put their

32The LORD gave Lachish into the

feet on their necks.

hands of Israel; and he captured it on

the second day, and struck it and every

25Joshua then said to them, " Do not person who was in it with the edge of fear or be dismayed! Be strong and

the sword, according to all that he had courageous, for thus the LORD will do

done to Libnah.

to all your enemies with whom you

fight."

33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to

help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him

26So afterward Joshua struck them and

and his people until he had left him no put them to death, and he hanged them

survivor.

on five trees; and they hung on the trees

until evening.

34And Joshua and all Israel with him

passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and

27It came about at sunset that Joshua

they camped by it and fought against it.

gave a command, and they took them

down from the trees and threw them into

35They captured it on that day and

the cave where they had hidden

struck it with the edge of the sword; and

themselves, and put large stones over

he utterly destroyed that day every

the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

person who was in it, according to all

that he had done to Lachish.

28Now Joshua captured Makkedah on

that day, and struck it and its king with 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him

the edge of the sword; he utterly

went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they

destroyed it and every person who was

fought against it.

in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had 37They captured it and struck it and its done to the king of Jericho.

king and all its cities and all the persons

who were in it with the edge of the

29Then Joshua and all Israel with him

sword. He left no survivor, according to passed on from Makkedah to Libnah,

all that he had done to Eglon. And he

and fought against Libnah.

utterly destroyed it and every person south of Chinneroth and in the lowland who was in it.

and on the heights of Dor on the west--

38Then Joshua and all Israel with him

3to the Canaanite on the east and on the

returned to Debir, and they fought

west, and the Amorite and the Hittite

against it.

and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the

hill country, and the Hivite at the foot of 39He captured it and its king and all its Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.

cities, and they struck them with the

edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed

4They came out, they and all their

every person who was in it. He left no armies with them, as many people as

survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron,

the sand that is on the seashore, with

so he did to Debir and its king, as he very many horses and chariots.

had also done to Libnah and its king.

5So all of these kings having agreed to 40Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill

meet, came and encamped together at

country and the Negev and the lowland

the waters of Merom, to fight against

and the slopes and all their kings. He

Israel.

left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed

all who breathed, just as the LORD, the

6Then the LORD said to Joshua, " Do God of Israel, had commanded.

not be afraid because of them, for

tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of 41Joshua struck them from Kadesh-them slain before Israel; you shall barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the

hamstring their horses and burn their

country of Goshen even as far as

chariots with fire."

Gibeon.

7So Joshua and all the people of war

42Joshua captured all these kings and

with him came upon them suddenly by

their lands at one time, because the

the waters of Merom, and attacked them.

LORD, the God of Israel, fought for

Israel.

8The LORD delivered them into the

hand of Israel, so that they defeated

43So Joshua and all Israel with him

them, and pursued them as far as Great

returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the

valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they

struck them until no survivor was left to 11Then it came about, when Jabin them.

king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to

9Joshua did to them as the LORD had

Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph,

told him; he hamstrung their horses and

burned their chariots with fire.

2and to the kings who were of the north

in the hill country, and in the Arabah--

10Then Joshua turned back at that time, Hermon. And he captured all their kings and captured Hazor and struck its king

and struck them down and put them to

with the sword; for Hazor formerly was

death.

the head of all these kingdoms.

18Joshua waged war a long time with all

11They struck every person who was in it

these kings.

with the edge of the sword, utterly

destroying them; there was no one left

19There was not a city which made

who breathed. And he burned Hazor

peace with the sons of Israel except the

with fire.

Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle.

12Joshua captured all the cities of these

kings, and all their kings, and he struck 20For it was of the LORD to harden their

them with the edge of the sword, and

hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order utterly destroyed them; just as Moses

that he might utterly destroy them, that the

servant

of

the

LORD

had

they might receive no mercy, but that he

commanded.

might destroy them, just as the LORD

had commanded Moses.

13However, Israel did not burn any cities

that stood on their mounds, except

21Then Joshua came at that time and

Hazor alone, which Joshua burned.

cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and

14All the spoil of these cities and the from all the hill country of Judah and

cattle, the sons of Israel took as their from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua

plunder; but they struck every man with

utterly destroyed them with their cities.

the edge of the sword, until they had

destroyed them. They left no one who

22There were no Anakim left in the land

breathed.

of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained.

15Just as the LORD had commanded

Moses

his

servant,

so

Moses

23So Joshua took the whole land,

commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did;

according to all that the LORD had

he left nothing undone of all that the

spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for

LORD had commanded Moses.

an inheritance to Israel according to

their divisions by their tribes. Thus the 16Thus Joshua took all that land: the hill

land had rest from war.

country and all the Negev, all that land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the

hill country of Israel and its lowland

12Now these are the kings of the

17

land whom the sons of Israel defeated,

from Mount Halak, that rises toward

and whose land they possessed beyond

Seir, even as far as Baal-gad in the

the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the

valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount

valley of the Arnon as far as Mount 8in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east:

Arabah, on the slopes, and in the

wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite,

2Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in

the Amorite and the Canaanite, the

Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is

Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite:

on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, both the middle of the valley and half of

9the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai,

Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok,

which is beside Bethel, one;

the border of the sons of Ammon;

10the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of

3and the Arabah as far as the Sea of

Hebron, one;

Chinneroth toward the east, and as far

as the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt

11the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth,

Lachish, one;

and on the south, at the foot of the

slopes of Pisgah;

12the king of Eglon, one; the king of

Gezer, one;

4and the territory of Og king of Bashan,

one of the remnant of Rephaim, who

13the king of Debir, one; the king of

lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

Geder, one;

5and ruled over Mount Hermon and

14the king of Hormah, one; the king of

Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the

Arad, one;

border of the Geshurites and the

Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far

15

as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

the king of Libnah, one; the king of

Adullam, one;

6Moses the servant of the LORD and the

16

sons of Israel defeated them; and

the king of Makkedah, one; the king of

Moses the servant of the LORD gave it

Bethel, one;

to the Reubenites and the Gadites and

17

the half-tribe of Manasseh as a

the king of Tappuah, one; the king of

possession.

Hepher, one;

7

18

Now these are the kings of the land

the king of Aphek, one; the king of

whom Joshua and the sons of Israel

Lasharon, one;

defeated beyond the Jordan toward the

west, from Baal-gad in the valley of

19the king of Madon, one; the king of

Lebanon even as far as Mount Halak,

Hazor, one;

which rises toward Seir; and Joshua

gave it to the tribes of Israel as a

20the king of Shimron-meron, one; the

possession according to their divisions,

king of Achshaph, one;

21the king of Taanach, one; the king of out from before the sons of Israel; only Megiddo, one; allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you.

22the king of Kedesh, one; the king of

Jokneam in Carmel, one;

7"Now therefore, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the

23the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, half-tribe of Manasseh."

one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;

8With

the

other

half-tribe,

the

24the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one

Reubenites and the Gadites received

kings.

their inheritance which Moses gave

them beyond the Jordan to the east, just

as Moses the servant of the LORD gave

13

to them;

Now

Joshua

was

old

and

advanced in years when the LORD said

9from Aroer, which is on the edge of the

to him, "You are old and advanced in valley of the Arnon, with the city which is

years, and very much of the land

in the middle of the valley, and all the remains to be possessed.

plain of Medeba, as far as Dibon;

2"This is the land that remains: all the 10and all the cities of Sihon king of the regions of the Philistines and all those of Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as

the Geshurites;

far as the border of the sons of Ammon;

3from the Shihor which is east of Egypt,

11and Gilead, and the territory of the

even as far as the border of Ekron to the

Geshurites and Maacathites, and all

north (it is counted as Canaanite); the

Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as

five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, Salecah;

the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the

Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite

12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who

4

reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he

to the south, all the land of the

alone was left of the remnant of the

Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to

Rephaim); for Moses struck them and

the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the

dispossessed them.

border of the Amorite;

13

5

But the sons of Israel did not

and the land of the Gebalite, and all of dispossess the Geshurites or the

Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal—

Maacathites; for Geshur and Maacath

gad below Mount Hermon as far as

live among Israel until this day.

Lebo-hamath.

14

6

Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give

"All the inhabitants of the hill country an inheritance; the offerings by fire to from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians, I will drive them the LORD, the God of Israel, are their 24Moses also gave an inheritance to the inheritance, as He spoke to him.

tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad,

according to their families.

15So Moses gave an inheritance to the

tribe of the sons of Reuben according to

25Their territory was Jazer, and all the their families.

cities of Gilead, and half the land of the

sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer which is

16Their territory was from Aroer, which is

before Rabbah;

on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the

26and from Heshbon as far as Ramath—

valley and all the plain by Medeba;

mizpeh

and

Betonim,

and

from

Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir;

17Heshbon, and all its cities which are

on the plain: Dibon and Bamoth-baal

27and in the valley, Beth-haram and

and Beth-baal-meon,

Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon,

the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of

18and Jahaz and Kedemoth and

Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border,

Mephaath,

as far as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan to the

19

east.

and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and

Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley,

28This is the inheritance of the sons of 20

Gad according to their families, the

and Beth-peor and the slopes of

cities and their villages.

Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth,

29

21

Moses also gave an inheritance to the

even all the cities of the plain and all half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for

the kingdom of Sihon king of the

the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh

Amorites who reigned in Heshbon,

according to their families.

whom Moses struck with the chiefs of

Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur

30

and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who

Their territory was from Mahanaim, all

lived in the land.

Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of

Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which

22

are in Bashan, sixty cities;

The sons of Israel also killed Balaam

the son of Beor, the diviner, with the

31

sword among the rest of their slain.

also half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth and

Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in

23

Bashan, were for the sons of Machir the

The border of the sons of Reuben was

son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of

the Jordan. This was the inheritance of

Machir according to their families.

the sons of Reuben according to their

families, the cities and their villages.

32These are the territories which Moses

apportioned for an inheritance in the

plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at concerning you and me in Kadesh-Jericho to the east.

barnea.

33But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not

7"I was forty years old when Moses the give an inheritance; the LORD, the God

servant of the LORD sent me from

of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and

promised to them.

I brought word back to him as it was in my heart.

14

8

Now these are the territories

"Nevertheless my brethren who went

which the sons of Israel inherited in the up with me made the heart of the people

land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest,

melt with fear; but I followed the LORD

and Joshua the son of Nun, and the

my God fully.

heads of the households of the tribes of

9

the sons of Israel apportioned to them

"So Moses swore on that day, saying, for an inheritance,

'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and

2by the lot of their inheritance, as the to your children forever, because you

have followed the LORD my God fully.'

LORD commanded through Moses, for

the nine tribes and the half-tribe.

10"Now behold, the LORD has let me

3For Moses had given the inheritance of

live, just as He spoke, these forty-five the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond years, from the time that the LORD

spoke this word to Moses, when Israel

the Jordan; but he did not give an

walked in the wilderness; and now

inheritance to the Levites among them.

behold, I am eighty-five years old today.

4For the sons of Joseph were two tribes,

11" I am still as strong today as I was in Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did

the day Moses sent me; as my strength

not give a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to live in, with their was then, so my strength is now, for war pasture lands for their livestock and for and for going out and coming in.

their property.

12"Now then, give me this hill country 5

about which the LORD spoke on that

Thus the sons of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and

day, for you heard on that day that

they divided the land.

Anakim were there, with great fortified

cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me,

6

and I will drive them out as the LORD

Then the sons of Judah drew near to

has spoken."

Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of

Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him,

13

"You know the word which the LORD

So Joshua blessed him and gave

spoke to Moses the man of God

Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh

for an inheritance.

14Therefore,

Hebron

became

the

Beth-arabah, and the border went up to

inheritance of Caleb the son of

the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day,

because he followed the LORD God of

7The border went up to Debir from the

Israel fully.

valley of Achor, and turned northward

toward Gilgal which is opposite the

15Now the name of Hebron was formerly

ascent of Adummim, which is on the

Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest

south of the valley; and the border

man among the Anakim. Then the land

continued to the waters of En-shemesh

had rest from war.

and it ended at En-rogel.

8

15

Then the border went up the valley of

Now the lot for the tribe of the

Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite

on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and

sons of Judah according to their families

the border went up to the top of the

reached the border of Edom, southward

to the wilderness of Zin at the extreme mountain which is before the valley of

south.

Hinnom to the west, which is at the end

of the valley of Rephaim toward the

2

north.

Their south border was from the lower

end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that 9

turns to the south.

From the top of the mountain the

border curved to the spring of the waters

3

of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities

Then it proceeded southward to the

of Mount Ephron, then the border

ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin,

curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron, and

10

went up to Addar and turned about to

The border turned about from Baalah

Karka.

westward to Mount Seir, and continued

to the slope of Mount Jearim on the

4

north (that is, Chesalon), and went down

It continued to Azmon and proceeded

to Beth-shemesh and continued through

to the brook of Egypt, and the border

Timnah.

ended at the sea. This shall be your

south border.

11The border proceeded to the side of

5

Ekron northward. Then the border

The east border was the Salt Sea, as

curved to Shikkeron and continued to

far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the

Mount

Baalah

and

proceeded

to

border of the north side was from the

Jabneel, and the border ended at the

bay of the sea at the mouth of the

sea.

Jordan.

12

6

The west border was at the Great Sea,

Then the border went up to Beth—

even its coastline. This is the border

hoglah, and continued on the north of

around the sons of Judah according to

their families.

13Now he gave to Caleb the son of 22and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,

Jephunneh a portion among the sons of

Judah, according to the command of the

23and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan,

LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba,

Arba being the father of Anak (that is, 24Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,

Hebron).

25

14

and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth—

Caleb drove out from there the three

hezron (that is, Hazor),

sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and

Talmai, the children of Anak.

26Amam and Shema and Moladah,

15Then he went up from there against

27

the inhabitants of Debir; now the name

and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and

of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher.

Beth-pelet,

28

16And Caleb said, "The one who attacks

and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and

Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give

Biziothiah,

him Achsah my daughter as a wife."

29Baalah and Iim and Ezem,

17Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother

30

of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him

and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah,

Achsah his daughter as a wife.

31and Ziklag and Madmannah and

18It came about that when she came to

Sansannah,

him, she persuaded him to ask her

father for a field. So she alighted from 32and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and

the donkey, and Caleb said to her,

Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities with

"What do you want?"

their villages.

19Then she said, "Give me a blessing; 33In the lowland: Eshtaol and Zorah and

since you have given me the land of the

Ashnah,

Negev, give me also springs of water."

So he gave her the upper springs and

34and Zanoah and En-gannim, Tappuah

the lower springs.

and Enam,

20This is the inheritance of the tribe of 35Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and

the sons of Judah according to their

Azekah,

families.

36and Shaaraim and Adithaim and

21Now the cities at the extremity of the Gederah and Gederothaim; fourteen

tribe of the sons of Judah toward the

cities with their villages.

border of Edom in the south were

Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur,

37Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-gad,

38and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel, 53and Janum and Beth-tappuah and

Aphekah,

39Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,

54and Humtah and Kiriath-arba (that is,

40and Cabbon and Lahmas and Chitlish,

Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

41and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and

55

Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities

Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah,

with their villages.

56and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah,

42Libnah and Ether and Ashan,

57Kain, Gibeah and Timnah; ten cities

43and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,

with their villages.

44

58

and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah;

Halhul, Bethzur and Gedor,

nine cities with their villages.

59and Maarath and Beth-anoth and

45Ekron, with its towns and its villages;

Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

46

60

from Ekron even to the sea, all that

Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim),

were by the side of Ashdod, with their

and Rabbah; two cities with their

villages.

villages.

47

61

Ashdod, its towns and its villages;

In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin

Gaza, its towns and its villages; as far and Secacah,

as the brook of Egypt and the Great Sea,

even its coastline.

62and Nibshan and the City of Salt and

Engedi; six cities with their villages.

48In the hill country: Shamir and Jattir and Socoh,

63Now as for the Jebusites, the

inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of

49and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah (that

Judah could not drive them out; so the

is, Debir),

Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day.

50and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,

51

16

and Goshen and Holon and Giloh;

Then the lot for the sons of

eleven cities with their villages.

Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho

to the waters of Jericho on the east into

52Arab and Dumah and Eshan,

the wilderness, going up from Jericho

through the hill country to Bethel.

2It went from Bethel to Luz, and to this day, and they became forced continued to the border of the Archites

laborers.

at Ataroth.

3It went down westward to the territory

17Now this was the lot for the tribe

of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of

of lower Beth-horon even to Gezer, and

Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of

it ended at the sea.

Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were

allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he

4The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and

was a man of war.

Ephraim, received their inheritance.

2So the lot was made for the rest of the

5Now this was the territory of the sons of

sons of Manasseh according to their

Ephraim according to their families: the

families: for the sons of Abiezer and for border of their inheritance eastward was

the sons of Helek and for the sons of

Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth—

Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and

horon.

for the sons of Hepher and for the sons

of Shemida; these were the male

6Then the border went westward at

descendants of Manasseh the son of

Michmethath on the north, and the

Joseph according to their families.

border

turned

about

eastward

to

Taanath-shiloh and continued beyond it

3However, Zelophehad, the son of

to the east of Janoah.

Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of

Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no

7It went down from Janoah to Ataroth

sons, only daughters; and these are the

and to Naarah, then reached Jericho

names of his daughters: Mahlah and

and came out at the Jordan.

Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

8From Tappuah the border continued

4They came near before Eleazar the

westward to the brook of Kanah, and it

priest and before Joshua the son of Nun

ended at the sea. This is the inheritance

and before the leaders, saying, "The of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim

LORD commanded Moses to give us an

according to their families,

inheritance among our brothers." So

according to the command of the LORD

9together with the cities which were set he gave them an inheritance among

apart for the sons of Ephraim in the

their father's brothers.

midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their

5Thus there fell ten portions to

villages.

Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead

and Bashan, which is beyond the

10But they did not drive out the

Jordan,

Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the

Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim

6because the daughters of Manasseh 13It came about when the sons of Israel received an inheritance among his sons.

became strong, they put the Canaanites

And the land of Gilead belonged to the

to forced labor, but they did not drive rest of the sons of Manasseh.

them out completely.

7The border of Manasseh ran from

14Then the sons of Joseph spoke to

Asher to Michmethath which was east of

Joshua, saying, "Why have you given

Shechem;

then

the

border

went

me only one lot and one portion for an southward to the inhabitants of En-inheritance, since I am a numerous tappuah.

people whom the LORD has thus far

blessed?"

8The land of Tappuah belonged to

Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border

15Joshua said to them, "If you are a of Manasseh belonged to the sons of

numerous people, go up to the forest

Ephraim.

and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the

9The border went down to the brook of

Rephaim, since the hill country of

Kanah, southward of the brook (these

Ephraim is too narrow for you."

cities belonged to Ephraim among the

cities of Manasseh), and the border of

16The sons of Joseph said, "The hill Manasseh was on the north side of the

country is not enough for us, and all the

brook and it ended at the sea.

Canaanites who live in the valley land

have chariots of iron, both those who

10The south side belonged to Ephraim

are in Beth-shean and its towns and

and the north side to Manasseh, and the

those who are in the valley of Jezreel."

sea was their border; and they reached

to Asher on the north and to Issachar on

17Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph,

the east.

to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, "You

are a numerous people and have great

11In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh

power; you shall not have one lot only,

had Beth-shean and its towns and

Ibleam

and

its

towns,

and

the

18but the hill country shall be yours. For

inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the

though it is a forest, you shall clear it, inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and

and to its farthest borders it shall be the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns,

yours; for you shall drive out the

and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its

Canaanites, even though they have

towns, the third is Napheth.

chariots of iron and though they are

strong."

12But the sons of Manasseh could not

take possession of these cities, because

the Canaanites persisted in living in that

18Then the whole congregation of

land.

the

sons

of

Israel

assembled

themselves at Shiloh, and set up the

tent of meeting there; and the land was return to me; then I will cast lots for you subdued before them.

here before the LORD in Shiloh."

2There remained among the sons of

9So the men went and passed through

Israel seven tribes who had not divided

the land, and described it by cities in their inheritance.

seven divisions in a book; and they

came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.

3So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "

How long will you put off entering to take

10And Joshua cast lots for them in

possession of the land which the LORD,

Shiloh before the LORD, and there

the God of your fathers, has given you?

Joshua divided the land to the sons of

Israel according to their divisions.

4"Provide for yourselves three men from

each tribe that I may send them, and

11Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of

that they may arise and walk through

Benjamin came up according to their

the land and write a description of it

families, and the territory of their lot lay according to their inheritance; then they between the sons of Judah and the sons

shall return to me.

of Joseph.

5"They shall divide it into seven portions; 12Their border on the north side was

Judah shall stay in its territory on the from the Jordan, then the border went

south, and the house of Joseph shall

up to the side of Jericho on the north, stay in their territory on the north.

and went up through the hill country

westward,

and

it

ended

at

the

6"You shall describe the land in seven wilderness of Beth-aven.

divisions, and bring the description here

to me. I will cast lots for you here before

13From there the border continued to

the LORD our God.

Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel) southward; and the border went down to

7"For the Levites have no portion among

Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on

you, because the priesthood of the

the south of lower Beth-horon.

LORD is their inheritance. Gad and

Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh

14The border extended from there and

also have received their inheritance

turned

round

on

the

west

side

eastward beyond the Jordan, which

southward, from the hill which lies

Moses the servant of the LORD gave

before Beth-horon southward; and it

them."

ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This

8Then the men arose and went, and

was the west side.

Joshua commanded those who went to

describe the land, saying, "Go and walk

15Then the south side was from the

through the land and describe it, and

edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border

went westward and went to the fountain 24and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni and of the waters of Nephtoah.

Geba; twelve cities with their villages.

16The border went down to the edge of

25Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth,

the hill which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of

26and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,

Rephaim northward; and it went down to

the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the

27and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah,

Jebusite southward, and went down to

En-rogel.

28and Zelah, Haeleph and the Jebusite

17

(that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath;

It extended northward and went to En—

fourteen cities with their villages. This is

shemesh and went to Geliloth, which is

the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin

opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it

according to their families.

went down to the stone of Bohan the

son of Reuben.

19

18

Then the second lot fell to Simeon,

It continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward and went down to the

to the tribe of the sons of Simeon

Arabah.

according to their families, and their

inheritance was in the midst of the

19The border continued to the side of

inheritance of the sons of Judah.

Beth-hoglah northward; and the border

2

ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, So they had as their inheritance

at the south end of the Jordan. This was

Beersheba or Sheba and Moladah,

the south border.

3and Hazar-shual and Balah and Ezem,

20Moreover, the Jordan was its border

on the east side. This was the

4and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah,

inheritance of the sons of Benjamin,

according to their families and according

5and Ziklag and Beth-marcaboth and

to its borders all around.

Hazar-susah,

21Now the cities of the tribe of the sons

6and Beth-lebaoth and Sharuhen;

of Benjamin according to their families

thirteen cities with their villages;

were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and

Emek-keziz,

7Ain, Rimmon and Ether and Ashan;

four cities with their villages;

22and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and

Bethel,

8and all the villages which were around

these cities as far as Baalath-beer,

23and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

Ramah of the Negev. This was the

inheritance of the tribe of the sons of 17The fourth lot fell to Issachar, to the Simeon according to their families.

sons of Issachar according to their

families.

9The inheritance of the sons of Simeon

was taken from the portion of the sons

18Their territory was to Jezreel and

of Judah, for the share of the sons of included Chesulloth and Shunem,

Judah was too large for them; so the

sons of Simeon received an inheritance

19and Hapharaim and Shion and

in the midst of Judah's inheritance.

Anaharath,

10Now the third lot came up for the sons

20and Rabbith and Kishion and Ebez,

of Zebulun according to their families.

And the territory of their inheritance was

21and Remeth and En-gannim and Enas far as Sarid.

haddah and Beth-pazzez.

11Then their border went up to the west

22The border reached to Tabor and

and to Maralah, it then touched

Shahazumah and Beth-shemesh, and

Dabbesheth and reached to the brook

their border ended at the Jordan;

that is before Jokneam.

sixteen cities with their villages.

12Then it turned from Sarid to the east 23This was the inheritance of the tribe of

toward the sunrise as far as the border the sons of Issachar according to their

of Chisloth-tabor, and it proceeded to

families, the cities with their villages.

Daberath and up to Japhia.

24

13

Now the fifth lot fell to the tribe of the From there it continued eastward

sons of Asher according to their families.

toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to

Eth-kazin, and it proceeded to Rimmon

25

which stretches to Neah.

Their territory was Helkath and Hali

and Beten and Achshaph,

14The border circled around it on the

26

north to Hannathon, and it ended at the

and Allammelech and Amad and

valley of Iphtahel.

Mishal; and it reached to Carmel on the

west and to Shihor-libnath.

15Included also were Kattah and Nahalal

27

and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem;

It turned toward the east to Beth—

twelve cities with their villages.

dagon and reached to Zebulun, and to

the valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth—

16

emek and Neiel; then it proceeded on

This was the inheritance of the sons of

north to Cabul,

Zebulun according to their families,

these cities with their villages.

28and Ebron and Rehob and Hammon

and Kanah, as far as Great Sidon.

29The border turned to Ramah and to 40The seventh lot fell to the tribe of the the fortified city of Tyre; then the border sons of Dan according to their families.

turned to Hosah, and it ended at the sea

by the region of Achzib.

41The territory of their inheritance was

Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-shemesh,

30Included also were Ummah, and

Aphek and Rehob; twenty-two cities with

42and Shaalabbin and Aijalon and Ithlah,

their villages.

43and Elon and Timnah and Ekron,

31This was the inheritance of the tribe of

the sons of Asher according to their

44and Eltekeh and Gibbethon and

families, these cities with their villages.

Baalath,

32The sixth lot fell to the sons of Naphtali;

45and Jehud and Bene-berak and Gath—

to the sons of Naphtali according to their

rimmon,

families.

46

33

and Me-jarkon and Rakkon, with the

Their border was from Heleph, from

territory over against Joppa.

the oak in Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb

and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and it

47

ended at the Jordan.

The territory of the sons of Dan

proceeded beyond them; for the sons of

34

Dan went up and fought with Leshem

Then the border turned westward to

and captured it. Then they struck it with

Aznoth-tabor and proceeded from there

the edge of the sword and possessed it

to Hukkok; and it reached to Zebulun on

and settled in it; and they called Leshem

the south and touched Asher on the

Dan after the name of Dan their father.

west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward

the east.

48This was the inheritance of the tribe of

35

the sons of Dan according to their

The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer

families, these cities with their villages.

and Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth,

49

36

When they finished apportioning the

and Adamah and Ramah and Hazor,

land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in

37and Kedesh and Edrei and En-hazor,

their midst to Joshua the son of Nun.

38and Yiron and Migdal-el, Horem and

50In accordance with the command of

Beth-anath and Beth-shemesh; nineteen

the LORD they gave him the city for

cities with their villages.

which he asked, Timnath-serah in the

hill country of Ephraim. So he built the 39This was the inheritance of the tribe of

city and settled in it.

the sons of Naphtali according to their

families, the cities with their villages.

51These are the inheritances which and to his own house, to the city from Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son which he fled.'"

of Nun, and the heads of the

households of the tribes of the sons of 7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in Israel distributed by lot in Shiloh before the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem the LORD at the doorway of the tent of in the hill country of Ephraim, and

meeting. So they finished dividing the

Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill land.

country of Judah.

8

20

Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they

Then the LORD spoke to Joshua,

designated Bezer in the wilderness on

saying,

the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad,

2

and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Manasseh.

'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I

spoke to you through Moses,

9These were the appointed cities for all 3that the manslayer who kills any person

the sons of Israel and for the stranger who

sojourns

among

them,

that

unintentionally, without premeditation,

whoever kills any person unintentionally

may flee there, and they shall become

your refuge from the avenger of blood.

may flee there, and not die by the hand

of the avenger of blood until he stands 4

before the congregation.

'He shall flee to one of these cities, and

shall stand at the entrance of the gate of

the city and state his case in the hearing

21

of the elders of that city; and they shall Then the heads of households of

take him into the city to them and give the Levites approached Eleazar the

him a place, so that he may dwell

priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and

among them.

the heads of households of the tribes of

the sons of Israel.

5'Now if the avenger of blood pursues

him, then they shall not deliver the

2They spoke to them at Shiloh in the

manslayer into his hand, because he

land of Canaan, saying, " The LORD

struck

his

neighbor

without

commanded through Moses to give us

premeditation and did not hate him

cities to live in, with their pasture lands beforehand.

for our cattle."

6'He shall dwell in that city until he

3So the sons of Israel gave the Levites stands before the congregation for

from their inheritance these cities with

judgment, until the death of the one who

their pasture lands, according to the

is high priest in those days. Then the

command of the LORD.

manslayer shall return to his own city

4Then the lot came out for the families of 12But the fields of the city and its villages the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron

they gave to Caleb the son of

the priest, who were of the Levites,

Jephunneh as his possession.

received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the 13So to the sons of Aaron the priest they Simeonites and from the tribe of

gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the Benjamin.

manslayer, with its pasture lands, and

Libnah with its pasture lands,

5The rest of the sons of Kohath received

ten cities by lot from the families of the 14and Jattir with its pasture lands and tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of

Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

Dan and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

15and Holon with its pasture lands and

6The sons of Gershon received thirteen

Debir with its pasture lands,

cities by lot from the families of the tribe

of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher 16and Ain with its pasture lands and

and from the tribe of Naphtali and from Juttah with its pasture lands and Beth-the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

shemesh with its pasture lands; nine

cities from these two tribes.

7The sons of Merari according to their

families received twelve cities from the

17From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon

tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of

with its pasture lands, Geba with its

Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun.

pasture lands,

8Now the sons of Israel gave by lot to 18Anathoth with its pasture lands and

the Levites these cities with their

Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.

pasture lands, as the LORD had

commanded through Moses.

19All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the

9

priests, were thirteen cities with their

They gave these cities which are here

pasture lands.

mentioned by name from the tribe of the

sons of Judah and from the tribe of the 20

sons of Simeon;

Then the cities from the tribe of

Ephraim were allotted to the families of 10

the sons of Kohath, the Levites, even to

and they were for the sons of Aaron,

the rest of the sons of Kohath.

one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, for the lot was theirs 21

first.

They gave them Shechem, the city of

refuge for the manslayer, with its

11

pasture lands, in the hill country of

Thus they gave them Kiriath-arba,

Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture

Arba being the father of Anak (that is, lands,

Hebron), in the hill country of Judah,

with its surrounding pasture lands.

22and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and 32From the tribe of Naphtali, they gave Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four

Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for cities.

the manslayer, with its pasture lands

and Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands

23From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its and Kartan with its pasture lands; three pasture lands, Gibbethon with its cities.

pasture lands,

33All the cities of the Gershonites

24Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath—

according to their families were thirteen rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities. cities with their pasture lands.

25

34

From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they

To the families of the sons of Merari,

allotted Taanach with its pasture lands

the rest of the Levites, they gave from and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands;

the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its

two cities.

pasture lands and Kartah with its

pasture lands.

26All the cities with their pasture lands 35

for the families of the rest of the sons of

Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal

Kohath were ten.

with its pasture lands; four cities.

27

36

To the sons of Gershon, one of the

From the tribe of Reuben, they gave

families of the Levites, from the half—

Bezer with its pasture lands and Jahaz

tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in

with its pasture lands,

Bashan, the city of refuge for the

manslayer, with its pasture lands, and

37Kedemoth with its pasture lands and

Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two

Mephaath with its pasture lands; four

cities.

cities.

28From the tribe of Issachar, they gave

38From the tribe of Gad, they gave

Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath

Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for with its pasture lands,

the manslayer, with its pasture lands

and Mahanaim with its pasture lands,

29Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with its pasture lands; four cities. 39Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands; four cities in all.

30From the tribe of Asher, they gave

Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon

40All these were the cities of the sons of

with its pasture lands,

Merari according to their families, the

rest of the families of the Levites; and 31Helkath with its pasture lands and

their lot was twelve cities.

Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities.

41All the cities of the Levites in the midst

of the possession of the sons of Israel

were forty-eight cities with their pasture possession, which Moses the servant of lands.

the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.

42These cities each had its surrounding

5"Only be very careful to observe the pasture lands; thus it was with all these commandment and the law which cities.

Moses the servant of the LORD

commanded you, to love the LORD your

43So the LORD gave Israel all the land

God and walk in all His ways and keep

which He had sworn to give to their

His commandments and hold fast to

fathers, and they possessed it and lived

Him and serve Him with all your heart

in it.

and with all your soul."

44

6

And the LORD gave them rest on

So Joshua blessed them and sent them

every side, according to all that He had away, and they went to their tents.

sworn to their fathers, and no one of all

their enemies stood before them; the

7Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh

LORD gave all their enemies into their

Moses had given a possession in

hand.

Bashan, but to the other half Joshua

gave a possession among their brothers

45Not one of the good promises which

westward beyond the Jordan. So when

the LORD had made to the house of

Joshua sent them away to their tents, he

Israel failed; all came to pass.

blessed them,

8and said to them, "Return to your tents

22Then Joshua summoned the with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, Reubenites and the Gadites and the and with very many clothes; divide the

half-tribe of Manasseh,

spoil of your enemies with your

brothers."

2and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD

9The sons of Reuben and the sons of

commanded you, and have listened to

Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh

my voice in all that I commanded you.

returned home and departed from the

sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the 3"You have not forsaken your brothers land of Canaan, to go to the land of these many days to this day, but have

Gilead, to the land of their possession

kept the charge of the commandment of

which they had possessed, according to

the LORD your God.

the command of the LORD through

Moses.

4"And now the LORD your God has

given rest to your brothers, as He spoke

10When they came to the region of the

to them; therefore turn now and go to

Jordan which is in the land of Canaan,

your tents, to the land of your

the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad

and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an

altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in 17'Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for appearance.

us, from which we have not cleansed

ourselves to this day, although a plague

11And the sons of Israel heard it said, came on the congregation of the LORD,

"Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of

18that you must turn away this day from

Manasseh have built an altar at the

following the LORD? If you rebel against

frontier of the land of Canaan, in the

the LORD today, He will be angry with

region of the Jordan, on the side

the

whole

congregation

of

Israel

belonging to the sons of Israel."

tomorrow.

12When the sons of Israel heard of it, the

19'If, however, the land of your

whole congregation of the sons of Israel

possession is unclean, then cross into

gathered themselves at Shiloh to go up

the land of the possession of the LORD,

against them in war.

where the LORD'S tabernacle stands,

and take possession among us. Only do

13Then the sons of Israel sent to the

not rebel against the LORD, or rebel

sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad

against us by building an altar for

and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into

yourselves, besides the altar of the

the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of LORD our God.

Eleazar the priest,

20'Did not Achan the son of Zerah act

14and with him ten chiefs, one chief for unfaithfully in the things under the ban, each father's household from each of and wrath fall on all the congregation of

the tribes of Israel; and each one of

Israel? And that man did not perish

them was the head of his father's

alone in his iniquity.'"

household among the thousands of

Israel.

21Then the sons of Reuben and the sons

of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh

15They came to the sons of Reuben and

answered and spoke to the heads of the

to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe families of Israel.

of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and

they spoke with them saying,

22"The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the

Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows,

16"Thus says the whole congregation of and may Israel itself know. If it was in the LORD, 'What is this unfaithful act rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against

which you have committed against the

the LORD do not save us this day!

God of Israel, turning away from

following the LORD this day, by building

23"If we have built us an altar to turn yourselves an altar, to rebel against the away from following the LORD, or if to LORD this day?

offer a burnt offering or grain offering on

it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace

offerings on it, may the LORD Himself

require it.

24"But truly we have done this out of heads of the families of Israel who were concern, for a reason, saying, 'In time to

with him, heard the words which the

come your sons may say to our sons,

sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad

"What have you to do with the LORD, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it

the God of Israel?

pleased them.

25"For the LORD has made the Jordan a

31And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the

border between us and you, you sons of

priest said to the sons of Reuben and to

Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no

the sons of Gad and to the sons of

portion in the LORD." So your sons may

Manasseh, "Today we know that the

make our sons stop fearing the LORD.'

LORD is in our midst, because you have

not committed this unfaithful act against

26"Therefore we said, 'Let us build an the LORD; now you have delivered the

altar, not for burnt offering or for

sons of Israel from the hand of the

sacrifice;

LORD."

27

32

rather it shall be a witness between us

Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the

and you and between our generations

priest and the leaders returned from the

after us, that we are to perform the

sons of Reuben and from the sons of

service of the LORD before Him with our

Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land

burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices

of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and

and with our peace offerings, so that

brought back word to them.

your sons will not say to our sons in time

to come, "You have no portion in the 33The word pleased the sons of Israel,

LORD."'

and the sons of Israel blessed God; and

they did not speak of going up against

28"Therefore we said, 'It shall also come them in war to destroy the land in which

about if they say this to us or to our the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad

generations in time to come, then we

were living.

shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not 34The sons of Reuben and the sons of

for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it Gad called the altar Witness; "For," they is a witness between us and you."'

said, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."

29"Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from

following the LORD this day, by building

23Now it came about after many

an altar for burnt offering, for grain

days, when the LORD had given rest to

offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar

Israel from all their enemies on every

of the LORD our God which is before

side, and Joshua was old, advanced in

His tabernacle."

years,

30So when Phinehas the priest and the

leaders of the congregation, even the

2that Joshua called for all Israel, for their 10" One of your men puts to flight a elders and their heads and their judges thousand, for the LORD your God is He

and their officers, and said to them, "I who fights for you, just as He promised am old, advanced in years.

you.

3"And you have seen all that the LORD

11"So take diligent heed to yourselves to your God has done to all these nations

love the LORD your God.

because of you, for the LORD your God

is He who has been fighting for you.

12"For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which 4"See, I have apportioned to you these remain among you, and intermarry with

nations which remain as an inheritance

them, so that you associate with them

for your tribes, with all the nations which

and they with you,

I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the 13know with certainty that the LORD

sun.

your God will not continue to drive these

nations out from before you; but they will

5"The LORD your God, He will thrust be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip

them out from before you and drive

on your sides and thorns in your eyes,

them from before you; and you will

until you perish from off this good land possess their land, just as the LORD

which the LORD your God has given

your God promised you.

you.

6" Be very firm, then, to keep and do all 14"Now behold, today I am going the that is written in the book of the law of way of all the earth, and you know in all Moses, so that you may not turn aside

your hearts and in all your souls that not

from it to the right hand or to the left,

one word of all the good words which

the LORD your God spoke concerning

7so that you will not associate with these

you has failed; all have been fulfilled for

nations, these which remain among you,

you, not one of them has failed.

or mention the name of their gods, or

make anyone swear by them, or serve

15"It shall come about that just as all the them, or bow down to them.

good words which the LORD your God

spoke to you have come upon you, so

8"But you are to cling to the LORD your

the LORD will bring upon you all the

God, as you have done to this day.

threats, until He has destroyed you from

off this good land which the LORD your

9

God has given you.

" For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and

16

as for you, no man has stood before you

" When you transgress the covenant of

to this day.

the LORD your God, which He

commanded you, and go and serve

other gods and bow down to them, then

the anger of the LORD will burn against

you, and you will perish quickly from off 8'Then I brought you into the land of the the good land which He has given you."

Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan,

and they fought with you; and I gave

them into your hand, and you took

24Then Joshua gathered all the possession of their land when I destroyed them before you.

tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called

for the elders of Israel and for their

9

heads and their judges and their officers;

'Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of

Moab, arose and fought against Israel,

and they presented themselves before

and he sent and summoned Balaam the

God.

son of Beor to curse you.

2Joshua said to all the people, "Thus 10

says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'From

'But I was not willing to listen to

Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I

ancient times your fathers lived beyond

delivered you from his hand.

the River, namely, Terah, the father of

Abraham and the father of Nahor, and

11

they served other gods.

' You crossed the Jordan and came to

Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho

3

fought against you, and the Amorite and

'Then I took your father Abraham from

the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the

beyond the River, and led him through

all the land of Canaan, and multiplied

Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and

his descendants and gave him Isaac.

the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your

hand.

4'To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and

12'Then I sent the hornet before you and

to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it;

but Jacob and his sons went down to

it drove out the two kings of the

Egypt.

Amorites from before you, but not by

your sword or your bow.

5'Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I

13

plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst;

' I gave you a land on which you had

and afterward I brought you out.

not labored, and cities which you had

not built, and you have lived in them;

6

you are eating of vineyards and olive

'I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and

groves which you did not plant.'

you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued

your fathers with chariots and horsemen

14

to the Red Sea.

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and

serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put

7

away the gods which your fathers

'But when they cried out to the LORD,

served beyond the River and in Egypt,

He put darkness between you and the

and serve the LORD.

Egyptians, and brought the sea upon

them and covered them; and your own

15

eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to lived in the wilderness for a long time.

serve the LORD, choose for yourselves

today whom you will serve: whether the to serve Him." And they said, "We are gods which your fathers served which witnesses."

were beyond the River, or the gods of

the Amorites in whose land you are

23"Now therefore, put away the foreign living; but as for me and my house, we gods which are in your midst, and will serve the LORD."

incline your hearts to the LORD, the

God of Israel."

16The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the

24The people said to Joshua, "We will LORD to serve other gods;

serve the LORD our God and we will

obey His voice."

17for the LORD our God is He who

brought us and our fathers up out of the

25So Joshua made a covenant with the

land of Egypt, from the house of

people that day, and made for them a

bondage, and who did these great signs

statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

in our sight and preserved us through all

the way in which we went and among all

26And Joshua wrote these words in the

the peoples through whose midst we

book of the law of God; and he took a passed.

large stone and set it up there under the

oak that was by the sanctuary of the

18"The LORD drove out from before us LORD.

all the peoples, even the Amorites who

lived in the land. We also will serve the 27Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, LORD, for He is our God."

this stone shall be for a witness against

us, for it has heard all the words of the 19Then Joshua said to the people, "You LORD which He spoke to us; thus it

will not be able to serve the LORD, for shall be for a witness against you, so

He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; that you do not deny your God."

He will not forgive your transgression or

your sins.

28Then Joshua dismissed the people,

each to his inheritance.

20" If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do 29It came about after these things that

you harm and consume you after He

Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of

has done good to you."

the LORD, died, being one hundred and

ten years old.

21The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD."

30And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which

22Joshua said to the people, "You are is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the witnesses against yourselves that you north of Mount Gaash.

have chosen for yourselves the LORD,

31Israel served the LORD all the days of the sons of Hamor the father of Joshua and all the days of the elders

Shechem for one hundred pieces of

who survived Joshua, and had known all

money;

and

they

became

the

the deeds of the LORD which He had

inheritance of Joseph's sons.

done for Israel.

33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died;

32Now they buried the bones of Joseph,

and they buried him at Gibeah of

which the sons of Israel brought up from

Phinehas his son, which was given him

Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of

in the hill country of Ephraim.

ground which Jacob had bought from

Judges

8Then the sons of Judah fought against

Jerusalem and captured it and struck it

1Now it came about after the death of with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired

of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up 9

first for us against the Canaanites, to

Afterward the sons of Judah went down

fight against them?"

to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country and in the Negev and in the lowland.

2The LORD said, " Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his 10

hand."

So Judah went against the Canaanites

who lived in Hebron (now the name of

3

Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba); and

Then Judah said to Simeon his brother,

they struck Sheshai and Ahiman and

"Come up with me into the territory Talmai.

allotted me, that we may fight against

the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with

11

you into the territory allotted you." So Then from there he went against the

Simeon went with him.

inhabitants of Debir (now the name of

Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher).

4Judah went up, and the LORD gave the

12

Canaanites and the Perizzites into their

And Caleb said, "The one who attacks

hands, and they defeated ten thousand

Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will

men at Bezek.

even give him my daughter Achsah for a

wife."

5They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and

13

fought against him, and they defeated

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's

the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

younger brother, captured it; so he gave

him his daughter Achsah for a wife.

6But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued

14

him and caught him and cut off his

Then it came about when she came to

thumbs and big toes.

him, that she persuaded him to ask her

father for a field. Then she alighted from

her donkey, and Caleb said to her,

7Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with

"What do you want?"

their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table;

15

as I have done, so God has repaid me."

She said to him, "Give me a blessing, So they brought him to Jerusalem and

since you have given me the land of the

Negev, give me also springs of water."

he died there.

So Caleb gave her the upper springs

and the lower springs.

16The descendants of the Kenite, Moses'

show us the entrance to the city and we

father-in-law, went up from the city of

will treat you kindly."

palms with the sons of Judah, to the

wilderness of Judah which is in the

25So he showed them the entrance to

south of Arad; and they went and lived

the city, and they struck the city with the

with the people.

edge of the sword, but they let the man

and all his family go free.

17Then Judah went with Simeon his

brother, and they struck the Canaanites

26The man went into the land of the

living in Zephath, and utterly destroyed it.

Hittites and built a city and named it Luz

So the name of the city was called

which is its name to this day.

Hormah.

27But Manasseh did not take possession

18And Judah took Gaza with its territory

of Beth-shean and its villages, or

and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron

Taanach and its villages, or the

with its territory.

inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the

inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or

19Now the LORD was with Judah, and

the inhabitants of Megiddo and its

they took possession of the hill country; villages; so the Canaanites persisted in

but they could not drive out the

living in that land.

inhabitants of the valley because they

had iron chariots.

28It came about when Israel became

strong, that they put the Canaanites to

20Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as

forced labor, but they did not drive them

Moses had promised; and he drove out

out completely.

from there the three sons of Anak.

29Ephraim did not drive out the

21But the sons of Benjamin did not drive

Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so

out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem;

the Canaanites lived in Gezer among

so the Jebusites have lived with the

them.

sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this

day.

30Zebulun did not drive out the

inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants 22Likewise the house of Joseph went up

of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived

against Bethel, and the LORD was with

among them and became subject to

them.

forced labor.

23The house of Joseph spied out Bethel

31Asher did not drive out the inhabitants

( now the name of the city was formerly

of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or Luz).

of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob.

24The spies saw a man coming out of

the city and they said to him, "Please

32So the Asherites lived among the become as thorns in your sides and Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land;

their gods will be a snare to you.'"

for they did not drive them out.

4When the angel of the LORD spoke

33Naphtali did not drive out the

these words to all the sons of Israel, the

inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the

people lifted up their voices and wept.

inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived

among the Canaanites, the inhabitants

5So they named that place Bochim; and

of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth—

there they sacrificed to the LORD.

shemesh

and

Beth-anath

became

forced labor for them.

6When Joshua had dismissed the

people, the sons of Israel went each to 34Then the Amorites forced the sons of

his inheritance to possess the land.

Dan into the hill country, for they did not

allow them to come down to the valley;

7The people served the LORD all the

days of Joshua, and all the days of the 35yet the Amorites persisted in living in elders who survived Joshua, who had Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim;

seen all the great work of the LORD

but when the power of the house of

which He had done for Israel.

Joseph grew strong, they became

forced labor.

8Then Joshua the son of Nun, the

servant of the LORD, died at the age of

36The border of the Amorites ran from

one hundred and ten.

the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and

upward.

9And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the

2

hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount

Now the angel of the LORD came up

Gaash.

from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, " I brought you up out of Egypt and led you

10All that generation also were gathered

into the land which I have sworn to your

to their fathers; and there arose another

fathers; and I said, ' I will never break generation after them who did not know

My covenant with you,

the LORD, nor yet the work which He

had done for Israel.

2and as for you, you shall make no

covenant with the inhabitants of this

11Then the sons of Israel did evil in the land; you shall tear down their altars.'

sight of the LORD and served the Baals,

But you have not obeyed Me; what is

this you have done?

12and they forsook the LORD, the God

of their fathers, who had brought them

3"Therefore I also said, ' I will not drive out of the land of Egypt, and followed them out before you; but they will

other gods from among the gods of the

peoples who were around them, and

bowed themselves down to them; thus corruptly than their fathers, in following they provoked the LORD to anger.

other gods to serve them and bow down

to them; they did not abandon their

13So they forsook the LORD and served

practices or their stubborn ways.

Baal and the Ashtaroth.

20So the anger of the LORD burned

14The anger of the LORD burned

against Israel, and He said, "Because against Israel, and He gave them into

this

nation

has

transgressed

My

the hands of plunderers who plundered

covenant which I commanded their

them; and He sold them into the hands

fathers and has not listened to My voice,

of their enemies around them, so that

they could no longer stand before their

21I also will no longer drive out before enemies.

them any of the nations which Joshua

left when he died,

15Wherever they went, the hand of the

LORD was against them for evil, as the

22in order to test Israel by them, whether

LORD had spoken and as the LORD

they will keep the way of the LORD to

had sworn to them, so that they were

walk in it as their fathers did, or not."

severely distressed.

23So the LORD allowed those nations to

16Then the LORD raised up judges who

remain, not driving them out quickly; and

delivered them from the hands of those

He did not give them into the hand of

who plundered them.

Joshua.

17Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other 3Now these are the nations which the

gods and bowed themselves down to

LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is,

them. They turned aside quickly from

all who had not experienced any of the

the way in which their fathers had

wars of Canaan;

walked in obeying the commandments

of the LORD; they did not do as their

2

fathers.

only in order that the generations of the

sons of Israel might be taught war,

18

those who had not experienced it

When the LORD raised up judges for

formerly).

them, the LORD was with the judge and

delivered them from the hand of their

3

enemies all the days of the judge; for

These nations are: the five lords of the

the LORD was moved to pity by their

Philistines and all the Canaanites and

groaning

because

of

those

who

the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived

oppressed and afflicted them.

in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

19But it came about when the judge died,

4

that they would turn back and act more

They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments

of the LORD, which He had commanded strengthened Eglon the king of Moab

their fathers through Moses.

against Israel, because they had done

evil in the sight of the LORD.

5The sons of Israel lived among the

Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites,

13And he gathered to himself the sons of

the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the

Ammon and Amalek; and he went and

Jebusites;

defeated Israel, and they possessed the

city of the palm trees.

6and they took their daughters for

themselves as wives, and gave their

14The sons of Israel served Eglon the

own daughters to their sons, and served

king of Moab eighteen years.

their gods.

15But when the sons of Israel cried to

7The sons of Israel did what was evil in

the LORD, the LORD raised up a

the sight of the LORD, and forgot the

deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera,

LORD their God and served the Baals

the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And

and the Asheroth.

the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

8Then the anger of the LORD was

kindled against Israel, so that He sold

16Ehud made himself a sword which had

them into the hands of Cushan—

two edges, a cubit in length, and he

rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and

bound it on his right thigh under his

the sons of Israel served Cushan—

cloak.

rishathaim eight years.

17He presented the tribute to Eglon king

9When the sons of Israel cried to the

of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer

for the sons of Israel to deliver them, 18It came about when he had finished

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's

presenting the tribute, that he sent away

younger brother.

the people who had carried the tribute.

10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him,

19But he himself turned back from the

and he judged Israel. When he went out

idols which were at Gilgal, and said, "I to war, the LORD gave Cushan-have a secret message for you, O king."

rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his

And he said, "Keep silence." And all who hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-attended him left him.

rishathaim.

20Ehud came to him while he was sitting

11Then the land had rest forty years.

alone in his cool roof chamber. And

And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud said, "I have a message from God

for you." And he arose from his seat.

12Now the sons of Israel again did evil in

the sight of the LORD. So the LORD

21Ehud stretched out his left hand, took 29They struck down at that time about the sword from his right thigh and thrust

ten thousand Moabites, all robust and

it into his belly.

valiant men; and no one escaped.

22The handle also went in after the blade,

30So Moab was subdued that day under

and the fat closed over the blade, for he

the hand of Israel. And the land was

did not draw the sword out of his belly; undisturbed for eighty years.

and the refuse came out.

31After him came Shamgar the son of

23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule

Anath, who struck down six hundred

and shut the doors of the roof chamber

Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also

behind him, and locked them.

saved Israel.

24When he had gone out, his servants

came and looked, and behold, the doors

4Then the sons of Israel again did evil of the roof chamber were locked; and

in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud

they said, " He is only relieving himself died.

in the cool room."

2

25

And the LORD sold them into the hand

They waited until they became anxious;

of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in

but behold, he did not open the doors of

Hazor; and the commander of his army

the roof chamber. Therefore they took

was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth—

the key and opened them, and behold,

hagoyim.

their master had fallen to the floor dead.

3

26

The sons of Israel cried to the LORD;

Now Ehud escaped while they were

for he had nine hundred iron chariots,

delaying, and he passed by the idols

and he oppressed the sons of Israel

and escaped to Seirah.

severely for twenty years.

27It came about when he had arrived,

4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of

that he blew the trumpet in the hill

Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that

country of Ephraim; and the sons of

time.

Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.

5She used to sit under the palm tree of 28

Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in

He said to them, "Pursue them, for the

the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons

LORD has given your enemies the

of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Moabites into your hands." So they went

down after him and seized the fords of

6

the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not

Now she sent and summoned Barak

allow anyone to cross.

the son of Abinoam from Kedesh—

naphtali, and said to him, "Behold, the LORD,

the

God

of

Israel,

has

commanded, 'Go and march to Mount

Tabor, and take with you ten thousand 14Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this men from the sons of Naphtali and from is the day in which the LORD has given

the sons of Zebulun.

Sisera into your hands; behold, the

LORD has gone out before you." So

7'I will draw out to you Sisera, the

Barak went down from Mount Tabor with

commander of Jabin's army, with his

ten thousand men following him.

chariots and his many troops to the river

Kishon, and I will give him into your

15The LORD routed Sisera and all his

hand.'"

chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera

8Then Barak said to her, "If you will go alighted from his chariot and fled away with me, then I will go; but if you will not

on foot.

go with me, I will not go."

16But Barak pursued the chariots and

9She said, "I will surely go with you; the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim,

nevertheless, the honor shall not be

and all the army of Sisera fell by the yours on the journey that you are about

edge of the sword; not even one was left.

to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into

the hands of a woman." Then Deborah 17Now Sisera fled away on foot to the

arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite,

for there was peace between Jabin the

10Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali

king of Hazor and the house of Heber

together to Kedesh, and ten thousand

the Kenite.

men went up with him; Deborah also

went up with him.

18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said

to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn 11Now Heber the Kenite had separated

aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he himself from the Kenites, from the sons turned aside to her into the tent, and she

of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses,

covered him with a rug.

and had pitched his tent as far away as

the oak in Zaanannim, which is near

19He said to her, "Please give me a little Kedesh.

water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a 12Then they told Sisera that Barak the drink; then she covered him.

son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount

Tabor.

20He said to her, "Stand in the doorway

of the tent, and it shall be if anyone 13Sisera called together all his chariots, comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is nine hundred iron chariots, and all the

there anyone here?' that you shall say,

people who were with him, from

'No.'"

Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.

21But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg

and seized a hammer in her hand, and

went secretly to him and drove the peg 6"In the days of Shamgar the son of into his temple, and it went through into Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways

the ground; for he was sound asleep

were deserted, And travelers went by

and exhausted. So he died.

roundabout ways.

22And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera,

7"The peasantry ceased, they ceased in

Jael came out to meet him and said to

Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I him, "Come, and I will show you the arose, a mother in Israel.

man whom you are seeking." And he

entered with her, and behold Sisera was

8" New gods were chosen; Then war

lying dead with the tent peg in his

was in the gates. Not a shield or a spear

temple.

was seen Among forty thousand in

Israel.

23So God subdued on that day Jabin the

king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. 9"My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the 24The hand of the sons of Israel pressed

people; Bless the LORD!

heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king

of Canaan, until they had destroyed

10" You who ride on white donkeys, You

Jabin the king of Canaan.

who sit on rich carpets, And you who

travel on the road--sing!

5Then Deborah and Barak the son of 11"At the sound of those who divide Abinoam sang on that day, saying, flocks among the watering places, There

they shall recount the righteous deeds

2" That the leaders led in Israel, That the of the LORD, The righteous deeds for

people volunteered, Bless the LORD!

His peasantry in Israel. Then the people

of the LORD went down to the gates.

3"Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I--to 12

the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to

" Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake,

the LORD, the God of Israel.

awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and

take away your captives, O son of

Abinoam.

4" LORD, when You went out from Seir,

When You marched from the field of

13

Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens

"Then survivors came down to the

also dripped, Even the clouds dripped

nobles; The people of the LORD came

water.

down to me as warriors.

14

5" The mountains quaked at the

"From Ephraim those whose root is in presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the

Amalek came down, Following you,

presence of the LORD, the God of Israel. Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of the LORD, To the help of the LORD

of office.

against the warriors.'

15"And the princes of Issachar were with

24" Most blessed of women is Jael, The

Deborah; As was Issachar, so was

wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed

Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his

is she of women in the tent.

heels; Among the divisions of Reuben

There were great resolves of heart.

25"He asked for water and she gave him

milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought

16"Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,

him curds.

To hear the piping for the flocks?

Among the divisions of Reuben There

26"She reached out her hand for the tent

were great searchings of heart.

peg, And her right hand for the

workmen's hammer. Then she struck

17" Gilead remained across the Jordan; Sisera, she smashed his head; And she

And why did Dan stay in ships? Asher

shattered and pierced his temple.

sat at the seashore, And remained by its

landings.

27"Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bowed, he 18" Zebulun was a people who despised

fell; Where he bowed, there he fell dead.

their lives even to death, And Naphtali

also, on the high places of the field.

28"Out of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through

19" The kings came and fought; Then the lattice, 'Why does his chariot delay fought the kings of Canaan At Taanach in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his

near the waters of Megiddo; They took

chariots tarry?'

no plunder in silver.

29"Her wise princesses would answer

20" The stars fought from heaven, From her, Indeed she repeats her words to

their courses they fought against Sisera.

herself,

21"The torrent of Kishon swept them

30' Are they not finding, are they not

away, The ancient torrent, the torrent

dividing the spoil? A maiden, two

Kishon. O my soul, march on with

maidens for every warrior; To Sisera a

strength.

spoil of dyed work, A spoil of dyed work

embroidered, Dyed work of double

22" Then the horses' hoofs beat From embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?'

the dashing, the dashing of his valiant

steeds.

31" Thus let all Your enemies perish, O

LORD; But let those who love Him be

23'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the

like the rising of the sun in its might."

LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants;

And the land was undisturbed for forty

Because they did not come to the help

years.

6

and brought you out from the house of

Then the sons of Israel did what was

slavery.

evil in the sight of the LORD; and the 9

LORD gave them into the hands of

'I delivered you from the hands of the

Midian seven years.

Egyptians and from the hands of all your

oppressors, and dispossessed them

2The power of Midian prevailed against

before you and gave you their land,

Israel. Because of Midian the sons of

10

Israel made for themselves the dens

and I said to you, "I am the LORD your

which were in the mountains and the

God; you shall not fear the gods of the caves and the strongholds.

Amorites in whose land you live. But you

have not obeyed Me."'"

3For it was when Israel had sown, that

11

the Midianites would come up with the

Then the angel of the LORD came and

Amalekites and the sons of the east and

sat under the oak that was in Ophrah,

go against them.

which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite

as his son Gideon was beating out

4So they would camp against them and

wheat in the wine press in order to save

it from the Midianites.

destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in

12

Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or

The angel of the LORD appeared to

donkey.

him and said to him, "The LORD is with

you, O valiant warrior."

5For they would come up with their

13

livestock and their tents, they would

Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if

come in like locusts for number, both

the LORD is with us, why then has all

they and their camels were innumerable;

this happened to us? And where are all

and they came into the land to

His miracles which our fathers told us

devastate it.

about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring

us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD

6So Israel was brought very low

has abandoned us and given us into the

because of Midian, and the sons of

hand of Midian."

Israel cried to the LORD.

14The LORD looked at him and said, "

7Now it came about when the sons of

Go in this your strength and deliver

Israel cried to the LORD on account of

Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I

Midian,

not sent you?"

15

8

He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I that the LORD sent a prophet to the

sons of Israel, and he said to them,

deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the

"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

least in Manasseh, and I am the

'It was I who brought you up from Egypt

youngest in my father's house."

16But the LORD said to him, "Surely I 24Then Gideon built an altar there to the will be with you, and you shall defeat

LORD and named it The LORD is

Midian as one man."

Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of

the Abiezrites.

17So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have

found favor in Your sight, then show me

25Now on the same night the LORD said

a sign that it is You who speak with me.

to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull 18"Please do not depart from here, until I down the altar of Baal which belongs to

come back to You, and bring out my

your father, and cut down the Asherah

offering and lay it before You." And He that is beside it;

said, "I will remain until you return."

26and build an altar to the LORD your

19Then Gideon went in and prepared a

God on the top of this stronghold in an young goat and unleavened bread from

orderly manner, and take a second bull

an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a and offer a burnt offering with the wood basket and the broth in a pot, and

of the Asherah which you shall cut

brought them out to him under the oak

down."

and presented them.

27Then Gideon took ten men of his

20The angel of God said to him, "Take servants and did as the LORD had

the meat and the unleavened bread and

spoken to him; and because he was too

lay them on this rock, and pour out the afraid of his father's household and the broth." And he did so.

men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

21Then the angel of the LORD put out

28

the end of the staff that was in his hand

When the men of the city arose early

and

touched

the

meat

and

the

in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal

unleavened bread; and fire sprang up

was torn down, and the Asherah which

from the rock and consumed the meat

was beside it was cut down, and the

and the unleavened bread. Then the

second bull was offered on the altar

angel of the LORD vanished from his

which had been built.

sight.

29They said to one another, "Who did 22When Gideon saw that he was the

this thing?" And when they searched

angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O

about and inquired, they said, "Gideon Lord GOD! For now I have seen the

the son of Joash did this thing."

angel of the LORD face to face."

30Then the men of the city said to Joash,

23The LORD said to him, "Peace to you,

"Bring out your son, that he may die, for do not fear; you shall not die."

he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah

which was beside it."

31But Joash said to all who stood 38And it was so. When he arose early against him, "Will you contend for Baal, the next morning and squeezed the

or will you deliver him? Whoever will

fleece, he drained the dew from the

plead for him shall be put to death by fleece, a bowl full of water.

morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn

39Then Gideon said to God, " Do not let

down his altar."

Your anger burn against me that I may

speak once more; please let me make a

32Therefore on that day he named him

test once more with the fleece, let it now

Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal be dry only on the fleece, and let there contend against him," because he had be dew on all the ground."

torn down his altar.

40God did so that night; for it was dry 33Then all the Midianites and the

only on the fleece, and dew was on all Amalekites and the sons of the east

the ground.

assembled

themselves;

and

they

crossed over and camped in the valley

of Jezreel.

7Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and

34

all the people who were with him, rose

So the Spirit of the LORD came upon

early and camped beside the spring of

Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the

Harod; and the camp of Midian was on

Abiezrites were called together to follow

the north side of them by the hill of

him.

Moreh in the valley.

35He sent messengers throughout

2The LORD said to Gideon, "The people

Manasseh, and they also were called

who are with you are too many for Me to

together to follow him; and he sent

give Midian into their hands, for Israel messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and

would become boastful, saying, 'My own

Naphtali, and they came up to meet

power has delivered me.'

them.

3

36

"Now therefore come, proclaim in the Then Gideon said to God, " If You will

hearing of the people, saying, ' Whoever

deliver Israel through me, as You have

is afraid and trembling, let him return

spoken,

and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So

22,000 people returned, but 10,000

37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on remained.

the threshing floor. If there is dew on the

fleece only, and it is dry on all the

4Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The ground, then I will know that You will

people are still too many; bring them

deliver Israel through me, as You have

down to the water and I will test them for

spoken."

you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go

with you,' he shall go with you; but

everyone of whom I say to you, 'This Purah his servant down to the outposts one shall not go with you,' he shall not of the army that was in the camp.

go."

12Now the Midianites and the Amalekites

5So he brought the people down to the

and all the sons of the east were lying in

water. And the LORD said to Gideon,

the valley as numerous as locusts; and

"You shall separate everyone who laps their camels were without number, as

the water with his tongue as a dog laps,

numerous as the sand on the seashore.

as well as everyone who kneels to

drink."

13When Gideon came, behold, a man

was relating a dream to his friend. And 6Now the number of those who lapped,

he said, "Behold, I had a dream; a loaf putting their hand to their mouth, was of barley bread was tumbling into the

300 men; but all the rest of the people camp of Midian, and it came to the tent kneeled to drink water.

and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat."

7The LORD said to Gideon, "I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and

14His friend replied, "This is nothing less will give the Midianites into your hands; than the sword of Gideon the son of so let all the other people go, each man

Joash, a man of Israel; God has given

to his home."

Midian and all the camp into his hand."

8So the 300 men took the people's

15When Gideon heard the account of the

provisions and their trumpets into their

dream and its interpretation, he bowed

hands. And Gideon sent all the other

in worship. He returned to the camp of

men of Israel, each to his tent, but

Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD

retained the 300 men; and the camp of

has given the camp of Midian into your

Midian was below him in the valley.

hands."

9Now the same night it came about that

16He divided the 300 men into three

the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down companies, and he put trumpets and

against the camp, for I have given it into

empty pitchers into the hands of all of your hands.

them, with torches inside the pitchers.

10"But if you are afraid to go down, go 17He said to them, "Look at me and do with Purah your servant down to the likewise. And behold, when I come to

camp,

the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.

11and you will hear what they say; and

18"When I and all who are with me blow

afterward

your

hands

will

be

the trumpet, then you also blow the

strengthened that you may go down

trumpets all around the camp and say,

against the camp." So he went with

'For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

19So Gideon and the hundred men who the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon were with him came to the outskirts of

from across the Jordan.

the camp at the beginning of the middle

watch, when they had just posted the

watch; and they blew the trumpets and

8Then the men of Ephraim said to him,

smashed the pitchers that were in their

hands.

" What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight

20

against Midian?" And they contended

When the three companies blew the

with him vigorously.

trumpets and broke the pitchers, they

held the torches in their left hands and 2

the trumpets in their right hands for

But he said to them, "What have I done

blowing, and cried, "A sword for the now in comparison with you? Is not the

LORD and for Gideon!"

gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better

than the vintage of Abiezer?

21Each stood in his place around the

3

camp; and all the army ran, crying out

"God has given the leaders of Midian, as they fled.

Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and

what was I able to do in comparison with

22

you?" Then their anger toward him

When they blew 300 trumpets, the

subsided when he said that.

LORD set the sword of one against

another even throughout the whole army;

4

and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah

Then Gideon and the 300 men who

toward Zererah, as far as the edge of

were with him came to the Jordan and

Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

crossed over, weary yet pursuing.

5

23The men of Israel were summoned

He said to the men of Succoth, "Please

from Naphtali and Asher and all

give loaves of bread to the people who

Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

are following me, for they are weary,

and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,

24

the kings of Midian."

Gideon sent messengers throughout

all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, 6

"Come down against Midian and take

The leaders of Succoth said, " Are the the waters before them, as far as Beth-hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already barah and the Jordan." So all the men of

in your hands, that we should give bread

Ephraim were summoned and they took

to your army?"

the waters as far as Beth-barah and the

7

Jordan.

Gideon said, "All right, when the LORD

has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my

25They captured the two leaders of

hand, then I will thrash your bodies with

Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed

the thorns of the wilderness and with

Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed

briers."

Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while

they pursued Midian; and they brought

8He went up from there to Penuel and 16He took the elders of the city, and spoke similarly to them; and the men of

thorns of the wilderness and briers, and

Penuel answered him just as the men of

he disciplined the men of Succoth with

Succoth had answered.

them.

9So he spoke also to the men of Penuel,

17He tore down the tower of Penuel and

saying, "When I return safely, I will tear killed the men of the city.

down this tower."

18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna,

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in

"What kind of men were they whom you

Karkor, and their armies with them,

killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They about 15,000 men, all who were left of were like you, each one resembling the

the entire army of the sons of the east; son of a king."

for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen.

19He said, "They were my brothers, the 11Gideon went up by the way of those

sons of my mother. As the LORD lives,

who lived in tents on the east of Nobah if only you had let them live, I would not

and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp

kill you."

when the camp was unsuspecting.

20So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he

kill them." But the youth did not draw his pursued them and captured the two

sword, for he was afraid, because he

kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna,

was still a youth.

and routed the whole army.

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise

13Then Gideon the son of Joash

up yourself, and fall on us; for as the returned from the battle by the ascent of

man, so is his strength." So Gideon Heres.

arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna,

and took the crescent ornaments which

14And he captured a youth from Succoth

were on their camels' necks.

and questioned him. Then the youth

wrote down for him the princes of

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon,

Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven

"Rule over us, both you and your son, men.

also your son's son, for you have

delivered us from the hand of Midian."

15He came to the men of Succoth and

said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna,

23But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule concerning whom you taunted me,

over you, nor shall my son rule over you;

saying, ' Are the hands of Zebah and

the LORD shall rule over you."

Zalmunna already in your hand, that we

should give bread to your men who are

24Yet Gideon said to them, "I would weary?'"

request of you, that each of you give me

an earring from his spoil." (For they had

gold earrings, because they were 33Then it came about, as soon as

Ishmaelites.)

Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel

again played the harlot with the Baals,

25They said, "We will surely give them."

and made Baal-berith their god.

So they spread out a garment, and

every one of them threw an earring

34Thus the sons of Israel did not

there from his spoil.

remember the LORD their God, who

had delivered them from the hands of all

26The weight of the gold earrings that he

their enemies on every side;

requested was 1,700 shekels of gold,

besides the crescent ornaments and the

35nor did they show kindness to the

pendants and the purple robes which

household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon)

were on the kings of Midian, and

in accord with all the good that he had besides the neck bands that were on

done to Israel.

their camels' necks.

27Gideon made it into an ephod, and

9And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal

placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all

went to Shechem to his mother's

Israel played the harlot with it there, so relatives, and spoke to them and to the that it became a snare to Gideon and whole clan of the household of his

his household.

mother's father, saying,

28So Midian was subdued before the

2"Speak, now, in the hearing of all the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for their heads anymore. And the land was

you, that seventy men, all the sons of

undisturbed for forty years in the days of

Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one

Gideon.

man rule over you?' Also, remember

that I am your bone and your flesh."

29Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went

and lived in his own house.

3And his mother's relatives spoke all

these words on his behalf in the hearing

30Now Gideon had seventy sons who

of all the leaders of Shechem; and they were his direct descendants, for he had

were inclined to follow Abimelech, for

many wives.

they said, "He is our relative."

31His concubine who was in Shechem

4They gave him seventy pieces of silver

also bore him a son, and he named him

from the house of Baal-berith with which

Abimelech.

Abimelech hired worthless and reckless

fellows, and they followed him.

32And Gideon the son of Joash died at a

ripe old age and was buried in the tomb

5Then he went to his father's house at

of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the

Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons

Abiezrites.

of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one

stone. But Jotham the youngest son of you, come and take refuge in my shade; Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of

6All the men of Shechem and all Beth—

Lebanon.'

millo assembled together, and they went

and made Abimelech king, by the oak of

16"Now therefore, if you have dealt in the pillar which was in Shechem.

truth and integrity in making Abimelech

king, and if you have dealt well with

7Now when they told Jotham, he went

Jerubbaal and his house, and have

and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim,

dealt with him as he deserved--

and lifted his voice and called out. Thus

he said to them, "Listen to me, O men of

17for my father fought for you and risked

Shechem, that God may listen to you.

his life and delivered you from the hand

of Midian;

8"Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the 18but you have risen against my father's

olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

house today and have killed his sons,

seventy men, on one stone, and have

9"But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I made Abimelech, the son of his

leave my fatness with which God and

maidservant, king over the men of

men are honored, and go to wave over

Shechem, because he is your relative--

the trees?'

19if then you have dealt in truth and

10"Then the trees said to the fig tree, integrity with Jerubbaal and his house 'You come, reign over us!'

this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let

him also rejoice in you.

11"But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I 20

leave my sweetness and my good fruit,

"But if not, let fire come out from and go to wave over the trees?'

Abimelech and consume the men of

Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire

12

come out from the men of Shechem and

"Then the trees said to the vine, 'You from

Beth-millo,

and

consume

come, reign over us!'

Abimelech."

13"But the vine said to them, 'Shall I 21Then Jotham escaped and fled, and

leave my new wine, which cheers God

went to Beer and remained there

and men, and go to wave over the

because of Abimelech his brother.

trees?'

22

14

Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three

"Finally all the trees said to the

years.

bramble, 'You come, reign over us!'

23

15

Then God sent an evil spirit between

"The bramble said to the trees, 'If in Abimelech and the men of Shechem;

truth you are anointing me as king over

and the men of Shechem dealt 30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard

treacherously with Abimelech,

the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.

24so that the violence done to the

seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come,

31He sent messengers to Abimelech

and their blood might be laid on

deceitfully, saying, "Behold, Gaal the Abimelech their brother, who killed them,

son of Ebed and his relatives have

and on the men of Shechem, who

come to Shechem; and behold, they are

strengthened his hands to kill his

stirring up the city against you.

brothers.

32"Now therefore, arise by night, you and 25The men of Shechem set men in

the people who are with you, and lie in ambush against him on the tops of the

wait in the field.

mountains, and they robbed all who

might pass by them along the road; and

33"In the morning, as soon as the sun is

it was told to Abimelech.

up, you shall rise early and rush upon

the city; and behold, when he and the

26Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with

people who are with him come out

his relatives, and crossed over into

against you, you shall do to them

Shechem; and the men of Shechem put

whatever you can."

their trust in him.

34So Abimelech and all the people who

27They went out into the field and

were with him arose by night and lay in gathered the grapes of their vineyards

wait against Shechem in four companies.

and trod them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god,

35Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out

and

ate

and

drank

and

cursed

and stood in the entrance of the city

Abimelech.

gate; and Abimelech and the people

who were with him arose from the

28Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who

ambush.

is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that

we should serve him? Is he not the son

36When Gaal saw the people, he said to

of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his

Zebul, "Look, people are coming down lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the

from the tops of the mountains." But father of Shechem; but why should we

Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the serve him?

shadow of the mountains as if they were

men."

29" Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would

37Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, remove Abimelech." And he said to

people are coming down from the

Abimelech, "Increase your army and

highest part of the land, and one

come out."

company comes by the way of the

diviners' oak."

38Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your 46When all the leaders of the tower of boasting now with which you said, 'Who

Shechem heard of it, they entered the

is Abimelech that we should serve him?'

inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.

Is this not the people whom you

despised? Go out now and fight with

47It was told Abimelech that all the

them!"

leaders of the tower of Shechem were

gathered together.

39So Gaal went out before the leaders of

Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

48So Abimelech went up to Mount

Zalmon, he and all the people who were

40Abimelech chased him, and he fled

with him; and Abimelech took an axe in

before him; and many fell wounded up

his hand and cut down a branch from

to the entrance of the gate.

the trees, and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people 41Then Abimelech remained at Arumah,

who were with him, "What you have

but Zebul drove out Gaal and his

seen me do, hurry and do likewise."

relatives so that they could not remain in

Shechem.

49All the people also cut down each one

his branch and followed Abimelech, and

42Now it came about the next day, that

put them on the inner chamber and set

the people went out to the field, and it the inner chamber on fire over those

was told to Abimelech.

inside, so that all the men of the tower of

Shechem also died, about a thousand

43

men and women.

So he took his people and divided

them into three companies, and lay in

50

wait in the field; when he looked and

Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and

saw the people coming out from the city,

he

camped

against

Thebez

and

he arose against them and slew them.

captured it.

44

51

Then Abimelech and the company

But there was a strong tower in the

who was with him dashed forward and

center of the city, and all the men and stood in the entrance of the city gate; women with all the leaders of the city the other two companies then dashed

fled there and shut themselves in; and

against all who were in the field and

they went up on the roof of the tower.

slew them.

52So Abimelech came to the tower and

45Abimelech fought against the city all

fought against it, and approached the

that day, and he captured the city and

entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

killed the people who were in it; then he

razed the city and sowed it with salt.

53But a certain woman threw an upper

millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing

his skull.

54Then he called quickly to the young the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, man, his armor bearer, and said to him,

the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the

"Draw your sword and kill me, so that it gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook will not be said of me, 'A woman slew

the LORD and did not serve Him.

him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died.

7The anger of the LORD burned against

Israel, and He sold them into the hands

55When the men of Israel saw that

of the Philistines and into the hands of Abimelech was dead, each departed to

the sons of Ammon.

his home.

8They afflicted and crushed the sons of

56Thus God repaid the wickedness of

Israel that year; for eighteen years they Abimelech, which he had done to his

afflicted all the sons of Israel who were father in killing his seventy brothers.

beyond the Jordan in Gilead in the land

of the Amorites.

57Also God returned all the wickedness

of the men of Shechem on their heads,

9The sons of Ammon crossed the

and the curse of Jotham the son of

Jordan to fight also against Judah,

Jerubbaal came upon them.

Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so

that Israel was greatly distressed.

10

10

Now after Abimelech died, Tola

Then the sons of Israel cried out to the

the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man

LORD, saying, "We have sinned against

You, for indeed, we have forsaken our

of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he

God and served the Baals."

lived in Shamir in the hill country of

Ephraim.

11The LORD said to the sons of Israel,

2

"Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, He judged Israel twenty-three years.

the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and

Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

the Philistines?

3After him, Jair the Gileadite arose and 12

judged Israel twenty-two years.

"Also

when

the

Sidonians,

the

Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed

4

you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered

He had thirty sons who rode on thirty

you from their hands.

donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the

land of Gilead that are called Havvoth—

13

jair to this day.

"Yet you have forsaken Me and served

other gods; therefore I will no longer

5

deliver you.

And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

14

6

" Go and cry out to the gods which you

Then the sons of Israel again did evil in

have chosen; let them deliver you in the

the sight of the LORD, served the Baals

time of your distress."

and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram,

15The sons of Israel said to the LORD, 5When the sons of Ammon fought "We have sinned, do to us whatever

against Israel, the elders of Gilead went

seems good to You; only please deliver

to get Jephthah from the land of Tob;

us this day."

6and they said to Jephthah, "Come and

16So they put away the foreign gods

be our chief that we may fight against

from among them and served the LORD;

the sons of Ammon."

and He could bear the misery of Israel

no longer.

7Then Jephthah said to the elders of

Gilead, " Did you not hate me and drive

17Then the sons of Ammon were

me from my father's house? So why

summoned and they camped in Gilead.

have you come to me now when you are

And the sons of Israel gathered together

in trouble?"

and camped in Mizpah.

8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah,

18The people, the leaders of Gilead, said

"For this reason we have now returned to one another, "Who is the man who to you, that you may go with us and fight will begin to fight against the sons of with the sons of Ammon and become

AmmonNULL He shall become head

head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

9So Jephthah said to the elders of

11

Gilead, "If you take me back to fight Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a

against the sons of Ammon and the

LORD gives them up to me, will I

valiant warrior, but he was the son of a become your head?"

harlot. And Gilead was the father of

Jephthah.

10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah,

2

" The LORD is witness between us;

Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when

surely we will do as you have said."

his wife's sons grew up, they drove

Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall

11

not have an inheritance in our father's

Then Jephthah went with the elders of

house, for you are the son of another

Gilead, and the people made him head

woman."

and chief over them; and Jephthah

spoke all his words before the LORD at

3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and

Mizpah.

lived in the land of Tob; and worthless 12

fellows gathered themselves about

Now Jephthah sent messengers to the

Jephthah, and they went out with him.

king of the sons of Ammon, saying,

"What is between you and me, that you 4It came about after a while that the

have come to me to fight against my

sons of Ammon fought against Israel.

land?"

13The king of the sons of Ammon said to all his people and camped in Jahaz and the messengers of Jephthah, "Because

fought with Israel.

Israel took away my land when they

came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as

21'The LORD, the God of Israel, gave

far as the Jabbok and the Jordan;

Sihon and all his people into the hand of

therefore, return them peaceably now."

Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel

possessed all the land of the Amorites,

14But Jephthah sent messengers again

the inhabitants of that country.

to the king of the sons of Ammon,

22' So they possessed all the territory of

15and they said to him, "Thus says

the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as

Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the

the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as

land of Moab nor the land of the sons of

far as the Jordan.

Ammon.

23'Since now the LORD, the God of

16'For when they came up from Egypt,

Israel, drove out the Amorites from

and Israel went through the wilderness

before His people Israel, are you then to

to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh,

possess it?

17then Israel sent messengers to the

24'Do you not possess what Chemosh

king of Edom, saying, "Please let us your god gives you to possess? So

pass through your land," but the king of whatever the LORD our God has driven

Edom would not listen. And they also

out before us, we will possess it.

sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at

25'Now are you any better than Balak the

Kadesh.

son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he

ever strive with Israel, or did he ever 18'Then

they

went

through

the

fight against them?

wilderness and around the land of Edom

and the land of Moab, and came to the

26' While Israel lived in Heshbon and its

east side of the land of Moab, and they villages, and in Aroer and its villages, camped beyond the Arnon; but they did and in all the cities that are on the banks

not enter the territory of Moab, for the of the Arnon, three hundred years, why

Arnon was the border of Moab.

did you not recover them within that time?

19'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon

27'I therefore have not sinned against

king of the Amorites, the king of

you, but you are doing me wrong by

Heshbon, and Israel said to him,

making war against me; may the LORD,

"Please let us pass through your land to

the Judge, judge today between the

our place."

sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'"

20'But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered 28But the king of the sons of Ammon given my word to the LORD, and I disregarded

the

message

which

cannot take it back."

Jephthah sent him.

36So she said to him, "My father, you 29Now the Spirit of the LORD came

have given your word to the LORD; do

upon Jephthah, so that he passed

to me as you have said, since the LORD

through Gilead and Manasseh; then he

has avenged you of your enemies, the

passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and

sons of Ammon."

from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the

sons of Ammon.

37She said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two

30Jephthah made a vow to the LORD

months, that I may go to the mountains

and said, "If You will indeed give the and weep because of my virginity, I and

sons of Ammon into my hand,

my companions."

31then it shall be that whatever comes

38Then he said, "Go." So he sent her out of the doors of my house to meet me

away for two months; and she left with

when I return in peace from the sons of

her companions, and wept on the

Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I

mountains because of her virginity.

will offer it up as a burnt offering."

39At the end of two months she returned

32So Jephthah crossed over to the sons

to her father, who did to her according to

of Ammon to fight against them; and the

the vow which he had made; and she

LORD gave them into his hand.

had no relations with a man. Thus it

became a custom in Israel,

33He struck them with a very great

slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of

40that the daughters of Israel went yearly

Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as

to commemorate the daughter of

Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon

Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the

were subdued before the sons of Israel.

year.

34When Jephthah came to his house at

Mizpah, behold, his daughter was

12Then the men of Ephraim were

coming

out

to

meet

him

with

summoned, and they crossed to Zaphon

tambourines and with dancing. Now she

and said to Jephthah, "Why did you

was his one and only child; besides her

cross over to fight against the sons of he had no son or daughter.

Ammon without calling us to go with you?

We will burn your house down on you."

35When he saw her, he tore his clothes

and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have

2Jephthah said to them, "I and my

brought me very low, and you are

people were at great strife with the sons

among those who trouble me; for I have

of Ammon; when I called you, you did

not deliver me from their hand.

3"When I saw that you would not deliver 11Now Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel me, I took my life in my hands and

after him; and he judged Israel ten years.

crossed over against the sons of

Ammon, and the LORD gave them into

12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and

my hand. Why then have you come up

was buried at Aijalon in the land of

to me this day to fight against me?"

Zebulun.

4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of

13Now Abdon the son of Hillel the

Gilead and fought Ephraim; and the

Pirathonite judged Israel after him.

men of Gilead defeated Ephraim,

because they said, "You are fugitives of

14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons

Ephraim, O Gileadites, in the midst of

who rode on seventy donkeys; and he

Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh."

judged Israel eight years.

5The Gileadites captured the fords of the

15Then Abdon the son of Hillel the

Jordan

opposite

Ephraim.

And

it

Pirathonite died and was buried at

happened when any of the fugitives of

Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the hill country of the Amalekites.

men of Gilead would say to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"

13

6

Now the sons of Israel again did

then they would say to him, "Say now,

'Shibboleth.'" But he said, "Sibboleth,"

evil in the sight of the LORD, so that the

for he could not pronounce it correctly.

LORD gave them into the hands of the

Then they seized him and slew him at

Philistines forty years.

the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim.

2There was a certain man of Zorah, of

the family of the Danites, whose name

7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then

was Manoah; and his wife was barren

Jephthah the Gileadite died and was

and had borne no children.

buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

3Then the angel of the LORD appeared

8Now Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel

to the woman and said to her, "Behold after him.

now, you are barren and have borne no

children, but you shall conceive and give

9He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters

birth to a son.

whom he gave in marriage outside the

4

family,

and he

brought

in thirty

"Now therefore, be careful not to drink daughters from outside for his sons. And

wine or strong drink, nor eat any

he judged Israel seven years.

unclean thing.

10

5

Then Ibzan died and was buried in

" For behold, you shall conceive and Bethlehem.

give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall

be a Nazirite to God from the womb; 12Manoah said, "Now when your words and he shall begin to deliver Israel from

come to pass, what shall be the boy's

the hands of the Philistines."

mode of life and his vocation?"

6Then the woman came and told her

13So the angel of the LORD said to

husband, saying, " A man of God came Manoah, " Let the woman pay attention to me and his appearance was like the to all that I said.

appearance of the angel of God, very

awesome. And I did not ask him where

14"She should not eat anything that

he came from, nor did he tell me his

comes from the vine nor drink wine or

name.

strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded."

7"But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and 15Then Manoah said to the angel of the

now you shall not drink wine or strong

LORD, "Please let us detain you so that

drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the we may prepare a young goat for you."

boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

16The angel of the LORD said to

Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will 8Then Manoah entreated the LORD and

not eat your food, but if you prepare a said, "O Lord, please let the man of God

burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD."

whom You have sent come to us again

For Manoah did not know that he was

that he may teach us what to do for the

the angel of the LORD.

boy who is to be born."

17Manoah said to the angel of the LORD,

9God listened to the voice of Manoah;

" What is your name, so that when your

and the angel of God came again to the

words come to pass, we may honor

woman as she was sitting in the field,

you?"

but Manoah her husband was not with

her.

18But the angel of the LORD said to him,

"Why do you ask my name, seeing it is 10So the woman ran quickly and told her

wonderful?"

husband, "Behold, the man who came

the other day has appeared to me."

19So Manoah took the young goat with

the grain offering and offered it on the 11Then Manoah arose and followed his

rock to the LORD, and He performed

wife, and when he came to the man he

wonders while Manoah and his wife

said to him, "Are you the man who

looked on.

spoke to the woman?" And he said, "I am."

20For it came about when the flame went

up from the altar toward heaven, that

the angel of the LORD ascended in the

flame of the altar. When Manoah and

his wife saw this, they fell on their faces Samson said to his father, "Get her for to the ground.

me, for she looks good to me."

21Now the angel of the LORD did not

4However, his father and mother did not

appear to Manoah or his wife again.

know that it was of the LORD, for He

Then Manoah knew that he was the

was seeking an occasion against the

angel of the LORD.

Philistines. Now at that time the

Philistines were ruling over Israel.

22So Manoah said to his wife, " We will surely die, for we have seen God."

5Then Samson went down to Timnah

with his father and mother, and came as

23But his wife said to him, "If the LORD

far as the vineyards of Timnah; and

had desired to kill us, He would not have

behold, a young lion came roaring

accepted a burnt offering and a grain

toward him.

offering from our hands, nor would He

have shown us all these things, nor

6The Spirit of the LORD came upon him

would He have let us hear things like

mightily, so that he tore him as one

this at this time."

tears a young goat though he had

nothing in his hand; but he did not tell 24Then the woman gave birth to a son

his father or mother what he had done.

and named him Samson; and the child

grew up and the LORD blessed him.

7So he went down and talked to the

woman; and she looked good to

25And the Spirit of the LORD began to

Samson.

stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah

and Eshtaol.

8When he returned later to take her, he

turned aside to look at the carcass of

the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees

14Then Samson went down to and honey were in the body of the lion.

Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah,

9

one of the daughters of the Philistines.

So he scraped the honey into his hands

and went on, eating as he went. When

he came to his father and mother, he

2So he came back and told his father

gave some to them and they ate it; but and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah,

he did not tell them that he had scraped

one of the daughters of the Philistines; the honey out of the body of the lion.

now therefore, get her for me as a wife."

10Then his father went down to the

3Then his father and his mother said to

woman; and Samson made a feast

him, "Is there no woman among the

there, for the young men customarily did

daughters of your relatives, or among all

this.

our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But

11When they saw him, they brought 18So the men of the city said to him on thirty companions to be with him.

the seventh day before the sun went

down, "What is sweeter than honey?

12Then Samson said to them, "Let me And what is stronger than a lion?" And now propound a riddle to you; if you will he said to them, "If you had not plowed indeed tell it to me within the seven days with my heifer, You would not have

of the feast, and find it out, then I will found out my riddle."

give you thirty linen wraps and thirty

changes of clothes.

19Then the Spirit of the LORD came

upon him mightily, and he went down to

13"But if you are unable to tell me, then Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and you shall give me thirty linen wraps and

took their spoil and gave the changes of

thirty changes of clothes." And they said clothes to those who told the riddle. And

to him, "Propound your riddle, that we his anger burned, and he went up to his

may hear it."

father's house.

14

20

So he said to them, "Out of the eater But Samson's wife was given to his

came something to eat, And out of the

companion who had been his friend.

strong came something sweet." But they

could not tell the riddle in three days.

15But after a while, in the time of 15Then it came about on the fourth day wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife

that they said to Samson's wife, " Entice with a young goat, and said, "I will go in your husband, so that he will tell us the to my wife in her room." But her father riddle, or we will burn you and your did not let him enter.

father's house with fire. Have you invited

us to impoverish us? Is this not so?"

2Her father said, "I really thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to

16Samson's wife wept before him and

your companion. Is not her younger

said, " You only hate me, and you do not

sister more beautiful than she? Please

love me; you have propounded a riddle

let her be yours instead."

to the sons of my people, and have not

told it to me." And he said to her, 3Samson then said to them, "This time I

"Behold, I have not told it to my father or shall be blameless in regard to the

mother; so should I tell you?"

Philistines when I do them harm."

17However she wept before him seven

4Samson went and caught three

days while their feast lasted. And on the

hundred foxes, and took torches, and

seventh day he told her because she

turned the foxes tail to tail and put one pressed him so hard. She then told the torch in the middle between two tails.

riddle to the sons of her people.

5When he had set fire to the torches, he

released the foxes into the standing

grain of the Philistines, thus burning up 13So they said to him, "No, but we will both the shocks and the standing grain, bind you fast and give you into their

along with the vineyards and groves.

hands; yet surely we will not kill you."

Then they bound him with two new

6Then the Philistines said, "Who did ropes and brought him up from the rock.

this?" And they said, "Samson, the sonin-law of the Timnite, because he took

14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines

his wife and gave her to his companion."

shouted as they met him. And the Spirit

So the Philistines came up and burned

of the LORD came upon him mightily so

her and her father with fire.

that the ropes that were on his arms

were as flax that is burned with fire, and

7Samson said to them, "Since you act his bonds dropped from his hands.

like this, I will surely take revenge on you, but after that I will quit."

15He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey,

so he reached out and took it and killed

8He struck them ruthlessly with a great

a thousand men with it.

slaughter; and he went down and lived

in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

16Then Samson said, "With the jawbone

of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With

9Then the Philistines went up and

the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a camped in Judah, and spread out in

thousand men."

Lehi.

17When he had finished speaking, he

10The men of Judah said, "Why have

threw the jawbone from his hand; and

you come up against us?" And they said,

he named that place Ramath-lehi.

"We have come up to bind Samson in order to do to him as he did to us."

18Then he became very thirsty, and he

called to the LORD and said, "You have

11Then 3,000 men of Judah went down

given this great deliverance by the hand

to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said

of Your servant, and now shall I die of to Samson, "Do you not know that the thirst and fall into the hands of the Philistines are rulers over us? What then

uncircumcised?"

is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so I 19But God split the hollow place that is in have done to them."

Lehi so that water came out of it. When

he drank, his strength returned and he

12They said to him, "We have come

revived. Therefore he named it En—

down to bind you so that we may give

hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

you into the hands of the Philistines."

And Samson said to them, "Swear to me

20So he judged Israel twenty years in the

that you will not kill me."

days of the Philistines.

16

been dried, and she bound him with

Now Samson went to Gaza and

them.

saw a harlot there, and went in to her.

9Now she had men lying in wait in an

2When it was told to the Gazites, saying,

inner room. And she said to him, "The

"Samson

has

come

here,"

they

Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But surrounded the place and lay in wait for

he snapped the cords as a string of tow

him all night at the gate of the city. And

snaps when it touches fire. So his

strength was not discovered.

they kept silent all night, saying, "Let us wait until the morning light, then we will 10

kill him."

Then Delilah said to Samson, "Behold,

you have deceived me and told me lies;

3Now Samson lay until midnight, and at

now please tell me how you may be

bound."

midnight he arose and took hold of the

doors of the city gate and the two posts

11

and pulled them up along with the bars;

He said to her, "If they bind me tightly then he put them on his shoulders and

with new ropes which have not been

carried them up to the top of the

used, then I will become weak and be

mountain which is opposite Hebron.

like any other man."

4

12

After this it came about that he loved a

So Delilah took new ropes and bound

woman in the valley of Sorek, whose

him with them and said to him, "The name was Delilah.

Philistines are upon you, Samson!" For the men were lying in wait in the inner 5

room. But he snapped the ropes from

The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, " Entice him, and his arms like a thread.

see where his great strength lies and

13

how we may overpower him that we

Then Delilah said to Samson, "Up to may bind him to afflict him. Then we will

now you have deceived me and told me

each give you eleven hundred pieces of

lies; tell me how you may be bound."

silver."

And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and

6So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell

fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

me where your great strength is and

how you may be bound to afflict you."

14So while he slept, Delilah took the

7Samson said to her, "If they bind me seven locks of his hair and wove them with seven fresh cords that have not

into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines been dried, then I will become weak and are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke be like any other man."

from his sleep and pulled out the pin of 8

the loom and the web.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought

up to her seven fresh cords that had not

15Then she said to him, " How can you 22However, the hair of his head began to say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not grow again after it was shaved off.

with me? You have deceived me these

three times and have not told me where

23Now the lords of the Philistines

your great strength is."

assembled to offer a great sacrifice to

Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they

16It came about when she pressed him

said, "Our god has given Samson our daily with her words and urged him, that

enemy into our hands."

his soul was annoyed to death.

24When the people saw him, they

17So he told her all that was in his heart

praised their god, for they said, "Our god and said to her, "A razor has never has given our enemy into our hands, come on my head, for I have been a

Even the destroyer of our country, Who

Nazirite to God from my mother's womb.

has slain many of us."

If I am shaved, then my strength will

leave me and I will become weak and

25It so happened when they were in high

be like any other man."

spirits, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may amuse us." So they called 18When Delilah saw that he had told her for Samson from the prison, and he

all that was in his heart, she sent and entertained them. And they made him

called the lords of the Philistines, saying,

stand between the pillars.

"Come up once more, for he has told me

all that is in his heart." Then the lords of 26Then Samson said to the boy who was

the Philistines came up to her and

holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars brought the money in their hands.

on which the house rests, that I may

lean against them."

19She made him sleep on her knees,

and called for a man and had him shave

27Now the house was full of men and

off the seven locks of his hair. Then she

women, and all the lords of the

began to afflict him, and his strength left

Philistines were there. And about 3,000

him.

men and women were on the roof

looking on while Samson was amusing

20She said, "The Philistines are upon them.

you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other 28Then Samson called to the LORD and times and shake myself free." But he did

said, "O Lord GOD, please remember

not know that the LORD had departed

me and please strengthen me just this

from him.

time, O God, that I may at once be

avenged of the Philistines for my two

21Then the Philistines seized him and

eyes."

gouged out his eyes; and they brought

him down to Gaza and bound him with

29Samson grasped the two middle pillars

bronze chains, and he was a grinder in

on which the house rested, and braced

the prison.

himself against them, the one with his graven image and a molten image, and right hand and the other with his left.

they were in the house of Micah.

30And Samson said, "Let me die with the

5And the man Micah had a shrine and

Philistines!" And he bent with all his he made an ephod and household idols

might so that the house fell on the lords

and consecrated one of his sons, that

and all the people who were in it. So the

he might become his priest.

dead whom he killed at his death were

more than those whom he killed in his

6In those days there was no king in

life.

Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

31Then his brothers and all his father's household came down, took him,

7Now there was a young man from

brought him up and buried him between

Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of

Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of

Judah, who was a Levite; and he was

Manoah his father. Thus he had judged

staying there.

Israel twenty years.

8Then the man departed from the city,

17

from Bethlehem in Judah, to stay

Now there was a man of the hill

wherever he might find a place; and as

country of Ephraim whose name was

he made his journey, he came to the hill

Micah.

country of Ephraim to the house of

Micah.

2He said to his mother, "The eleven 9

hundred pieces of silver which were

Micah said to him, "Where do you

taken from you, about which you uttered

come from?" And he said to him, "I am a a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver

Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I

is with me; I took it." And his mother said, am going to stay wherever I may find a "Blessed be my son by the LORD."

place."

3

10

He then returned the eleven hundred

Micah then said to him, "Dwell with me

pieces of silver to his mother, and his and be a father and a priest to me, and I

mother said, "I wholly dedicate the silver will give you ten pieces of silver a year, from my hand to the LORD for my son a

suit

of

clothes,

and

your

to make a graven image and a molten

maintenance." So the Levite went in.

image; now therefore, I will return them to you."

11The Levite agreed to live with the man,

and the young man became to him like

4So when he returned the silver to his

one of his sons.

mother, his mother took two hundred

pieces of silver and gave them to the

12So Micah consecrated the Levite, and

silversmith who made them into a

the young man became his priest and

lived in the house of Micah.

13Then Micah said, "Now I know that the 7Then the five men departed and came LORD will prosper me, seeing I have a

to Laish and saw the people who were

Levite as priest."

in it living in security, after the manner of

the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for

there was no ruler humiliating them for

18In those days there was no king of anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings Israel; and in those days the tribe of the

with anyone.

Danites was seeking an inheritance for

themselves to live in, for until that day 8When they came back to their brothers

an inheritance had not been allotted to

them as a possession among the tribes

at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said

of Israel.

to them, "What do you report?"

9

2

They said, "Arise, and let us go up So the sons of Dan sent from their

against them; for we have seen the land,

family five men out of their whole

number, valiant men from Zorah and

and behold, it is very good. And will you

Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to

sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to search it; and they said to them, "Go, possess the land.

search the land." And they came to the 10

hill country of Ephraim, to the house of

"When you enter, you will come to a Micah, and lodged there.

secure people with a spacious land; for

God has given it into your hand, a place

3When they were near the house of

where there is no lack of anything that is

Micah, they recognized the voice of the

on the earth."

young man, the Levite; and they turned

11

aside there and said to him, "Who

Then from the family of the Danites,

brought you here? And what are you

from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six

doing in this place? And what do you

hundred men armed with weapons of

have here?"

war set out.

4

12

He said to them, "Thus and so has

They went up and camped at Kiriath—

Micah done to me, and he has hired me

jearim in Judah. Therefore they called

and I have become his priest."

that place Mahaneh-dan to this day;

behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

5They said to him, "Inquire of God, 13

please, that we may know whether our

They passed from there to the hill

way on which we are going will be

country of Ephraim and came to the

prosperous."

house of Micah.

6

14

The priest said to them, "Go in peace; Then the five men who went to spy out

your way in which you are going has the

the country of Laish said to their

LORD'S approval."

kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in

these houses an ephod and household

idols and a graven image and a molten 21Then they turned and departed, and image? Now therefore, consider what

put the little ones and the livestock and you should do."

the valuables in front of them.

15They turned aside there and came to

22When they had gone some distance

the house of the young man, the Levite,

from the house of Micah, the men who

to the house of Micah, and asked him of

were in the houses near Micah's house

his welfare.

assembled and overtook the sons of

Dan.

16The six hundred men armed with their

weapons of war, who were of the sons

23They cried to the sons of Dan, who

of Dan, stood by the entrance of the

turned around and said to Micah, "What

gate.

is the matter with you, that you have

assembled together?"

17Now the five men who went to spy out

the land went up and entered there, and

24He said, "You have taken away my

took the graven image and the ephod

gods which I made, and the priest, and

and household idols and the molten

have gone away, and what do I have

image, while the priest stood by the

besides? So how can you say to me,

entrance of the gate with the six

'What is the matter with you?'"

hundred men armed with weapons of

war.

25The sons of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or

18When these went into Micah's house

else fierce men will fall upon you and

and took the graven image, the ephod

you will lose your life, with the lives of and household idols and the molten

your household."

image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"

26So the sons of Dan went on their way;

and when Micah saw that they were too

19They said to him, "Be silent, put your strong for him, he turned and went back

hand over your mouth and come with us,

to his house.

and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house 27Then they took what Micah had made

of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and

and the priest who had belonged to him,

a family in Israel?"

and came to Laish, to a people quiet

and secure, and struck them with the

20The priest's heart was glad, and he

edge of the sword; and they burned the

took the ephod and household idols and

city with fire.

the graven image and went among the

people.

28And there was no one to deliver them,

because it was far from Sidon and they

had no dealings with anyone, and it was

in the valley which is near Beth-rehob.

4His father-in-law, the girl's father,

And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

detained him; and he remained with him

three days. So they ate and drank and

29They called the name of the city Dan,

lodged there.

after the name of Dan their father who

was born in Israel; however, the name

5Now on the fourth day they got up early

of the city formerly was Laish.

in the morning, and he prepared to go;

and the girl's father said to his son-in-30The sons of Dan set up for themselves

law, " Sustain yourself with a piece of the graven image; and Jonathan, the

bread, and afterward you may go."

son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh,

he and his sons were priests to the tribe

6So both of them sat down and ate and

of the Danites until the day of the

drank together; and the girl's father said

captivity of the land.

to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night, and let your heart be merry."

31So they set up for themselves Micah's

graven image which he had made, all

7Then the man arose to go, but his

the time that the house of God was at

father-in-law urged him so that he spent

Shiloh.

the night there again.

8

19

On the fifth day he arose to go early in

Now it came about in those days,

the morning, and the girl's father said, when there was no king in Israel, that

"Please sustain yourself, and wait until afternoon"; so both of them ate.

there was a certain Levite staying in the

remote part of the hill country of

9

Ephraim, who took a concubine for

When the man arose to go along with

himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold 2

now, the day has drawn to a close;

But his concubine played the harlot

against him, and she went away from

please spend the night. Lo, the day is

him to her father's house in Bethlehem

coming to an end; spend the night here

in Judah, and was there for a period of that your heart may be merry. Then

four months.

tomorrow you may arise early for your

journey so that you may go home."

3Then her husband arose and went after

10

her to speak tenderly to her in order to But the man was not willing to spend

bring her back, taking with him his

the night, so he arose and departed and

servant and a pair of donkeys. So she

came to a place opposite Jebus (that is,

Jerusalem). And there were with him a

brought him into her father's house, and

pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine

when the girl's father saw him, he was

glad to meet him.

also was with him.

11When they were near Jebus, the day Judah. But I am now going to my house, was almost gone; and the servant said

and no man will take me into his house.

to his master, "Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites 19"Yet there is both straw and fodder for and spend the night in it."

our donkeys, and also bread and wine

for me, your maidservant, and the young

12However, his master said to him, "We

man who is with your servants; there is will not turn aside into the city of

no lack of anything."

foreigners who are not of the sons of

Israel; but we will go on as far as

20The old man said, " Peace to you.

Gibeah."

Only let me take care of all your needs;

however, do not spend the night in the

13He said to his servant, "Come and let open square."

us approach one of these places; and

we will spend the night in Gibeah or

21So he took him into his house and

Ramah."

gave the donkeys fodder, and they

washed their feet and ate and drank.

14So they passed along and went their

way, and the sun set on them near

22While they were celebrating, behold,

Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.

the men of the city, certain worthless

fellows,

surrounded

the

house,

15They turned aside there in order to

pounding the door; and they spoke to

enter and lodge in Gibeah. When they

the owner of the house, the old man,

entered, they sat down in the open

saying, "Bring out the man who came square of the city, for no one took them

into your house that we may have

into his house to spend the night.

relations with him."

16Then behold, an old man was coming

23Then the man, the owner of the house,

out of the field from his work at evening.

went out to them and said to them, "No,

Now the man was from the hill country

my fellows, please do not act so

of Ephraim, and he was staying in

wickedly; since this man has come into

Gibeah, but the men of the place were

my house, do not commit this act of folly.

Benjamites.

24" Here is my virgin daughter and his 17And he lifted up his eyes and saw the

concubine. Please let me bring them out

traveler in the open square of the city; that you may ravish them and do to

and the old man said, "Where are you them whatever you wish. But do not

going, and where do you come from?"

commit such an act of folly against this man."

18He said to him, "We are passing from

Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part

25But the men would not listen to him.

of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am So the man seized his concubine and

from there, and I went to Bethlehem in

brought her out to them; and they raped

her and abused her all night until 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the morning, then let her go at the approach

sword.

of dawn.

3(Now the sons of Benjamin heard that

26As the day began to dawn, the woman

the sons of Israel had gone up to

came and fell down at the doorway of

Mizpah.) And the sons of Israel said,

the man's house where her master was,

"Tell us, how did this wickedness take until full daylight.

place?"

27When her master arose in the morning

4So the Levite, the husband of the

and opened the doors of the house and

woman who was murdered, answered

went out to go on his way, then behold,

and said, "I came with my concubine to his concubine was lying at the doorway spend the night at Gibeah which

of the house with her hands on the

belongs to Benjamin.

threshold.

5"But the men of Gibeah rose up against

28He said to her, "Get up and let us go,"

me and surrounded the house at night

but there was no answer. Then he

because of me. They intended to kill me;

placed her on the donkey; and the man

instead, they ravished my concubine so

arose and went to his home.

that she died.

29When he entered his house, he took a

6"And I took hold of my concubine and knife and laid hold of his concubine and

cut her in pieces and sent her

cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, throughout

the

land

of

Israel's

and sent her throughout the territory of inheritance; for they have committed a

Israel.

lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

30All who saw it said, "Nothing like this 7"Behold, all you sons of Israel, give has ever happened or been seen from your advice and counsel here."

the day when the sons of Israel came up

from the land of Egypt to this day.

8Then all the people arose as one man,

Consider it, take counsel and speak up!"

saying, "Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house.

20Then all the sons of Israel from 9"But now this is the thing which we will Dan to Beersheba, including the land of do to Gibeah; we will go up against it by

Gilead, came out, and the congregation

lot.

assembled as one man to the LORD at

Mizpah.

10"And we will take 10 men out of 100

throughout the tribes of Israel, and 100

2The chiefs of all the people, even of all

out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000 to

the tribes of Israel, took their stand in supply food for the people, that when

the assembly of the people of God,

they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they

may punish them for all the disgraceful 19So the sons of Israel arose in the acts that they have committed in Israel."

morning and camped against Gibeah.

11Thus all the men of Israel were

20The men of Israel went out to battle

gathered against the city, united as one against Benjamin, and the men of Israel

man.

arrayed for battle against them at

Gibeah.

12Then the tribes of Israel sent men

through the entire tribe of Benjamin,

21Then the sons of Benjamin came out

saying, "What is this wickedness that of Gibeah and felled to the ground on

has taken place among you?

that day 22,000 men of Israel.

13"Now then, deliver up the men, the 22But the people, the men of Israel,

worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we

encouraged themselves and arrayed for

may put them to death and remove this

battle again in the place where they had

wickedness from Israel." But the sons of

arrayed themselves the first day.

Benjamin would not listen to the voice of

their brothers, the sons of Israel.

23The sons of Israel went up and wept

before the LORD until evening, and

14The sons of Benjamin gathered from

inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we

the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle again draw near for battle against the against the sons of Israel.

sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

15From the cities on that day the sons of

Benjamin were numbered, 26,000 men

24Then the sons of Israel came against

who draw the sword, besides the

the sons of Benjamin the second day.

inhabitants

of

Gibeah

who

were

numbered, 700 choice men.

25Benjamin went out against them from

Gibeah the second day and felled to the

16Out of all these people 700 choice

ground again 18,000 men of the sons of

men were left-handed; each one could

Israel; all these drew the sword.

sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

26Then all the sons of Israel and all the 17Then the men of Israel besides

people went up and came to Bethel and

Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men

wept; thus they remained there before

who draw the sword; all these were men

the LORD and fasted that day until

of war.

evening.

And

they

offered

burnt

offerings and peace offerings before the

18Now the sons of Israel arose, went up

LORD.

to Bethel, and inquired of God and said,

"Who shall go up first for us to battle 27The sons of Israel inquired of the against the sons of Benjamin?" Then the

LORD (for the ark of the covenant of

LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."

God was there in those days,

28and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, 35And the LORD struck Benjamin before Aaron's son, stood before it to minister Israel, so that the sons of Israel

in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that

go out to battle against the sons of my day, all who draw the sword.

brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?" And

the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I 36So the sons of Benjamin saw that they

will deliver them into your hand."

were defeated. When the men of Israel

gave ground to Benjamin because they

29So Israel set men in ambush around

relied on the men in ambush whom they

Gibeah.

had set against Gibeah,

30The sons of Israel went up against the

37the men in ambush hurried and rushed

sons of Benjamin on the third day and

against Gibeah; the men in ambush also

arrayed themselves against Gibeah as

deployed and struck all the city with the

at other times.

edge of the sword.

31The sons of Benjamin went out against

38Now the appointed sign between the

the people and were drawn away from

men of Israel and the men in ambush

the city, and they began to strike and kill

was that they would make a great cloud

some of the people as at other times, on

of smoke rise from the city.

the highways, one of which goes up to

Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in

39Then the men of Israel turned in the

the field, about thirty men of Israel.

battle, and Benjamin began to strike and

kill about thirty men of Israel, for they 32The sons of Benjamin said, "They are

said, "Surely they are defeated before struck down before us, as at the first."

us, as in the first battle."

But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee that we may draw them away from the 40But when the cloud began to rise from

city to the highways."

the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin

looked behind them; and behold, the

33Then all the men of Israel arose from whole city was going up in smoke to

their place and arrayed themselves at

heaven.

Baal-tamar; and the men of Israel in

ambush broke out of their place, even

41Then the men of Israel turned, and the

out of Maareh-geba.

men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that disaster was close to them.

34When ten thousand choice men from

all Israel came against Gibeah, the

42Therefore, they turned their backs

battle became fierce; but Benjamin did

before the men of Israel toward the

not know that disaster was close to

direction of the wilderness, but the battle

them.

overtook them while those who came

out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

43They surrounded Benjamin, pursued 4It came about the next day that the them without rest and trod them down

people arose early and built an altar

opposite Gibeah toward the east.

there and offered burnt offerings and

peace offerings.

44Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell; all

these were valiant warriors.

5Then the sons of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who 45The rest turned and fled toward the did not come up in the assembly to the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but

LORD?" For they had taken a great oath

they caught 5,000 of them on the

concerning him who did not come up to

highways and overtook them at Gidom

the LORD at Mizpah, saying, "He shall and killed 2,000 of them.

surely be put to death."

46

6

So all of Benjamin who fell that day

And the sons of Israel were sorry for

were 25,000 men who draw the sword;

their brother Benjamin and said, "One all these were valiant warriors.

tribe is cut off from Israel today.

47

7

But 600 men turned and fled toward

"What shall we do for wives for those the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,

who are left, since we have sworn by

and they remained at the rock of

the LORD not to give them any of our

Rimmon four months.

daughters in marriage?"

48

8

The men of Israel then turned back

And they said, "What one is there of the

against the sons of Benjamin and struck

tribes of Israel who did not come up to them with the edge of the sword, both

the LORD at Mizpah?" And behold, no the entire city with the cattle and all that

one had come to the camp from Jabesh—

they found; they also set on fire all the gilead to the assembly.

cities which they found.

9For when the people were numbered,

behold, not one of the inhabitants of

21Now the men of Israel had sworn Jabesh-gilead was there.

in Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give 10And the congregation sent 12,000 of

his daughter to Benjamin in marriage."

the

valiant

warriors

there,

and

2

commanded them, saying, "Go and

So the people came to Bethel and sat

strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead

there before God until evening, and

with the edge of the sword, with the

lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

women and the little ones.

3They said, "Why, O LORD, God of

11"This is the thing that you shall do: you Israel, has this come about in Israel, so shall utterly destroy every man and that one tribe should be missing today in

every woman who has lain with a man."

Israel?"

12And they found among the inhabitants the east side of the highway that goes of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who

up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the

had not known a man by lying with him;

south side of Lebonah."

and they brought them to the camp at

Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

20And they commanded the sons of

Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in 13Then the whole congregation sent

the vineyards,

word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin

who were at the rock of Rimmon, and

21and watch; and behold, if the

proclaimed peace to them.

daughters of Shiloh come out to take

part in the dances, then you shall come

14Benjamin returned at that time, and

out of the vineyards and each of you

they gave them the women whom they

shall catch his wife from the daughters

had kept alive from the women of

of Shiloh, and go to the land of

Jabesh-gilead;

yet they were not

Benjamin.

enough for them.

22"It shall come about, when their fathers 15And the people were sorry for

or their brothers come to complain to us,

Benjamin because the LORD had made

that we shall say to them, 'Give them to

a breach in the tribes of Israel.

us voluntarily, because we did not take

for each man of Benjamin a wife in

16Then the elders of the congregation

battle, nor did you give them to them,

said, "What shall we do for wives for else you would now be guilty.'"

those who are left, since the women are

destroyed out of Benjamin?"

23The sons of Benjamin did so, and took

wives according to their number from

17They said, "There must be an

those who danced, whom they carried

inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin,

away. And they went and returned to

so that a tribe will not be blotted out their inheritance and rebuilt the cities

from Israel.

and lived in them.

18

24

"But we cannot give them wives of our

The sons of Israel departed from there

daughters." For the sons of Israel had at that time, every man to his tribe and sworn, saying, "Cursed is he who gives family, and each one of them went out a wife to Benjamin."

from there to his inheritance.

19

25

So they said, "Behold, there is a feast In those days there was no king in

of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh,

Israel; everyone did what was right in

which is on the north side of Bethel, on his own eyes.

Ruth

8And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her 1Now it came about in the days when mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the judges governed, that there was a

the dead and with me.

famine in the land. And a certain man of

Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in

9

the land of Moab with his wife and his

"May the LORD grant that you may find

two sons.

rest, each in the house of her husband."

Then she kissed them, and they lifted up

2

their voices and wept.

The name of the man was Elimelech,

and the name of his wife, Naomi; and

10

the names of his two sons were Mahlon

And they said to her, "No, but we will and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in

surely return with you to your people."

Judah. Now they entered the land of

11

Moab and remained there.

But

Naomi

said,

"Return,

my

daughters. Why should you go with me?

3Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died;

Have I yet sons in my womb, that they

and she was left with her two sons.

may be your husbands?

12

4They took for themselves Moabite

"Return, my daughters! Go, for I am women as wives; the name of the one

too old to have a husband. If I said I was Orpah and the name of the other

have hope, if I should even have a

Ruth. And they lived there about ten

husband tonight and also bear sons,

years.

13would you therefore wait until they

5Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died,

were grown? Would you therefore

and the woman was bereft of her two

refrain

from

marrying?

No,

my

daughters; for it is harder for me than for

children and her husband.

you, for the hand of the LORD has gone

6

forth against me."

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land 14

of Moab, for she had heard in the land And they lifted up their voices and

wept again; and Orpah kissed her

of Moab that the LORD had visited His

mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

people in giving them food.

15

7So she departed from the place where

Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in—

she was, and her two daughters-in-law

law has gone back to her people and

her gods; return after your sister-in-law."

with her; and they went on the way to

return to the land of Judah.

16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to 2And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, leave you or turn back from following

"Please let me go to the field and glean you; for where you go, I will go, and

among the ears of grain after one in

where you lodge, I will lodge. Your

whose sight I may find favor." And she people shall be my people, and your

said to her, "Go, my daughter."

God, my God.

3So she departed and went and gleaned

17"Where you die, I will die, and there I in the field after the reapers; and she will be buried. Thus may the LORD do happened to come to the portion of the

to me, and worse, if anything but death field belonging to Boaz, who was of the parts you and me."

family of Elimelech.

18When she saw that she was

4Now behold, Boaz came from

determined to go with her, she said no

Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "

more to her.

May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you."

19So they both went until they came to

Bethlehem. And when they had come to

5Then Boaz said to his servant who was

Bethlehem, all the city was stirred

in charge of the reapers, "Whose young

because of them, and the women said,

woman is this?"

"Is this Naomi?"

6The servant in charge of the reapers

20She said to them, "Do not call me replied, "She is the young Moabite

Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty

woman who returned with Naomi from

has dealt very bitterly with me.

the land of Moab.

21"I went out full, but the LORD has 7"And she said, 'Please let me glean and brought me back empty. Why do you

gather after the reapers among the

call me Naomi, since the LORD has

sheaves.' Thus she came and has

witnessed against me and the Almighty

remained from the morning until now;

has afflicted me?"

she has been sitting in the house for a little while."

22So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth

the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who

8Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen

returned from the land of Moab. And

carefully, my daughter. Do not go to

they came to Bethlehem at the

glean in another field; furthermore, do

beginning of barley harvest.

not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.

2

9

Now Naomi had a kinsman of her

"Let your eyes be on the field which husband, a man of great wealth, of the they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I family of Elimelech, whose name was

have commanded the servants not to

Boaz.

touch you. When you are thirsty, go to

the water jars and drink from what the leave it that she may glean, and do not servants draw."

rebuke her."

10Then she fell on her face, bowing to

17So she gleaned in the field until

the ground and said to him, "Why have I

evening. Then she beat out what she

found favor in your sight that you should

had gleaned, and it was about an ephah

take notice of me, since I am a

of barley.

foreigner?"

18She took it up and went into the city, 11Boaz replied to her, "All that you have and her mother-in-law saw what she done for your mother-in-law after the

had gleaned. She also took it out and

death of your husband has been fully

gave Naomi what she had left after she

reported to me, and how you left your

was satisfied.

father and your mother and the land of

your birth, and came to a people that

19Her mother-in-law then said to her,

you did not previously know.

"Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice

12" May the LORD reward your work,

of you be blessed." So she told her and your wages be full from the LORD,

mother-in-law with whom she had

the God of Israel, under whose wings

worked and said, "The name of the man

you have come to seek refuge."

with whom I worked today is Boaz."

13Then she said, "I have found favor in 20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "

your sight, my lord, for you have

May he be blessed of the LORD who

comforted me and indeed have spoken

has not withdrawn his kindness to the

kindly to your maidservant, though I am

living and to the dead." Again Naomi not like one of your maidservants."

said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives."

14At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and

21Then Ruth the Moabitess said,

dip your piece of bread in the vinegar."

"Furthermore, he said to me, 'You

So she sat beside the reapers; and he

should stay close to my servants until

served her roasted grain, and she ate

they have finished all my harvest.'"

and was satisfied and had some left.

22Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in—

15When she rose to glean, Boaz

law, "It is good, my daughter, that you commanded his servants, saying, "Let go out with his maids, so that others do

her glean even among the sheaves, and

not fall upon you in another field."

do not insult her.

23So she stayed close by the maids of

16"Also you shall purposely pull out for Boaz in order to glean until the end of her some grain from the bundles and the barley harvest and the wheat

harvest. And she lived with her mother-9He said, "Who are you?" And she in-law.

answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So

spread your covering over your maid, for

you are a close relative."

3Then Naomi her mother-in-law said 10

to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek Then he said, " May you be blessed of

security for you, that it may be well with

the LORD, my daughter. You have

you?

shown your last kindness to be better

than the first by not going after young 2

men, whether poor or rich.

"Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with

whose maids you were? Behold, he

11

winnows barley at the threshing floor

"Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will tonight.

do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a 3

woman of excellence.

"Wash yourself therefore, and anoint

yourself and put on your best clothes,

12

and go down to the threshing floor; but

"Now it is true I am a close relative; do not make yourself known to the man

however, there is a relative closer than I.

until he has finished eating and drinking.

13"Remain this night, and when morning

4"It shall be when he lies down, that you comes, if he will redeem you, good; let shall notice the place where he lies, and him redeem you. But if he does not wish

you shall go and uncover his feet and lie

to redeem you, then I will redeem you,

as the LORD lives. Lie down until

down; then he will tell you what you

morning."

shall do."

14

5She said to her, " All that you say I will So she lay at his feet until morning and

rose before one could recognize another;

do."

and he said, " Let it not be known that 6

the woman came to the threshing floor."

So she went down to the threshing floor

and did according to all that her mother—

15

in-law had commanded her.

Again he said, "Give me the cloak that

is on you and hold it." So she held it, 7

and he measured six measures of

When Boaz had eaten and drunk and

barley and laid it on her. Then she went

his heart was merry, he went to lie down

into the city.

at the end of the heap of grain; and she

came secretly, and uncovered his feet

16When she came to her mother-in-law,

and lay down.

she said, "How did it go, my daughter?"

8

And she told her all that the man had

It happened in the middle of the night

done for her.

that the man was startled and bent

forward; and behold, a woman was lying

at his feet.

17She said, "These six measures of 6The closest relative said, "I cannot barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do redeem it for myself, because I would not go to your mother-in-law empty—

jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem

handed.'"

it for yourself; you may have my right of

redemption, for I cannot redeem it."

18Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out;

7Now this was the custom in former

for the man will not rest until he has times

in

Israel

concerning

the

settled it today."

redemption and the exchange of land to

confirm any matter: a man removed his

sandal and gave it to another; and this 4Now Boaz went up to the gate and was the manner of attestation in Israel.

sat down there, and behold, the close

8So the closest relative said to Boaz,

relative of whom Boaz spoke was

"Buy it for yourself." And he removed his passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned sandal.

aside and sat down.

9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the

2

people, "You are witnesses today that I He took ten men of the elders of the have bought from the hand of Naomi all

city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.

that belonged to Elimelech and all that

belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.

3Then he said to the closest relative,

10"Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the

"Naomi, who has come back from the

Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be

land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother

my wife in order to raise up the name of

Elimelech.

the deceased on his inheritance, so that

the name of the deceased will not be cut

off from his brothers or from the court of

4"So I thought to inform you, saying, '

his birth place; you are witnesses

Buy it before those who are sitting here,

today."

and before the elders of my people. If

you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, 11

tell me that I may know; for there is no All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses.

one but you to redeem it, and I am after

May the LORD make the woman who is

you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."

coming into your home like Rachel and

5

Leah, both of whom built the house of

Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy Israel; and may you achieve wealth in

the field from the hand of Naomi, you

Ephrathah and become famous in

must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess,

Bethlehem.

the widow of the deceased, in order to

raise up the name of the deceased on

12

his inheritance."

"Moreover, may your house be like the

house of Perez whom Tamar bore to

Judah, through the offspring which the

LORD will give you by this young 17The neighbor women gave him a

woman."

name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is

13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became

the father of Jesse, the father of David.

his wife, and he went in to her. And the

LORD enabled her to conceive, and she

18Now these are the generations of

gave birth to a son.

Perez: to Perez was born Hezron,

14Then the women said to Naomi,

19and to Hezron was born Ram, and to

"Blessed is the LORD who has not left Ram, Amminadab,

you without a redeemer today, and may

his name become famous in Israel.

20and to Amminadab was born Nahshon,

and to Nahshon, Salmon,

15"May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for 21and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to your daughter-in-law, who loves you and

Boaz, Obed,

is better to you than seven sons, has

given birth to him."

22and to Obed was born Jesse, and to

Jesse, David.

16Then Naomi took the child and laid

him in her lap, and became his nurse.

1st Samuel

8Then Elkanah her husband said to her,

"Hannah, why do you weep and why do

1Now there was a certain man from you not eat and why is your heart sad?

Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country

of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah

9

the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the

Then Hannah rose after eating and

son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an

drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest

Ephraimite.

was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

2He had two wives: the name of one

10

was Hannah and the name of the other

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the

Peninnah; and Peninnah had children,

LORD and wept bitterly.

but Hannah had no children.

11She made a vow and said, "O LORD

3Now this man would go up from his city

of hosts, if You will indeed look on the yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the affliction of Your maidservant and LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two

remember me, and not forget Your

sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were

maidservant,

but

will

give

Your

maidservant a son, then I will give him priests to the LORD there.

to the LORD all the days of his life, and

4

a razor shall never come on his head."

When the day came that Elkanah

sacrificed, he would give portions to

12

Peninnah his wife and to all her sons

Now it came about, as she continued

praying before the LORD, that Eli was

and her daughters;

watching her mouth.

5but to Hannah he would give a double

13

portion, for he loved Hannah, but the

As for Hannah, she was speaking in

her heart, only her lips were moving, but

LORD had closed her womb.

her voice was not heard. So Eli thought

6

she was drunk.

Her rival, however, would provoke her

bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD

14

had closed her womb.

Then Eli said to her, " How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away

7

your wine from you."

It happened year after year, as often as

she went up to the house of the LORD,

15

she would provoke her; so she wept and

But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am

would not eat.

a woman oppressed in spirit; I have

drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I

have poured out my soul before the

LORD.

16"Do not consider your maidservant as 24Now when she had weaned him, she a worthless woman, for I have spoken

took him up with her, with a three-year-until now out of my great concern and

old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug

provocation."

of wine, and brought him to the house of

the LORD in Shiloh, although the child

17Then Eli answered and said, " Go in was young.

peace; and may the God of Israel grant

your petition that you have asked of

25Then they slaughtered the bull, and

Him."

brought the boy to Eli.

18She said, " Let your maidservant find 26She said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul favor in your sight." So the woman went lives, my lord, I am the woman who

her way and ate, and her face was no

stood here beside you, praying to the

longer sad.

LORD.

19Then they arose early in the morning

27" For this boy I prayed, and the LORD

and worshiped before the LORD, and

has given me my petition which I asked

returned again to their house in Ramah.

of Him.

And Elkanah had relations with Hannah

his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 28" So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is 20It came about in due time, after

dedicated to the LORD." And he

Hannah had conceived, that she gave

worshiped the LORD there.

birth to a son; and she named him

Samuel, saying, " Because I have asked

him of the LORD."

2Then Hannah prayed and said, "My

21

heart exults in the LORD; My horn is

Then the man Elkanah went up with all

exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks

his household to offer to the LORD the

boldly against my enemies, Because I

yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.

rejoice in Your salvation.

22But Hannah did not go up, for she said

2" There is no one holy like the LORD, to her husband, "I will not go up until the Indeed, there is no one besides You, child is weaned; then I will bring him, Nor is there any rock like our God.

that he may appear before the LORD

and stay there forever."

3"Boast no more so very proudly, Do not

23

let arrogance come out of your mouth;

Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do For the LORD is a God of knowledge,

what seems best to you. Remain until

And with Him actions are weighed.

you have weaned him; only may the

LORD confirm His word." So the woman

4

remained and nursed her son until she

" The bows of the mighty are shattered,

weaned him.

But the feeble gird on strength.

5"Those who were full hire themselves 14Then he would thrust it into the pan, or out for bread, But those who were

kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork

hungry cease to hunger. Even the

brought up the priest would take for

barren gives birth to seven, But she who

himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the

has many children languishes.

Israelites who came there.

6" The LORD kills and makes alive; He 15Also, before they burned the fat, the brings down to Sheol and raises up.

priest's servant would come and say to

the man who was sacrificing, "Give the 7" The LORD makes poor and rich; He priest meat for roasting, as he will not brings low, He also exalts.

take boiled meat from you, only raw."

8

16

" He raises the poor from the dust, He If the man said to him, "They must lifts the needy from the ash heap To surely burn the fat first, and then take as

make them sit with nobles, And inherit a

much as you desire," then he would say,

seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth

"No, but you shall give it to me now; and are the LORD'S, And He set the world

if not, I will take it by force."

on them.

17Thus the sin of the young men was

9" He keeps the feet of His godly ones, very great before the LORD, for the men

But the wicked ones are silenced in

despised the offering of the LORD.

darkness; For not by might shall a man

prevail.

18Now Samuel was ministering before

the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen

10" Those who contend with the LORD

ephod.

will be shattered; Against them He will

thunder in the heavens, The LORD will

19And his mother would make him a little

judge the ends of the earth; And He will

robe and bring it to him from year to

give strength to His king, And will exalt year when she would come up with her

the horn of His anointed."

husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

11Then Elkanah went to his home at

20Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his

Ramah. But the boy ministered to the

wife and say, "May the LORD give you LORD before Eli the priest.

children from this woman in place of the

one she dedicated to the LORD." And 12Now the sons of Eli were worthless

they went to their own home.

men; they did not know the LORD

21The LORD visited Hannah; and she

13and the custom of the priests with the

conceived and gave birth to three sons

people. When any man was offering a

and two daughters. And the boy Samuel

sacrifice, the priest's servant would

grew before the LORD.

come while the meat was boiling, with a

three-pronged fork in his hand.

22Now Eli was very old; and he heard all choicest of every offering of My people that his sons were doing to all Israel, Israel?'

and how they lay with the women who

served at the doorway of the tent of

30"Therefore the LORD God of Israel

meeting.

declares, ' I did indeed say that your

house and the house of your father

23He said to them, "Why do you do such

should walk before Me forever'; but now

things, the evil things that I hear from all

the LORD declares, 'Far be it from Me--

these people?

for those who honor Me I will honor, and

those who despise Me will be lightly

24"No, my sons; for the report is not esteemed.

good which I hear the LORD'S people

circulating.

31'Behold, the days are coming when I

will break your strength and the strength

25"If one man sins against another, God

of your father's house so that there will will mediate for him; but if a man sins not be an old man in your house.

against the LORD, who can intercede

for him?" But they would not listen to the 32'You will see the distress of My

voice of their father, for the LORD

dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do

desired to put them to death.

for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever.

26Now the boy Samuel was growing in

stature and in favor both with the LORD

33'Yet I will not cut off every man of and with men.

yours from My altar so that your eyes

will fail from weeping and your soul

27Then a man of God came to Eli and

grieve, and all the increase of your

said to him, "Thus says the LORD, ' Did

house will die in the prime of life.

I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt

34'This will be the sign to you which will

in bondage to Pharaoh's house?

come concerning your two sons, Hophni

and Phinehas: on the same day both of

28' Did I not choose them from all the them will die.

tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up

to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an

35'But I will raise up for Myself a faithful

ephod before Me; and did I not give to priest who will do according to what is in

the house of your father all the fire

My heart and in My soul; and I will build

offerings of the sons of Israel?

him an enduring house, and he will walk

before My anointed always.

29'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at

My offering which I have commanded in

36'Everyone who is left in your house will

My dwelling, and honor your sons above

come and bow down to him for a piece

Me, by making yourselves fat with the

of silver or a loaf of bread and say,

"Please assign me to one of the priest's

offices so that I may eat a piece of 9And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, bread."'"

and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your

servant is listening.'" So Samuel went 3Now the boy Samuel was ministering and lay down in his place.

to the LORD before Eli. And word from

10

the LORD was rare in those days,

Then the LORD came and stood and

visions were infrequent.

called as at other times, "Samuel!

Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for 2

Your servant is listening."

It happened at that time as Eli was lying

down in his place (now his eyesight had

11

begun to grow dim and he could not see

The LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I well),

am about to do a thing in Israel at which

both ears of everyone who hears it will 3

tingle.

and the lamp of God had not yet gone

out, and Samuel was lying down in the

12

temple of the LORD where the ark of

"In that day I will carry out against Eli God was,

all that I have spoken concerning his

house, from beginning to end.

4that the LORD called Samuel; and he

13

said, " Here I am."

"For I have told him that I am about to

judge his house forever for the iniquity 5

which he knew, because his sons

Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am,

brought a curse on themselves and he

for you called me." But he said, "I did not did not rebuke them.

call, lie down again." So he went and lay down.

14"Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall 6The LORD called yet again, "Samuel!"

not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering

So Samuel arose and went to Eli and

forever."

said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he answered, "I did not call, my son, lie 15

down again."

So Samuel lay down until morning.

Then he opened the doors of the house

7

of the LORD. But Samuel was afraid to

Now Samuel did not yet know the

tell the vision to Eli.

LORD, nor had the word of the LORD

yet been revealed to him.

16Then Eli called Samuel and said,

"Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I 8So the LORD called Samuel again for am."

the third time. And he arose and went to

Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called 17

me." Then Eli discerned that the LORD

He said, "What is the word that He was calling the boy.

spoke to you? Please do not hide it from

me. May God do so to you, and more

also, if you hide anything from me of all 4So the people sent to Shiloh, and from the words that He spoke to you."

there they carried the ark of the

covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits

18So Samuel told him everything and hid

above the cherubim; and the two sons

nothing from him. And he said, " It is the of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there

LORD; let Him do what seems good to

with the ark of the covenant of God.

Him."

5As the ark of the covenant of the LORD

19Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was

came into the camp, all Israel shouted

with him and let none of his words fail.

with a great shout, so that the earth

resounded.

20All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba

6

knew that Samuel was confirmed as a

When the Philistines heard the noise of

prophet of the LORD.

the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of 21

the

Hebrews

mean?"

Then

they

And the LORD appeared again at

understood that the ark of the LORD

Shiloh, because the LORD revealed

had come into the camp.

Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word

of the LORD.

7The Philistines were afraid, for they

said, "God has come into the camp."

4

And they said, " Woe to us! For nothing

Thus the word of Samuel came to all

like this has happened before.

Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside

8"Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from Ebenezer while the Philistines camped

the hand of these mighty gods? These

in Aphek.

are the gods who smote the Egyptians

with all kinds of plagues in the

2The Philistines drew up in battle array wilderness.

to meet Israel. When the battle spread,

Israel

was

defeated

before

the

9" Take courage and be men, O

Philistines

who

killed

about

four

Philistines, or you will become slaves to

thousand men on the battlefield.

the Hebrews, as they have been slaves

to you; therefore, be men and fight."

3When the people came into the camp,

the elders of Israel said, " Why has the 10So the Philistines fought and Israel LORD defeated us today before the

was defeated, and every man fled to his

Philistines? Let us take to ourselves

tent; and the slaughter was very great,

from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of

for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot

the LORD, that it may come among us

soldiers.

and deliver us from the power of our

enemies."

11And the ark of God was taken; and the 19Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,

wife, was pregnant and about to give

died.

birth; and when she heard the news that

the ark of God was taken and that her

12Now a man of Benjamin ran from the

father-in-law and her husband had died,

battle line and came to Shiloh the same

she kneeled down and gave birth, for

day with his clothes torn and dust on his

her pains came upon her.

head.

20And about the time of her death the

13When he came, behold, Eli was sitting

women who stood by her said to her, "

on his seat by the road eagerly watching,

Do not be afraid, for you have given

because his heart was trembling for the

birth to a son." But she did not answer ark of God. So the man came to tell it in or pay attention.

the city, and all the city cried out.

21And she called the boy Ichabod,

14When Eli heard the noise of the outcry,

saying, " The glory has departed from he said, "What does the noise of this Israel," because the ark of God was commotion mean?" Then the man came taken and because of her father-in-law

hurriedly and told Eli.

and her husband.

15

22

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old,

She said, "The glory has departed

and his eyes were set so that he could from Israel, for the ark of God was

not see.

taken."

16The man said to Eli, "I am the one who

came from the battle line. Indeed, I

5Now the Philistines took the ark of escaped from the battle line today." And God and brought it from Ebenezer to

he said, " How did things go, my son?"

Ashdod.

17Then the one who brought the news

2Then the Philistines took the ark of God

replied, "Israel has fled before the and brought it to the house of Dagon

Philistines and there has also been a

and set it by Dagon.

great slaughter among the people, and

your two sons also, Hophni and

3When the Ashdodites arose early the

Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God

next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen

has been taken."

on his face to the ground before the ark

of the LORD. So they took Dagon and

18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli

set him in his place again.

fell off the seat backward beside the

gate, and his neck was broken and he

4But when they arose early the next

died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he

morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on

judged Israel forty years.

his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and

both the palms of his hands were cut off and let it return to its own place, so that on the threshold; only the trunk of

it will not kill us and our people." For Dagon was left to him.

there

was

a

deadly

confusion

throughout the city; the hand of God

5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon

was very heavy there.

nor all who enter Dagon's house tread

on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to

12And the men who did not die were

this day.

smitten with tumors and the cry of the

city went up to heaven.

6Now the hand of the LORD was heavy

on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged

them and smote them with tumors, both

6Now the ark of the LORD had been

Ashdod and its territories.

in the country of the Philistines seven

months.

7When the men of Ashdod saw that it

was so, they said, "The ark of the God 2And the Philistines called for the priests of Israel must not remain with us, for His

and the diviners, saying, "What shall we

hand is severe on us and on Dagon our

do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us

god."

how we shall send it to its place."

8So they sent and gathered all the lords

3They said, "If you send away the ark of

of the Philistines to them and said,

the God of Israel, do not send it empty;

"What shall we do with the ark of the but you shall surely return to Him a guilt

God of Israel?" And they said, "Let the offering. Then you will be healed and it ark of the God of Israel be brought will be known to you why His hand is not

around to Gath." And they brought the removed from you."

ark of the God of Israel around.

4

9

Then they said, "What shall be the guilt

After they had brought it around, the

offering which we shall return to Him?"

hand of the LORD was against the city

And they said, "Five golden tumors and with very great confusion; and He smote

five golden mice according to the

the men of the city, both young and old,

number of the lords of the Philistines, for

so that tumors broke out on them.

one plague was on all of you and on

your lords.

10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

And as the ark of God came to Ekron

5"So you shall make likenesses of your the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They tumors and likenesses of your mice that have brought the ark of the God of Israel

ravage the land, and you shall give glory

around to us, to kill us and our people."

to the God of Israel; perhaps He will

ease His hand from you, your gods, and

11They sent therefore and gathered all

your land.

the lords of the Philistines and said,

"Send away the ark of the God of Israel,

6"Why then do you harden your hearts and they raised their eyes and saw the as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened

ark and were glad to see it.

their hearts? When He had severely

dealt with them, did they not allow the 14The cart came into the field of Joshua

people to go, and they departed?

the Beth-shemite and stood there where

there was a large stone; and they split 7"Now therefore, take and prepare a

the wood of the cart and offered the

new cart and two milch cows on which

cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

there has never been a yoke; and hitch

the cows to the cart and take their

15The Levites took down the ark of the

calves home, away from them.

LORD and the box that was with it, in

which were the articles of gold, and put 8"Take the ark of the LORD and place it

them on the large stone; and the men of

on the cart; and put the articles of gold Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings

which you return to Him as a guilt

and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the offering in a box by its side. Then send it

LORD.

away that it may go.

16When the five lords of the Philistines 9"Watch, if it goes up by the way of its saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.

own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He

has done us this great evil. But if not, 17These are the golden tumors which

then we will know that it was not His

the Philistines returned for a guilt

hand that struck us; it happened to us

offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod,

by chance."

one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for

Gath, one for Ekron;

10Then the men did so, and took two

milch cows and hitched them to the cart,

18and the golden mice, according to the

and shut up their calves at home.

number of all the cities of the Philistines

belonging to the five lords, both of

11They put the ark of the LORD on the

fortified cities and of country villages.

cart, and the box with the golden mice

The large stone on which they set the

and the likenesses of their tumors.

ark of the LORD is a witness to this day

in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

12And the cows took the straight way in

the direction of Beth-shemesh; they

19He struck down some of the men of

went along the highway, lowing as they

Beth-shemesh because they had looked

went, and did not turn aside to the right

into the ark of the LORD. He struck

or to the left. And the lords of the

down of all the people, 50,070 men, and

Philistines followed them to the border

the people mourned because the LORD

of Beth-shemesh.

had struck the people with a great

slaughter.

13Now the people of Beth-shemesh were

reaping their wheat harvest in the valley,

20The men of Beth-shemesh said, " Who there, " We have sinned against the is able to stand before the LORD, this LORD." And Samuel judged the sons of

holy God? And to whom shall He go up

Israel at Mizpah.

from us?"

7Now when the Philistines heard that the

21So they sent messengers to the

sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah,

inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying,

the lords of the Philistines went up

"The Philistines have brought back the against Israel. And when the sons of

ark of the LORD; come down and take it

Israel heard it, they were afraid of the up to you."

Philistines.

8

7

Then the sons of Israel said to Samuel,

And the men of Kiriath-jearim came

" Do not cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from and took the ark of the LORD and

the hand of the Philistines."

brought it into the house of Abinadab on

the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son

9

to keep the ark of the LORD.

Samuel took a suckling lamb and

offered it for a whole burnt offering to 2

the LORD; and Samuel cried to the

From the day that the ark remained at

LORD for Israel and the LORD

Kiriath-jearim, the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of

answered him.

Israel lamented after the LORD.

10Now Samuel was offering up the burnt

3

offering, and the Philistines drew near to

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of

battle against Israel. But the LORD

Israel, saying, " If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the

thundered with a great thunder on that

foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from

day against the Philistines and confused

among you and direct your hearts to the

them, so that they were routed before

Israel.

LORD and serve Him alone; and He will

deliver you from the hand of the

11

Philistines."

The men of Israel went out of Mizpah

and pursued the Philistines, and struck

4So the sons of Israel removed the

them down as far as below Beth-car.

Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the

12

LORD alone.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it

between Mizpah and Shen, and named

5Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to

it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD

Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for has helped us."

you."

13So the Philistines were subdued and

6They gathered to Mizpah, and drew

they did not come anymore within the

water and poured it out before the

border of Israel. And the hand of the

LORD, and fasted on that day and said

LORD was against the Philistines all the 6But the thing was displeasing in the days of Samuel.

sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel 14The cities which the Philistines had prayed to the LORD.

taken from Israel were restored to Israel,

from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel

7The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to delivered their territory from the hand of

the voice of the people in regard to all the Philistines. So there was peace

that they say to you, for they have not between Israel and the Amorites.

rejected you, but they have rejected Me

from being king over them.

15Now Samuel judged Israel all the days

of his life.

8"Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them

16He used to go annually on circuit to

up from Egypt even to this day--in that Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he

they have forsaken Me and served other

judged Israel in all these places.

gods--so they are doing to you also.

17

9

Then his return was to Ramah, for his

"Now then, listen to their voice;

house was there, and there he judged

however, you shall solemnly warn them

Israel; and he built there an altar to the and tell them of the procedure of the LORD.

king who will reign over them."

10So Samuel spoke all the words of the

8And it came about when Samuel was LORD to the people who had asked of him a king.

old that he appointed his sons judges

over Israel.

11He said, " This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, take your sons and place them for

and the name of his second, Abijah;

himself in his chariots and among his

they were judging in Beersheba.

horsemen and they will run before his

chariots.

3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest

12" He will appoint for himself

gain and took bribes and perverted

commanders of thousands and of fifties,

justice.

and some to do his plowing and to reap

his harvest and to make his weapons of

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered

war and equipment for his chariots.

together and came to Samuel at Ramah;

13"He will also take your daughters for 5and they said to him, "Behold, you have perfumers and cooks and bakers.

grown old, and your sons do not walk in

your ways. Now appoint a king for us to

judge us like all the nations."

14" He will take the best of your fields the son of Aphiah, the son of a and your vineyards and your olive

Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

groves and give them to his servants.

2He had a son whose name was Saul, a

15"He will take a tenth of your seed and

choice and handsome man, and there

of your vineyards and give to his officers

was not a more handsome person than

and to his servants.

he among the sons of Israel; from his

shoulders and up he was taller than any

16"He will also take your male servants of the people.

and your female servants and your best

young men and your donkeys and use

3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father,

them for his work.

were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul,

"Take now with you one of the servants,

17"He will take a tenth of your flocks, and and arise, go search for the donkeys."

you yourselves will become his servants. 4He passed through the hill country of 18"Then you will cry out in that day Ephraim and passed through the land of because of your king whom you have

Shalishah, but they did not find them.

chosen for yourselves, but the LORD

Then they passed through the land of

will not answer you in that day."

Shaalim, but they were not there. Then

he passed through the land of the

19

Benjamites, but they did not find them.

Nevertheless, the people refused to

listen to the voice of Samuel, and they 5

said, "No, but there shall be a king over When they came to the land of Zuph,

us,

Saul said to his servant who was with

him, "Come, and let us return, or else 20

my father will cease to be concerned

that we also may be like all the nations,

about the donkeys and will become

that our king may judge us and go out

anxious for us."

before us and fight our battles."

6

21

He said to him, "Behold now, there is a

Now after Samuel had heard all the

man of God in this city, and the man is words of the people, he repeated them

held in honor; all that he says surely

in the LORD'S hearing.

comes true. Now let us go there,

perhaps he can tell us about our journey

22The LORD said to Samuel, " Listen to

on which we have set out."

their voice and appoint them a king." So

Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go 7Then Saul said to his servant, "But every man to his city."

behold, if we go, what shall we bring the

man? For the bread is gone from our

9

sack and there is no present to bring to

Now there was a man of Benjamin

the man of God. What do we have?"

whose name was Kish the son of Abiel,

the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath,

8The servant answered Saul again and 16"About this time tomorrow I will send said, "Behold, I have in my hand a fourth you a man from the land of Benjamin, of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the and you shall anoint him to be prince man of God and he will tell us our way."

over My people Israel; and he will

deliver My people from the hand of the

9(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to

Philistines. For I have regarded My

inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, people, because their cry has come to and let us go to the seer"; for he who is Me."

called a prophet now was formerly

called a seer.)

17When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD

said to him, " Behold, the man of whom I

10Then Saul said to his servant, "Well spoke to you! This one shall rule over said; come, let us go." So they went to My people."

the city where the man of God was.

18Then Saul approached Samuel in the

11As they went up the slope to the city, gate and said, "Please tell me where the

they found young women going out to

seer's house is."

draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?"

19Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am

the seer. Go up before me to the high

12They answered them and said, "He is;

place, for you shall eat with me today; see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for and in the morning I will let you go, and he has come into the city today, for the will tell you all that is on your mind.

people have a sacrifice on the high

place today.

20" As for your donkeys which were lost

three days ago, do not set your mind on

13"As soon as you enter the city you will them, for they have been found. And for

find him before he goes up to the high whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is

place to eat, for the people will not eat it not for you and for all your father's until he comes, because he must bless household?"

the sacrifice; afterward those who are

invited will eat. Now therefore, go up for

21Saul replied, " Am I not a Benjamite, of you will find him at once."

the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of 14So they went up to the city. As they the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you came into the city, behold, Samuel was

speak to me in this way?"

coming out toward them to go up to the

high place.

22Then Samuel took Saul and his

servant and brought them into the hall

15Now a day before Saul's coming, the

and gave them a place at the head of

LORD had revealed this to Samuel

those who were invited, who were about

saying,

thirty men.

23Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, portion that I gave you, concerning

"What shall I do about my son?"'

which I said to you, 'Set it aside.'"

3"Then you will go on further from there, 24Then the cook took up the leg with

and you will come as far as the oak of what was on it and set it before Saul.

Tabor, and there three men going up to

And Samuel said, "Here is what has

God at Bethel will meet you, one

been reserved! Set it before you and eat,

carrying three young goats, another

because it has been kept for you until

carrying three loaves of bread, and

the appointed time, since I said I have another carrying a jug of wine;

invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

4and they will greet you and give you

two loaves of bread, which you will

25When they came down from the high

accept from their hand.

place into the city, Samuel spoke with

Saul on the roof.

5"Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and 26And they arose early; and at daybreak

it shall be as soon as you have come

Samuel called to Saul on the roof,

there to the city, that you will meet a saying, "Get up, that I may send you group of prophets coming down from the away." So Saul arose, and both he and high place with harp, tambourine, flute, Samuel went out into the street.

and a lyre before them, and they will be

prophesying.

27As they were going down to the edge

of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Say to 6"Then the Spirit of the LORD will come

the servant that he might go ahead of us

upon you mightily, and you shall

and pass on, but you remain standing

prophesy with them and be changed

now, that I may proclaim the word of

into another man.

God to you."

7"It shall be when these signs come to 10

you, do for yourself what the occasion

Then Samuel took the flask of oil,

requires, for God is with you.

poured it on his head, kissed him and

8

said, "Has not the LORD anointed you a

"And you shall go down before me to ruler over His inheritance?

Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice

2"When you go from me today, then you

peace offerings. You shall wait seven

will find two men close to Rachel's tomb

days until I come to you and show you

what you should do."

in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah;

and they will say to you, ' The donkeys 9

which you went to look for have been

Then it happened when he turned his

found. Now behold, your father has

back to leave Samuel, God changed his

ceased to be concerned about the

heart; and all those signs came about

'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I

on that day.

delivered you from the hand of the

Egyptians and from the power of all the 10When they came to the hill there,

kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

behold, a group of prophets met him;

and the Spirit of God came upon him

19"But you have today rejected your God,

mightily, so that he prophesied among

who delivers you from all your calamities

them.

and your distresses; yet you have said,

'No, but set a king over us!' Now

11It came about, when all who knew him

therefore, present yourselves before the

previously saw that he prophesied now

LORD by your tribes and by your clans."

with the prophets, that the people said

to one another, "What has happened to 20Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of

the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the

Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin

prophets?"

was taken by lot.

12A man there said, "Now, who is their 21Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin

father?" Therefore it became a proverb: near by its families, and the Matrite

" Is Saul also among the prophets?"

family was taken. And Saul the son of

Kish was taken; but when they looked

13When he had finished prophesying, he

for him, he could not be found.

came to the high place.

22Therefore they inquired further of the

14Now Saul's uncle said to him and his

LORD, "Has the man come here yet?"

servant, "Where did you go?" And he So the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding said, " To look for the donkeys. When himself by the baggage."

we saw that they could not be found, we

went to Samuel."

23So they ran and took him from there,

and when he stood among the people,

15Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what he was taller than any of the people

Samuel said to you."

from his shoulders upward.

16

24

So Saul said to his uncle, " He told us

Samuel said to all the people, "Do you

plainly that the donkeys had been

see him whom the LORD has chosen?

found." But he did not tell him about the Surely there is no one like him among

matter of the kingdom which Samuel

all the people." So all the people

had mentioned.

shouted and said, " Long live the king!"

17

25

Thereafter Samuel called the people

Then Samuel told the people the

together to the LORD at Mizpah;

ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote

them in the book and placed it before

18

the LORD. And Samuel sent all the

and he said to the sons of Israel, "

people away, each one to his house.

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

26Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; 7He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in and the valiant men whose hearts God

pieces, and sent them throughout the

had touched went with him.

territory of Israel by the hand of

messengers, saying, " Whoever does

27But certain worthless men said, "How not come out after Saul and after

can this one deliver usNULL" And they Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen."

despised him and did not bring him any

Then the dread of the LORD fell on the present. But he kept silent.

people, and they came out as one man.

8He numbered them in Bezek; and the

11Now Nahash the Ammonite came sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000.

up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all

the men of Jabesh said to Nahash,

9They said to the messengers who had

"Make a covenant with us and we will come, "Thus you shall say to the men of

serve you."

Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time

2

the

sun

is

hot,

you

will

have

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them,

deliverance.'" So the messengers went

"I will make it with you on this condition, and told the men of Jabesh; and they

that I will gouge out the right eye of were glad.

every one of you, thus I will make it a reproach on all Israel."

10Then the men of Jabesh said, "

3

Tomorrow we will come out to you, and

The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Let you may do to us whatever seems good

us alone for seven days, that we may

to you."

send

messengers

throughout

the

territory of Israel. Then, if there is no 11

one to deliver us, we will come out to The next morning Saul put the people

you."

in three companies; and they came into

the midst of the camp at the morning

4

watch and struck down the Ammonites

Then the messengers came to Gibeah

until the heat of the day. Those who

of Saul and spoke these words in the

survived were scattered, so that no two

hearing of the people, and all the people

of them were left together.

lifted up their voices and wept.

12

5

Then the people said to Samuel, "

Now behold, Saul was coming from the

Who is he that said, 'Shall Saul reign

field behind the oxen, and he said,

over us?' Bring the men, that we may

"What is the matter with the people that

put them to death."

they weep?" So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

13But Saul said, " Not a man shall be put 6

to death this day, for today the LORD

Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul

has accomplished deliverance in Israel."

mightily when he heard these words,

and he became very angry.

14Then Samuel said to the people, 6Then Samuel said to the people, "It is "Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew

the LORD who appointed Moses and

the kingdom there."

Aaron and who brought your fathers up

from the land of Egypt.

15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the

7"So now, take your stand, that I may LORD in Gilgal. There they also offered

plead with you before the LORD

sacrifices of peace offerings before the

concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD; and there Saul and all the men

LORD which He did for you and your

of Israel rejoiced greatly.

fathers.

8

12

" When Jacob went into Egypt and your

Then Samuel said to all Israel,

fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who

"Behold, I have listened to your voice in brought your fathers out of Egypt and

all that you said to me and I have

appointed a king over you.

settled them in this place.

9

2"Now, here is the king walking before

"But they forgot the LORD their God, so

He sold them into the hand of Sisera,

you, but I am old and gray, and behold captain of the army of Hazor, and into

my sons are with you. And I have

walked before you from my youth even

the hand of the Philistines and into the to this day.

hand of the king of Moab, and they

fought against them.

3"Here I am; bear witness against me 10" They cried out to the LORD and said,

before the LORD and His anointed.

Whose ox have I taken, or whose

'We have sinned because we have

donkey have I taken, or whom have I

forsaken the LORD and have served the

defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or

Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver

us from the hands of our enemies, and

from whose hand have I taken a bribe to

we will serve You.'

blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you."

11"Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and

4They said, "You have not defrauded us

Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and

delivered you from the hands of your

or oppressed us or taken anything from

enemies all around, so that you lived in any man's hand."

security.

5He said to them, "The LORD is witness

12

against you, and His anointed is witness

"When you saw that Nahash the king

of the sons of Ammon came against you,

this day that you have found nothing in you said to me, ' No, but a king shall my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

reign over us,' although the LORD your

God was your king.

13"Now therefore, here is the king whom LORD, but serve the LORD with all your you have chosen, whom you have

heart.

asked for, and behold, the LORD has

set a king over you.

21"You must not turn aside, for then you

would go after futile things which can

14" If you will fear the LORD and serve not profit or deliver, because they are Him, and listen to His voice and not

futile.

rebel against the command of the LORD,

then both you and also the king who

22"For the LORD will not abandon His reigns over you will follow the LORD

people on account of His great name,

your God.

because the LORD has been pleased to

make you a people for Himself.

15" If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command

23"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me of the LORD, then the hand of the

that I should sin against the LORD by

LORD will be against you, as it was

ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct

against your fathers.

you in the good and right way.

16"Even now, take your stand and see 24" Only fear the LORD and serve Him in

this great thing which the LORD will do truth with all your heart; for consider

before your eyes.

what great things He has done for you.

17" Is it not the wheat harvest today? I 25" But if you still do wickedly, both you will call to the LORD, that He may send and your king will be swept away."

thunder and rain. Then you will know

and see that your wickedness is great

which you have done in the sight of the

13Saul was thirty years old when he

LORD by asking for yourselves a king."

began to reign, and he reigned forty two

18So Samuel called to the LORD, and

years over Israel.

the LORD sent thunder and rain that

2

day; and all the people greatly feared

Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men

the LORD and Samuel.

of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of

19Then all the people said to Samuel, "

Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan

Pray for your servants to the LORD your

at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent

God, so that we may not die, for we

away the rest of the people, each to his

have added to all our sins this evil by tent.

asking for ourselves a king."

3Jonathan smote the garrison of the

20Samuel said to the people, "Do not Philistines that was in Geba, and the

fear. You have committed all this evil,

Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew

yet do not turn aside from following the the trumpet throughout the land, saying,

"Let the Hebrews hear."

4All Israel heard the news that Saul had appointed days, and that the Philistines smitten the garrison of the Philistines,

were assembling at Michmash,

and also that Israel had become odious

to the Philistines. The people were then

12therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines

summoned to Saul at Gilgal.

will come down against me at Gilgal,

and I have not asked the favor of the

5Now the Philistines assembled to fight

LORD.' So I forced myself and offered

with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000

the burnt offering."

horsemen, and people like the sand

which is on the seashore in abundance;

13Samuel said to Saul, " You have acted

and they came up and camped in

foolishly; you have not kept the

Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

commandment of the LORD your God,

which He commanded you, for now the

6When the men of Israel saw that they

LORD would have established your

were in a strait (for the people were

kingdom over Israel forever.

hard-pressed), then the people hid

themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs,

14"But now your kingdom shall not

in cellars, and in pits.

endure. The LORD has sought out for

Himself a man after His own heart, and

7Also some of the Hebrews crossed the

the LORD has appointed him as ruler

Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead.

over His people, because you have not

But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, kept what the LORD commanded you."

and all the people followed him

trembling.

15Then Samuel arose and went up from

Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul

8Now he waited seven days, according

numbered the people who were present

to the appointed time set by Samuel, but

with him, about six hundred men.

Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the

people were scattering from him.

16Now Saul and his son Jonathan and

the people who were present with them

9So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt were staying in Geba of Benjamin while

offering and the peace offerings." And the Philistines camped at Michmash.

he offered the burnt offering.

17And the raiders came from the camp

10As soon as he finished offering the

of the Philistines in three companies:

burnt offering, behold, Samuel came;

one company turned toward Ophrah, to

and Saul went out to meet him and to

the land of Shual,

greet him.

18and another company turned toward

11But Samuel said, "What have you

Beth-horon,

and

another

company

done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw turned

toward

the

border

which

that the people were scattering from me,

overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward

and that you did not come within the

the wilderness.

19Now no blacksmith could be found in 4Between the passes by which Jonathan all the land of Israel, for the Philistines sought to cross over to the Philistines'

said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make garrison, there was a sharp crag on the

swords or spears."

one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was

20So all Israel went down to the

Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

Philistines,

each

to

sharpen

his

plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his

5The one crag rose on the north

hoe.

opposite Michmash, and the other on

the south opposite Geba.

21The charge was two-thirds of a shekel

for the plowshares, the mattocks, the

6Then Jonathan said to the young man

forks, and the axes, and to fix the hoes.

who was carrying his armor, "Come and

let us cross over to the garrison of these

22So it came about on the day of battle

uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will

that neither sword nor spear was found

work for us, for the LORD is not

in the hands of any of the people who

restrained to save by many or by few."

were with Saul and Jonathan, but they

were found with Saul and his son

7His armor bearer said to him, "Do all Jonathan.

that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your

23And the garrison of the Philistines

desire."

went out to the pass of Michmash.

8Then Jonathan said, " Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal

14Now the day came that Jonathan, ourselves to them.

the son of Saul, said to the young man 9"If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to who was carrying his armor, "Come and you'; then we will stand in our place and

let us cross over to the Philistines'

garrison that is on the other side." But not go up to them.

he did not tell his father.

10"But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then 2

we will go up, for the LORD has given

Saul was staying in the outskirts of

them into our hands; and this shall be

Gibeah under the pomegranate tree

which is in Migron. And the people who

the sign to us."

were with him were about six hundred

11

men,

When

both

of

them

revealed

themselves to the garrison of the

3

Philistines, the Philistines said, "Behold, and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's

brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of

Hebrews are coming out of the holes

Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh,

where they have hidden themselves."

was wearing an ephod. And the people

did not know that Jonathan had gone.

12So the men of the garrison hailed continued and increased; so Saul said Jonathan and his armor bearer and said,

to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

"Come up to us and we will tell you something." And Jonathan said to his 20Then Saul and all the people who armor bearer, "Come up after me, for were with him rallied and came to the

the LORD has given them into the

battle; and behold, every man's sword

hands of Israel."

was against his fellow, and there was

very great confusion.

13Then Jonathan climbed up on his

hands and feet, with his armor bearer

21Now the Hebrews who were with the

behind him; and they fell before

Philistines previously, who went up with

Jonathan, and his armor bearer put

them all around in the camp, even they

some to death after him.

also turned to be with the Israelites who

were with Saul and Jonathan.

14That first slaughter which Jonathan

and his armor bearer made was about

22When all the men of Israel who had

twenty men within about half a furrow in

hidden themselves in the hill country of an acre of land.

Ephraim heard that the Philistines had

fled, even they also pursued them

15And there was a trembling in the camp,

closely in the battle.

in the field, and among all the people.

Even the garrison and the raiders

23So the LORD delivered Israel that day,

trembled, and the earth quaked so that it

and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven.

became a great trembling.

24Now the men of Israel were hard—

16Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of

pressed on that day, for Saul had put

Benjamin looked, and behold, the

the people under oath, saying, "Cursed multitude melted away; and they went

be the man who eats food before

here and there.

evening, and until I have avenged

myself on my enemies." So none of the 17Saul said to the people who were with

people tasted food.

him, "Number now and see who has

gone from us." And when they had

25All the people of the land entered the numbered, behold, Jonathan and his

forest, and there was honey on the

armor bearer were not there.

ground.

18Then Saul said to Ahijah, " Bring the 26When the people entered the forest, ark of God here." For the ark of God behold, there was a flow of honey; but was at that time with the sons of Israel.

no man put his hand to his mouth, for

the people feared the oath.

19While Saul talked to the priest, the

commotion in the camp of the Philistines

27But Jonathan had not heard when his

father put the people under oath;

therefore, he put out the end of the staff that night brought each one his ox with that was in his hand and dipped it in the him and slaughtered it there.

honeycomb, and put his hand to his

mouth, and his eyes brightened.

35And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it

was the first altar that he built to the 28Then one of the people said, "Your LORD.

father strictly put the people under oath,

saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats

36Then Saul said, "Let us go down after

food today.'" And the people were weary. the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and 29Then Jonathan said, " My father has let us not leave a man of them." And troubled the land. See now, how my they said, "Do whatever seems good to eyes have brightened because I tasted

you." So the priest said, "Let us draw a little of this honey.

near to God here."

30"How much more, if only the people 37Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down

had eaten freely today of the spoil of

after the Philistines? Will You give them

their enemies which they found! For now

into the hand of Israel?" But He did not the slaughter among the Philistines has answer him on that day.

not been great."

38Saul said, " Draw near here, all you 31They struck among the Philistines that

chiefs of the people, and investigate and

day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the

see how this sin has happened today.

people were very weary.

39"For as the LORD lives, who delivers 32The people rushed greedily upon the

Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, spoil, and took sheep and oxen and

he shall surely die." But not one of all calves, and slew them on the ground; the people answered him.

and the people ate them with the blood.

40Then he said to all Israel, "You shall 33Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, be on one side and I and Jonathan my the people are sinning against the

son will be on the other side." And the LORD by eating with the blood." And he people said to Saul, "Do what seems said, "You have acted treacherously; roll good to you."

a great stone to me today."

41Therefore, Saul said to the LORD, the

34Saul said, "Disperse yourselves

God of Israel, " Give a perfect lot." And among the people and say to them, Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the

'Each one of you bring me his ox or his

people escaped.

sheep, and slaughter it here and eat;

and do not sin against the LORD by

42Saul said, "Cast lots between me and eating with the blood.'" So all the people Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

43Then Saul said to Jonathan, " Tell me of the captain of his army was Abner the what you have done." So Jonathan told son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

him and said, " I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was 51Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner

in my hand. Here I am, I must die!"

the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

44Saul said, " May God do this to me 52Now the war against the Philistines

and more also, for you shall surely die, was severe all the days of Saul; and

Jonathan."

when Saul saw any mighty man or any

valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

45But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who has brought about

this great deliverance in Israel? Far from

15Then Samuel said to Saul, " The

it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his

head shall fall to the ground, for he has

LORD sent me to anoint you as king

worked with God this day." So the

over His people, over Israel; now

people rescued Jonathan and he did not

therefore, listen to the words of the

die.

LORD.

2

46Then Saul went up from pursuing the

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will Philistines, and the Philistines went to punish Amalek for what he did to Israel,

their own place.

how he set himself against him on the

way while he was coming up from Egypt.

47Now when Saul had taken the

3

kingdom over Israel, he fought against

'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly

all his enemies on every side, against

destroy all that he has, and do not spare

Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the

him; but put to death both man and

kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and

woman, child and infant, ox and sheep,

wherever

he

turned,

he

inflicted

camel and donkey.'"

punishment.

4Then Saul summoned the people and

48He acted valiantly and defeated the

numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot

Amalekites, and delivered Israel from

soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

the hands of those who plundered them.

5Saul came to the city of Amalek and set

49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan

an ambush in the valley.

and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the

6

names of his two daughters were these:

Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, the name of the firstborn Merab and the

go down from among the Amalekites, so

name of the younger Michal.

that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of 50The name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam

Israel when they came up from Egypt."

the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name

So the Kenites departed from among

the Amalekites.

7So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from 15Saul said, "They have brought them Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east from the Amalekites, for the people

of Egypt.

spared the best of the sheep and oxen,

to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but

8He captured Agag the king of the

the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed

all the people with the edge of the sword. 16Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to 9But Saul and the people spared Agag

me last night." And he said to him, and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the

"Speak!"

fatlings, the lambs, and all that was

good, and were not willing to destroy

17Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you them utterly; but everything despised

were little in your own eyes, you were

and

worthless,

that

they

utterly

made the head of the tribes of Israel?

destroyed.

And the LORD anointed you king over

Israel,

10Then the word of the LORD came to

Samuel, saying,

18and the LORD sent you on a mission,

and said, ' Go and utterly destroy the

11" I regret that I have made Saul king, sinners, the Amalekites, and fight

for he has turned back from following

against

them

until

they

are

Me and has not carried out My

exterminated.'

commands."

And

Samuel

was

distressed and cried out to the LORD all

19"Why then did you not obey the voice night.

of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil

and did what was evil in the sight of the

12Samuel rose early in the morning to

LORD?"

meet Saul; and it was told Samuel,

saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and

20Then Saul said to Samuel, " I did obey

behold, he set up a monument for

the voice of the LORD, and went on the

himself, then turned and proceeded on

mission on which the LORD sent me,

down to Gilgal."

and have brought back Agag the king of

Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the

13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to

Amalekites.

him, " Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the

21"But the people took some of the spoil, LORD."

sheep and oxen, the choicest of the

things

devoted

to

destruction,

to

14But Samuel said, " What then is this sacrifice to the LORD your God at

bleating of the sheep in my ears, and

Gilgal."

the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

22Samuel said, " Has the LORD as much

delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

31So Samuel went back following Saul,

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

And to heed than the fat of rams.

32Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag,

23"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, the king of the Amalekites." And Agag And insubordination is as iniquity and came to him cheerfully. And Agag said,

idolatry. Because you have rejected the

"Surely the bitterness of death is past."

word of the LORD, He has also rejected

you from being king."

33But Samuel said, " As your sword has

made women childless, so shall your

24Then Saul said to Samuel, " I have mother be childless among women."

sinned; I have indeed transgressed the

And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces

command of the LORD and your words,

before the LORD at Gilgal.

because I feared the people and

listened to their voice.

34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul

went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

25"Now therefore, please pardon my sin

and return with me, that I may worship

35Samuel did not see Saul again until

the LORD."

the day of his death; for Samuel grieved

over Saul. And the LORD regretted that

26But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not He had made Saul king over Israel.

return with you; for you have rejected

the word of the LORD, and the LORD

has rejected you from being king over

16Now the LORD said to Samuel, "

Israel."

How long will you grieve over Saul,

27

since I have rejected him from being

As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized

king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil the edge of his robe, and it tore.

and go; I will send you to Jesse the

Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king

28So Samuel said to him, " The LORD

for Myself among his sons."

has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor,

2But Samuel said, "How can I go? When

who is better than you.

Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, " Take a heifer with you and

29"Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the change His mind; for He is not a man

LORD.'

that He should change His mind."

3"You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, 30Then he said, "I have sinned; but and I will show you what you shall do; please honor me now before the elders and you shall anoint for Me the one

of my people and before Israel, and go

whom I designate to you."

back with me, that I may worship the

LORD your God."

4So Samuel did what the LORD said, we will not sit down until he comes and came to Bethlehem. And the elders

here."

of the city came trembling to meet him

and said, " Do you come in peace?"

12So he sent and brought him in. Now

he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a

5He said, "In peace; I have come to handsome appearance. And the LORD

sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate

said, " Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

yourselves and come with me to the

sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and

and his sons and invited them to the

anointed him in the midst of his brothers;

sacrifice.

and the Spirit of the LORD came

mightily upon David from that day

6When they entered, he looked at Eliab

forward. And Samuel arose and went to

and thought, "Surely the LORD'S

Ramah.

anointed is before Him."

14Now the Spirit of the LORD departed

7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not

from Saul, and an evil spirit from the

look at his appearance or at the height LORD terrorized him.

of his stature, because I have rejected

him; for God sees not as man sees, for 15Saul's servants then said to him,

man looks at the outward appearance,

"Behold now, an evil spirit from God is but the LORD looks at the heart."

terrorizing you.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made

16"Let our lord now command your

him pass before Samuel. And he said,

servants who are before you. Let them

"The LORD has not chosen this one

seek a man who is a skillful player on either."

the harp; and it shall come about when

the evil spirit from God is on you, that he

9Next Jesse made Shammah pass by.

shall play the harp with his hand, and

And he said, "The LORD has not

you will be well."

chosen this one either."

17So Saul said to his servants, "Provide

10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons

for me now a man who can play well

pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to

and bring him to me."

Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen

these."

18Then one of the young men said,

"Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the

11And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these

Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician,

all the children?" And he said, " There a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one remains yet the youngest, and behold,

prudent in speech, and a handsome

he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel man; and the LORD is with him."

said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for

19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse 4Then a champion came out from the and said, "Send me your son David who

armies of the Philistines named Goliath,

is with the flock."

from Gath, whose height was six cubits

and a span.

20Jesse took a donkey loaded with

bread and a jug of wine and a young

5He had a bronze helmet on his head,

goat, and sent them to Saul by David his

and he was clothed with scale-armor

son.

which weighed five thousand shekels of

bronze.

21Then David came to Saul and

attended him; and Saul loved him

6He also had bronze greaves on his legs

greatly, and he became his armor

and a bronze javelin slung between his

bearer.

shoulders.

22Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David

7The shaft of his spear was like a

now stand before me, for he has found

weaver's beam, and the head of his

favor in my sight."

spear weighed six hundred shekels of

iron; his shield-carrier also walked

23So it came about whenever the evil

before him.

spirit from God came to Saul, David

would take the harp and play it with his 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of

hand; and Saul would be refreshed and

Israel and said to them, "Why do you be well, and the evil spirit would depart come out to draw up in battle array? Am from him.

I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and

let him come down to me.

17Now the Philistines gathered their 9" If he is able to fight with me and kill armies for battle; and they were me, then we will become your servants;

gathered at Socoh which belongs to

Judah, and they camped between

but if I prevail against him and kill him, Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

then you shall become our servants and

serve us."

2Saul and the men of Israel were

10Again the Philistine said, " I defy the gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to

ranks of Israel this day; give me a man encounter the Philistines.

that we may fight together."

11

3

When Saul and all Israel heard these

The Philistines stood on the mountain

words of the Philistine, they were

on one side while Israel stood on the

mountain on the other side, with the

dismayed and greatly afraid.

valley between them.

12Now David was the son of the

Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah,

whose name was Jesse, and he had going out in battle array shouting the eight sons. And Jesse was old in the

war cry.

days of Saul, advanced in years among

men.

21Israel and the Philistines drew up in

battle array, army against army.

13The three older sons of Jesse had

gone after Saul to the battle. And the

22Then David left his baggage in the

names of his three sons who went to the

care of the baggage keeper, and ran to

battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the the battle line and entered in order to second to him Abinadab, and the third greet his brothers.

Shammah.

23As he was talking with them, behold,

14David was the youngest. Now the

the champion, the Philistine from Gath

three oldest followed Saul,

named Goliath, was coming up from the

army of the Philistines, and he spoke

15but David went back and forth from

these same words; and David heard

Saul to tend his father's flock at

them.

Bethlehem.

24When all the men of Israel saw the

16The Philistine came forward morning

man, they fled from him and were

and evening for forty days and took his greatly afraid.

stand.

25The men of Israel said, "Have you 17Then Jesse said to David his son, "

seen this man who is coming up? Surely

Take now for your brothers an ephah of

he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will

this roasted grain and these ten loaves

be that the king will enrich the man who

and run to the camp to your brothers.

kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's

18" Bring also these ten cuts of cheese house free in Israel."

to the commander of their thousand,

and look into the welfare of your

26Then David spoke to the men who

brothers, and bring back news of them.

were standing by him, saying, "What will

be done for the man who kills this

19"For Saul and they and all the men of

Philistine and takes away the reproach

Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting from

Israel?

For

who

is

this

with the Philistines."

uncircumcised Philistine, that he should

taunt the armies of the living God?"

20So David arose early in the morning

27

and left the flock with a keeper and took

The people answered him in accord

the supplies and went as Jesse had

with this word, saying, " Thus it will be commanded him. And he came to the done for the man who kills him."

circle of the camp while the army was

28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard 36"Your servant has killed both the lion when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's and the bear; and this uncircumcised

anger burned against David and he said,

Philistine will be like one of them, since

"Why have you come down? And with

he has taunted the armies of the living whom have you left those few sheep in

God."

the wilderness? I know your insolence

and the wickedness of your heart; for

37And David said, " The LORD who

you have come down in order to see the

delivered me from the paw of the lion

battle."

and from the paw of the bear, He will

deliver me from the hand of this

29But David said, "What have I done Philistine." And Saul said to David, " Go, now? Was it not just a question?"

and may the LORD be with you."

30Then he turned away from him to

38Then Saul clothed David with his

another and said the same thing; and

garments and put a bronze helmet on

the people answered the same thing as

his head, and he clothed him with armor.

before.

39David girded his sword over his armor

31When the words which David spoke

and tried to walk, for he had not tested were heard, they told them to Saul, and

them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot he sent for him.

go with these, for I have not tested

them." And David took them off.

32David said to Saul, " Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your

40He took his stick in his hand and

servant will go and fight with this

chose for himself five smooth stones

Philistine."

from the brook, and put them in the

shepherd's bag which he had, even in

33Then Saul said to David, " You are not

his pouch, and his sling was in his hand;

able to go against this Philistine to fight and he approached the Philistine.

with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."

41Then the Philistine came on and

approached David, with the shield—

34But David said to Saul, "Your servant bearer in front of him.

was tending his father's sheep. When a

lion or a bear came and took a lamb

42When the Philistine looked and saw

from the flock,

David, he disdained him; for he was but

a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome

35I went out after him and attacked him,

appearance.

and rescued it from his mouth; and

when he rose up against me, I seized

43The Philistine said to David, " Am I a him by his beard and struck him and dog, that you come to me with sticks?"

killed him.

And the Philistine cursed David by his

gods.

44The Philistine also said to David, 51Then David ran and stood over the "Come to me, and I will give your flesh Philistine and took his sword and drew it to the birds of the sky and the beasts of

out of its sheath and killed him, and cut

the field."

off his head with it. When the Philistines

saw that their champion was dead, they

45Then David said to the Philistine, "You fled.

come to me with a sword, a spear, and

a javelin, but I come to you in the name

52The men of Israel and Judah arose

of the LORD of hosts, the God of the

and shouted and pursued the Philistines

armies of Israel, whom you have

as far as the valley, and to the gates of taunted.

Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay

along the way to Shaaraim, even to

46"This day the LORD will deliver you up

Gath and Ekron.

into my hands, and I will strike you down

and remove your head from you. And I

53The sons of Israel returned from

will give the dead bodies of the army of

chasing the Philistines and plundered

the Philistines this day to the birds of the

their camps.

sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that

all the earth may know that there is a 54Then David took the Philistine's head

God in Israel,

and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

47and that all this assembly may know

that the LORD does not deliver by

55Now when Saul saw David going out

sword or by spear; for the battle is the against the Philistine, he said to Abner LORD'S and He will give you into our the commander of the army, "Abner,

hands."

whose son is this young man?" And

Abner said, "By your life, O king, I do not 48Then it happened when the Philistine

know."

rose and came and drew near to meet

David, that David ran quickly toward the

56The king said, "You inquire whose son

battle line to meet the Philistine.

the youth is."

49And David put his hand into his bag

57So when David returned from killing

and took from it a stone and slung it, the Philistine, Abner took him and

and struck the Philistine on his forehead.

brought him before Saul with the

And the stone sank into his forehead, so

Philistine's head in his hand.

that he fell on his face to the ground.

58Saul said to him, "Whose son are you,

50Thus David prevailed over the

young manNULL" And David answered,

Philistine with a sling and a stone, and

" I am the son of your servant Jesse the

he struck the Philistine and killed him; Bethlehemite."

but there was no sword in David's hand.

9

18

Saul looked at David with suspicion

Now it came about when he had

from that day on.

finished speaking to Saul, that the soul 10

of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David,

Now it came about on the next day

and Jonathan loved him as himself.

that an evil spirit from God came

mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the 2Saul took him that day and did not let midst of the house, while David was him return to his father's house.

playing the harp with his hand, as usual;

and a spear was in Saul's hand.

3Then Jonathan made a covenant with

11

David because he loved him as himself.

Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I

will pin David to the wall." But David 4

escaped from his presence twice.

Jonathan stripped himself of the robe

that was on him and gave it to David,

12

with his armor, including his sword and

Now Saul was afraid of David, for the

his bow and his belt.

LORD was with him but had departed

from Saul.

5So David went out wherever Saul sent

13Therefore Saul removed him from his

him, and prospered; and Saul set him

over the men of war. And it was

presence and appointed him as his

pleasing in the sight of all the people commander of a thousand; and he went

and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

out and came in before the people.

14

6

David was prospering in all his ways

It happened as they were coming,

when David returned from killing the

for the LORD was with him.

Philistine, that the women came out of

15

all the cities of Israel, singing and

When

Saul

saw

that

he

was

dancing, to meet King Saul, with

prospering greatly, he dreaded him.

tambourines, with joy and with musical

instruments.

16But all Israel and Judah loved David,

and he went out and came in before

7The women sang as they played, and

them.

said, " Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

17Then Saul said to David, " Here is my

older daughter Merab; I will give her to 8Then Saul became very angry, for this

you as a wife, only be a valiant man for

saying displeased him; and he said,

me and fight the LORD'S battles." For

"They have ascribed to David ten

Saul thought, "My hand shall not be thousands, but to me they have

against him, but let the hand of the

ascribed thousands. Now what more

Philistines be against him."

can he have but the kingdom?"

18But David said to Saul, " Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family

in Israel, that I should be the king's son-26When his servants told David these in-law?"

words, it pleased David to become the

king's son-in-law. Before the days had

19So it came about at the time when

expired

Merab, Saul's daughter, should have

been given to David, that she was given

27David rose up and went, he and his

to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

men, and struck down two hundred men

among the Philistines. Then David

20Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved

brought their foreskins, and they gave

David. When they told Saul, the thing

them in full number to the king, that he was agreeable to him.

might become the king's son-in-law. So

Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a

21

wife.

Saul thought, "I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and

28

that the hand of the Philistines may be When Saul saw and knew that the

against him." Therefore Saul said to LORD was with David, and that Michal,

David, " For a second time you may be Saul's daughter, loved him,

my son-in-law today."

29then Saul was even more afraid of

22Then Saul commanded his servants,

David. Thus Saul was David's enemy

"Speak to David secretly, saying,

continually.

'Behold, the king delights in you, and all

his servants love you; now therefore,

30Then the commanders of the

become the king's son-in-law.'"

Philistines went out to battle, and it

happened as often as they went out,

23So Saul's servants spoke these words

that David behaved himself more wisely

to David. But David said, "Is it trivial in than all the servants of Saul. So his your sight to become the king's son-in—

name was highly esteemed.

law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?"

19Now Saul told Jonathan his son

24The servants of Saul reported to him

and all his servants to put David to

according to these words which David

death. But Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly

spoke.

delighted in David.

25Saul then said, "Thus you shall say to

2So Jonathan told David saying, "Saul David, 'The king does not desire any

my father is seeking to put you to death.

dowry except a hundred foreskins of the

Now therefore, please be on guard in

Philistines, to take vengeance on the

the morning, and stay in a secret place king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to and hide yourself.

make David fall by the hand of the

Philistines.

3"I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; if I 11Then Saul sent messengers to David's find out anything, then I will tell you."

house to watch him, in order to put him

to death in the morning. But Michal,

4Then Jonathan spoke well of David to

David's wife, told him, saying, "If you do Saul his father and said to him, " Do not not save your life tonight, tomorrow you let the king sin against his servant David, will be put to death."

since he has not sinned against you,

and since his deeds have been very

12So Michal let David down through a

beneficial to you.

window, and he went out and fled and

escaped.

5"For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD

13Michal took the household idol and laid

brought about a great deliverance for all

it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats'

Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then

hair at its head, and covered it with

will you sin against innocent blood by

clothes.

putting David to death without a cause?"

14When Saul sent messengers to take

6Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan,

David, she said, " He is sick."

and Saul vowed, "As the LORD lives, he

shall not be put to death."

15Then Saul sent messengers to see

David, saying, "Bring him up to me on 7Then Jonathan called David, and

his bed, that I may put him to death."

Jonathan told him all these words. And

Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he

16When the messengers entered, behold,

was in his presence as formerly.

the household idol was on the bed with

the quilt of goats' hair at its head.

8When there was war again, David went

out and fought with the Philistines and

17So Saul said to Michal, "Why have you

defeated them with great slaughter, so

deceived me like this and let my enemy

that they fled before him.

go, so that he has escaped?" And

Michal said to Saul, "He said to me, 'Let 9Now there was an evil spirit from the

me go! Why should I put you to death?'"

LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his

house with his spear in his hand, and

18Now David fled and escaped and

David was playing the harp with his

came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him

hand.

all that Saul had done to him. And he

and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

10Saul tried to pin David to the wall with

the spear, but he slipped away out of

19It was told Saul, saying, "Behold, Saul's presence, so that he stuck the

David is at Naioth in Ramah."

spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

20Then Saul sent messengers to take

David, but when they saw the company

of the prophets prophesying, with 3Yet David vowed again, saying, "Your Samuel standing and presiding over father knows well that I have found favor

them, the Spirit of God came upon the

in your sight, and he has said, 'Do not messengers of Saul; and they also

let Jonathan know this, or he will be

prophesied.

grieved.' But truly as the LORD lives and

as your soul lives, there is hardly a step

21When it was told Saul, he sent other

between me and death."

messengers, and they also prophesied.

So Saul sent messengers again the

4Then Jonathan said to David,

third time, and they also prophesied.

"Whatever you say, I will do for you."

22Then he himself went to Ramah and

5So David said to Jonathan, "Behold, came as far as the large well that is in tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought Secu; and he asked and said, "Where to sit down to eat with the king. But let are Samuel and David?" And someone me go, that I may hide myself in the field

said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in until the third evening.

Ramah."

6"If your father misses me at all, then 23He proceeded there to Naioth in

say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me

Ramah; and the Spirit of God came

to run to Bethlehem his city, because it upon him also, so that he went along

is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole

prophesying continually until he came to

family.'

Naioth in Ramah.

7"If he says, 'It is good,' your servant will 24He also stripped off his clothes, and he

be safe; but if he is very angry, know too prophesied before Samuel and lay

that he has decided on evil.

down naked all that day and all that

night. Therefore they say, " Is Saul also 8"Therefore deal kindly with your servant, among the prophetsNULL"

for you have brought your servant into a

covenant of the LORD with you. But if

20

there is iniquity in me, put me to death Then David fled from Naioth in

yourself; for why then should you bring

Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan,

me to your father?"

"What have I done? What is my iniquity?

9

And what is my sin before your father,

Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For that he is seeking my life?"

if I should indeed learn that evil has

been decided by my father to come

2He said to him, "Far from it, you shall upon you, then would I not tell you about it?"

not die. Behold, my father does nothing

either great or small without disclosing it

10

to me. So why should my father hide

Then David said to Jonathan, "Who

this thing from me? It is not so!"

will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

11Jonathan said to David, "Come, and 19"When you have stayed for three days, let us go out into the field." So both of you shall go down quickly and come to them went out to the field.

the place where you hid yourself on that

eventful day, and you shall remain by

12Then Jonathan said to David, "The

the stone Ezel.

LORD, the God of Israel, be witness!

When I have sounded out my father

20"I will shoot three arrows to the side, about this time tomorrow, or the third as though I shot at a target.

day, behold, if there is good feeling

toward David, shall I not then send to

21"And behold, I will send the lad, saying, you and make it known to you?

'Go, find the arrows.' If I specifically say

to the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on

13"If it please my father to do you harm, this side of you, get them,' then come; may the LORD do so to Jonathan and for there is safety for you and no harm, more also, if I do not make it known to as the LORD lives.

you and send you away, that you may

go in safety. And may the LORD be with

22"But if I say to the youth, ' Behold, the you as He has been with my father.

arrows are beyond you,' go, for the

LORD has sent you away.

14"If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I 23" As for the agreement of which you may not die?

and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is

between you and me forever."

15" You shall not cut off your

lovingkindness from my house forever,

24So David hid in the field; and when the

not even when the LORD cuts off every

new moon came, the king sat down to

one of the enemies of David from the

eat food.

face of the earth."

25The king sat on his seat as usual, the

16So Jonathan made a covenant with

seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up

the house of David, saying, " May the and Abner sat down by Saul's side, but LORD require it at the hands of David's

David's place was empty.

enemies."

26Nevertheless Saul did not speak

17Jonathan made David vow again

anything that day, for he thought, "It is because of his love for him, because he

an accident, he is not clean, surely he is

loved him as he loved his own life.

not clean."

18Then Jonathan said to him, "

27It came about the next day, the second

Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will

day of the new moon, that David's place

be missed because your seat will be

was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his

empty.

son, "Why has the son of Jesse not

come to the meal, either yesterday or 35Now it came about in the morning that today?"

Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad 28Jonathan then answered Saul, " David was with him.

earnestly asked leave of me to go to

Bethlehem,

36He said to his lad, " Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." As 29for he said, 'Please let me go, since the lad was running, he shot an arrow our family has a sacrifice in the city, and

past him.

my brother has commanded me to

attend. And now, if I have found favor in

37When the lad reached the place of the

your sight, please let me get away that I

arrow

which

Jonathan

had

shot,

may see my brothers.' For this reason

Jonathan called after the lad and said, "

he has not come to the king's table."

Is not the arrow beyond you?"

30Then Saul's anger burned against

38And Jonathan called after the lad,

Jonathan and he said to him, "You son

"Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I Jonathan's lad picked up the arrow and

not know that you are choosing the son

came to his master.

of Jesse to your own shame and to the

shame of your mother's nakedness?

39But the lad was not aware of anything;

only Jonathan and David knew about

31"For as long as the son of Jesse lives

the matter.

on the earth, neither you nor your

kingdom will be established. Therefore

40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to

now, send and bring him to me, for he

his lad and said to him, "Go, bring them

must surely die."

to the city."

32But Jonathan answered Saul his father

41When the lad was gone, David rose

and said to him, " Why should he be put

from the south side and fell on his face to death? What has he done?"

to the ground, and bowed three times.

And they kissed each other and wept

33Then Saul hurled his spear at him to

together, but David wept the more.

strike him down; so Jonathan knew that

his father had decided to put David to

42Jonathan said to David, " Go in safety, death.

inasmuch as we have sworn to each

other in the name of the LORD, saying, '

34Then Jonathan arose from the table in

The LORD will be between me and you,

fierce anger, and did not eat food on the

and between my descendants and your

second day of the new moon, for he was

descendants forever.'" Then he rose

grieved over David because his father

and departed, while Jonathan went into

had dishonored him.

the city.

21

LORD; and his name was Doeg the

Then David came to Nob to

Edomite, the chief of Saul's shepherds.

Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech

8

came trembling to meet David and said

David said to Ahimelech, "Now is there

to him, "Why are you alone and no one not a spear or a sword on hand? For I with you?"

brought neither my sword nor my

weapons with me, because the king's

2David said to Ahimelech the priest,

matter was urgent."

"The king has commissioned me with a 9

matter and has said to me, ' Let no one

Then the priest said, " The sword of know anything about the matter on

Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in

which I am sending you and with which I

the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped have commissioned you; and I have

in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would

directed the young men to a certain

take it for yourself, take it. For there is place.'

no other except it here." And David said,

"There is none like it; give it to me."

3"Now therefore, what do you have on 10

hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or

Then David arose and fled that day

whatever can be found."

from Saul, and went to Achish king of

Gath.

4The priest answered David and said,

11

"There is no ordinary bread on hand, but

But the servants of Achish said to him,

there is consecrated bread; if only the

"Is this not David the king of the land?

young men have kept themselves from

Did they not sing of this one as they

women."

danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his

thousands,

And

David

his

ten

5David answered the priest and said to

thousands'?"

him, " Surely women have been kept

12

from us as previously when I set out and

David took these words to heart and

the vessels of the young men were holy,

greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

though it was an ordinary journey; how

much more then today will their vessels

13So he disguised his sanity before them,

be holy?"

and acted insanely in their hands, and

scribbled on the doors of the gate, and 6So the priest gave him consecrated

let his saliva run down into his beard.

bread; for there was no bread there but

the bread of the Presence which was

14Then Achish said to his servants,

removed from before the LORD, in order

"Behold, you see the man behaving as a

to put hot bread in its place when it was

madman. Why do you bring him to me?

taken away.

15"Do I lack madmen, that you have

7Now one of the servants of Saul was

brought this one to act the madman in

there that day, detained before the

my presenceNULL Shall this one come you fields and vineyards? Will he make into my houseNULL"

you all commanders of thousands and

commanders of hundreds?

22

8

So David departed from there and

"For all of you have conspired against escaped to the cave of Adullam; and

me so that there is no one who

when his brothers and all his father's

discloses to me when my son makes a

household heard of it, they went down

covenant with the son of Jesse, and

there is none of you who is sorry for me

there to him.

or discloses to me that my son has

2

stirred up my servant against me to lie in

Everyone who was in distress, and

ambush, as it is this day."

everyone who was in debt, and

everyone

who

was

discontented

9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was

gathered to him; and he became captain

standing by the servants of Saul, said, "

over them. Now there were about four

hundred men with him.

I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob,

to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

3And David went from there to Mizpah of

10" He inquired of the LORD for him, Moab; and he said to the king of Moab,

gave him provisions, and gave him the

"Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know

sword of Goliath the Philistine."

what God will do for me."

11Then the king sent someone to

4

summon Ahimelech the priest, the son

Then he left them with the king of Moab;

of Ahitub, and all his father's household,

and they stayed with him all the time

that David was in the stronghold.

the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king.

5The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not

12Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."

stay in the stronghold; depart, and go

into the land of Judah." So David

And he answered, "Here I am, my lord."

departed and went into the forest of

13

Hereth.

Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against

6

me, in that you have given him bread

Then Saul heard that David and the

men who were with him had been

and a sword and have inquired of God

discovered. Now Saul was sitting in

for him, so that he would rise up against

Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the

me by lying in ambush as it is this day?"

height with his spear in his hand, and all

14

his servants were standing around him.

Then Ahimelech answered the king

and said, "And who among all your

7Saul said to his servants who stood

servants is as faithful as David, even the

around him, "Hear now, O Benjamites!

king's son-in-law, who is captain over

Will the son of Jesse also give to all of

your guard, and is honored in your 22Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew house?

on that day, when Doeg the Edomite

was there, that he would surely tell Saul.

15"Did I just begin to inquire of God for I have brought about the death of every him today? Far be it from me! Do not let

person in your father's household.

the king impute anything to his servant

or to any of the household of my father,

23"Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he for your servant knows nothing at all of who seeks my life seeks your life, for this whole affair."

you are safe with me."

16But the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's

23Then they told David, saying,

household!"

"Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the

17And the king said to the guards who

threshing floors."

were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death,

2So David inquired of the LORD, saying,

because their hand also is with David

"Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"

and because they knew that he was

And the LORD said to David, "Go and fleeing and did not reveal it to me." But attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah."

the servants of the king were not willing

to put forth their hands to attack the

3

priests of the LORD.

But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much

18

more then if we go to Keilah against the

Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn ranks of the Philistines?"

around and attack the priests." And

Doeg the Edomite turned around and

4

attacked the priests, and he killed that Then David inquired of the LORD once

day eighty-five men who wore the linen

more. And the LORD answered him and

ephod.

said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand."

19And he struck Nob the city of the

5

priests with the edge of the sword, both

So David and his men went to Keilah

men and women, children and infants;

and fought with the Philistines; and he

also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he

led away their livestock and struck them

struck with the edge of the sword.

with a great slaughter. Thus David

delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

20But one son of Ahimelech the son of

6

Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and

Now it came about, when Abiathar the

fled after David.

son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah,

that he came down with an ephod in his

21

hand.

Abiathar told David that Saul had killed

the priests of the LORD.

7When it was told Saul that David had 15Now David became aware that Saul come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has had come out to seek his life while

delivered him into my hand, for he shut David was in the wilderness of Ziph at

himself in by entering a city with double

Horesh.

gates and bars."

16And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and

8So Saul summoned all the people for

went

to

David

at

Horesh,

and

war, to go down to Keilah to besiege

encouraged him in God.

David and his men.

17Thus he said to him, " Do not be afraid, 9Now David knew that Saul was plotting

because the hand of Saul my father will

evil against him; so he said to Abiathar not find you, and you will be king over the priest, " Bring the ephod here."

Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul

my father knows that also."

10Then David said, "O LORD God of

Israel, Your servant has heard for

18So the two of them made a covenant

certain that Saul is seeking to come to before the LORD; and David stayed at

Keilah to destroy the city on my account.

Horesh while Jonathan went to his

house.

11"Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just

19Then Ziphites came up to Saul at

as Your servant has heard? O LORD

Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant."

us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the And the LORD said, "He will come

hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of

down."

Jeshimon?

12Then David said, "Will the men of 20"Now then, O king, come down

Keilah surrender me and my men into

according to all the desire of your soul to

the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "

do so; and our part shall be to surrender

They will surrender you."

him into the king's hand."

13Then David and his men, about six

21Saul said, "May you be blessed of the

hundred, arose and departed from

LORD, for you have had compassion on

Keilah, and they went wherever they

me.

could go. When it was told Saul that

David had escaped from Keilah, he

22"Go now, make more sure, and

gave up the pursuit.

investigate and see his place where his

haunt is, and who has seen him there;

14David stayed in the wilderness in the

for I am told that he is very cunning.

strongholds, and remained in the hill

country in the wilderness of Ziph. And

23"So look, and learn about all the hiding Saul sought him every day, but God did

places where he hides himself and

not deliver him into his hand.

return to me with certainty, and I will go

with you; and if he is in the land, I will David and his men in front of the Rocks search him out among all the thousands

of the Wild Goats.

of Judah."

3He came to the sheepfolds on the way,

24Then they arose and went to Ziph

where there was a cave; and Saul went

before Saul. Now David and his men

in to relieve himself. Now David and his

were in the wilderness of Maon, in the

men were sitting in the inner recesses of

Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

the cave.

25When Saul and his men went to seek

4The men of David said to him, "Behold,

him, they told David, and he came down

this is the day of which the LORD said to the rock and stayed in the wilderness

to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your

of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he

enemy into your hand, and you shall do

pursued David in the wilderness of

to him as it seems good to you.'" Then Maon.

David arose and cut off the edge of

Saul's robe secretly.

26Saul went on one side of the mountain,

and David and his men on the other side

5It came about afterward that David's

of the mountain; and David was hurrying

conscience bothered him because he

to get away from Saul, for Saul and his had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

men were surrounding David and his

men to seize them.

6So he said to his men, " Far be it from

me because of the LORD that I should

27But a messenger came to Saul, saying,

do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S

"Hurry and come, for the Philistines anointed, to stretch out my hand against

have made a raid on the land."

him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."

28So Saul returned from pursuing David

7David persuaded his men with these

and went to meet the Philistines;

words and did not allow them to rise up

therefore they called that place the Rock

against Saul. And Saul arose, left the

of Escape.

cave, and went on his way.

29David went up from there and stayed

8Now afterward David arose and went

in the strongholds of Engedi.

out of the cave and called after Saul,

saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed

24Now when Saul returned from with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

pursuing the Philistines, he was told,

saying, "Behold, David is in the

9

wilderness of Engedi."

David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, 'Behold, 2

David seeks to harm you'?

Then Saul took three thousand chosen

men from all Israel and went to seek

10" Behold, this day your eyes have seen with me, while I have dealt wickedly with that the LORD had given you today into

you.

my hand in the cave, and some said to

kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and

18"You have declared today that you

I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand have done good to me, that the LORD

against my lord, for he is the LORD'S

delivered me into your hand and yet you

anointed.'

did not kill me.

11"Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the

19"For if a man finds his enemy, will he edge of your robe in my hand! For in let him go away safely? May the LORD

that I cut off the edge of your robe and therefore reward you with good in return

did not kill you, know and perceive that for what you have done to me this day.

there is no evil or rebellion in my hands,

and I have not sinned against you,

20"Now, behold, I know that you will though you are lying in wait for my life to

surely be king, and that the kingdom of take it.

Israel will be established in your hand.

12" May the LORD judge between you

21"So now swear to me by the LORD

and me, and may the LORD avenge me

that you will not cut off my descendants

on you; but my hand shall not be against

after me and that you will not destroy my

you.

name from my father's household."

13"As the proverb of the ancients says, '

22David swore to Saul. And Saul went to

Out

of

the

wicked

comes

forth

his home, but David and his men went

wickedness'; but my hand shall not be

up to the stronghold.

against you.

14"After whom has the king of Israel 25Then Samuel died; and all Israel

come out? Whom are you pursuing? A

dead dog, a single flea?

gathered together and mourned for him,

and buried him at his house in Ramah.

15" The LORD therefore be judge and And David arose and went down to the

decide between you and me; and may

wilderness of Paran.

He see and plead my cause and deliver

2

me from your hand."

Now there was a man in Maon whose

business was in Carmel; and the man

16When David had finished speaking

was very rich, and he had three

these words to Saul, Saul said, " Is this thousand sheep and a thousand goats.

your voice, my son David?" Then Saul And it came about while he was

lifted up his voice and wept.

shearing his sheep in Carmel

3

17He said to David, "You are more

(now the man's name was Nabal, and

righteous than I; for you have dealt well

his wife's name was Abigail. And the

woman was intelligent and beautiful in

appearance, but the man was harsh and slaughtered for my shearers, and give it evil in his dealings, and he was a

to men whose origin I do not know?"

Calebite),

12So David's young men retraced their

4that David heard in the wilderness that

way and went back; and they came and

Nabal was shearing his sheep.

told him according to all these words.

5So David sent ten young men; and

13David said to his men, "Each of you David said to the young men, "Go up to gird on his sword." So each man girded

Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my

on his sword. And David also girded on

name;

his sword, and about four hundred men

went up behind David while two hundred

6and thus you shall say, 'Have a long life,

stayed with the baggage.

peace be to you, and peace be to your

house, and peace be to all that you

14But one of the young men told Abigail,

have.

Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David

sent messengers from the wilderness to

7'Now I have heard that you have

greet our master, and he scorned them.

shearers; now your shepherds have

been with us and we have not insulted

15"Yet the men were very good to us, them, nor have they missed anything all

and we were not insulted, nor did we

the days they were in Carmel.

miss anything as long as we went about

with them, while we were in the fields.

8'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find

16" They were a wall to us both by night

favor in your eyes, for we have come on

and by day, all the time we were with

a festive day. Please give whatever you

them tending the sheep.

find at hand to your servants and to your

son David.'"

17"Now therefore, know and consider

what you should do, for evil is plotted 9When David's young men came, they

against our master and against all his

spoke to Nabal according to all these

household; and he is such a worthless

words in David's name; then they waited. man that no one can speak to him."

10But Nabal answered David's servants

18Then Abigail hurried and took two

and said, " Who is David? And who is hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of

the son of Jesse? There are many

wine and five sheep already prepared

servants today who are each breaking

and five measures of roasted grain and

away from his master.

a hundred clusters of raisins and two

hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them

11"Shall I then take my bread and my on donkeys.

water and my meat that I have

19She said to her young men, " Go on blood, and from avenging yourself by before me; behold, I am coming after

your own hand, now then let your

you." But she did not tell her husband enemies and those who seek evil

Nabal.

against my lord, be as Nabal.

20It came about as she was riding on her

27"Now let this gift which your

donkey and coming down by the hidden

maidservant has brought to my lord be

part of the mountain, that behold, David

given to the young men who accompany

and his men were coming down toward

my lord.

her; so she met them.

28"Please forgive the transgression of 21Now David had said, "Surely in vain I your maidservant; for the LORD will have guarded all that this man has in

certainly make for my lord an enduring

the wilderness, so that nothing was

house, because my lord is fighting the

missed of all that belonged to him; and battles of the LORD, and evil will not be

he has returned me evil for good.

found in you all your days.

22" May God do so to the enemies of 29"Should anyone rise up to pursue you

David, and more also, if by morning I

and to seek your life, then the life of my

leave as much as one male of any who

lord shall be bound in the bundle of the belong to him."

living with the LORD your God; but the

lives of your enemies He will sling out as

23When Abigail saw David, she hurried

from the hollow of a sling.

and dismounted from her donkey, and

fell on her face before David and bowed

30"And when the LORD does for my lord

herself to the ground.

according to all the good that He has

spoken concerning you, and appoints

24She fell at his feet and said, "On me you ruler over Israel,

alone, my lord, be the blame. And

please let your maidservant speak to

31this will not cause grief or a troubled you, and listen to the words of your

heart to my lord, both by having shed

maidservant.

blood without cause and by my lord

having avenged himself. When the

25"Please do not let my lord pay

LORD deals well with my lord, then

attention to this worthless man, Nabal,

remember your maidservant."

for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his

name and folly is with him; but I your 32Then David said to Abigail, " Blessed maidservant did not see the young men be the LORD God of Israel, who sent

of my lord whom you sent.

you this day to meet me,

26"Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD

33and blessed be your discernment, and

lives, and as your soul lives, since the blessed be you, who have kept me this

LORD has restrained you from shedding

day from bloodshed and from avenging saying, "David has sent us to you to myself by my own hand.

take you as his wife."

34"Nevertheless, as the LORD God of

41She arose and bowed with her face to

Israel lives, who has restrained me from

the ground and said, "Behold, your

harming you, unless you had come

maidservant is a maid to wash the feet

quickly to meet me, surely there would

of my lord's servants."

not have been left to Nabal until the

morning light as much as one male."

42Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode

on a donkey, with her five maidens who

35So David received from her hand what

attended her; and she followed the

she had brought him and said to her, "

messengers of David and became his

Go up to your house in peace. See, I

wife.

have listened to you and granted your

request."

43David had also taken Ahinoam of

Jezreel, and they both became his

36Then Abigail came to Nabal, and

wives.

behold, he was holding a feast in his

house, like the feast of a king. And

44Now Saul had given Michal his

Nabal's heart was merry within him, for

daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son he was very drunk; so she did not tell of Laish, who was from Gallim.

him anything at all until the morning light.

37But in the morning, when the wine had

26Then the Ziphites came to Saul at

gone out of Nabal, his wife told him

these things, and his heart died within

Gibeah, saying, " Is not David hiding on

him so that he became as a stone.

the hill of Hachilah, which is before

Jeshimon?"

38About ten days later, the LORD struck

2

Nabal and he died.

So Saul arose and went down to the

wilderness of Ziph, having with him

39

three thousand chosen men of Israel, to

When David heard that Nabal was

search for David in the wilderness of

dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, Ziph.

who has pleaded the cause of my

reproach from the hand of Nabal and

3

has kept back His servant from evil. The

Saul camped in the hill of Hachilah,

LORD has also returned the evildoing of

which is before Jeshimon, beside the

Nabal on his own head." Then David

road, and David was staying in the

sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as

wilderness. When he saw that Saul

his wife.

came after him into the wilderness,

4

40When the servants of David came to

David sent out spies, and he knew that

Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her,

Saul was definitely coming.

5David then arose and came to the 12So David took the spear and the jug of place where Saul had camped. And

water from beside Saul's head, and they

David saw the place where Saul lay,

went away, but no one saw or knew it,

and Abner the son of Ner, the

nor did any awake, for they were all

commander of his army; and Saul was

asleep, because a sound sleep from the

lying in the circle of the camp, and the LORD had fallen on them.

people were camped around him.

13Then David crossed over to the other

6Then David said to Ahimelech the

side and stood on top of the mountain at

Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah,

a distance with a large area between

Joab's brother, saying, "Who will go them.

down with me to Saul in the camp?" And

Abishai said, "I will go down with you."

14David called to the people and to

Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you 7So David and Abishai came to the

not answer, Abner?" Then Abner replied,

people by night, and behold, Saul lay

"Who are you who calls to the king?"

sleeping inside the circle of the camp

with his spear stuck in the ground at his

15So David said to Abner, "Are you not a

head; and Abner and the people were

man? And who is like you in Israel? Why

lying around him.

then have you not guarded your lord the

king? For one of the people came to

8Then Abishai said to David, "Today

destroy the king your lord.

God has delivered your enemy into your

hand; now therefore, please let me

16"This thing that you have done is not strike him with the spear to the ground good. As the LORD lives, all of you must with one stroke, and I will not strike him

surely die, because you did not guard

the second time."

your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And

now, see where the king's spear is and

9But David said to Abishai, "Do not the jug of water that was at his head."

destroy him, for who can stretch out his

hand against the LORD'S anointed and

17Then Saul recognized David's voice

be without guilt?"

and said, " Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, 10David also said, "As the LORD lives, my lord the king."

surely the LORD will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go

18He also said, " Why then is my lord down into battle and perish.

pursuing his servant? For what have I

done? Or what evil is in my hand?

11" The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S

19"Now therefore, please let my lord the

anointed; but now please take the spear

king listen to the words of his servant. If

that is at his head and the jug of water, the LORD has stirred you up against me,

and let us go."

let Him accept an offering; but if it is

men, cursed are they before the LORD, for they have driven me out today so 27Then David said to himself, "Now I that I would have no attachment with the

will perish one day by the hand of Saul.

inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go,

There is nothing better for me than to

serve other gods.'

escape into the land of the Philistines.

Saul then will despair of searching for

20"Now then, do not let my blood fall to me anymore in all the territory of Israel, the ground away from the presence of and I will escape from his hand."

the LORD; for the king of Israel has

come out to search for a single flea, just

2So David arose and crossed over, he

as one hunts a partridge in the

and the six hundred men who were with

mountains."

him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of

Gath.

21Then Saul said, " I have sinned.

Return, my son David, for I will not harm

3And David lived with Achish at Gath, he

you again because my life was precious

and his men, each with his household,

in your sight this day. Behold, I have

even David with his two wives, Ahinoam

played the fool and have committed a

the

Jezreelitess,

and

Abigail

the

serious error."

Carmelitess, Nabal's widow.

22David replied, "Behold the spear of the 4Now it was told Saul that David had fled

king! Now let one of the young men

to Gath, so he no longer searched for

come over and take it.

him.

23" The LORD will repay each man for 5Then David said to Achish, "If now I his righteousness and his faithfulness; have found favor in your sight, let them for the LORD delivered you into my

give me a place in one of the cities in hand today, but I refused to stretch out the country, that I may live there; for my hand against the LORD'S anointed.

why should your servant live in the royal

city with you?"

24"Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my 6So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; life be highly valued in the sight of the therefore Ziklag has belonged to the

LORD, and may He deliver me from all

kings of Judah to this day.

distress."

7

25

The number of days that David lived in

Then Saul said to David, " Blessed are

the country of the Philistines was a year

you, my son David; you will both

and four months.

accomplish much and surely prevail." So

David went on his way, and Saul

8

returned to his place.

Now David and his men went up and

raided the Geshurites and the Girzites

and the Amalekites; for they were the

inhabitants of the land from ancient

times, as you come to Shur even as far removed from the land those who were as the land of Egypt.

mediums and spiritists.

9David attacked the land and did not

4So the Philistines gathered together

leave a man or a woman alive, and he

and came and camped in Shunem; and

took away the sheep, the cattle, the

Saul gathered all Israel together and

donkeys, the camels, and the clothing.

they camped in Gilboa.

Then he returned and came to Achish.

5When Saul saw the camp of the

10Now Achish said, "Where have you

Philistines, he was afraid and his heart made a raid today?" And David said, trembled greatly.

"Against the Negev of Judah and

against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites

6When Saul inquired of the LORD, the

and against the Negev of the Kenites."

LORD did not answer him, either by

dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

11David did not leave a man or a woman

alive

to

bring

to

Gath,

saying,

7Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek

"Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, for me a woman who is a medium, that I

'So has David done and so has been his

may go to her and inquire of her." And practice all the time he has lived in the his servants said to him, "Behold, there country of the Philistines.'"

is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."

12So Achish believed David, saying, "He

8Then Saul disguised himself by putting

has surely made himself odious among

on other clothes, and went, he and two

his people Israel; therefore he will

men with him, and they came to the

become my servant forever."

woman by night; and he said, " Conjure

up for me, please, and bring up for me 28

whom I shall name to you."

Now it came about in those days

9

that the Philistines gathered their armed

But the woman said to him, "Behold, camps for war, to fight against Israel.

you know what Saul has done, how he

And Achish said to David, "Know

has cut off those who are mediums and

assuredly that you will go out with me in

spiritists from the land. Why are you

the camp, you and your men."

then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?"

2David said to Achish, "Very well, you 10

shall know what your servant can do."

Saul vowed to her by the LORD,

So Achish said to David, "Very well, I saying, "As the LORD lives, no

will make you my bodyguard for life."

punishment shall come upon you for this

thing."

3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel

had lamented him and buried him in

Ramah, his own city. And Saul had

11Then the woman said, "Whom shall I 18"As you did not obey the LORD and bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring did not execute His fierce wrath on up Samuel for me."

Amalek, so the LORD has done this

thing to you this day.

12When the woman saw Samuel, she

cried out with a loud voice; and the

19"Moreover the LORD will also give

woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why

over Israel along with you into the hands

have you deceived me? For you are

of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow

Saul."

you and your sons will be with me.

Indeed the LORD will give over the army

13The king said to her, "Do not be afraid; of Israel into the hands of the

but what do you see?" And the woman Philistines!"

said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the earth."

20Then Saul immediately fell full length

upon the ground and was very afraid

14He said to her, "What is his form?" And because of the words of Samuel; also she said, "An old man is coming up, and

there was no strength in him, for he had

he is wrapped with a robe." And Saul eaten no food all day and all night.

knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed

with his face to the ground and did

21The woman came to Saul and saw

homage.

that he was terrified, and said to him,

"Behold, your maidservant has obeyed

15Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have

you, and I have taken my life in my hand

you disturbed me by bringing me up?"

and have listened to your words which

And Saul answered, "I am greatly

you spoke to me.

distressed; for the Philistines are waging

war against me, and God has departed

22"So now also, please listen to the from me and no longer answers me,

voice of your maidservant, and let me

either through prophets or by dreams;

set a piece of bread before you that you

therefore I have called you, that you

may eat and have strength when you go

may make known to me what I should

on your way."

do."

23But he refused and said, " I will not 16Samuel said, "Why then do you ask eat." However, his servants together me, since the LORD has departed from

with the woman urged him, and he

you and has become your adversary?

listened to them. So he arose from the

ground and sat on the bed.

17"The LORD has done accordingly as

He spoke through me; for the LORD has

24The woman had a fattened calf in the

torn the kingdom out of your hand and

house, and she quickly slaughtered it;

given it to your neighbor, to David.

and she took flour, kneaded it and

baked unleavened bread from it.

25She brought it before Saul and his 6Then Achish called David and said to servants, and they ate. Then they arose

him, "As the LORD lives, you have been

and went away that night.

upright, and your going out and your

coming in with me in the army are

pleasing in my sight; for I have not found

29Now the Philistines gathered evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are together all their armies to Aphek, while

not pleasing in the sight of the lords.

the Israelites were camping by the

spring which is in Jezreel.

7"Now therefore return and go in peace,

2

that you may not displease the lords of And the lords of the Philistines were

the Philistines."

proceeding on by hundreds and by

thousands, and David and his men were

8David said to Achish, " But what have I

proceeding on in the rear with Achish.

done? And what have you found in your

3

servant from the day when I came

Then the commanders of the Philistines

before you to this day, that I may not go

said, "What are these Hebrews doing

and fight against the enemies of my lord

here?"

And

Achish

said

to

the

the king?"

commanders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king 9

of Israel, who has been with me these

But Achish replied to David, "I know days, or rather these years, and I have that you are pleasing in my sight, like an found no fault in him from the day he

angel

of

God;

nevertheless

the

deserted to me to this day?"

commanders of the Philistines have said,

'He must not go up with us to the battle.'

4But the commanders of the Philistines

10

were

angry

with

him,

and

the

"Now then arise early in the morning commanders of the Philistines said to

with the servants of your lord who have

come with you, and as soon as you

him, "Make the man go back, that he have arisen early in the morning and

may return to his place where you have

assigned him, and do not let him go

have light, depart."

down to battle with us, or in the battle he

11

may become an adversary to us. For

So David arose early, he and his men,

with what could this man make himself

to depart in the morning to return to the

acceptable to his lord? Would it not be land of the Philistines. And the

with the heads of these men?

Philistines went up to Jezreel.

5"Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his

30Then it happened when David and

thousands,

And

David

his

ten

his men came to Ziklag on the third day,

thousands'?"

that the Amalekites had made a raid on

the Negev and on Ziklag, and had

overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

2and they took captive the women and too exhausted to cross the brook Besor all who were in it, both small and great,

remained behind.

without killing anyone, and carried them

off and went their way.

11Now they found an Egyptian in the

field and brought him to David, and gave

3When David and his men came to the

him bread and he ate, and they provided

city, behold, it was burned with fire, and

him water to drink.

their wives and their sons and their

daughters had been taken captive.

12They gave him a piece of fig cake and

two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then 4Then David and the people who were

his spirit revived. For he had not eaten with him lifted their voices and wept until

bread or drunk water for three days and

there was no strength in them to weep.

three nights.

5Now David's two wives had been taken

13David said to him, "To whom do you captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and

belong? And where are you from?" And

Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master 6Moreover David was greatly distressed

left me behind when I fell sick three

because the people spoke of stoning

days ago.

him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his

14"We made a raid on the Negev of the

daughters. But David strengthened

Cherethites, and on that which belongs

himself in the LORD his God.

to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb,

and we burned Ziklag with fire."

7Then David said to Abiathar the priest,

the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me

15Then David said to him, "Will you bring the ephod." So Abiathar brought the

me down to this band?" And he said, ephod to David.

"Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of 8David inquired of the LORD, saying, "

my master, and I will bring you down to

Shall I pursue this band? Shall I

this band."

overtake them?" And He said to him,

"Pursue, for you will surely overtake 16When he had brought him down,

them, and you will surely rescue all."

behold, they were spread over all the

land, eating and drinking and dancing

9So David went, he and the six hundred

because of all the great spoil that they men who were with him, and came to

had taken from the land of the

the brook Besor, where those left behind

Philistines and from the land of Judah.

remained.

17David slaughtered them from the

10But David pursued, he and four

twilight until the evening of the next day;

hundred men, for two hundred who were

and not a man of them escaped, except

four hundred young men who rode on who stays by the baggage; they shall camels and fled.

share alike."

18So David recovered all that the

25So it has been from that day forward,

Amalekites had taken, and rescued his

that he made it a statute and an

two wives.

ordinance for Israel to this day.

19But nothing of theirs was missing,

26Now when David came to Ziklag, he

whether small or great, sons or

sent some of the spoil to the elders of daughters, spoil or anything that they

Judah, to his friends, saying, "Behold, a had taken for themselves; David brought

gift for you from the spoil of the enemies

it all back.

of the LORD:

20So David had captured all the sheep

27to those who were in Bethel, and to

and the cattle which the people drove

those who were in Ramoth of the Negev,

ahead of the other livestock, and they

and to those who were in Jattir,

said, " This is David's spoil."

28and to those who were in Aroer, and to

21When David came to the two hundred

those who were in Siphmoth, and to

men who were too exhausted to follow

those who were in Eshtemoa,

David, who had also been left at the

brook Besor, and they went out to meet

29and to those who were in Racal, and

David and to meet the people who were

to those who were in the cities of the with him, then David approached the

Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in

people and greeted them.

the cities of the Kenites,

22Then all the wicked and worthless men

30and to those who were in Hormah, and

among those who went with David said,

to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to

"Because they did not go with us, we will those who were in Athach,

not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man

31and to those who were in Hebron, and

his wife and his children, that they may to all the places where David himself

lead them away and depart."

and his men were accustomed to go."

23Then David said, "You must not do so,

my brothers, with what the LORD has

31Now the Philistines were fighting given us, who has kept us and delivered

into our hand the band that came

against Israel, and the men of Israel fled

against us.

from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

24"And who will listen to you in this 2

matter? For as his share is who goes

The Philistines overtook Saul and his

down to the battle, so shall his share be

sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan

and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons 8It came about on the next day when the of Saul.

Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons

3The battle went heavily against Saul,

fallen on Mount Gilboa.

and the archers hit him; and he was

badly wounded by the archers.

9They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout

4Then Saul said to his armor bearer,

the land of the Philistines, to carry the

"Draw your sword and pierce me

good news to the house of their idols

through

with

it,

otherwise

these

and to the people.

uncircumcised will come and pierce me

through and make sport of me." But his 10They put his weapons in the temple of

armor bearer would not, for he was

Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to

greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword

the wall of Beth-shan.

and fell on it.

11Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh—

5When his armor bearer saw that Saul

gilead heard what the Philistines had

was dead, he also fell on his sword and

done to Saul,

died with him.

12all the valiant men rose and walked all

6Thus Saul died with his three sons, his

night, and took the body of Saul and the

armor bearer, and all his men on that

bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth—

day together.

shan, and they came to Jabesh and

burned them there.

7When the men of Israel who were on

the other side of the valley, with those 13They took their bones and buried them

who were beyond the Jordan, saw that

under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and

the men of Israel had fled and that Saul

fasted seven days.

and

his

sons

were

dead,

they

abandoned the cities and fled; then the

Philistines came and lived in them.

2nd Samuel

8"He said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, ' I am an Amalekite.'

1Now it came about after the death of 9"Then he said to me, 'Please stand Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David

beside me and kill me, for agony has

remained two days in Ziklag.

seized me because my life still lingers in

me.'

2On the third day, behold, a man came

10"So I stood beside him and killed him,

out of the camp from Saul, with his

clothes torn and dust on his head. And it

because I knew that he could not live

came about when he came to David that

after he had fallen. And I took the crown

he fell to the ground and prostrated

which was on his head and the bracelet

himself.

which was on his arm, and I have

brought them here to my lord."

3Then David said to him, "From where 11

do you come?" And he said to him, "I Then David took hold of his clothes have escaped from the camp of Israel."

and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him.

4David said to him, " How did things go?

12

Please tell me." And he said, "The They mourned and wept and fasted

people have fled from the battle, and

until evening for Saul and his son

also many of the people have fallen and

Jonathan and for the people of the

are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his

LORD and the house of Israel, because

they had fallen by the sword.

son are dead also."

13

5So David said to the young man who

David said to the young man who told

told him, "How do you know that Saul him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, " I am the son of an alien, an and his son Jonathan are dead?"

Amalekite."

6The young man who told him said, "By

14

chance I happened to be on Mount

Then David said to him, "How is it you

Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on

were not afraid to stretch out your hand

to destroy the LORD'S anointed?"

his spear. And behold, the chariots and

the horsemen pursued him closely.

15And David called one of the young

7"When he looked behind him, he saw men and said, "Go, cut him down." So me and called to me. And I said, 'Here I he struck him and he died.

am.'

16David said to him, " Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the 25" How have the mighty fallen in the LORD'S anointed.'"

midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places.

17Then David chanted with this lament

over Saul and Jonathan his son,

26"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant

18and he told them to teach the sons of

to me. Your love to me was more

Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is

wonderful Than the love of women.

written in the book of Jashar.

27" How have the mighty fallen, And the

19"Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your weapons of war perished!"

high places! How have the mighty fallen!

20" Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in 2Then it came about afterwards that the streets of Ashkelon, Or the David inquired of the LORD, saying,

daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,

"Shall I go up to one of the cities of The daughters of the uncircumcised will Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go exult.

up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, " To Hebron."

21" O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; 2So David went up there, and his two

For there the shield of the mighty was

wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess

defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed

and Abigail the widow of Nabal the

with oil.

Carmelite.

22" From the blood of the slain, from the 3And David brought up his men who

fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan

were with him, each with his household;

did not turn back, And the sword of Saul

and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

did not return empty.

4Then the men of Judah came and there

23"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and

anointed David king over the house of

pleasant in their life, And in their death Judah. And they told David, saying, "It they were not parted; They were swifter was the men of Jabesh-gilead who

than eagles, They were stronger than

buried Saul."

lions.

5David sent messengers to the men of

24"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, " May Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, you be blessed of the LORD because

Who put ornaments of gold on your

you have shown this kindness to Saul

apparel.

your lord, and have buried him.

6"Now

may

the

LORD

show

lovingkindness and truth to you; and I

also will show this goodness to you, 15So they arose and went over by count, because you have done this thing.

twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the

son of Saul, and twelve of the servants 7"Now therefore, let your hands be

of David.

strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord

is dead, and also the house of Judah

16Each one of them seized his opponent

has anointed me king over them."

by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down

8But Abner the son of Ner, commander

together. Therefore that place was

of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth

called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in

the son of Saul and brought him over to

Gibeon.

Mahanaim.

17That day the battle was very severe,

9He made him king over Gilead, over the

and Abner and the men of Israel were

Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim,

beaten before the servants of David.

and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.

18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were

10Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty

there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel;

years old when he became king over

and Asahel was as swift-footed as one

Israel, and he was king for two years.

of the gazelles which is in the field.

The house of Judah, however, followed

David.

19Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn

to the right or to the left from following 11The time that David was king in

Abner.

Hebron over the house of Judah was

seven years and six months.

20Then Abner looked behind him and

said, "Is that you, Asahel?" And he 12Now Abner the son of Ner, went out answered, "It is I."

from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the

servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.

21So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one

13And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the

of the young men for yourself, and take servants of David went out and met

for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was them by the pool of Gibeon; and they not willing to turn aside from following sat down, one on the one side of the

him.

pool and the other on the other side of the pool.

22Abner repeated again to Asahel, "Turn

aside from following me. Why should I

14Then Abner said to Joab, "Now let the

strike you to the ground? How then

young men arise and hold a contest

could I lift up my face to your brother before us." And Joab said, "Let them Joab?"

arise."

23However, he refused to turn aside; 30Then Joab returned from following therefore Abner struck him in the belly

Abner; when he had gathered all the

with the butt end of the spear, so that people together, nineteen of David's

the spear came out at his back. And he

servants besides Asahel were missing.

fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the

31But the servants of David had struck

place where Asahel had fallen and died,

down many of Benjamin and Abner's

stood still.

men, so that three hundred and sixty

men died.

24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner,

and when the sun was going down, they

32And they took up Asahel and buried

came to the hill of Ammah, which is in him in his father's tomb which was in

front of Giah by the way of the

Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men

wilderness of Gibeon.

went all night until the day dawned at

Hebron.

25The sons of Benjamin gathered

together behind Abner and became one

band, and they stood on the top of a

3Now there was a long war between

certain hill.

the house of Saul and the house of

26

David; and David grew steadily stronger,

Then Abner called to Joab and said,

but the house of Saul grew weaker

"Shall the sword devour forever? Do you

continually.

not know that it will be bitter in the end?

How long will you refrain from telling the

2

people to turn back from following their Sons were born to David at Hebron: his

brothers?"

firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the

Jezreelitess;

27Joab said, "As God lives, if you had 3

not spoken, surely then the people

and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the

would have gone away in the morning,

widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the

each from following his brother."

third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the

daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;

28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the

4

people halted and pursued Israel no

and the fourth, Adonijah the son of

longer, nor did they continue to fight

Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the

anymore.

son of Abital;

5

29Abner and his men then went through

and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife

the Arabah all that night; so they

Eglah. These were born to David at

crossed the Jordan, walked all morning,

Hebron.

and came to Mahanaim.

6It came about while there was war

between the house of Saul and the

house of David that Abner was making 14So David sent messengers to Ish-himself strong in the house of Saul.

bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was

7Now Saul had a concubine whose

betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the

name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah;

Philistines."

and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why

have you gone in to my father's

15Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her

concubine?"

husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.

8Then Abner was very angry over the

16But her husband went with her,

words of Ish-bosheth and said, " Am I a

weeping as he went, and followed her

dog's head that belongs to Judah?

as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to

Today I show kindness to the house of

him, "Go, return." So he returned.

Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you

17Now Abner had consultation with the

into the hands of David; and yet today

elders of Israel, saying, "In times past you charge me with a guilt concerning you were seeking for David to be king

the woman.

over you.

9" May God do so to Abner, and more 18"Now then, do it! For the LORD has also, if as the LORD has sworn to David, spoken of David, saying, ' By the hand

I do not accomplish this for him,

of My servant David I will save My

people Israel from the hand of the

10to transfer the kingdom from the house

Philistines and from the hand of all their

of Saul and to establish the throne of

enemies.'"

David over Israel and over Judah, from

Dan even to Beersheba."

19Abner also spoke in the hearing of

Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to

11And he could no longer answer Abner

speak in the hearing of David in Hebron

a word, because he was afraid of him.

all that seemed good to Israel and to the

whole house of Benjamin.

12Then Abner sent messengers to David

in his place, saying, "Whose is the land?

20Then Abner and twenty men with him

Make your covenant with me, and

came to David at Hebron. And David

behold, my hand shall be with you to

made a feast for Abner and the men

bring all Israel over to you."

who were with him.

13He said, "Good! I will make a covenant

21Abner said to David, "Let me arise and

with you, but I demand one thing of you,

go and gather all Israel to my lord the namely, you shall not see my face

king, that they may make a covenant

unless you first bring Michal, Saul's

with you, and that you may be king over

daughter, when you come to see me."

all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

22And behold, the servants of David and who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls Joab came from a raid and brought by the sword, or who lacks bread."

much spoil with them; but Abner was not

with David in Hebron, for he had sent

30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed

him away, and he had gone in peace.

Abner because he had put their brother

Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

23When Joab and all the army that was

with him arrived, they told Joab, saying,

31Then David said to Joab and to all the

"Abner the son of Ner came to the king,

people who were with him, " Tear your and he has sent him away, and he has clothes and gird on sackcloth and

gone in peace."

lament before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

24Then Joab came to the king and said,

"What have you done? Behold, Abner

32Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and

came to you; why then have you sent

the king lifted up his voice and wept at him away and he is already gone?

the grave of Abner, and all the people

wept.

25"You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of 33The king chanted a lament for Abner

your going out and coming in and to find

and said, "Should Abner die as a fool out all that you are doing."

dies?

26When Joab came out from David, he

34"Your hands were not bound, nor your

sent messengers after Abner, and they

feet put in fetters; As one falls before the

brought him back from the well of Sirah;

wicked, you have fallen." And all the but David did not know it.

people wept again over him.

27So when Abner returned to Hebron,

35Then all the people came to persuade

Joab took him aside into the middle of

David to eat bread while it was still day;

the gate to speak with him privately, and

but David vowed, saying, " May God do

there he struck him in the belly so that so to me, and more also, if I taste bread

he died on account of the blood of

or anything else before the sun goes

Asahel his brother.

down."

28Afterward when David heard it, he said,

36Now all the people took note of it, and

"I and my kingdom are innocent before it pleased them, just as everything the the LORD forever of the blood of Abner

king did pleased all the people.

the son of Ner.

37So all the people and all Israel

29" May it fall on the head of Joab and understood that day that it had not been on all his father's house; and may there

the will of the king to put Abner the son

not fail from the house of Joab one who

of Ner to death.

has a discharge, or who is a leper, or

38Then the king said to his servants, "Do the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his you not know that a prince and a great brother escaped.

man has fallen this day in Israel?

7Now when they came into the house,

39"I am weak today, though anointed

as he was lying on his bed in his

king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah

bedroom, they struck him and killed him

are too difficult for me. May the LORD

and beheaded him. And they took his

repay the evildoer according to his evil."

head and traveled by way of the Arabah

all night.

4

8

Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul's son,

Then they brought the head of Ish—

heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he

bosheth to David at Hebron and said to

lost courage, and all Israel was

the king, "Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy,

disturbed.

who sought your life; thus the LORD has

2

given my lord the king vengeance this

Saul's son had two men who were

day on Saul and his descendants."

commanders of bands: the name of the

one was Baanah and the name of the

9David answered Rechab and Baanah

other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the

his brother, sons of Rimmon the

Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of

Beerothite, and said to them, "As the Benjamin,

LORD lives, who has redeemed my life

from all distress,

3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and

10when one told me, saying, 'Behold,

have been aliens there until this day).

Saul is dead,' and thought he was

4

bringing good news, I seized him and

Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son

killed him in Ziklag, which was the

crippled in his feet. He was five years reward I gave him for his news.

old when the report of Saul and

Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his

11

nurse took him up and fled. And it

"How much more, when wicked men

happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell

have killed a righteous man in his own

and became lame. And his name was

house on his bed, shall I not now require

his blood from your hand and destroy

Mephibosheth.

you from the earth?"

5So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite,

12

Rechab and Baanah, departed and

Then David commanded the young

came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the

men, and they killed them and cut off

their hands and feet and hung them up

heat of the day while he was taking his beside the pool in Hebron. But they took

midday rest.

the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in 6

the grave of Abner in Hebron.

They came to the middle of the house

as if to get wheat, and they struck him in

9

5

So David lived in the stronghold and

Then all the tribes of Israel came to

called it the city of David. And David

David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we built all around from the Millo and inward.

are your bone and your flesh.

10David became greater and greater, for

2"Previously, when Saul was king over the LORD God of hosts was with him.

us, you were the one who led Israel out

11

and in. And the LORD said to you, ' You

Then Hiram king of Tyre sent

will shepherd My people Israel, and you

messengers to David with cedar trees

will be a ruler over Israel.'"

and carpenters and stonemasons; and

they built a house for David.

3So all the elders of Israel came to the 12

king at Hebron, and King David made a

And David realized that the LORD had

covenant with them before the LORD at

established him as king over Israel, and

Hebron; then they anointed David king

that He had exalted his kingdom for the

over Israel.

sake of His people Israel.

4

13

David was thirty years old when he

Meanwhile

David

took

more

became king, and he reigned forty years. concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more 5At Hebron he reigned over Judah

sons and daughters were born to David.

seven years and six months, and in

14

Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years

Now these are the names of those

over all Israel and Judah.

who were born to him in Jerusalem:

Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

6Now the king and his men went to

15

Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

inhabitants of the land, and they said to

David, "You shall not come in here, but 16Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

the blind and lame will turn you away"; thinking, "David cannot enter here."

17When the Philistines heard that they

had anointed David king over Israel, all 7Nevertheless, David captured the

the Philistines went up to seek out David;

stronghold of Zion, that is the city of and when David heard of it, he went

David.

down to the stronghold.

8David said on that day, "Whoever

18Now the Philistines came and spread

would strike the Jebusites, let him reach

themselves out in the valley of Rephaim.

the lame and the blind, who are hated

by David's soul, through the water

19Then David inquired of the LORD,

tunnel." Therefore they say, "The blind saying, "Shall I go up against the or the lame shall not come into the

Philistines? Will You give them into my

house."

hand?" And the LORD said to David,

"Go up, for I will certainly give the very name of the LORD of hosts who is Philistines into your hand."

enthroned above the cherubim.

20So David came to Baal-perazim and

3They placed the ark of God on a new

defeated them there; and he said, "The cart that they might bring it from the LORD has broken through my enemies

house of Abinadab which was on the hill;

before me like the breakthrough of

and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of

waters." Therefore he named that place Abinadab, were leading the new cart.

Baal-perazim.

4So they brought it with the ark of God 21They abandoned their idols there, so

from the house of Abinadab, which was

David and his men carried them away.

on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead

of the ark.

22Now the Philistines came up once

again and spread themselves out in the

5Meanwhile, David and all the house of

valley of Rephaim.

Israel were celebrating before the LORD

with all kinds of instruments made of fir 23When David inquired of the LORD, He

wood,

and

with

lyres,

harps,

said, "You shall not go directly up; circle tambourines, castanets and cymbals.

around behind them and come at them

in front of the balsam trees.

6But when they came to the threshing

floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out

24"It shall be, when you hear the sound toward the ark of God and took hold of it,

of marching in the tops of the balsam

for the oxen nearly upset it.

trees, then you shall act promptly, for

then the LORD will have gone out

7And the anger of the LORD burned

before you to strike the army of the

against Uzzah, and God struck him

Philistines."

down there for his irreverence; and he

died there by the ark of God.

25Then David did so, just as the LORD

had commanded him, and struck down

8David became angry because of the

the Philistines from Geba as far as

LORD'S outburst against Uzzah, and

Gezer.

that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.

6

9

Now David again gathered all the

So David was afraid of the LORD that

chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"

2And David arose and went with all the

10

people who were with him to Baale—

And David was unwilling to move the

judah, to bring up from there the ark of ark of the LORD into the city of David God which is called by the Name, the with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

11Thus the ark of the LORD remained in 19Further, he distributed to all the people, the house of Obed-edom the Gittite

to all the multitude of Israel, both to men

three months, and the LORD blessed

and women, a cake of bread and one of

Obed-edom and all his household.

dates and one of raisins to each one.

Then all the people departed each to his

12Now it was told King David, saying,

house.

"The LORD has blessed the house of

Obed-edom and all that belongs to him,

20But when David returned to bless his

on account of the ark of God." David household, Michal the daughter of Saul

went and brought up the ark of God

came out to meet David and said, "How

from the house of Obed-edom into the

the king of Israel distinguished himself

city of David with gladness.

today! He uncovered himself today in

the eyes of his servants' maids as one

13And so it was, that when the bearers

of

the

foolish

ones

shamelessly

of the ark of the LORD had gone six

uncovers himself!"

paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

21So David said to Michal, " It was 14And David was dancing before the

before the LORD, who chose me above

LORD with all his might, and David was

your father and above all his house, to wearing a linen ephod.

appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore I will

15

celebrate before the LORD.

So David and all the house of Israel

were bringing up the ark of the LORD

22

with shouting and the sound of the

"I will be more lightly esteemed than trumpet.

this and will be humble in my own eyes,

but with the maids of whom you have

16

spoken,

with

them

I

will

be

Then it happened as the ark of the

distinguished."

LORD came into the city of David that

Michal the daughter of Saul looked out

23

of the window and saw King David

Michal the daughter of Saul had no

leaping and dancing before the LORD;

child to the day of her death.

and she despised him in her heart.

17So they brought in the ark of the

7Now it came about when the king

LORD and set it in its place inside the lived in his house, and the LORD had

tent which David had pitched for it; and given him rest on every side from all his

David offered burnt offerings and peace

enemies,

offerings before the LORD.

2that the king said to Nathan the prophet,

18When David had finished offering the

"See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, burnt offering and the peace offering, he

but the ark of God dwells within tent

blessed the people in the name of the

curtains."

LORD of hosts.

3Nathan said to the king, " Go, do all 11even from the day that I commanded that is in your mind, for the LORD is with

judges to be over My people Israel; and

you."

I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The LORD also declares to you that the

4But in the same night the word of the LORD will make a house for you.

LORD came to Nathan, saying,

12" When your days are complete and 5"Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus

you lie down with your fathers, I will

says the LORD, " Are you the one who raise up your descendant after you, who

should build Me a house to dwell in?

will come forth from you, and I will

establish his kingdom.

6"For I have not dwelt in a house since 13

the day I brought up the sons of Israel

" He shall build a house for My name,

from Egypt, even to this day; but I have

and I will establish the throne of his

been moving about in a tent, even in a kingdom forever.

tabernacle.

14" I will be a father to him and he will be 7" Wherever I have gone with all the a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I sons of Israel, did I speak a word with will correct him with the rod of men and

one of the tribes of Israel, which I

the strokes of the sons of men,

commanded to shepherd My people

Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built

15but My lovingkindness shall not depart

Me a house of cedar?'"'

from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

8"Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD

16" Your house and your kingdom shall of hosts, " I took you from the pasture, endure before Me forever; your throne from following the sheep, to be ruler

shall be established forever."'"

over My people Israel.

17In accordance with all these words and

9" I have been with you wherever you all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

have gone and have cut off all your

enemies from before you; and I will

18Then David the king went in and sat

make you a great name, like the names

before the LORD, and he said, " Who of the great men who are on the earth.

am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my

house, that You have brought me this

10"I will also appoint a place for My far?

people Israel and will plant them, that

they may live in their own place and not

19"And yet this was insignificant in Your be disturbed again, nor will the wicked eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have

afflict them any more as formerly,

spoken also of the house of Your

servant concerning the distant future.

And this is the custom of man, O Lord 27"For You, O LORD of hosts, the God GOD.

of Israel, have made a revelation to

Your servant, saying, ' I will build you a 20"Again what more can David say to house'; therefore Your servant has You? For You know Your servant, O

found courage to pray this prayer to You.

Lord GOD!

28"Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and

21" For the sake of Your word, and Your words are truth, and You have

according to Your own heart, You have

promised this good thing to Your servant.

done all this greatness to let Your

servant know.

29"Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it 22"For this reason You are great, O Lord may continue forever before You. For

GOD; for there is none like You, and

You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and

there is no God besides You, according

with Your blessing may the house of

to all that we have heard with our ears.

Your servant be blessed forever."

23"And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went

8Now after this it came about that to redeem for Himself as a people and

David defeated the Philistines and

to make a name for Himself, and to do a

subdued them; and David took control of

great thing for You and awesome things

the chief city from the hand of the

for Your land, before Your people whom

Philistines.

You have redeemed for Yourself from

Egypt, from nations and their gods?

2He defeated Moab, and measured

them with the line, making them lie

24"For You have established for Yourself

down on the ground; and he measured

Your people Israel as Your own people

two lines to put to death and one full line

forever, and You, O LORD, have

to keep alive. And the Moabites became

become their God.

servants to David, bringing tribute.

25"Now therefore, O LORD God, the

3Then David defeated Hadadezer, the

word that You have spoken concerning

son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went

Your servant and his house, confirm it

to restore his rule at the River.

forever, and do as You have spoken,

4David captured from him 1,700

26that Your name may be magnified

horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and

forever, by saying, 'The LORD of hosts

David hamstrung the chariot horses, but

is God over Israel'; and may the house

reserved enough of them for 100

of Your servant David be established

chariots.

before You.

5When the Arameans of Damascus 13So David made a name for himself

came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah,

when he returned from killing 18,000

David killed 22,000 Arameans.

Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

6Then David put garrisons among the

14He put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom

Arameans of Damascus, and the

he put garrisons, and all the Edomites

Arameans became servants to David,

became servants to David. And the

bringing tribute. And the LORD helped

LORD helped David wherever he went.

David wherever he went.

15So David reigned over all Israel; and

7David took the shields of gold which

David

administered

justice

and

were carried by the servants of

righteousness for all his people.

Hadadezer

and

brought

them

to

Jerusalem.

16Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the

army, and Jehoshaphat the son of

8From Betah and from Berothai, cities of

Ahilud was recorder.

Hadadezer, King David took a very large

amount of bronze.

17Zadok the son of Ahitub and

Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were

9Now when Toi king of Hamath heard

priests, and Seraiah was secretary.

that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer,

18Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over

the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and

10Toi sent Joram his son to King David

David's sons were chief ministers.

to greet him and bless him, because he

had fought against Hadadezer and

defeated him; for Hadadezer had been

9Then David said, "Is there yet anyone at war with Toi. And Joram brought with

him articles of silver, of gold and of

left of the house of Saul, that I may

bronze.

show him kindness for Jonathan's

sake?"

11King David also dedicated these to the

2

LORD, with the silver and gold that he

Now there was a servant of the house

had dedicated from all the nations which

of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they

he had subdued:

called him to David; and the king said to

him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "I am 12

your servant."

from Aram and Moab and the sons of

Ammon and the Philistines and Amalek,

3

and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of

The king said, "Is there not yet anyone

Rehob, king of Zobah.

of the house of Saul to whom I may

show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, " There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet."

4So the king said to him, "Where is he?"

Mephibosheth ate at David's table as

And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is one of the king's sons.

in the house of Machir the son of

Ammiel in Lodebar."

12Mephibosheth had a young son whose

name was Mica. And all who lived in the

5Then King David sent and brought him

house of Ziba were servants to

from the house of Machir the son of

Mephibosheth.

Ammiel, from Lodebar.

13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem,

6Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the

for he ate at the king's table regularly.

son of Saul, came to David and fell on Now he was lame in both feet.

his face and prostrated himself. And

David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"

10Now it happened afterwards that

7

the king of the Ammonites died, and

David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will Hanun his son became king in his place.

surely show kindness to you for the

sake of your father Jonathan, and will

2

restore to you all the land of your

Then David said, "I will show kindness grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his

my table regularly."

father showed kindness to me." So

David sent some of his servants to

8

console him concerning his father. But

Again he prostrated himself and said,

when David's servants came to the land

"What is your servant, that you should of the Ammonites,

regard a dead dog like me?"

3

9

the princes of the Ammonites said to

Then the king called Saul's servant

Hanun their lord, "Do you think that Ziba and said to him, " All that belonged David is honoring your father because to Saul and to all his house I have given

he has sent consolers to you? Has

to your master's grandson.

David not sent his servants to you in

order to search the city, to spy it out and

10"You and your sons and your servants

overthrow it?"

shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your 4So Hanun took David's servants and master's grandson may have food;

shaved off half of their beards, and cut nevertheless

Mephibosheth

your

off their garments in the middle as far as

master's grandson shall eat at my table

their hips, and sent them away.

regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

5When they told it to David, he sent to 11

meet them, for the men were greatly

Then Ziba said to the king, "According

humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at to all that my lord the king commands Jericho until your beards grow, and then

his servant so your servant will do." So return."

6Now when the sons of Ammon saw that 14When the sons of Ammon saw that the

they had become odious to David, the

Arameans fled, they also fled before

sons of Ammon sent and hired the

Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab

Arameans of Beth-rehob and the

returned from fighting against the sons

Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot

of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

soldiers, and the king of Maacah with

1,000 men, and the men of Tob with

15When the Arameans saw that they had

12,000 men.

been defeated by Israel, they gathered

themselves together.

7When David heard of it, he sent Joab

and all the army, the mighty men.

16And Hadadezer sent and brought out

the Arameans who were beyond the

8The sons of Ammon came out and

River, and they came to Helam; and

drew up in battle array at the entrance of

Shobach the commander of the army of

the city, while the Arameans of Zobah

Hadadezer led them.

and of Rehob and the men of Tob and

Maacah were by themselves in the field.

17Now when it was told David, he

gathered all Israel together and crossed

9Now when Joab saw that the battle was

the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the

set against him in front and in the rear, Arameans arrayed themselves to meet

he selected from all the choice men of

David and fought against him.

Israel, and arrayed them against the

Arameans.

18But the Arameans fled before Israel,

and David killed 700 charioteers of the

10But the remainder of the people he

Arameans and 40,000 horsemen and

placed in the hand of Abishai his brother,

struck down Shobach the commander of

and he arrayed them against the sons of

their army, and he died there.

Ammon.

19When all the kings, servants of

11He said, "If the Arameans are too Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated

strong for me, then you shall help me,

by Israel, they made peace with Israel

but if the sons of Ammon are too strong

and served them. So the Arameans

for you, then I will come to help you.

feared to help the sons of Ammon

anymore.

12" Be strong, and let us show ourselves

courageous for the sake of our people

and for the cities of our God; and may 11Then it happened in the spring, at

the LORD do what is good in His sight."

the time when kings go out to battle, that

David sent Joab and his servants with

13So Joab and the people who were with

him and all Israel, and they destroyed

him drew near to the battle against the the sons of Ammon and besieged

Arameans, and they fled before him.

Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2Now when evening came David arose from a journey? Why did you not go from his bed and walked around on the

down to your house?"

roof of the king's house, and from the

roof he saw a woman bathing; and the

11Uriah said to David, " The ark and woman

was

very

beautiful

in

Israel and Judah are staying in

appearance.

temporary shelters, and my lord Joab

and the servants of my lord are camping

3So David sent and inquired about the

in the open field. Shall I then go to my woman. And one said, "Is this not house to eat and to drink and to lie with

Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the

my wife? By your life and the life of your

wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

soul, I will not do this thing."

4David sent messengers and took her,

12Then David said to Uriah, " Stay here and when she came to him, he lay with

today also, and tomorrow I will let you her; and when she had purified herself

go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem

from her uncleanness, she returned to

that day and the next.

her house.

13Now David called him, and he ate and

5The woman conceived; and she sent

drank before him, and he made him

and told David, and said, " I am

drunk; and in the evening he went out to

pregnant."

lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house.

6Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send

me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah 14Now in the morning David wrote a

to David.

letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of

Uriah.

7When Uriah came to him, David asked

concerning the welfare of Joab and the

15He had written in the letter, saying,

people and the state of the war.

"Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so

8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to

that he may be struck down and die."

your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and 16So it was as Joab kept watch on the a present from the king was sent out

city, that he put Uriah at the place where

after him.

he knew there were valiant men.

9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's

17The men of the city went out and

house with all the servants of his lord, fought against Joab, and some of the

and did not go down to his house.

people among David's servants fell; and

Uriah the Hittite also died.

10Now when they told David, saying,

"Uriah did not go down to his house,"

18Then Joab sent and reported to David

David said to Uriah, "Have you not come

all the events of the war.

19He charged the messenger, saying, 27When the time of mourning was over, "When you have finished telling all the David sent and brought her to his house

events of the war to the king,

and she became his wife; then she bore

him a son. But the thing that David had

20and if it happens that the king's wrath

done was evil in the sight of the LORD.

rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the 12Then the LORD sent Nathan to

wall?

David. And he came to him and said,

"There were two men in one city, the 21'Who struck down Abimelech the son

one rich and the other poor.

of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman

throw an upper millstone on him from

2"The rich man had a great many flocks

the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why

and herds.

did you go so near the wall?'--then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite

3

is dead also.'"

"But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought

22

and nourished; And it grew up together

So the messenger departed and came

with him and his children. It would eat of

and reported to David all that Joab had his bread and drink of his cup and lie in

sent him to tell.

his bosom, And was like a daughter to

him.

23The messenger said to David, "The

men prevailed against us and came out

4"Now a traveler came to the rich man, against us in the field, but we pressed And he was unwilling to take from his them as far as the entrance of the gate.

own flock or his own herd, To prepare

for the wayfarer who had come to him;

24"Moreover, the archers shot at your Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb

servants from the wall; so some of the

and prepared it for the man who had

king's servants are dead, and your

come to him."

servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead."

5Then David's anger burned greatly

25Then David said to the messenger,

against the man, and he said to Nathan,

"Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let

"As the LORD lives, surely the man who

this thing displease you, for the sword

has done this deserves to die.

devours one as well as another; make

your battle against the city stronger and

6"He must make restitution for the lamb

overthrow it'; and so encourage him."

fourfold, because he did this thing and

had no compassion."

26Now when the wife of Uriah heard that

Uriah her husband was dead, she

7Nathan then said to David, " You are mourned for her husband.

the man! Thus says the LORD God of

Israel, ' It is I who anointed you king

over Israel and it is I who delivered you 15So Nathan went to his house.

from the hand of Saul.

16David therefore inquired of God for the

8'I also gave you your master's house

child; and David fasted and went and lay

and your master's wives into your care,

all night on the ground.

and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I 17The elders of his household stood would have added to you many more

beside him in order to raise him up from

things like these!

the ground, but he was unwilling and

would not eat food with them.

9'Why have you despised the word of

the LORD by doing evil in His sight?

18Then it happened on the seventh day

You have struck down Uriah the Hittite

that the child died. And the servants of with the sword, have taken his wife to be

David were afraid to tell him that the

your wife, and have killed him with the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, sword of the sons of Ammon.

while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice.

10'Now therefore, the sword shall never

How then can we tell him that the child depart from your house, because you

is dead, since he might do himself

have despised Me and have taken the

harm!"

wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

19But when David saw that his servants

11"Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will were

whispering

together,

David

raise up evil against you from your own perceived that the child was dead; so

household; I will even take your wives

David said to his servants, "Is the child before your eyes and give them to your dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

companion, and he will lie with your

wives in broad daylight.

20So David arose from the ground,

washed, anointed himself, and changed

12'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do

his clothes; and he came into the house

this thing before all Israel, and under the

of the LORD and worshiped. Then he

sun.'"

came to his own house, and when he

requested, they set food before him and

13Then David said to Nathan, " I have he ate.

sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has

21Then his servants said to him, "What is taken away your sin; you shall not die.

this thing that you have done? While the

child was alive, you fasted and wept; but

14"However, because by this deed you when the child died, you arose and ate

have given occasion to the enemies of

food."

the LORD to blaspheme, the child also

that is born to you shall surely die."

22He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ' Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to 31He also brought out the people who me, that the child may live.'

were in it, and set them under saws,

sharp iron instruments, and iron axes,

23"But now he has died; why should I and made them pass through the

fast? Can I bring him back again? I will brickkiln. And thus he did to all the cities

go to him, but he will not return to me."

of the sons of Ammon. Then David and

all the people returned to Jerusalem.

24Then David comforted his wife

Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay

with her; and she gave birth to a son, 13Now it was after this that Absalom

and he named him Solomon. Now the

the son of David had a beautiful sister LORD loved him

whose name was Tamar, and Amnon

the son of David loved her.

25and sent word through Nathan the

prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for

2Amnon was so frustrated because of

the LORD'S sake.

his sister Tamar that he made himself ill,

for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard

26Now Joab fought against Rabbah of

to Amnon to do anything to her.

the sons of Ammon and captured the

royal city.

3But Amnon had a friend whose name

was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah,

27Joab sent messengers to David and

David's brother; and Jonadab was a

said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I very shrewd man.

have even captured the city of waters.

4He said to him, "O son of the king, why

28"Now therefore, gather the rest of the are you so depressed morning after

people together and camp against the

morning? Will you not tell me?" Then city and capture it, or I will capture the Amnon said to him, "I am in love with city myself and it will be named after Tamar, the sister of my brother

me."

Absalom."

29So David gathered all the people and

5Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on

went to Rabbah, fought against it and

your bed and pretend to be ill; when

captured it.

your father comes to see you, say to

him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come

30Then he took the crown of their king

and give me some food to eat, and let

from his head; and its weight was a

her prepare the food in my sight, that I talent of gold, and in it was a precious may see it and eat from her hand.'"

stone; and it was placed on David's

head. And he brought out the spoil of

6So Amnon lay down and pretended to

the city in great amounts.

be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may 14However, he would not listen to her; eat from her hand."

since he was stronger than she, he

violated her and lay with her.

7Then David sent to the house for

Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother 15Then Amnon hated her with a very

Amnon's house, and prepare food for

great hatred; for the hatred with which

him."

he hated her was greater than the love

with which he had loved her. And

8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's

Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away!"

house, and he was lying down. And she

took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in

16But she said to him, "No, because this

his sight, and baked the cakes.

wrong in sending me away is greater

than the other that you have done to

9She took the pan and dished them out

me!" Yet he would not listen to her.

before him, but he refused to eat. And

Amnon said, " Have everyone go out

17Then he called his young man who

from me." So everyone went out from attended him and said, "Now throw this him.

woman out of my presence, and lock the

door behind her."

10Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the

food into the bedroom, that I may eat

18Now she had on a long-sleeved

from your hand." So Tamar took the

garment; for in this manner the virgin

cakes which she had made and brought

daughters

of

the

king

dressed

them into the bedroom to her brother

themselves in robes. Then his attendant

Amnon.

took her out and locked the door behind

her.

11When she brought them to him to eat,

he took hold of her and said to her,

19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore

"Come, lie with me, my sister."

her long-sleeved garment which was on

her; and she put her hand on her head

12But she answered him, "No, my

and went away, crying aloud as she

brother, do not violate me, for such a

went.

thing is not done in Israel; do not do this

disgraceful thing!

20Then Absalom her brother said to her,

"Has Amnon your brother been with you?

13"As for me, where could I get rid of my But now keep silent, my sister, he is

reproach? And as for you, you will be

your brother; do not take this matter to like one of the fools in Israel. Now

heart." So Tamar remained and was

therefore, please speak to the king, for desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

he will not withhold me from you."

21Now when King David heard of all

these matters, he was very angry.

22But Absalom did not speak to Amnon 30Now it was while they were on the way either good or bad; for Absalom hated

that the report came to David, saying,

Amnon because he had violated his

"Absalom has struck down all the king's

sister Tamar.

sons, and not one of them is left."

23Now it came about after two full years

31Then the king arose, tore his clothes

that Absalom had sheepshearers in

and lay on the ground; and all his

Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and

servants were standing by with clothes

Absalom invited all the king's sons.

torn.

24Absalom came to the king and said,

32Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's

"Behold

now,

your

servant

has

brother, responded, "Do not let my lord sheepshearers; please let the king and suppose they have put to death all the

his servants go with your servant."

young men, the king's sons, for Amnon

alone is dead; because by the intent of 25But the king said to Absalom, "No, my

Absalom this has been determined

son, we should not all go, for we will be

since the day that he violated his sister burdensome to you." Although he urged

Tamar.

him, he would not go, but blessed him.

33"Now therefore, do not let my lord the 26Then Absalom said, "If not, please let king take the report to heart, namely, 'all my brother Amnon go with us." And the the king's sons are dead,' for only

king said to him, "Why should he go with

Amnon is dead."

you?"

34Now Absalom had fled. And the young

27But when Absalom urged him, he let

man who was the watchman raised his

Amnon and all the king's sons go with

eyes and looked, and behold, many

him.

people were coming from the road

behind him by the side of the mountain.

28Absalom commanded his servants,

35

saying, "See now, when Amnon's heart Jonadab said to the king, "Behold, the

is merry with wine, and when I say to

king's sons have come; according to

you, 'Strike Amnon,' then put him to

your servant's word, so it happened."

death. Do not fear; have not I myself

commanded you? Be courageous and

36As soon as he had finished speaking,

be valiant."

behold, the king's sons came and lifted

their voices and wept; and also the king

29The servants of Absalom did to Amnon

and all his servants wept very bitterly.

just as Absalom had commanded. Then

all the king's sons arose and each

37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai

mounted his mule and fled.

the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.

And David mourned for his son every

day.

38So Absalom had fled and gone to death for the life of his brother whom he Geshur, and was there three years.

killed, and destroy the heir also.' Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left,

39The heart of King David longed to go

so as to leave my husband neither

out to Absalom; for he was comforted

name nor remnant on the face of the

concerning Amnon, since he was dead.

earth."

8Then the king said to the woman, "Go 14Now Joab the son of Zeruiah to your house, and I will give orders concerning you."

perceived that the king's heart was

inclined toward Absalom.

9The woman of Tekoa said to the king,

2

"O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a me and my father's house, but the king

wise woman from there and said to her,

and his throne are guiltless."

"Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do

10

not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a

So the king said, "Whoever speaks to woman who has been mourning for the

you, bring him to me, and he will not

touch you anymore."

dead many days;

11

3then go to the king and speak to him in

Then she said, "Please let the king this manner." So Joab put the words in remember the LORD your God, so that her mouth.

the avenger of blood will not continue to

destroy, otherwise they will destroy my

4

son." And he said, " As the LORD lives, Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke

not one hair of your son shall fall to the to the king, she fell on her face to the ground."

ground and prostrated herself and said,

" Help, O king."

12Then the woman said, "Please let your

5

maidservant speak a word to my lord

The king said to her, "What is your the king." And he said, "Speak."

trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

13The woman said, " Why then have you

6

planned such a thing against the people

"Your maidservant had two sons, but

of God? For in speaking this word the

the two of them struggled together in the

king is as one who is guilty, in that the field, and there was no one to separate king does not bring back his banished them, so one struck the other and killed

one.

him.

14

7

"For we will surely die and are like

"Now behold, the whole family has

water spilled on the ground which

risen against your maidservant, and

cannot be gathered up again. Yet God

they say, 'Hand over the one who struck

does not take away life, but plans ways

his brother, that we may put him to

so that the banished one will not be cast 21Then the king said to Joab, "Behold out from him.

now, I will surely do this thing; go

therefore, bring back the young man

15"Now the reason I have come to speak

Absalom."

this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your

22Joab fell on his face to the ground,

maidservant said, 'Let me now speak to

prostrated himself and blessed the king;

the king, perhaps the king will perform

then Joab said, "Today your servant

the request of his maidservant.

knows that I have found favor in your

sight, O my lord, the king, in that the 16'For the king will hear and deliver his king has performed the request of his maidservant from the hand of the man

servant."

who would destroy both me and my son

from the inheritance of God.'

23So Joab arose and went to Geshur

and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

17"Then your maidservant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king be

24However the king said, "Let him turn to comforting, for as the angel of God, so his own house, and let him not see my is my lord the king to discern good and face." So Absalom turned to his own evil. And may the LORD your God be house and did not see the king's face.

with you.'"

25Now in all Israel was no one as

18Then the king answered and said to

handsome as Absalom, so highly

the woman, "Please do not hide

praised; from the sole of his foot to the anything from me that I am about to ask

crown of his head there was no defect in

you." And the woman said, "Let my lord him.

the king please speak."

26When he cut the hair of his head (and

19So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab

it was at the end of every year that he with you in all this?" And the woman cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut replied, "As your soul lives, my lord the it), he weighed the hair of his head at king, no one can turn to the right or to 200 shekels by the king's weight.

the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your

27To Absalom there were born three

servant Joab who commanded me, and

sons, and one daughter whose name

it was he who put all these words in the

was Tamar; she was a woman of

mouth of your maidservant;

beautiful appearance.

20in order to change the appearance of

28Now Absalom lived two full years in

things your servant Joab has done this

Jerusalem, and did not see the king's

thing. But my lord is wise, like the

face.

wisdom of the angel of God, to know all

that is in the earth."

29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send 3Then Absalom would say to him, "See, him to the king, but he would not come your claims are good and right, but no

to him. So he sent again a second time,

man listens to you on the part of the

but he would not come.

king."

30Therefore he said to his servants, "See, 4Moreover, Absalom would say, " Oh

Joab's field is next to mine, and he has that one would appoint me judge in the barley there; go and set it on fire." So land, then every man who has any suit Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

or cause could come to me and I would

give him justice."

31Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at

his house and said to him, "Why have 5And when a man came near to

your servants set my field on fire?"

prostrate himself before him, he would

put out his hand and take hold of him

32Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I

and kiss him.

sent for you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why 6In this manner Absalom dealt with all have I come from Geshur? It would be

Israel who came to the king for

better for me still to be there."' Now judgment; so Absalom stole away the

therefore, let me see the king's face,

hearts of the men of Israel.

and if there is iniquity in me, let him put

me to death."

7Now it came about at the end of forty years that Absalom said to the king,

33So when Joab came to the king and

"Please let me go and pay my vow

told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he

which I have vowed to the LORD, in

came to the king and prostrated himself

Hebron.

on his face to the ground before the king,

and the king kissed Absalom.

8"For your servant vowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ' If

15

the LORD shall indeed bring me back to

Now it came about after this that

Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'"

Absalom provided for himself a chariot

9

and horses and fifty men as runners

The king said to him, "Go in peace." So before him.

he arose and went to Hebron.

2

10

Absalom used to rise early and stand

But Absalom sent spies throughout all

beside the way to the gate; and when

the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as any man had a suit to come to the king you hear the sound of the trumpet, then

for judgment, Absalom would call to him

you shall say, ' Absalom is king in

and say, "From what city are you?" And Hebron.'"

he would say, "Your servant is from one

of the tribes of Israel."

11Then two hundred men went with

Absalom from Jerusalem, who were

invited and went innocently, and they and remain with the king, for you are a did not know anything.

foreigner and also an exile; return to

your own place.

12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the

Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city

20"You came only yesterday, and shall I

Giloh, while he was offering the

today make you wander with us, while I

sacrifices. And the conspiracy was

go where I will? Return and take back

strong,

for

the

people

increased

your brothers; mercy and truth be with

continually with Absalom.

you."

13Then a messenger came to David,

21But Ittai answered the king and said,

saying, " The hearts of the men of Israel

"As the LORD lives, and as my lord the

are with Absalom."

king lives, surely wherever my lord the

king may be, whether for death or for life,

14David said to all his servants who were

there also your servant will be."

with him at Jerusalem, " Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will

22Therefore David said to Ittai, "Go and escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed he will overtake us quickly and bring over with all his men and all the little down calamity on us and strike the city ones who were with him.

with the edge of the sword."

23While all the country was weeping with

15Then the king's servants said to the

a loud voice, all the people passed over.

king, "Behold, your servants are ready The king also passed over the brook

to do whatever my lord the king

Kidron, and all the people passed over

chooses."

toward the way of the wilderness.

16So the king went out and all his

24Now behold, Zadok also came, and all

household with him. But the king left ten

the Levites with him carrying the ark of concubines to keep the house.

the covenant of God. And they set down

the ark of God, and Abiathar came up

17The king went out and all the people

until all the people had finished passing with him, and they stopped at the last

from the city.

house.

25The king said to Zadok, "Return the 18Now all his servants passed on beside

ark of God to the city. If I find favor in him, all the Cherethites, all the

the sight of the LORD, then He will bring

Pelethites and all the Gittites, six

me back again and show me both it and

hundred men who had come with him

His habitation.

from Gath, passed on before the king.

26"But if He should say thus, ' I have no 19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, delight in you,' behold, here I am, let "Why will you also go with us? Return Him do to me as seems good to Him."

27The king said also to Zadok the priest, 35"Are not Zadok and Abiathar the "Are you not a seer? Return to the city in priests with you there? So it shall be that

peace and your two sons with you, your

whatever you hear from the king's house,

son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of

you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar

Abiathar.

the priests.

28"See, I am going to wait at the fords of 36"Behold their two sons are with them the wilderness until word comes from there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son and

you to inform me."

Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them

you shall send me everything that you

29Therefore

Zadok

and

Abiathar

hear."

returned the ark of God to Jerusalem

and remained there.

37So Hushai, David's friend, came into

the city, and Absalom came into

30And David went up the ascent of the

Jerusalem.

Mount of Olives, and wept as he went,

and his head was covered and he

walked barefoot. Then all the people

16Now when David had passed a

who were with him each covered his

little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba

head and went up weeping as they went. the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and 31Now someone told David, saying, "

on them were two hundred loaves of

Ahithophel is among the conspirators

bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a

with Absalom." And David said, "O

hundred summer fruits, and a jug of

LORD, I pray, make the counsel of

wine.

Ahithophel foolishness."

2The king said to Ziba, "Why do you 32It happened as David was coming to

have these?" And Ziba said, " The the summit, where God was worshiped,

donkeys are for the king's household to

that behold, Hushai the Archite met him

ride, and the bread and summer fruit for

with his coat torn and dust on his head.

the young men to eat, and the wine, for

whoever is faint in the wilderness to

33David said to him, "If you pass over drink."

with me, then you will be a burden to me.

3Then the king said, "And where is your

34"But if you return to the city, and say to master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for as I have been your father's servant in he said, 'Today the house of Israel will time past, so I will now be your servant,'

restore the kingdom of my father to me.'"

then you can thwart the counsel of

Ahithophel for me.

4So the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours."

And Ziba said, "I prostrate myself; let me

find favor in your sight, O my lord, the and let him curse, for the LORD has told king!"

him.

5When King David came to Bahurim,

12"Perhaps the LORD will look on my behold, there came out from there a

affliction and return good to me instead man of the family of the house of Saul of his cursing this day."

whose name was Shimei, the son of

Gera; he came out cursing continually

13So David and his men went on the

as he came.

way; and Shimei went along on the

hillside parallel with him and as he went

6He threw stones at David and at all the

he cursed and cast stones and threw

servants of King David; and all the

dust at him.

people and all the mighty men were at

his right hand and at his left.

14The king and all the people who were

with him arrived weary and he refreshed

7Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get

himself there.

out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and

worthless fellow!

15Then Absalom and all the people, the

men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and

8" The LORD has returned upon you all

Ahithophel with him.

the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in

whose place you have reigned; and the

16Now it came about when Hushai the

LORD has given the kingdom into the

Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom,

hand of your son Absalom. And behold,

that Hushai said to Absalom, " Long live

you are taken in your own evil, for you the king! Long live the king!"

are a man of bloodshed!"

17Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your 9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to

loyalty to your friend? Why did you not the king, "Why should this dead dog go with your friend?"

curse my lord the king? Let me go over

now and cut off his head."

18Then Hushai said to Absalom, "No!

For whom the LORD, this people, and

10But the king said, " What have I to do

all the men of Israel have chosen, his I with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he

will be, and with him I will remain.

curses, and if the LORD has told him,

'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why

19"Besides, whom should I serve?

have you done so?'"

Should I not serve in the presence of his

son? As I have served in your father's

11Then David said to Abishai and to all presence, so I will be in your presence."

his servants, "Behold, my son who came

out from me seeks my life; how much

20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel,

more now this Benjamite? Let him alone

"Give your advice. What shall we do?"

21Ahithophel said to Absalom, " Go in to 6When Hushai had come to Absalom, your father's concubines, whom he has

Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has left to keep the house; then all Israel will

spoken thus. Shall we carry out his plan?

hear that you have made yourself

If not, you speak."

odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be

7So Hushai said to Absalom, " This time

strengthened."

the advice that Ahithophel has given is

not good."

22So they pitched a tent for Absalom on

the roof, and Absalom went in to his

8Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your

father's concubines in the sight of all

father and his men, that they are mighty

Israel.

men and they are fierce, like a bear

robbed of her cubs in the field. And your

23The advice of Ahithophel, which he

father is an expert in warfare, and will gave in those days, was as if one

not spend the night with the people.

inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by

9"Behold, he has now hidden himself in both David and Absalom.

one of the caves or in another place;

and it will be when he falls on them at 17

the first attack, that whoever hears it will

Furthermore, Ahithophel said to

say, 'There has been a slaughter among

Absalom, "Please let me choose 12,000

the people who follow Absalom.'

men that I may arise and pursue David

10

tonight.

"And even the one who is valiant,

whose heart is like the heart of a lion, 2" I will come upon him while he is weary will completely lose heart; for all Israel and exhausted and terrify him, so that knows that your father is a mighty man

all the people who are with him will flee.

and those who are with him are valiant

men.

Then I will strike down the king alone,

11

3and I will bring back all the people to

"But I counsel that all Israel be surely you. The return of everyone depends on

gathered to you, from Dan even to

the man you seek; then all the people

Beersheba, as the sand that is by the

sea in abundance, and that you

will be at peace."

personally go into battle.

4So the plan pleased Absalom and all

12

the elders of Israel.

"So we shall come to him in one of the

places where he can be found, and we

will fall on him as the dew falls on the 5Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai ground; and of him and of all the men the Archite also, and let us hear what he

who are with him, not even one will be has to say."

left.

13"If he withdraws into a city, then all 20Then Absalom's servants came to the Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and woman at the house and said, "Where we will drag it into the valley until not are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the even a small stone is found there."

woman said to them, "They have

crossed the brook of water." And when 14Then Absalom and all the men of

they searched and could not find them,

Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the they returned to Jerusalem.

Archite is better than the counsel of

Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained

21It came about after they had departed

to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel,

that they came up out of the well and

so that the LORD might bring calamity

went and told King David; and they said

on Absalom.

to David, " Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has

15Then Hushai said to Zadok and to

counseled against you."

Abiathar the priests, "This is what

Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the

22Then David and all the people who

elders of Israel, and this is what I have were with him arose and crossed the

counseled.

Jordan; and by dawn not even one

remained who had not crossed the

16"Now therefore, send quickly and tell Jordan.

David, saying, ' Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all

23Now when Ahithophel saw that his

means cross over, or else the king and

counsel was not followed, he saddled

all the people who are with him will be his donkey and arose and went to his

destroyed.'"

home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he

17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were

died and was buried in the grave of his staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant

father.

would go and tell them, and they would

go and tell King David, for they could not

24Then David came to Mahanaim. And

be seen entering the city.

Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all

the men of Israel with him.

18But a lad did see them and told

Absalom; so the two of them departed

25Absalom set Amasa over the army in

quickly and came to the house of a man

place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son

in Bahurim, who had a well in his

of a man whose name was Ithra the

courtyard, and they went down into it.

Israelite, who went in to Abigail the

daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah,

19And the woman took a covering and

Joab's mother.

spread it over the well's mouth and

scattered grain on it, so that nothing was

26And Israel and Absalom camped in the

known.

land of Gilead.

27Now when David had come to 5The king charged Joab and Abishai and

Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash

Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon,

with the young man Absalom." And all Machir the son of Ammiel from Lodebar,

the people heard when the king charged

and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,

all

the

commanders

concerning

Absalom.

28brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat,

barley, flour, parched grain, beans,

6Then the people went out into the field

lentils, parched seeds,

against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of

the herd, for David and for the people

7The people of Israel were defeated

who were with him, to eat; for they said,

there before the servants of David, and

"The people are hungry and weary and the slaughter there that day was great,

thirsty in the wilderness."

20,000 men.

8

18

For the battle there was spread over

Then David numbered the people

the whole countryside, and the forest

devoured more people that day than the

who were with him and set over them

sword devoured.

commanders

of

thousands

and

commanders of hundreds.

9Now Absalom happened to meet the

2David sent the people out, one third

servants of David. For Absalom was

riding on his mule, and the mule went

under the command of Joab, one third

under the thick branches of a great oak.

under the command of Abishai the son

of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third

And his head caught fast in the oak, so under the command of Ittai the Gittite.

he was left hanging between heaven

And the king said to the people, "I and earth, while the mule that was

under him kept going.

myself will surely go out with you also."

10

3But the people said, " You should not When a certain man saw it, he told

go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not

Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom care about us; even if half of us die, they

hanging in an oak."

will not care about us. But you are worth

11

ten thousand of us; therefore now it is Then Joab said to the man who had

better that you be ready to help us from

told him, "Now behold, you saw him!

the city."

Why then did you not strike him there to

the ground? And I would have given you

4

ten pieces of silver and a belt."

Then the king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king 12

stood beside the gate, and all the

The man said to Joab, "Even if I

people went out by hundreds and

should receive a thousand pieces of

thousands.

silver in my hand, I would not put out my

hand against the king's son; for in our 20But Joab said to him, "You are not the hearing the king charged you and

man to carry news this day, but you

Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me

shall carry news another day; however,

the young man Absalom!'

you shall carry no news today because

the king's son is dead."

13"Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing

21Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, hidden from the king), then you yourself

tell the king what you have seen." So would have stood aloof."

the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

14Then Joab said, "I will not waste time 22Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said

here with you." So he took three spears

once more to Joab, "But whatever

in his hand and thrust them through the

happens, please let me also run after

heart of Absalom while he was yet alive

the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why in the midst of the oak.

would you run, my son, since you will

have no reward for going?"

15And ten young men who carried Joab's

armor gathered around and struck

23"But whatever happens," he said, "I Absalom and killed him.

will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and 16Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the

passed up the Cushite.

people returned from pursuing Israel, for

Joab restrained the people.

24Now David was sitting between the

two gates; and the watchman went up to

17They took Absalom and cast him into a

the roof of the gate by the wall, and

deep pit in the forest and erected over raised his eyes and looked, and behold,

him a very great heap of stones. And all

a man running by himself.

Israel fled, each to his tent.

25The watchman called and told the king.

18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken

And the king said, "If he is by himself and set up for himself a pillar which is in there is good news in his mouth." And the King's Valley, for he said, " I have no he came nearer and nearer.

son to preserve my name." So he

named the pillar after his own name,

26Then the watchman saw another man

and it is called Absalom's Monument to

running; and the watchman called to the

this day.

gatekeeper and said, "Behold, another man running by himself." And the king 19Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, said, "This one also is bringing good

"Please let me run and bring the king news."

news that the LORD has freed him from

the hand of his enemies."

27The watchman said, "I think the

running of the first one is like the

running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok."

And the king said, " This is a good man and comes with good news."

19Then it was told Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourns for

28Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "

Absalom."

All is well." And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the 2The victory that day was turned to

ground. And he said, " Blessed is the mourning for all the people, for the

LORD your God, who has delivered up

people heard it said that day, "The king the men who lifted their hands against is grieved for his son."

my lord the king."

3

29

So the people went by stealth into the

The king said, " Is it well with the city that day, as people who are

young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz

humiliated steal away when they flee in

answered, "When Joab sent the king's battle.

servant, and your servant, I saw a great

tumult, but I did not know what it was."

4The king covered his face and cried out

30

with a loud voice, " O my son Absalom, Then the king said, "Turn aside and O Absalom, my son, my son!"

stand here." So he turned aside and stood still.

5Then Joab came into the house to the

31

king and said, "Today you have covered

Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the

with shame the faces of all your

Cushite said, "Let my lord the king servants, who today have saved your

receive good news, for the LORD has

life and the lives of your sons and

freed you this day from the hand of all daughters, the lives of your wives, and

those who rose up against you."

the lives of your concubines,

32Then the king said to the Cushite, " Is 6by loving those who hate you, and by

it well with the young man Absalom?"

hating those who love you. For you have

And the Cushite answered, " Let the shown today that princes and servants

enemies of my lord the king, and all who

are nothing to you; for I know this day rise up against you for evil, be as that that if Absalom were alive and all of us young man!"

were dead today, then you would be

pleased.

33The king was deeply moved and went

up to the chamber over the gate and

7"Now therefore arise, go out and speak

wept. And thus he said as he walked, "

kindly to your servants, for I swear by O my son Absalom, my son, my son

the LORD, if you do not go out, surely Absalom! Would I had died instead of

not a man will pass the night with you, you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from

your youth until now."

8So the king arose and sat in the gate.

Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to

When they told all the people, saying,

bring the king across the Jordan.

"Behold, the king is sitting in the gate,"

then all the people came before the king.

16Then Shimei the son of Gera, the

Now Israel had fled, each to his tent.

Benjamite who was from Bahurim,

hurried and came down with the men of

9All the people were quarreling

Judah to meet King David.

throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,

" The king delivered us from the hand of

17There were a thousand men of

our enemies and saved us from the

Benjamin with him, with Ziba the servant

hand of the Philistines, but now he has of the house of Saul, and his fifteen

fled out of the land from Absalom.

sons and his twenty servants with him;

and they rushed to the Jordan before

10"However,

Absalom,

whom

we

the king.

anointed over us, has died in battle.

Now then, why are you silent about

18Then they kept crossing the ford to

bringing the king back?"

bring over the king's household, and to

do what was good in his sight. And

11Then King David sent to Zadok and

Shimei the son of Gera fell down before

Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak to the king as he was about to cross the the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are

Jordan.

you the last to bring the king back to his

house, since the word of all Israel has 19So he said to the king, " Let not my come to the king, even to his house?

lord consider me guilty, nor remember

what your servant did wrong on the day

12'You are my brothers; you are my bone

when my lord the king came out from

and my flesh. Why then should you be

Jerusalem, so that the king would take it

the last to bring back the king?'

to heart.

13"Say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone

20"For your servant knows that I have and my flesh? May God do so to me,

sinned; therefore behold, I have come

and more also, if you will not be

today, the first of all the house of Joseph

commander of the army before me

to go down to meet my lord the king."

continually in place of Joab.'"

21But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, "

14Thus he turned the hearts of all the

Should not Shimei be put to death for

men of Judah as one man, so that they

this, because he cursed the LORD'S

sent word to the king, saying, "Return, anointed?"

you and all your servants."

22David then said, " What have I to do 15The king then returned and came as with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you

far as the Jordan. And Judah came to

should this day be an adversary to me?

Should any man be put to death in Israel

today? For do I not know that I am king 30Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let over Israel today?"

him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house."

23The king said to Shimei, " You shall not die." Thus the king swore to him.

31Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come

down from Rogelim; and he went on to

24Then Mephibosheth the son of Saul

the Jordan with the king to escort him

came down to meet the king; and he

over the Jordan.

had neither cared for his feet, nor

trimmed his mustache, nor washed his

32Now Barzillai was very old, being

clothes, from the day the king departed

eighty years old; and he had sustained

until the day he came home in peace.

the king while he stayed at Mahanaim,

for he was a very great man.

25It was when he came from Jerusalem

to meet the king, that the king said to 33The king said to Barzillai, "You cross him, " Why did you not go with me, over with me and I will sustain you in Mephibosheth?"

Jerusalem with me."

26So he answered, "O my lord, the king,

34But Barzillai said to the king, " How my servant deceived me; for your

long have I yet to live, that I should go servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for up with the king to Jerusalem?

myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame.

35"I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or

27"Moreover, he has slandered your

can your servant taste what I eat or

servant to my lord the king; but my lord what I drink? Or can I hear anymore the

the king is like the angel of God,

voice of singing men and women? Why

therefore do what is good in your sight.

then should your servant be an added

burden to my lord the king?

28"For all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord

36"Your servant would merely cross over

the king; yet you set your servant

the Jordan with the king. Why should

among those who ate at your own table.

the king compensate me with this

What right do I have yet that I should reward?

complain anymore to the king?"

37"Please let your servant return, that I 29So the king said to him, "Why do you may die in my own city near the grave of still speak of your affairs? I have

my father and my mother. However,

decided, 'You and Ziba shall divide the

here is your servant Chimham, let him

land.'"

cross over with my lord the king, and do

for him what is good in your sight."

38The king answered, "Chimham shall the trumpet and said, " We have no cross over with me, and I will do for him portion in David, Nor do we have

what is good in your sight; and whatever

inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every

you require of me, I will do for you."

man to his tents, O Israel!"

39All the people crossed over the Jordan

2So all the men of Israel withdrew from and the king crossed too. The king then

following David and followed Sheba the

kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he

son of Bichri; but the men of Judah

returned to his place.

remained steadfast to their king, from

the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

40Now the king went on to Gilgal, and

Chimham went on with him; and all the

3Then David came to his house at

people of Judah and also half the

Jerusalem, and the king took the ten

people of Israel accompanied the king.

women, the concubines whom he had

left to keep the house, and placed them

41And behold, all the men of Israel came

under guard and provided them with

to the king and said to the king, " Why sustenance, but did not go in to them.

had our brothers the men of Judah

So they were shut up until the day of

stolen you away, and brought the king

their death, living as widows.

and his household and all David's men

with him over the Jordan?"

4Then the king said to Amasa, "Call out

the men of Judah for me within three

42Then all the men of Judah answered

days, and be present here yourself."

the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you

5So Amasa went to call out the men of

angry about this matter? Have we eaten

Judah, but he delayed longer than the

at all at the king's expense, or has

set time which he had appointed him.

anything been taken for us?"

6And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba

43But the men of Israel answered the

the son of Bichri will do us more harm men of Judah and said, " We have ten than Absalom; take your lord's servants parts in the king, therefore we also have

and pursue him, so that he does not find

more claim on David than you. Why

for himself fortified cities and escape

then

did

you

treat

us

with

from our sight."

contemptNULL Was it not our advice

first to bring back our kingNULL" Yet the 7So Joab's men went out after him,

words of the men of Judah were harsher

along with the Cherethites and the

than the words of the men of Israel.

Pelethites and all the mighty men; and

they went out from Jerusalem to pursue

20

Sheba the son of Bichri.

Now a worthless fellow happened

8

to be there whose name was Sheba, the

When they were at the large stone

son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to

meet them. Now Joab was dressed in with Joab were wreaking destruction in his military attire, and over it was a belt order to topple the wall.

with a sword in its sheath fastened at his

waist; and as he went forward, it fell out.

16Then a wise woman called from the

city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, 9Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"

my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

17So he approached her, and the

woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he 10But Amasa was not on guard against

answered, "I am." Then she said to him, the sword which was in Joab's hand so "Listen

to

the

words

of

your

he struck him in the belly with it and maidservant." And he answered, "I am poured out his inward parts on the listening."

ground, and did not strike him again,

and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his

18Then she spoke, saying, "Formerly

brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

they used to say, 'They will surely ask advice at Abel,' and thus they ended the

11Now there stood by him one of Joab's

dispute.

young men, and said, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him

19"I am of those who are peaceable and

follow Joab."

faithful in Israel. You are seeking to

destroy a city, even a mother in Israel.

12But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood

Why would you swallow up the

in the middle of the highway. And when

inheritance of the LORD?"

the man saw that all the people stood

still, he removed Amasa from the

20Joab replied, "Far be it, far be it from highway into the field and threw a me that I should swallow up or destroy!

garment over him when he saw that

everyone who came by him stood still.

21"Such is not the case. But a man from

the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the

13As soon as he was removed from the

son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his highway, all the men passed on after

hand against King David. Only hand him

Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

over, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his 14Now he went through all the tribes of head will be thrown to you over the Israel to Abel, even Beth-maacah, and

wall."

all the Berites; and they were gathered

together and also went after him.

22Then the woman wisely came to all the

people. And they cut off the head of

15They came and besieged him in Abel

Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege

Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they

ramp against the city, and it stood by the

were dispersed from the city, each to his

rampart; and all the people who were

tent. Joab also returned to the king at any man to death in Israel." And he said, Jerusalem.

"I will do for you whatever you say."

23Now Joab was over the whole army of

5So they said to the king, " The man Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada

who consumed us and who planned to

was over the Cherethites and the

exterminate us from remaining within

Pelethites;

any border of Israel,

24and Adoram was over the forced labor,

6let seven men from his sons be given to

and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was

us, and we will hang them before the

the recorder;

LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of

the LORD." And the king said, "I will give 25and Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and

them."

Abiathar were priests;

7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the

26and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to

son of Jonathan the son of Saul,

David.

because of the oath of the LORD which

was between them, between David and

Saul's son Jonathan.

21Now there was a famine in the 8So the king took the two sons of Rizpah days of David for three years, year after the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and

year; and David sought the presence of

Mephibosheth whom she had borne to

the LORD. And the LORD said, "It is for

Saul, and the five sons of Merab the

Saul and his bloody house, because he

daughter of Saul, whom she had borne

put the Gibeonites to death."

to Adriel the son of Barzillai the

Meholathite.

2So the king called the Gibeonites and

spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were

9Then he gave them into the hands of

not of the sons of Israel but of the

the Gibeonites, and they hanged them

remnant of the Amorites, and the sons

in the mountain before the LORD, so

of Israel made a covenant with them,

that the seven of them fell together; and

but Saul had sought to kill them in his they were put to death in the first days zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).

of harvest at the beginning of barley

harvest.

3Thus David said to the Gibeonites,

"What should I do for you? And how can

10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took

I make atonement that you may bless

sackcloth and spread it for herself on

the inheritance of the LORD?"

the rock, from the beginning of harvest

until it rained on them from the sky; and

4Then the Gibeonites said to him, " We she allowed neither the birds of the sky have no concern of silver or gold with to rest on them by day nor the beasts of

Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put the field by night.

11When it was told David what Rizpah 18Now it came about after this that there the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of

was war again with the Philistines at

Saul, had done,

Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite

struck down Saph, who was among the

12then David went and took the bones of

descendants of the giant.

Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son

from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had

19There was war with the Philistines

stolen them from the open square of

again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of

Beth-shan, where the Philistines had

Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed

hanged them on the day the Philistines

Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose

struck down Saul in Gilboa.

spear was like a weaver's beam.

13He brought up the bones of Saul and

20There was war at Gath again, where

the bones of Jonathan his son from

there was a man of great stature who

there, and they gathered the bones of

had six fingers on each hand and six

those who had been hanged.

toes on each foot, twenty-four in number;

and he also had been born to the giant.

14They buried the bones of Saul and

Jonathan his son in the country of

21When he defied Israel, Jonathan the

Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish

son of Shimei, David's brother, struck

his father; thus they did all that the king

him down.

commanded, and after that God was

moved by prayer for the land.

22These four were born to the giant in

Gath, and they fell by the hand of David

15Now when the Philistines were at war

and by the hand of his servants.

again with Israel, David went down and

his servants with him; and as they

fought against the Philistines, David

22And David spoke the words of this

became weary.

song to the LORD in the day that the

16

LORD delivered him from the hand of all

Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the

his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

descendants of the giant, the weight of

whose spear was three hundred shekels

2

of bronze in weight, was girded with a

He said, " The LORD is my rock and new sword, and he intended to kill David. my fortress and my deliverer; 3

17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped

My God, my rock, in whom I take

him, and struck the Philistine and killed refuge, My shield and the horn of my

him. Then the men of David swore to

salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;

him, saying, " You shall not go out again My savior, You save me from violence.

with us to battle, so that you do not

4

extinguish the lamp of Israel."

"I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to

be praised, And I am saved from my

enemies.

5"For the waves of death encompassed 16"Then the channels of the sea me;

The

torrents

of

destruction

appeared, The foundations of the world

overwhelmed me;

were laid bare By the rebuke of the

LORD, At the blast of the breath of His 6The cords of Sheol surrounded me;

nostrils.

The snares of death confronted me.

17" He sent from on high, He took me; 7" In my distress I called upon the LORD, He drew me out of many waters.

Yes, I cried to my God; And from His

temple He heard my voice, And my cry

18"He delivered me from my strong

for help came into His ears.

enemy, From those who hated me, for

they were too strong for me.

8"Then the earth shook and quaked, The

foundations of heaven were trembling

19"They confronted me in the day of my

And were shaken, because He was

calamity, But the LORD was my support.

angry.

20" He also brought me forth into a broad 9"Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire place; He rescued me, because He from His mouth devoured; Coals were

delighted in me.

kindled by it.

21" The LORD has rewarded me

10"He bowed the heavens also, and

according

to

my

righteousness;

came down With thick darkness under

According to the cleanness of my hands

His feet.

He has recompensed me.

11" And He rode on a cherub and flew; 22" For I have kept the ways of the And He appeared on the wings of the LORD, And have not acted wickedly

wind.

against my God.

12" And He made darkness canopies

23" For all His ordinances were before around Him, A mass of waters, thick

me, And as for His statutes, I did not clouds of the sky.

depart from them.

13"From the brightness before Him Coals

24" I was also blameless toward Him, of fire were kindled.

And I kept myself from my iniquity.

14" The LORD thundered from heaven,

25"

Therefore

the

LORD

has

And the Most High uttered His voice.

recompensed me according to my

righteousness,

According

to

my

15" And He sent out arrows, and

cleanness before His eyes.

scattered them, Lightning, and routed

them.

26" With the kind You show Yourself kind, 38"I pursued my enemies and destroyed With the blameless You show Yourself

them, And I did not turn back until they blameless;

were consumed.

27With the pure You show Yourself pure,

39"And I have devoured them and

And with the perverted You show

shattered them, so that they did not rise;

Yourself astute.

And they fell under my feet.

28" And You save an afflicted people; 40"For You have girded me with strength

But Your eyes are on the haughty whom

for battle; You have subdued under me

You abase.

those who rose up against me.

29" For You are my lamp, O LORD; And

41"You have also made my enemies turn

the LORD illumines my darkness.

their backs to me, And I destroyed those

who hated me.

30" For by You I can run upon a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall.

42" They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the LORD, but He did not

31" As for God, His way is blameless; answer them.

The word of the LORD is tested; He is a

shield to all who take refuge in Him.

43" Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and stamped them

32" For who is God, besides the LORD?

as the mire of the streets.

And who is a rock, besides our God?

44" You have also delivered me from the

33" God is my strong fortress; And He contentions of my people; You have

sets the blameless in His way.

kept me as head of the nations; A

people whom I have not known serve

34

me.

" He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me on my high places.

45" Foreigners pretend obedience to me;

35

As soon as they hear, they obey me.

" He trains my hands for battle, So that

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

46"Foreigners lose heart, And come

36

trembling out of their fortresses.

"You have also given me the shield of

Your salvation, And Your help makes

47

me great.

"The LORD lives, and blessed be my

rock; And exalted be God, the rock of

37

my salvation,

" You enlarge my steps under me, And

my feet have not slipped.

48The God who executes vengeance for

me, And brings down peoples under me,

49Who also brings me out from my 6" But the worthless, every one of them enemies; You even lift me above those will be thrust away like thorns, Because who rise up against me; You rescue me

they cannot be taken in hand;

from the violent man.

7But the man who touches them Must be

50" Therefore I will give thanks to You, O

armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,

LORD, among the nations, And I will

And they will be completely burned with

sing praises to Your name.

fire in their place."

51" He is a tower of deliverance to His 8These are the names of the mighty

king, And shows lovingkindness to His

men

whom

David

had:

Josheb—

anointed, To David and his descendants

basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of

forever."

the captains, he was called Adino the

Eznite, because of eight hundred slain

by him at one time;

23Now these are the last words of 9

David. David the son of Jesse declares,

and after him was Eleazar the son of

The man who was raised on high

Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three

mighty men with David when they defied

declares, The anointed of the God of

the Philistines who were gathered there

Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

to battle and the men of Israel had

2

withdrawn.

" The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,

And His word was on my tongue.

10He arose and struck the Philistines

3

until his hand was weary and clung to

"The God of Israel said, The Rock of the sword, and the LORD brought about

Israel spoke to me, ' He who rules over

a great victory that day; and the people men righteously, Who rules in the fear of

returned after him only to strip the slain.

God,

11

4

Now after him was Shammah the son

Is as the light of the morning when the of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines

sun rises, A morning without clouds,

were gathered into a troop where there

When the tender grass springs out of

was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the earth, Through sunshine after rain.'

the people fled from the Philistines.

5"Truly is not my house so with God?

12But he took his stand in the midst of For He has made an everlasting

the plot, defended it and struck the

covenant with me, Ordered in all things,

Philistines; and the LORD brought about

and secured; For all my salvation and all

a great victory.

my desire, Will He not indeed make it

grow?

13Then three of the thirty chief men went

down and came to David in the harvest

time to the cave of Adullam, while the

troop of the Philistines was camping in 21He killed an Egyptian, an impressive the valley of Rephaim.

man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in

his hand, but he went down to him with 14David was then in the stronghold,

a club and snatched the spear from the

while the garrison of the Philistines was Egyptian's hand and killed him with his

then in Bethlehem.

own spear.

15

22

David had a craving and said, "Oh that

These things Benaiah the son of

someone would give me water to drink

Jehoiada did, and had a name as well

from the well of Bethlehem which is by

as the three mighty men.

the gate!"

23He was honored among the thirty, but

16So the three mighty men broke

he did not attain to the three. And David

through the camp of the Philistines, and

appointed him over his guard.

drew water from the well of Bethlehem

which was by the gate, and took it and 24Asahel the brother of Joab was among

brought it to David. Nevertheless he

the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of

would not drink it, but poured it out to Bethlehem,

the LORD;

25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the

17and he said, "Be it far from me, O

Harodite,

LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink

the blood of the men who went in

26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh

jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he the Tekoite,

would not drink it. These things the

three mighty men did.

27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the

Hushathite,

18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of

Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the

swung his spear against three hundred

Netophathite,

and killed them, and had a name as well

as the three.

29Heleb the son of Baanah the

19

Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of

He was most honored of the thirty,

Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

therefore he became their commander;

however, he did not attain to the three.

30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the

20

brooks of Gaash,

Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the

son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who

31

had done mighty deeds, killed the two

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the

sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went

Barhumite,

down and killed a lion in the middle of a

32

pit on a snowy day.

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of

Jashen, Jonathan,

33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son commanders of the army. So Joab and of Sharar the Ararite,

the commanders of the army went out

from the presence of the king to register

34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son

the people of Israel.

of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of

Ahithophel the Gilonite,

5They crossed the Jordan and camped

in Aroer, on the right side of the city that

35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

is in the middle of the valley of Gad and

toward Jazer.

36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani

6

the Gadite,

Then they came to Gilead and to the

land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to

37

Dan-jaan and around to Sidon,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the

Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the

7

son of Zeruiah,

and came to the fortress of Tyre and to

all the cities of the Hivites and of the 38

Canaanites, and they went out to the

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

south of Judah, to Beersheba.

39Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

8So when they had gone about through

the whole land, they came to Jerusalem

24

at the end of nine months and twenty

Now again the anger of the LORD

days.

burned against Israel, and it incited

David against them to say, " Go, number

9And Joab gave the number of the

Israel and Judah."

registration of the people to the king;

and there were in Israel eight hundred

2The king said to Joab the commander

thousand valiant men who drew the

of the army who was with him, "Go

sword, and the men of Judah were five

about now through all the tribes of Israel,

hundred thousand men.

from Dan to Beersheba, and register the

people, that I may know the number of

10Now David's heart troubled him after

the people."

he had numbered the people. So David

said to the LORD, " I have sinned

3But Joab said to the king, " Now may greatly in what I have done. But now, O

the LORD your God add to the people a

LORD, please take away the iniquity of

hundred times as many as they are,

Your servant, for I have acted very

while the eyes of my lord the king still foolishly."

see; but why does my lord the king

delight in this thing?"

11When David arose in the morning, the

word of the LORD came to the prophet

4Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed

Gad, David's seer, saying,

against

Joab

and

against

the

12"Go and speak to David, 'Thus the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah LORD says, "I am offering you three the Jebusite."

things; choose for yourself one of them,

which I will do to you."'"

19David went up according to the word

of Gad, just as the LORD had

13So Gad came to David and told him,

commanded.

and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will

20Araunah looked down and saw the

you flee three months before your foes

king and his servants crossing over

while they pursue you? Or shall there be

toward him; and Araunah went out and

three days' pestilence in your land? Now

bowed his face to the ground before the

consider and see what answer I shall

king.

return to Him who sent me."

21Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord

14Then David said to Gad, "I am in great

the king come to his servant?" And

distress. Let us now fall into the hand of

David said, "To buy the threshing floor the LORD for His mercies are great, but

from you, in order to build an altar to the

do not let me fall into the hand of man."

LORD, that the plague may be held

back from the people."

15So the LORD sent a pestilence upon

Israel from the morning until the

22Araunah said to David, "Let my lord appointed time, and seventy thousand

the king take and offer up what is good men of the people from Dan to

in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt

Beersheba died.

offering, the threshing sledges and the

yokes of the oxen for the wood.

16When the angel stretched out his hand

toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the

23"Everything, O king, Araunah gives to LORD relented from the calamity and

the king." And Araunah said to the king,

said to the angel who destroyed the

"May the LORD your God accept you."

people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!" And the angel of the LORD was 24However, the king said to Araunah, by the threshing floor of Araunah the

"No, but I will surely buy it from you for a Jebusite.

price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me

17Then David spoke to the LORD when

nothing." So David bought the threshing

he saw the angel who was striking down

floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who silver.

have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they

25David built there an altar to the LORD

done? Please let Your hand be against

and offered burnt offerings and peace

me and against my father's house."

offerings. Thus the LORD was moved

by prayer for the land, and the plague

18So Gad came to David that day and

was held back from Israel.

said to him, " Go up, erect an altar to the

1st Kings

Rei, and the mighty men who belonged

to David, were not with Adonijah.

1Now King David was old, advanced 9Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm.

and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth,

which is beside En-rogel; and he invited

2

all his brothers, the king's sons, and all So his servants said to him, "Let them the men of Judah, the king's servants.

seek a young virgin for my lord the king,

and let her attend the king and become

10

his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom,

But he did not invite Nathan the

that my lord the king may keep warm."

prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and

Solomon his brother.

3So they searched for a beautiful girl

11Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the

throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and

mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you brought her to the king.

not heard that Adonijah the son of

Haggith has become king, and David

4

our lord does not know it?

The girl was very beautiful; and she

became the king's nurse and served him,

12

but the king did not cohabit with her.

"So now come, please let me give you

counsel and save your life and the life of

5

your son Solomon.

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith

exalted himself, saying, "I will be king."

13

So he prepared for himself chariots and

"Go at once to King David and say to horsemen with fifty men to run before

him, 'Have you not, my lord, O king,

him.

sworn to your maidservant, saying, "

Surely Solomon your son shall be king

after me, and he shall sit on my throne"?

6His father had never crossed him at

Why then has Adonijah become king?'

any time by asking, "Why have you

done so?" And he was also a very

14

handsome man, and he was born after

"Behold, while you are still there

Absalom.

speaking with the king, I will come in

after you and confirm your words."

7He had conferred with Joab the son of

15

Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest;

So Bathsheba went in to the king in

and following Adonijah they helped him.

the bedroom. Now the king was very old,

and Abishag the Shunammite was

ministering to the king.

8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son

of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei,

16Then

Bathsheba

bowed

and

24Then Nathan said, "My lord the king, prostrated herself before the king. And have you said, 'Adonijah shall be king

the king said, "What do you wish?"

after me, and he shall sit on my throne'?

17She said to him, "My lord, you swore 25" For he has gone down today and has to your maidservant by the LORD your

sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep

God, saying, ' Surely your son Solomon

in abundance, and has invited all the

shall be king after me and he shall sit on

king's sons and the commanders of the

my throne.'

army and Abiathar the priest, and

behold, they are eating and drinking

18"Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and before him; and they say, ' Long live

now, my lord the king, you do not know

King Adonijah!'

it.

26" But me, even me your servant, and 19" He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of and sheep in abundance, and has

Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he

invited all the sons of the king and

has not invited.

Abiathar the priest and Joab the

commander of the army, but he has not

27"Has this thing been done by my lord invited Solomon your servant.

the king, and you have not shown to

your servants who should sit on the

20"As for you now, my lord the king, the

throne of my lord the king after him?"

eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them

who shall sit on the throne of my lord the

28Then King David said, "Call Bathsheba

king after him.

to me." And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.

21"Otherwise it will come about, as soon

as my lord the king sleeps with his

29The king vowed and said, " As the fathers, that I and my son Solomon will LORD lives, who has redeemed my life be considered offenders."

from all distress,

22Behold, while she was still speaking

30surely as I vowed to you by the LORD

with the king, Nathan the prophet came

the God of Israel, saying, 'Your son

in.

Solomon shall be king after me, and he

shall sit on my throne in my place'; I will

23They told the king, saying, "Here is indeed do so this day."

Nathan the prophet." And when he

came in before the king, he prostrated

31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face

himself before the king with his face to to the ground, and prostrated herself

the ground.

before the king and said, " May my lord

King David live forever."

32Then King David said, "Call to me 40All the people went up after him, and Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, the people were playing on flutes and

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." And rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth

they came into the king's presence.

shook at their noise.

33The king said to them, "Take with you

41Now Adonijah and all the guests who

the servants of your lord, and have my

were with him heard it as they finished son Solomon ride on my own mule, and

eating. When Joab heard the sound of

bring him down to Gihon.

the trumpet, he said, "Why is the city making such an uproar?"

34"Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over

42While he was still speaking, behold,

Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, '

Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest

Long live King Solomon!'

came. Then Adonijah said, "Come in, for

you are a valiant man and bring good

35"Then you shall come up after him, news."

and he shall come and sit on my throne

and be king in my place; for I have

43But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, "No!

appointed him to be ruler over Israel and

Our lord King David has made Solomon

Judah."

king.

36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada

44"The king has also sent with him

answered the king and said, "Amen!

Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet,

Thus may the LORD, the God of my lord

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the

the king, say.

Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and

they have made him ride on the king's

37" As the LORD has been with my lord

mule.

the king, so may He be with Solomon,

and make his throne greater than the

45"Zadok the priest and Nathan the

throne of my lord King David!"

prophet have anointed him king in Gihon,

and they have come up from there

38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the

rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar.

prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,

This is the noise which you have heard.

the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went

down and had Solomon ride on King

46"Besides, Solomon has even taken his

David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

seat on the throne of the kingdom.

39Zadok the priest then took the horn of

47"Moreover, the king's servants came to

oil from the tent and anointed Solomon.

bless our lord King David, saying, 'May

Then they blew the trumpet, and all the your God make the name of Solomon

people said, " Long live King Solomon!"

better than your name and his throne

greater than your throne!' And the king

bowed himself on the bed.

48"The king has also said thus, 'Blessed ordinances,

and

His

testimonies,

be the LORD, the God of Israel, who

according to what is written in the Law has granted one to sit on my throne

of Moses, that you may succeed in all

today while my own eyes see it.'"

that you do and wherever you turn,

49Then all the guests of Adonijah were

4so that the LORD may carry out His

terrified; and they arose and each went

promise which He spoke concerning me,

on his way.

saying, ' If your sons are careful of their

way, to walk before Me in truth with all 50And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon,

their heart and with all their soul, you and he arose, went and took hold of the

shall not lack a man on the throne of

horns of the altar.

Israel.'

51

5

Now it was told Solomon, saying,

"Now you also know what Joab the son

"Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King

of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the

Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold

two commanders of the armies of Israel,

of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa

King Solomon swear to me today that

the son of Jether, whom he killed; he

he will not put his servant to death with also shed the blood of war in peace.

the sword.'"

And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on 52

his feet.

Solomon said, "If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; 6

but if wickedness is found in him, he will

" So act according to your wisdom, and

die."

do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol

in peace.

53So King Solomon sent, and they

7

brought him down from the altar. And he

"But show kindness to the sons of

came and prostrated himself before

Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be King Solomon, and Solomon said to him,

among those who eat at your table; for

"Go to your house."

they assisted me when I fled from

Absalom your brother.

2

8

As David's time to die drew near, he

"Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim;

charged Solomon his son, saying,

now it was he who cursed me with a

violent curse on the day I went to

2" I am going the way of all the earth. Be Mahanaim. But when he came down to

strong, therefore, and show yourself a

me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the

man.

LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to

death with the sword.'

3"Keep the charge of the LORD your

God, to walk in His ways, to keep His

9"Now therefore, do not let him go

statutes,

His

commandments,

His

unpunished, for you are a wise man;

and you will know what you ought to do 19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to him, and you will bring his gray hair to speak to him for Adonijah. And the

down to Sheol with blood."

king arose to meet her, bowed before

her, and sat on his throne; then he had 10Then David slept with his fathers and

a throne set for the king's mother, and was buried in the city of David.

she sat on his right.

11

20

The days that David reigned over

Then she said, "I am making one small

Israel were forty years: seven years he

request of you; do not refuse me." And reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years

the king said to her, "Ask, my mother, he reigned in Jerusalem.

for I will not refuse you."

12

21

And Solomon sat on the throne of

So she said, " Let Abishag the

David his father, and his kingdom was

Shunammite be given to Adonijah your

firmly established.

brother as a wife."

13

22

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith

King Solomon answered and said to

came to Bathsheba the mother of

his mother, "And why are you asking Solomon. And she said, " Do you come Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah?

peacefully?" And he said, "Peacefully."

Ask for him also the kingdom-- for he is

my older brother--even for him, for

14

Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son

Then he said, "I have something to say

of Zeruiah!"

to you." And she said, "Speak."

23

15

Then King Solomon swore by the

So he said, "You know that the

LORD, saying, "May God do so to me kingdom was mine and that all Israel

and more also, if Adonijah has not

expected me to be king; however, the

spoken this word against his own life.

kingdom has turned about and become

my brother's, for it was his from the

24

LORD.

"Now therefore, as the LORD lives,

who has established me and set me on

16

the throne of David my father and who

"Now I am making one request of you;

has made me a house as He promised,

do not refuse me." And she said to him,

surely Adonijah shall be put to death

"Speak."

today."

17Then he said, "Please speak to

25So King Solomon sent Benaiah the

Solomon the king, for he will not refuse son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so

you, that he may give me Abishag the

that he died.

Shunammite as a wife."

26

18

Then to Abiathar the priest the king

Bathsheba said, "Very well; I will

said, " Go to Anathoth to your own field, speak to the king for you."

for you deserve to die; but I will not put

you to death at this time, because you Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, carried the ark of the Lord GOD before

commander of the army of Judah.

my father David, and because you were

afflicted in everything with which my

33" So shall their blood return on the father was afflicted."

head of Joab and on the head of his

descendants forever; but to David and

27So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from

his descendants and his house and his

being priest to the LORD, in order to

throne, may there be peace from the

fulfill the word of the LORD, which He

LORD forever."

had spoken concerning the house of Eli

in Shiloh.

34Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada

went up and fell upon him and put him

28Now the news came to Joab, for Joab

to death, and he was buried at his own had followed Adonijah, although he had

house in the wilderness.

not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to

the tent of the LORD and took hold of

35The king appointed Benaiah the son of

the horns of the altar.

Jehoiada over the army in his place, and

the king appointed Zadok the priest in

29It was told King Solomon that Joab

the place of Abiathar.

had fled to the tent of the LORD, and

behold, he is beside the altar. Then

36Now the king sent and called for

Solomon sent Benaiah the son of

Shimei and said to him, "Build for

Jehoiada, saying, " Go, fall upon him."

yourself a house in Jerusalem and live

there, and do not go out from there to 30So Benaiah came to the tent of the

any place.

LORD and said to him, "Thus the king has said, 'Come out.'" But he said, "No, 37"For on the day you go out and cross for I will die here." And Benaiah brought over the brook Kidron, you will know for the king word again, saying, "Thus

certain that you shall surely die; your

spoke Joab, and thus he answered me."

blood shall be on your own head."

31The king said to him, " Do as he has 38Shimei then said to the king, "The spoken and fall upon him and bury him, word is good. As my lord the king has

that you may remove from me and from

said, so your servant will do." So Shimei my father's house the blood which Joab

lived in Jerusalem many days.

shed without cause.

39But it came about at the end of three 32" The LORD will return his blood on his years, that two of the servants of Shimei own head, because he fell upon two

ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king

men more righteous and better than he

of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying,

and killed them with the sword, while my

"Behold, your servants are in Gath."

father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of

40Then Shimei arose and saddled his finished building his own house and the donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to

house of the LORD and the wall around

look for his servants. And Shimei went

Jerusalem.

and brought his servants from Gath.

2The people were still sacrificing on the 41It was told Solomon that Shimei had

high places, because there was no

gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had

house built for the name of the LORD

returned.

until those days.

42So the king sent and called for Shimei

3Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking

and said to him, "Did I not make you in the statutes of his father David,

swear by the LORD and solemnly warn

except he sacrificed and burned incense

you, saying, 'You will know for certain

on the high places.

that on the day you depart and go

anywhere, you shall surely die'? And

4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice

you said to me, 'The word which I have

there, for that was the great high place; heard is good.'

Solomon offered a thousand burnt

offerings on that altar.

43"Why then have you not kept the oath

of the LORD, and the command which I

5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to

have laid on you?"

Solomon in a dream at night; and God

said, " Ask what you wish me to give 44The king also said to Shimei, " You you."

know all the evil which you acknowledge

in your heart, which you did to my father

6Then Solomon said, " You have shown

David; therefore the LORD shall return

great lovingkindness to Your servant

your evil on your own head.

David my father, according as he

walked before You in truth and

45"But King Solomon shall be blessed, righteousness and uprightness of heart

and the throne of David shall be

toward You; and You have reserved for

established before the LORD forever."

him this great lovingkindness, that You

have given him a son to sit on his throne,

46So the king commanded Benaiah the

as it is this day.

son of Jehoiada, and he went out and

fell upon him so that he died. Thus the 7"Now, O LORD my God, You have

kingdom was established in the hands

made Your servant king in place of my

of Solomon.

father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

3

8

Then Solomon formed a marriage

" Your servant is in the midst of Your alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and

people which You have chosen, a great

took Pharaoh's daughter and brought

people who are too many to be

her to the city of David until he had

numbered or counted.

9"So

give

Your

servant

an

17The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, understanding heart to judge Your

this woman and I live in the same house;

people to discern between good and evil.

and I gave birth to a child while she was

For who is able to judge this great

in the house.

people of Yours?"

18"It happened on the third day after I 10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord gave birth, that this woman also gave

that Solomon had asked this thing.

birth to a child, and we were together.

There was no stranger with us in the

11God said to him, "Because you have house, only the two of us in the house.

asked this thing and have not asked for

yourself long life, nor have asked riches

19"This woman's son died in the night, for yourself, nor have you asked for the because she lay on it.

life of your enemies, but have asked for

yourself discernment to understand

20"So she arose in the middle of the justice,

night and took my son from beside me

while your maidservant slept, and laid

12behold, I have done according to your

him in her bosom, and laid her dead son

words. Behold, I have given you a wise

in my bosom.

and discerning heart, so that there has

been no one like you before you, nor

21"When I rose in the morning to nurse shall one like you arise after you.

my son, behold, he was dead; but when

I looked at him carefully in the morning,

13" I have also given you what you have

behold, he was not my son, whom I had

not asked, both riches and honor, so

borne."

that there will not be any among the

kings like you all your days.

22Then the other woman said, "No! For the living one is my son, and the dead 14" If you walk in My ways, keeping My one is your son." But the first woman statutes and commandments, as your said, "No! For the dead one is your son,

father David walked, then I will prolong and the living one is my son." Thus they

your days."

spoke before the king.

15Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it

23Then the king said, "The one says, was a dream. And he came to

'This is my son who is living, and your Jerusalem and stood before the ark of

son is the dead one'; and the other says,

the covenant of the Lord, and offered

'No! For your son is the dead one, and burnt

offerings

and

made

peace

my son is the living one.'"

offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

24The king said, "Get me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king.

16Then two women who were harlots

came to the king and stood before him.

25The king said, "Divide the living child in 6and Ahishar was over the household; two, and give half to the one and half to

and Adoniram the son of Abda was over

the other."

the men subject to forced labor.

26Then the woman whose child was the

7Solomon had twelve deputies over all

living one spoke to the king, for she was

Israel, who provided for the king and his

deeply stirred over her son and said,

household; each man had to provide for

"Oh, my lord, give her the living child, a month in the year.

and by no means kill him." But the other

said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; 8These are their names: Ben-hur, in the

divide him!"

hill country of Ephraim;

27Then the king said, "Give the first 9Ben-deker in Makaz and Shaalbim and

woman the living child, and by no

Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan;

means kill him. She is his mother."

10Ben-hesed, in Arubboth ( Socoh was

28When all Israel heard of the judgment

his and all the land of Hepher);

which the king had handed down, they

feared the king, for they saw that the

11Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor wisdom of God was in him to administer

(Taphath the daughter of Solomon was

justice.

his wife);

4

12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach

Now King Solomon was king over all

and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which

Israel.

is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from

Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as

2These were his officials: Azariah the

the other side of Jokmeam;

son of Zadok was the priest;

13Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead ( the

3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of

towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh,

Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat

which are in Gilead were his: the region

the son of Ahilud was the recorder;

of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great

cities with walls and bronze bars were

4and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was

his);

over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar

14

were priests;

Ahinadab

the

son

of

Iddo,

in

Mahanaim;

5and Azariah the son of Nathan was

15

over the deputies; and Zabud the son of

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also married

Nathan, a priest, was the king's friend;

Basemath the daughter of Solomon);

16Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and

Bealoth;

17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in 27Those deputies provided for King Issachar;

Solomon and all who came to King

Solomon's table, each in his month; they

18Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;

left nothing lacking.

19

28

Geber the son of Uri, in the land of

They also brought barley and straw for

Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the the horses and swift steeds to the place

Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and

where it should be, each according to

he was the only deputy who was in the

his charge.

land.

29Now God gave Solomon wisdom and

20Judah and Israel were as numerous as

very great discernment and breadth of

the sand that is on the seashore in

mind, like the sand that is on the

abundance; they were eating and

seashore.

drinking and rejoicing.

30Solomon's wisdom surpassed the

21Now Solomon ruled over all the

wisdom of all the sons of the east and kingdoms from the River to the land of

all the wisdom of Egypt.

the Philistines and to the border of

Egypt; they brought tribute and served

31For he was wiser than all men, than

Solomon all the days of his life.

Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and

Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame

22Solomon's provision for one day was

was known in all the surrounding

thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of nations.

meal,

32He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his

23ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen,

songs were 1,005.

a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles,

roebucks, and fattened fowl.

33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that

is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that

24For he had dominion over everything

grows on the wall; he spoke also of

west of the River, from Tiphsah even to

animals and birds and creeping things

Gaza, over all the kings west of the

and fish.

River; and he had peace on all sides

around about him.

34Men came from all peoples to hear the

wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of

25So Judah and Israel lived in safety,

the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

every man under his vine and his fig

tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all

the days of Solomon.

5Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his

servants to Solomon, when he heard

26Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses

that they had anointed him king in place

for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.

of his father, for Hiram had always been 9"My servants will bring them down from a friend of David.

Lebanon to the sea; and I will make

them into rafts to go by sea to the place

2Then Solomon sent word to Hiram,

where you direct me, and I will have

saying,

them broken up there, and you shall

carry them away. Then you shall

3

accomplish my desire by giving food to

"You know that David my father was

my household."

unable to build a house for the name of

the LORD his God because of the wars

10

which surrounded him, until the LORD

So Hiram gave Solomon as much as

put them under the soles of his feet.

he desired of the cedar and cypress

timber.

4"But now the LORD my God has given

11

me rest on every side; there is neither Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 kors

adversary nor misfortune.

of wheat as food for his household, and

twenty kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon

5

would give Hiram year by year.

"Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the 12

LORD spoke to David my father, saying,

The LORD gave wisdom to Solomon,

'Your son, whom I will set on your throne

just as He promised him; and there was

in your place, he will build the house for

peace between Hiram and Solomon,

My name.'

and the two of them made a covenant.

6

13

"Now therefore, command that they cut

Now King Solomon levied forced

for me cedars from Lebanon, and my

laborers from all Israel; and the forced servants will be with your servants; and I

laborers numbered 30,000 men.

will give you wages for your servants

according to all that you say, for you

14He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a

know that there is no one among us who

month in relays; they were in Lebanon a

knows how to cut timber like the

month and two months at home. And

Sidonians."

Adoniram was over the forced laborers.

7When Hiram heard the words of

15Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters,

Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said,

and 80,000 hewers of stone in the

"Blessed be the LORD today, who has mountains,

given to David a wise son over this great

people."

16besides

Solomon's

3,300

chief

deputies who were over the project and

8So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying,

who ruled over the people who were

"I have heard the message which you doing the work.

have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress

17Then the king commanded, and they

timber.

quarried great stones, costly stones, to

lay the foundation of the house with cut beams would not be inserted in the stones.

walls of the house.

18So Solomon's builders and Hiram's

7The house, while it was being built, was

builders and the Gebalites cut them, and

built of stone prepared at the quarry,

prepared the timbers and the stones to

and there was neither hammer nor axe

build the house.

nor any iron tool heard in the house

while it was being built.

6

8

Now it came about in the four

The doorway for the lowest side

hundred and eightieth year after the

chamber was on the right side of the

sons of Israel came out of the land of house; and they would go up by winding

Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's

stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv

which is the second month, that he

9

began to build the house of the LORD.

So he built the house and finished it;

and he covered the house with beams

2As for the house which King Solomon

and planks of cedar.

built for the LORD, its length was sixty 10

cubits and its width twenty cubits and its

He also built the stories against the

height thirty cubits.

whole house, each five cubits high; and

they were fastened to the house with

3The porch in front of the nave of the timbers of cedar.

house was twenty cubits in length,

11

corresponding to the width of the house,

Now the word of the LORD came to

and its depth along the front of the

Solomon saying,

house was ten cubits.

12"Concerning this house which you are

4Also for the house he made windows

building, if you will walk in My statutes with artistic frames.

and execute My ordinances and keep all

My commandments by walking in them,

5Against the wall of the house he built then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father.

stories encompassing the walls of the

house around both the nave and the

13

inner sanctuary; thus he made side

" I will dwell among the sons of Israel, chambers all around.

and will not forsake My people Israel."

6

14

The lowest story was five cubits wide,

So Solomon built the house and

and the middle was six cubits wide, and

finished it.

the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall 15Then he built the walls of the house on of the house all around in order that the

the inside with boards of cedar; from the

floor of the house to the ceiling he

overlaid the walls on the inside with 24Five cubits was the one wing of the wood, and he overlaid the floor of the

cherub and five cubits the other wing of

house with boards of cypress.

the cherub; from the end of one wing to

the end of the other wing were ten

16He built twenty cubits on the rear part

cubits.

of the house with boards of cedar from

the floor to the ceiling; he built them for 25The other cherub was ten cubits; both

it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, the cherubim were of the same measure

even as the most holy place.

and the same form.

17The house, that is, the nave in front of

26The height of the one cherub was ten

the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits

cubits, and so was the other cherub.

long.

27He placed the cherubim in the midst of

18There was cedar on the house within,

the inner house, and the wings of the

carved in the shape of gourds and open

cherubim were spread out, so that the

flowers; all was cedar, there was no

wing of the one was touching the one

stone seen.

wall, and the wing of the other cherub

was touching the other wall. So their

19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary

wings were touching each other in the

within the house in order to place there center of the house.

the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

28He also overlaid the cherubim with

20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits

gold.

in length, twenty cubits in width, and

twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid 29Then he carved all the walls of the

it with pure gold. He also overlaid the house

round

about

with

carved

altar with cedar.

engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and

open

flowers,

inner

and

outer

21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the

sanctuaries.

house with pure gold. And he drew

chains of gold across the front of the

30He overlaid the floor of the house with

inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries.

gold.

31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary

22He overlaid the whole house with gold,

he made doors of olive wood, the lintel until all the house was finished. Also the

and five-sided doorposts.

whole altar which was by the inner

sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

32So he made two doors of olive wood,

and he carved on them carvings of

23Also in the inner sanctuary he made

cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers,

two cherubim of olive wood, each ten

and overlaid them with gold; and he

cubits high.

spread the gold on the cherubim and on 3It was paneled with cedar above the the palm trees.

side chambers which were on the 45

pillars, 15 in each row.

33So also he made for the entrance of

the nave four-sided doorposts of olive

4There were artistic window frames in

wood

three rows, and window was opposite

window in three ranks.

34and two doors of cypress wood; the

two leaves of the one door turned on

5All the doorways and doorposts had

pivots, and the two leaves of the other squared artistic frames, and window

door turned on pivots.

was opposite window in three ranks.

35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees,

6Then he made the hall of pillars; its

and open flowers; and he overlaid them

length was 50 cubits and its width 30

with gold evenly applied on the

cubits, and a porch was in front of them

engraved work.

and pillars and a threshold in front of them.

36He built the inner court with three rows

of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

7He made the hall of the throne where

he was to judge, the hall of judgment,

37In the fourth year the foundation of the

and it was paneled with cedar from floor

house of the LORD was laid, in the

to floor.

month of Ziv.

8His house where he was to live, the

38In the eleventh year, in the month of other court inward from the hall, was of Bul, which is the eighth month, the the same workmanship. He also made a

house was finished throughout all its

house like this hall for Pharaoh's

parts and according to all its plans. So daughter, whom Solomon had married.

he was seven years in building it.

9All these were of costly stones, of stone

cut according to measure, sawed with

7Now Solomon was building his own saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the house thirteen years, and he finished all outside to the great court.

his house.

10

2

The foundation was of costly stones,

He built the house of the forest of

even large stones, stones of ten cubits

Lebanon; its length was 100 cubits and

and stones of eight cubits.

its width 50 cubits and its height 30

cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with

11

cedar beams on the pillars.

And above were costly stones, stone

cut according to measure, and cedar.

12So the great court all around had three 20There were capitals on the two pillars, rows of cut stone and a row of cedar

even above and close to the rounded

beams even as the inner court of the

projection which was beside the network;

house of the LORD, and the porch of

and the pomegranates numbered two

the house.

hundred in rows around both capitals.

13Now King Solomon sent and brought

21Thus he set up the pillars at the porch

Hiram from Tyre.

of the nave; and he set up the right pillar

and named it Jachin, and he set up the

14He was a widow's son from the tribe of

left pillar and named it Boaz.

Naphtali, and his father was a man of

Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was

22On the top of the pillars was lily design.

filled with wisdom and understanding

So the work of the pillars was finished.

and skill for doing any work in bronze.

So he came to King Solomon and

23Now he made the sea of cast metal

performed all his work.

ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and

15He fashioned the two pillars of bronze;

thirty cubits in circumference.

eighteen cubits was the height of one

pillar, and a line of twelve cubits

24Under its brim gourds went around

measured the circumference of both.

encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in

16He also made two capitals of molten

two rows, cast with the rest.

bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five 25It stood on twelve oxen, three facing

cubits and the height of the other capital

north, three facing west, three facing

was five cubits.

south, and three facing east; and the

sea was set on top of them, and all their

17There were nets of network and

rear parts turned inward.

twisted threads of chainwork for the

capitals which were on the top of the

26It was a handbreadth thick, and its

pillars; seven for the one capital and

brim was made like the brim of a cup, as

seven for the other capital.

a lily blossom; it could hold two

thousand baths.

18So he made the pillars, and two rows

around on the one network to cover the

27Then he made the ten stands of

capitals which were on the top of the

bronze; the length of each stand was

pomegranates; and so he did for the

four cubits and its width four cubits and other capital.

its height three cubits.

19The capitals which were on the top of

28This was the design of the stands:

the pillars in the porch were of lily

they had borders, even borders between

design, four cubits.

the frames,

29and on the borders which were 37He made the ten stands like this: all of between the frames were lions, oxen

them had one casting, one measure and

and cherubim; and on the frames there

one form.

was a pedestal above, and beneath the

lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging

38He made ten basins of bronze, one

work.

basin held forty baths; each basin was

four cubits, and on each of the ten

30Now each stand had four bronze

stands was one basin.

wheels with bronze axles, and its four

feet had supports; beneath the basin

39Then he set the stands, five on the

were cast supports with wreaths at each

right side of the house and five on the side.

left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal on the right side of the

31Its opening inside the crown at the top

house eastward toward the south.

was a cubit, and its opening was round

like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and

40Now Hiram made the basins and the

a half; and also on its opening there

shovels and the bowls. So Hiram

were engravings, and their borders were

finished doing all the work which he

square, not round.

performed for King Solomon in the

house of the LORD:

32The four wheels were underneath the

borders, and the axles of the wheels

41the two pillars and the two bowls of the

were on the stand. And the height of a capitals which were on the top of the

wheel was a cubit and a half.

two pillars, and the two networks to

cover the two bowls of the capitals

33The workmanship of the wheels was

which were on the top of the pillars;

like the workmanship of a chariot wheel.

Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and

42and the four hundred pomegranates

their hubs were all cast.

for the two networks, two rows of

pomegranates for each network to cover

34Now there were four supports at the

the two bowls of the capitals which were

four corners of each stand; its supports on the tops of the pillars;

were part of the stand itself.

43and the ten stands with the ten basins

35On the top of the stand there was a

on the stands;

circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its 44and the one sea and the twelve oxen borders were part of it.

under the sea;

36He engraved on the plates of its stays

45and the pails and the shovels and the

and on its borders, cherubim, lions and

bowls; even all these utensils which

palm trees, according to the clear space

Hiram made for King Solomon in the

on each, with wreaths all around.

house of the LORD were of polished Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the bronze.

covenant of the LORD from the city of

David, which is Zion.

46In the plain of the Jordan the king cast

them, in the clay ground between

2All the men of Israel assembled

Succoth and Zarethan.

themselves to King Solomon at the feast,

in the month Ethanim, which is the

47Solomon

left

all

the

utensils

seventh month.

unweighed, because they were too

many; the weight of the bronze could

3Then all the elders of Israel came, and

not be ascertained.

the priests took up the ark.

48Solomon made all the furniture which

4They brought up the ark of the LORD

was in the house of the LORD: the

and the tent of meeting and all the holy golden altar and the golden table on

utensils, which were in the tent, and the

which was the bread of the Presence;

priests and the Levites brought them up.

49and the lampstands, five on the right

5And King Solomon and all the

side and five on the left, in front of the congregation of Israel, who were

inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the

assembled to him, were with him before

flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of

the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and

gold;

oxen they could not be counted or

numbered.

50and the cups and the snuffers and the

bowls and the spoons and the firepans,

6Then the priests brought the ark of the

of pure gold; and the hinges both for the

covenant of the LORD to its place, into doors of the inner house, the most holy the inner sanctuary of the house, to the place, and for the doors of the house, most holy place, under the wings of the

that is, of the nave, of gold.

cherubim.

51Thus all the work that King Solomon

7For the cherubim spread their wings

performed in the house of the LORD

over the place of the ark, and the

was finished. And Solomon brought in

cherubim made a covering over the ark

the things dedicated by his father David,

and its poles from above.

the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the

8But the poles were so long that the

house of the LORD.

ends of the poles could be seen from

the holy place before the inner

8

sanctuary, but they could not be seen

Then Solomon assembled the elders

outside; they are there to this day.

of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, 9

the leaders of the fathers' households of

There was nothing in the ark except the

the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in

two tablets of stone which Moses put

there at Horeb, where the LORD made house for My name, you did well that it a covenant with the sons of Israel, when was in your heart.

they came out of the land of Egypt.

19' Nevertheless you shall not build the 10It happened that when the priests

house, but your son who will be born to

came from the holy place, the cloud

you, he will build the house for My

filled the house of the LORD,

name.'

11so that the priests could not stand to 20"Now the LORD has fulfilled His word minister because of the cloud, for the which He spoke; for I have risen in place

glory of the LORD filled the house of the

of my father David and sit on the throne

LORD.

of Israel, as the LORD promised, and

have built the house for the name of the

12Then Solomon said, "The LORD has

LORD, the God of Israel.

said that He would dwell in the thick

cloud.

21"There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD,

13" I have surely built You a lofty house, which He made with our fathers when

A place for Your dwelling forever."

He brought them from the land of

Egypt."

14Then the king faced about and blessed

22

all the assembly of Israel, while all the Then Solomon stood before the altar

assembly of Israel was standing.

of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his

15

hands toward heaven.

He said, " Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth

23

to my father David and has fulfilled it He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, with His hand, saying, there is no God like You in heaven

above or on earth beneath, keeping

16

covenant and showing lovingkindness to

' Since the day that I brought My

Your servants who walk before You with

people Israel from Egypt, I did not

all their heart,

choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My 24

name might be there, but I chose David

who have kept with Your servant, my

to be over My people Israel.'

father David, that which You have

promised him; indeed, You have spoken

17

with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with

" Now it was in the heart of my father Your hand as it is this day.

David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

25"Now therefore, O LORD, the God of 18

Israel, keep with Your servant David my

"But the LORD said to my father David,

father that which You have promised

'Because it was in your heart to build a him, saying, ' You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your 33" When Your people Israel are sons take heed to their way to walk

defeated before an enemy, because

before Me as you have walked.'

they have sinned against You, if they

turn to You again and confess Your

26"Now therefore, O God of Israel, let name and pray and make supplication

Your word, I pray, be confirmed which

to You in this house,

You have spoken to Your servant, my

father David.

34then hear in heaven, and forgive the

sin of Your people Israel, and bring

27"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? them back to the land which You gave Behold, heaven and the highest heaven to their fathers.

cannot contain You, how much less this

house which I have built!

35" When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have

28"Yet have regard to the prayer of Your

sinned against You, and they pray

servant and to his supplication, O LORD

toward this place and confess Your

my God, to listen to the cry and to the name and turn from their sin when You

prayer which Your servant prays before

afflict them,

You today;

36then hear in heaven and forgive the

29that Your eyes may be open toward

sin of Your servants and of Your people

this house night and day, toward the

Israel, indeed, teach them the good way

place of which You have said, 'My name

in which they should walk. And send

shall be there,' to listen to the prayer rain on Your land, which You have given

which Your servant shall pray toward

Your people for an inheritance.

this place.

37" If there is famine in the land, if there 30" Listen to the supplication of Your is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, servant and of Your people Israel, when

locust or grasshopper, if their enemy

they pray toward this place; hear in

besieges them in the land of their cities,

heaven Your dwelling place; hear and

whatever plague, whatever sickness

forgive.

there is,

31

38

" If a man sins against his neighbor whatever prayer or supplication is

and is made to take an oath, and he

made by any man or by all Your people

comes and takes an oath before Your

Israel, each knowing the affliction of his altar in this house,

own heart, and spreading his hands

toward this house;

32then hear in heaven and act and judge

39

Your servants, condemning the wicked

then hear in heaven Your dwelling

by bringing his way on his own head

place, and forgive and act and render to

and justifying the righteous by giving

each according to all his ways, whose

him according to his righteousness.

heart You know, for You alone know the

hearts of all the sons of men,

40that they may fear You all the days repent and make supplication to You in that they live in the land which You have

the land of those who have taken them

given to our fathers.

captive, saying, ' We have sinned and

have committed iniquity, we have acted

41"Also concerning the foreigner who is wickedly';

not of Your people Israel, when he

comes from a far country for Your

48if they return to You with all their heart

name's sake

and with all their soul in the land of their

enemies who have taken them captive,

42(for they will hear of Your great name and pray to You toward their land which

and Your mighty hand, and of Your

You have given to their fathers, the city outstretched arm); when he comes and

which You have chosen, and the house

prays toward this house,

which I have built for Your name;

43

49

hear in heaven Your dwelling place,

then hear their prayer and their

and do according to all for which the

supplication in heaven Your dwelling

foreigner calls to You, in order that all place, and maintain their cause,

the peoples of the earth may know Your

name, to fear You, as do Your people

50and forgive Your people who have

Israel, and that they may know that this

sinned against You and all their

house which I have built is called by

transgressions

which

they

have

Your name.

transgressed against You, and make

them objects of compassion before

44"When Your people go out to battle those who have taken them captive, that

against their enemy, by whatever way

they may have compassion on them

You shall send them, and they pray to

the LORD toward the city which You

51( for they are Your people and Your

have chosen and the house which I

inheritance which You have brought

have built for Your name,

forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace),

45then hear in heaven their prayer and

their supplication, and maintain their

52that Your eyes may be open to the

cause.

supplication of Your servant and to the

supplication of Your people Israel, to

46"When they sin against You (for there listen to them whenever they call to You.

is no man who does not sin) and You

are angry with them and deliver them to

53"For You have separated them from all

an enemy, so that they take them away

the peoples of the earth as Your

captive to the land of the enemy, far off

inheritance, as You spoke through

or near;

Moses Your servant, when You brought

our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord

47if they take thought in the land where GOD."

they have been taken captive, and

54When Solomon had finished praying 62Now the king and all Israel with him this entire prayer and supplication to the

offered sacrifice before the LORD.

LORD, he arose from before the altar of

the LORD, from kneeling on his knees

63Solomon offered for the sacrifice of

with his hands spread toward heaven.

peace offerings, which he offered to the

LORD, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep.

55And he stood and blessed all the

So the king and all the sons of Israel assembly of Israel with a loud voice,

dedicated the house of the LORD.

saying:

64On the same day the king consecrated

56"Blessed be the LORD, who has given

the middle of the court that was before rest to His people Israel, according to all

the house of the LORD, because there

that He promised; not one word has

he offered the burnt offering and the

failed of all His good promise, which He

grain offering and the fat of the peace promised through Moses His servant.

offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold

57"May the LORD our God be with us, as

the burnt offering and the grain offering He was with our fathers; may He not

and the fat of the peace offerings.

leave us or forsake us,

65So Solomon observed the feast at that

58that He may incline our hearts to

time, and all Israel with him, a great

Himself, to walk in all His ways and to assembly from the entrance of Hamath

keep His commandments and His

to the brook of Egypt, before the LORD

statutes and His ordinances, which He

our God, for seven days and seven

commanded our fathers.

more days, even fourteen days.

59

66

"And may these words of mine, with

On the eighth day he sent the people

which I have made supplication before

away and they blessed the king. Then

the LORD, be near to the LORD our

they went to their tents joyful and glad of

God day and night, that He may

heart for all the goodness that the LORD

maintain the cause of His servant and

had shown to David His servant and to

the cause of His people Israel, as each Israel His people.

day requires,

60so that all the peoples of the earth may

9Now it came about when Solomon

know that the LORD is God; there is no

had finished building the house of the

one else.

LORD, and the king's house, and all that

Solomon desired to do,

61" Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk

2that the LORD appeared to Solomon a

in His statutes and to keep His

second time, as He had appeared to

commandments, as at this day."

him at Gibeon.

3The LORD said to him, " I have heard Egypt, and adopted other gods and your prayer and your supplication, which

worshiped them and served them,

you have made before Me; I have

therefore the LORD has brought all this

consecrated this house which you have

adversity on them.'"

built by putting My name there forever,

and My eyes and My heart will be there

10It came about at the end of twenty

perpetually.

years in which Solomon had built the

two houses, the house of the LORD and

4"As for you, if you will walk before Me the king's house

as your father David walked, in integrity of

heart

and

uprightness,

doing

11(Hiram king of Tyre had supplied

according to all that I have commanded

Solomon with cedar and cypress timber

you and will keep My statutes and My

and gold according to all his desire),

ordinances,

then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty

cities in the land of Galilee.

5then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I

12So Hiram came out from Tyre to see

promised to your father David, saying,

the cities which Solomon had given him,

'You shall not lack a man on the throne

and they did not please him.

of Israel.'

13He said, "What are these cities which 6" But if you or your sons indeed turn you have given me, my brother?" So away from following Me, and do not

they were called the land of Cabul to

keep My commandments and My

this day.

statutes which I have set before you,

and go and serve other gods and

14And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents

worship them,

of gold.

7then I will cut off Israel from the land 15Now this is the account of the forced which I have given them, and the house labor which King Solomon levied to build

which I have consecrated for My name, I

the house of the LORD, his own house,

will cast out of My sight. So Israel will the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, become a proverb and a byword among Megiddo, and Gezer.

all peoples.

16

8

For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone

"And this house will become a heap of up and captured Gezer and burned it

ruins; everyone who passes by will be

with fire, and killed the Canaanites who astonished and hiss and say, ' Why has

lived in the city, and had given it as a the LORD done thus to this land and to

dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.

this house?'

17

9

So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the

"And they will say, ' Because they

lower Beth-horon

forsook the LORD their God, who

brought their fathers out of the land of

18and Baalath and Tamar in the 26King Solomon also built a fleet of ships wilderness, in the land of Judah,

in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on

the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of

19and all the storage cities which

Edom.

Solomon had, even the cities for his

chariots and the cities for his horsemen,

27And Hiram sent his servants with the

and all that it pleased Solomon to build fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along

in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the

with the servants of Solomon.

land under his rule.

28They went to Ophir and took four

20As for all the people who were left of hundred and twenty talents of gold from

the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,

there, and brought it to King Solomon.

the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were

not of the sons of Israel,

10Now when the queen of Sheba

21their descendants who were left after

heard about the fame of Solomon

them in the land whom the sons of Israel

concerning the name of the LORD, she

were unable to destroy utterly, from

came to test him with difficult questions.

them Solomon levied forced laborers,

even to this day.

2So she came to Jerusalem with a very

22

large retinue, with camels carrying

But Solomon did not make slaves of

spices and very much gold and precious

the sons of Israel; for they were men of

stones. When she came to Solomon,

war, his servants, his princes, his

she spoke with him about all that was in

captains, his chariot commanders, and

her heart.

his horsemen.

3

23

Solomon answered all her questions;

These were the chief officers who

nothing was hidden from the king which

were over Solomon's work, five hundred

he did not explain to her.

and fifty, who ruled over the people

doing the work.

4When the queen of Sheba perceived all

24

the wisdom of Solomon, the house that

As soon as Pharaoh's daughter came

he had built,

up from the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, then he

5

built the Millo.

the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters

25

and their attire, his cupbearers, and his Now three times in a year Solomon

stairway by which he went up to the

offered burnt offerings and peace

house of the LORD, there was no more

offerings on the altar which he built to spirit in her.

the LORD, burning incense with them

on the altar which was before the LORD.

So he finished the house.

6Then she said to the king, "It was a true according to his royal bounty. Then she report which I heard in my own land

turned and went to her own land

about your words and your wisdom.

together with her servants.

7"Nevertheless I did not believe the 14Now the weight of gold which came in

reports, until I came and my eyes had

to Solomon in one year was 666 talents

seen it. And behold, the half was not

of gold,

told me. You exceed in wisdom and

prosperity the report which I heard.

15besides that from the traders and the

wares of the merchants and all the kings

8"How blessed are your men, how

of the Arabs and the governors of the

blessed are these your servants who

country.

stand before you continually and hear

your wisdom.

16King Solomon made 200 large shields

of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of

9" Blessed be the LORD your God who gold on each large shield.

delighted in you to set you on the throne

of Israel; because the LORD loved

17He made 300 shields of beaten gold,

Israel forever, therefore He made you

using three minas of gold on each shield,

king, to do justice and righteousness."

and the king put them in the house of

the forest of Lebanon.

10She gave the king a hundred and

twenty talents of gold, and a very great 18Moreover, the king made a great

amount of spices and precious stones.

throne of ivory and overlaid it with

Never again did such abundance of

refined gold.

spices come in as that which the queen

of Sheba gave King Solomon.

19There were six steps to the throne and

a round top to the throne at its rear, and

11Also the ships of Hiram, which brought

arms on each side of the seat, and two gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a

lions standing beside the arms.

very great number of almug trees and

precious stones.

20Twelve lions were standing there on

the six steps on the one side and on the

12The king made of the almug trees

other; nothing like it was made for any supports for the house of the LORD and

other kingdom.

for the king's house, also lyres and

harps for the singers; such almug trees

21All King Solomon's drinking vessels

have not come in again nor have they

were of gold, and all the vessels of the been seen to this day.

house of the forest of Lebanon were of

pure gold. None was of silver; it was not

13King Solomon gave to the queen of

considered valuable in the days of

Sheba all her desire which she

Solomon.

requested, besides what he gave her

22For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once 11Now King Solomon loved many

every three years the ships of Tarshish

foreign women along with the daughter

came bringing gold and silver, ivory and

of

Pharaoh:

Moabite,

Ammonite,

apes and peacocks.

Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,

23So King Solomon became greater than

2from the nations concerning which the

all the kings of the earth in riches and in

LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "

wisdom.

You shall not associate with them, nor

shall they associate with you, for they

24All the earth was seeking the presence

will surely turn your heart away after

of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which

their gods." Solomon held fast to these God had put in his heart.

in love.

25They brought every man his gift,

3He had seven hundred wives,

articles of silver and gold, garments,

princesses,

and

three

hundred

weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so

concubines, and his wives turned his

much year by year.

heart away.

26Now Solomon gathered chariots and

4For when Solomon was old, his wives

horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots

turned his heart away after other gods;

and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed

and his heart was not wholly devoted to

them in the chariot cities and with the the LORD his God, as the heart of David

king in Jerusalem.

his father had been.

27The king made silver as common as

5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the

stones in Jerusalem, and he made

goddess of the Sidonians and after

cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees

Milcom the detestable idol of the

that are in the lowland.

Ammonites.

28Also Solomon's import of horses was

6Solomon did what was evil in the sight

from Egypt and Kue, and the king's

of the LORD, and did not follow the

merchants procured them from Kue for

LORD fully, as David his father had

a price.

done.

29A chariot was imported from Egypt for

7Then Solomon built a high place for

600 shekels of silver, and a horse for

Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab,

150; and by the same means they

on the mountain which is east of

exported them to all the kings of the

Jerusalem,

and

for

Molech

the

Hittites and to the kings of the

detestable idol of the sons of Ammon.

Arameans.

8Thus also he did for all his foreign 16(for Joab and all Israel stayed there six wives,

who

burned

incense

and

months, until he had cut off every male sacrificed to their gods.

in Edom),

9Now the LORD was angry with

17that Hadad fled to Egypt, he and

Solomon because his heart was turned

certain Edomites of his father's servants

away from the LORD, the God of Israel,

with him, while Hadad was a young boy.

who had appeared to him twice,

18They arose from Midian and came to

10and had commanded him concerning

Paran; and they took men with them

this thing, that he should not go after from Paran and came to Egypt, to

other gods; but he did not observe what

Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a

the LORD had commanded.

house and assigned him food and gave

him land.

11So the LORD said to Solomon,

"Because you have done this, and you 19Now Hadad found great favor before

have not kept My covenant and My

Pharaoh, so that he gave him in

statutes, which I have commanded you,

marriage the sister of his own wife, the I will surely tear the kingdom from you, sister of Tahpenes the queen.

and will give it to your servant.

20The sister of Tahpenes bore his son

12"Nevertheless I will not do it in your Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in

days for the sake of your father David, Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in

but I will tear it out of the hand of your Pharaoh's house among the sons of

son.

Pharaoh.

13"However, I will not tear away all the 21But when Hadad heard in Egypt that kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your

David slept with his fathers and that

son for the sake of My servant David

Joab the commander of the army was

and for the sake of Jerusalem which I

dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Send me

have chosen."

away, that I may go to my own country."

14Then the LORD raised up an

22Then Pharaoh said to him, "But what adversary to Solomon, Hadad the

have you lacked with me, that behold,

Edomite; he was of the royal line in

you are seeking to go to your own

Edom.

country?" And he answered, "Nothing; nevertheless you must surely let me go."

15For it came about, when David was in

Edom, and Joab the commander of the

23God also raised up another adversary

army had gone up to bury the slain, and

to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who

had struck down every male in Edom

had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of

Zobah.

24He gathered men to himself and tear the kingdom out of the hand of became leader of a marauding band,

Solomon and give you ten tribes

after David slew them of Zobah; and

they went to Damascus and stayed

32( but he will have one tribe, for the there, and reigned in Damascus.

sake of My servant David and for the

sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have

25So he was an adversary to Israel all

chosen from all the tribes of Israel),

the days of Solomon, along with the evil

that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel

33because they have forsaken Me, and

and reigned over Aram.

have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess

of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of

26Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an

Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons

Ephraimite

of

Zeredah,

Solomon's

of Ammon; and they have not walked in

servant, whose mother's name was

My ways, doing what is right in My sight

Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against

and observing My statutes and My

the king.

ordinances, as his father David did.

27Now this was the reason why he

34'Nevertheless I will not take the whole

rebelled against the king: Solomon built

kingdom out of his hand, but I will make

the Millo, and closed up the breach of

him ruler all the days of his life, for the the city of his father David.

sake of My servant David whom I chose,

who observed My commandments and

28Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant

My statutes;

warrior, and when Solomon saw that the

young

man

was

industrious,

he

35but I will take the kingdom from his

appointed him over all the forced labor

son's hand and give it to you, even ten of the house of Joseph.

tribes.

29It came about at that time, when

36'But to his son I will give one tribe, that

Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that

My servant David may have a lamp

the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found

always before Me in Jerusalem, the city

him on the road. Now Ahijah had

where I have chosen for Myself to put

clothed himself with a new cloak; and

My name.

both of them were alone in the field.

37'I will take you, and you shall reign 30Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak

over whatever you desire, and you shall

which was on him and tore it into twelve

be king over Israel.

pieces.

38'Then it will be, that if you listen to all 31He said to Jeroboam, "Take for

that I command you and walk in My

yourself ten pieces; for thus says the

ways, and do what is right in My sight by

LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will observing

My

statutes

and

My

commandments, as My servant David

did, then I will be with you and build you father and his heavy yoke which he put an enduring house as I built for David, on us, and we will serve you."

and I will give Israel to you.

5Then he said to them, " Depart for three 39'Thus I will afflict the descendants of days, then return to me." So the people David for this, but not always.'"

departed.

40Solomon sought therefore to put

6King Rehoboam consulted with the

Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose

elders who had served his father

and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of

Solomon while he was still alive, saying,

Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the

"How do you counsel me to answer this

death of Solomon.

people?"

41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon

7Then they spoke to him, saying, " If you and whatever he did, and his wisdom,

will be a servant to this people today, are they not written in the book of the and will serve them and grant them their acts of Solomon?

petition, and speak good words to them,

then they will be your servants forever."

42Thus the time that Solomon reigned in

Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 8But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and

43And Solomon slept with his fathers

consulted with the young men who grew

and was buried in the city of his father up with him and served him.

David, and his son Rehoboam reigned

in his place.

9So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer this

people who have spoken to me, saying,

12Then Rehoboam went to 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"

Shechem, for all Israel had come to

Shechem to make him king.

10The young men who grew up with him

2

spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat

say to this people who spoke to you,

heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he

saying, 'Your father made our yoke

was yet in Egypt, where he had fled

heavy, now you make it lighter for us!'

from the presence of King Solomon).

But you shall speak to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!

3Then they sent and called him, and

Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel

11'Whereas my father loaded you with a

came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I 4" Your father made our yoke hard; now will discipline you with scorpions.'"

therefore lighten the hard service of your

12Then Jeroboam and all the people 20It came about when all Israel heard came to Rehoboam on the third day as

that Jeroboam had returned, that they

the king had directed, saying, " Return sent and called him to the assembly and

to me on the third day."

made him king over all Israel. None but

the tribe of Judah followed the house of

13The king answered the people harshly,

David.

for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him,

21Now when Rehoboam had come to

Jerusalem, he assembled all the house

14and he spoke to them according to the

of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin,

advice of the young men, saying, " My 180,000 chosen men who were warriors,

father made your yoke heavy, but I will to fight against the house of Israel to add to your yoke; my father disciplined restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the

you with whips, but I will discipline you son of Solomon.

with scorpions."

22But the word of God came to

15So the king did not listen to the people;

Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

for it was a turn of events from the

LORD, that He might establish His word,

23"Speak to Rehoboam the son of

which the LORD spoke through Ahijah

Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the

the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of

house of Judah and Benjamin and to the

Nebat.

rest of the people, saying,

16When all Israel saw that the king did 24'Thus says the LORD, "You must not not listen to them, the people answered go up and fight against your relatives

the king, saying, "What portion do we the sons of Israel; return every man to have in David? We have no inheritance his house, for this thing has come from in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O

Me."'" So they listened to the word of the Israel! Now look after your own house, LORD, and returned and went their way

David!" So Israel departed to their tents.

according to the word of the LORD.

17But as for the sons of Israel who lived

25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the

in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam

hill country of Ephraim, and lived there.

reigned over them.

And he went out from there and built

Penuel.

18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram,

who was over the forced labor, and all

26Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the Israel stoned him to death. And King

kingdom will return to the house of

Rehoboam made haste to mount his

David.

chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

27" If this people go up to offer sacrifices 19So Israel has been in rebellion against

in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem,

the house of David to this day.

then the heart of this people will return

to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of 2He cried against the altar by the word Judah; and they will kill me and return to of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, Rehoboam king of Judah."

thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son

shall be born to the house of David,

28So the king consulted, and made two

Josiah by name; and on you he shall

golden calves, and he said to them, "It is sacrifice the priests of the high places too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; who burn incense on you, and human

behold your gods, O Israel, that brought

bones shall be burned on you.'"

you up from the land of Egypt."

3Then he gave a sign the same day,

29He set one in Bethel, and the other he

saying, " This is the sign which the put in Dan.

LORD has spoken, 'Behold, the altar

shall be split apart and the ashes which

30

are on it shall be poured out.'"

Now this thing became a sin, for the

people went to worship before the one

4

as far as Dan.

Now when the king heard the saying of

the man of God, which he cried against

31

the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched

And he made houses on high places,

out his hand from the altar, saying,

and made priests from among all the

"Seize him." But his hand which he people who were not of the sons of Levi.

stretched out against him dried up, so

that he could not draw it back to himself.

32Jeroboam instituted a feast in the

eighth month on the fifteenth day of the

5The altar also was split apart and the month, like the feast which is in Judah, ashes were poured out from the altar, and he went up to the altar; thus he did

according to the sign which the man of

in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which

God had given by the word of the LORD.

he had made. And he stationed in

Bethel the priests of the high places

6

which he had made.

The king said to the man of God,

"Please entreat the LORD your God,

33

and pray for me, that my hand may be

Then he went up to the altar which he

restored to me." So the man of God had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day

entreated the LORD, and the king's

in the eighth month, even in the month

hand was restored to him, and it

which he had devised in his own heart;

became as it was before.

and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn 7

incense.

Then the king said to the man of God,

"Come home with me and refresh

yourself, and I will give you a reward."

13Now behold, there came a man of 8But the man of God said to the king, " If God from Judah to Bethel by the word of you were to give me half your house I

the

LORD,

while

Jeroboam

was

would not go with you, nor would I eat standing by the altar to burn incense.

bread or drink water in this place.

9"For so it was commanded me by the 18He said to him, " I also am a prophet word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall eat like you, and an angel spoke to me by

no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring

the way which you came.'"

him back with you to your house, that he

may eat bread and drink water.'" But he

10So he went another way and did not

lied to him.

return by the way which he came to

Bethel.

19So he went back with him, and ate

bread in his house and drank water.

11Now an old prophet was living in

Bethel; and his sons came and told him

20Now it came about, as they were

all the deeds which the man of God had

sitting down at the table, that the word of

done that day in Bethel; the words which

the LORD came to the prophet who had

he had spoken to the king, these also

brought him back;

they related to their father.

21and he cried to the man of God who

12Their father said to them, "Which way came from Judah, saying, "Thus says

did he go?" Now his sons had seen the

the

LORD,

'Because

you

have

way which the man of God who came

disobeyed the command of the LORD,

from Judah had gone.

and

have

not

observed

the

commandment which the LORD your

13Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the

God commanded you,

donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it.

22but have returned and eaten bread

and drunk water in the place of which

14So he went after the man of God and

He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink

found him sitting under an oak; and he

no water"; your body shall not come to said to him, "Are you the man of God the grave of your fathers.'"

who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am."

23It came about after he had eaten

bread and after he had drunk, that he

15Then he said to him, "Come home with

saddled the donkey for him, for the

me and eat bread."

prophet whom he had brought back.

16

24

He said, " I cannot return with you, nor

Now when he had gone, a lion met

go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink

him on the way and killed him, and his water with you in this place.

body was thrown on the road, with the

donkey standing beside it; the lion also 17

was standing beside the body.

"For a command came to me by the

word of the LORD, 'You shall eat no

25

bread, nor drink water there; do not

And behold, men passed by and saw

return by going the way which you

the body thrown on the road, and the

came.'"

lion standing beside the body; so they

came and told it in the city where the old 33After this event Jeroboam did not prophet lived.

return from his evil way, but again he

made priests of the high places from

26Now when the prophet who brought

among all the people; any who would,

him back from the way heard it, he said,

he ordained, to be priests of the high

"It is the man of God, who disobeyed the

places.

command of the LORD; therefore the

LORD has given him to the lion, which

34This event became sin to the house of

has torn him and killed him, according to

Jeroboam, even to blot it out and

the word of the LORD which He spoke

destroy it from off the face of the earth.

to him."

27Then he spoke to his sons, saying,

14At that time Abijah the son of

"Saddle the donkey for me." And they Jeroboam became sick.

saddled it.

2

28

Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise now, He went and found his body thrown on

and disguise yourself so that they will

the road with the donkey and the lion

not know that you are the wife of

standing beside the body; the lion had

Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold,

not eaten the body nor torn the donkey.

Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke

concerning me that I would be king over

29So the prophet took up the body of the

this people.

man of God and laid it on the donkey

and brought it back, and he came to the

3" Take ten loaves with you, some cakes

city of the old prophet to mourn and to and a jar of honey, and go to him. He bury him.

will tell you what will happen to the boy."

30He laid his body in his own grave, and

4Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose and

they mourned over him, saying, " Alas, went to Shiloh, and came to the house my brother!"

of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for

his eyes were dim because of his age.

31After he had buried him, he spoke to

his sons, saying, "When I die, bury me 5Now the LORD had said to Ahijah,

in the grave in which the man of God is

"Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming

buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

to inquire of you concerning her son, for

he is sick. You shall say thus and thus 32" For the thing shall surely come to to her, for it will be when she arrives that pass which he cried by the word of the she will pretend to be another woman."

LORD against the altar in Bethel and

against all the houses of the high places

6When Ahijah heard the sound of her

which are in the cities of Samaria."

feet coming in the doorway, he said,

"Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you

pretend to be another woman? For I am something good was found toward the sent to you with a harsh message.

LORD God of Israel in the house of

Jeroboam.

7"Go, say to Jeroboam, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, " Because I exalted

14"Moreover, the LORD will raise up for you from among the people and made

Himself a king over Israel who will cut you leader over My people Israel,

off the house of Jeroboam this day and

from now on.

8and tore the kingdom away from the

house of David and gave it to you-- yet 15"For the LORD will strike Israel, as a you have not been like My servant reed is shaken in the water; and He will

David, who kept My commandments

uproot Israel from this good land which

and who followed Me with all his heart, He gave to their fathers, and will scatter

to do only that which was right in My

them beyond the Euphrates River,

sight;

because they have made their Asherim,

provoking the LORD to anger.

9you also have done more evil than all

who were before you, and have gone

16"He will give up Israel on account of and made for yourself other gods and the sins of Jeroboam, which he

molten images to provoke Me to anger,

committed and with which he made

and have cast Me behind your back--

Israel to sin."

10therefore behold, I am bringing

17Then Jeroboam's wife arose and

calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and

departed and came to Tirzah. As she

will cut off from Jeroboam every male

was entering the threshold of the house,

person, both bond and free in Israel,

the child died.

and I will make a clean sweep of the

house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps

18All Israel buried him and mourned for

away dung until it is all gone.

him, according to the word of the LORD

which He spoke through His servant

11" Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who Ahijah the prophet.

dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he

who dies in the field the birds of the 19Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam,

heavens will eat; for the LORD has

how he made war and how he reigned,

spoken it."'

behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

12"Now you, arise, go to your house.

When your feet enter the city the child 20The time that Jeroboam reigned was

will die.

twenty-two years; and he slept with his

fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in

13"All Israel shall mourn for him and bury his place.

him, for he alone of Jeroboam's family

will come to the grave, because in him

21Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon guards would carry them and would reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty—

bring them back into the guards' room.

one years old when he became king,

and he reigned seventeen years in

29Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam

Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had

and all that he did, are they not written chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put

in the Book of the Chronicles of the

His name there. And his mother's name

Kings of Judah?

was Naamah the Ammonitess.

30There was war between Rehoboam

22Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD,

and Jeroboam continually.

and they provoked Him to jealousy more

than all that their fathers had done, with

31And Rehoboam slept with his fathers

the sins which they committed.

and was buried with his fathers in the

city of David; and his mother's name

23For they also built for themselves high

was Naamah the Ammonitess. And

places and sacred pillars and Asherim

Abijam his son became king in his place.

on every high hill and beneath every

luxuriant tree.

15Now in the eighteenth year of King

24There were also male cult prostitutes

in the land. They did according to all the

Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam

abominations of the nations which the

became king over Judah.

LORD dispossessed before the sons of

2

Israel.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem;

and his mother's name was Maacah the

25Now it happened in the fifth year of

daughter of Abishalom.

King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king

3

of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.

He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him;

26He took away the treasures of the

and his heart was not wholly devoted to

house of the LORD and the treasures of

the LORD his God, like the heart of his the king's house, and he took everything,

father David.

even taking all the shields of gold which

4

Solomon had made.

But for David's sake the LORD his God

gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise

27So King Rehoboam made shields of

up his son after him and to establish

bronze in their place, and committed

Jerusalem;

them to the care of the commanders of

5

the guard who guarded the doorway of

because David did what was right in the

the king's house.

sight of the LORD, and had not turned

aside

from

anything

that

He

28Then it happened as often as the king

commanded him all the days of his life, entered the house of the LORD, that the

except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

6There was war between Rehoboam 16Now there was war between Asa and and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

Baasha king of Israel all their days.

7Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and

17Baasha king of Israel went up against

all that he did, are they not written in the

Judah and fortified Ramah in order to

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

prevent anyone from going out or

Judah? And there was war between

coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Abijam and Jeroboam.

18Then Asa took all the silver and the

8And Abijam slept with his fathers and

gold which were left in the treasuries of they buried him in the city of David; and

the house of the LORD and the

Asa his son became king in his place.

treasuries of the king's house, and

delivered them into the hand of his

9So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam

servants. And King Asa sent them to

the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as

Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the

king of Judah.

son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived

in Damascus, saying,

10He reigned forty-one years in

19

Jerusalem; and his mother's name was

"Let there be a treaty between you and

Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

me, as between my father and your

father. Behold, I have sent you a

11

present of silver and gold; go, break

Asa did what was right in the sight of your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so

the LORD, like David his father.

that he will withdraw from me."

12He also put away the male cult

20So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa

prostitutes from the land and removed

and sent the commanders of his armies

all the idols which his fathers had made.

against the cities of Israel, and

conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah

13He also removed Maacah his mother

and all Chinneroth, besides all the land from being queen mother, because she

of Naphtali.

had made a horrid image as an Asherah;

and Asa cut down her horrid image and

21When Baasha heard of it, he ceased

burned it at the brook Kidron.

fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah.

14But the high places were not taken

22Then King Asa made a proclamation

away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was

to all Judah--none was exempt--and

wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.

they carried away the stones of Ramah

and its timber with which Baasha had

15He brought into the house of the

built. And King Asa built with them Geba

LORD the dedicated things of his father

of Benjamin and Mizpah.

and his own dedicated things: silver and

gold and utensils.

23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and with which he provoked the LORD God all his might and all that he did and the of Israel to anger.

cities which he built, are they not written

in the Book of the Chronicles of the

31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and

Kings of Judah? But in the time of his all that he did, are they not written in the

old age he was diseased in his feet.

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

Israel?

24And Asa slept with his fathers and was

buried with his fathers in the city of

32There was war between Asa and

David his father; and Jehoshaphat his

Baasha king of Israel all their days.

son reigned in his place.

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah,

25Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam

Baasha the son of Ahijah became king

became king over Israel in the second

over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned

year of Asa king of Judah, and he

twenty-four years.

reigned over Israel two years.

34He did evil in the sight of the LORD, 26He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and and walked in the way of his father and

in his sin which he made Israel sin.

in his sin which he made Israel sin.

27Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the

16Now the word of the LORD came

house of Issachar conspired against him,

and Baasha struck him down at

to Jehu the son of Hanani against

Gibbethon, which belonged to the

Baasha, saying,

Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel

2

were laying siege to Gibbethon.

"Inasmuch as I exalted you from the dust and made you leader over My

28So Baasha killed him in the third year

people Israel, and you have walked in

of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his the way of Jeroboam and have made

place.

My people Israel sin, provoking Me to

anger with their sins,

29It came about as soon as he was king,

3

he struck down all the household of

behold, I will consume Baasha and his

Jeroboam.

He

did

not

leave

to

house, and I will make your house like

Jeroboam any persons alive, until he

the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

had destroyed them, according to the

4

word of the LORD, which He spoke by

" Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city

His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who

dies in the field the birds of the heavens

30and because of the sins of Jeroboam

will eat."

which he sinned, and which he made

5

Israel sin, because of his provocation

Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and

what he did and his might, are they not

written in the Book of the Chronicles of 13for all the sins of Baasha and the sins the Kings of Israel?

of Elah his son, which they sinned and

which they made Israel sin, provoking

6And Baasha slept with his fathers and

the LORD God of Israel to anger with

was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son

their idols.

became king in his place.

14Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all

7Moreover, the word of the LORD

that he did, are they not written in the through the prophet Jehu the son of

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

Hanani also came against Baasha and

Israel?

his household, both because of all the

evil which he did in the sight of the

15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king

LORD, provoking Him to anger with the

of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days at

work of his hands, in being like the

Tirzah. Now the people were camped

house of Jeroboam, and because he

against Gibbethon, which belonged to

struck it.

the Philistines.

8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of 16The people who were camped heard it

Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became

said, "Zimri has conspired and has also king over Israel at Tirzah, and reigned struck down the king." Therefore all two years.

Israel made Omri, the commander of the

army, king over Israel that day in the

9His servant Zimri, commander of half

camp.

his chariots, conspired against him. Now

he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk

17Then Omri and all Israel with him went

in the house of Arza, who was over the up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.

household at Tirzah.

18When Zimri saw that the city was

10Then Zimri went in and struck him and

taken, he went into the citadel of the

put him to death in the twenty-seventh

king's house and burned the king's

year of Asa king of Judah, and became

house over him with fire, and died,

king in his place.

19because of his sins which he sinned,

11It came about when he became king,

doing evil in the sight of the LORD,

as soon as he sat on his throne, that he

walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in

killed all the household of Baasha; he

his sin which he did, making Israel sin.

did not leave a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.

20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his conspiracy which he carried out, are

12Thus Zimri destroyed all the household

they not written in the Book of the

of Baasha, according to the word of the

Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

LORD, which He spoke against Baasha

through Jehu the prophet,

21Then the people of Israel were divided of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria into two parts: half of the people

twenty-two years.

followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to

make him king; the other half followed

30Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the Omri.

sight of the LORD more than all who

were before him.

22But the people who followed Omri

prevailed over the people who followed

31It came about, as though it had been a

Tibni the son of Ginath. And Tibni died trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of

and Omri became king.

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he

married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal

23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of king of the Sidonians, and went to serve

Judah, Omri became king over Israel

Baal and worshiped him.

and reigned twelve years; he reigned six

years at Tirzah.

32So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

24He bought the hill Samaria from

Shemer for two talents of silver; and he 33Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus

built on the hill, and named the city

Ahab did more to provoke the LORD

which he built Samaria, after the name

God of Israel than all the kings of Israel

of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

who were before him.

25Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD,

34In his days Hiel the Bethelite built

and acted more wickedly than all who

Jericho; he laid its foundations with the were before him.

loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest 26For he walked in all the way of son Segub, according to the word of the

Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his

LORD, which He spoke by Joshua the

sins which he made Israel sin, provoking

son of Nun.

the LORD God of Israel with their idols.

27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which

17Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was

he did and his might which he showed,

of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "

are they not written in the Book of the As the LORD, the God of Israel lives,

Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

before whom I stand, surely there shall

be neither dew nor rain these years,

28So Omri slept with his fathers and was

except by my word."

buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son

became king in his place.

2The word of the LORD came to him,

saying,

29Now Ahab the son of Omri became

king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son

3"Go away from here and turn eastward, flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, and behold, I am gathering a few sticks which is east of the Jordan.

that I may go in and prepare for me and

my son, that we may eat it and die."

4"It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the

13Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; ravens to provide for you there."

go, do as you have said, but make me a

little bread cake from it first and bring it 5So he went and did according to the out to me, and afterward you may make

word of the LORD, for he went and lived

one for yourself and for your son.

by the brook Cherith, which is east of

the Jordan.

14"For thus says the LORD God of Israel,

'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted,

6The ravens brought him bread and

nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the

meat in the morning and bread and

day that the LORD sends rain on the

meat in the evening, and he would drink

face of the earth.'"

from the brook.

15So she went and did according to the

7It happened after a while that the brook

word of Elijah, and she and he and her dried up, because there was no rain in

household ate for many days.

the land.

16The bowl of flour was not exhausted

8Then the word of the LORD came to

nor did the jar of oil become empty,

him, saying,

according to the word of the LORD

which He spoke through Elijah.

9"Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs

17

to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have

Now it came about after these things

commanded a widow there to provide

that the son of the woman, the mistress

for you."

of the house, became sick; and his

sickness was so severe that there was

10

no breath left in him.

So he arose and went to Zarephath,

and when he came to the gate of the

18

city, behold, a widow was there

So she said to Elijah, " What do I have

gathering sticks; and he called to her

to do with you, O man of God? You

and said, "Please get me a little water in have come to me to bring my iniquity to

a jar, that I may drink."

remembrance and to put my son to

death!"

11As she was going to get it, he called to

19

her and said, "Please bring me a piece He said to her, "Give me your son."

of bread in your hand."

Then he took him from her bosom and

carried him up to the upper room where

12

he was living, and laid him on his own But she said, " As the LORD your God

bed.

lives, I have no bread, only a handful of

20He called to the LORD and said, "O

in a cave, and provided them with bread

LORD my God, have You also brought

and water.)

calamity to the widow with whom I am

staying, by causing her son to die?"

5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go

through the land to all the springs of

21Then he stretched himself upon the

water and to all the valleys; perhaps we

child three times, and called to the

will find grass and keep the horses and LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I

mules alive, and not have to kill some of

pray You, let this child's life return to the cattle."

him."

6So they divided the land between them

22The LORD heard the voice of Elijah,

to survey it; Ahab went one way by

and the life of the child returned to him himself and Obadiah went another way

and he revived.

by himself.

23Elijah took the child and brought him

7Now as Obadiah was on the way,

down from the upper room into the

behold, Elijah met him, and he

house and gave him to his mother; and

recognized him and fell on his face and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive."

said, "Is this you, Elijah my master?"

24Then the woman said to Elijah, " Now I

8He said to him, "It is I. Go, say to your know that you are a man of God and

master, 'Behold, Elijah is here.'"

that the word of the LORD in your mouth

is truth."

9He said, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the

18

hand of Ahab to put me to death?

Now it happened after many days

10

that the word of the LORD came to

" As the LORD your God lives, there is

Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, no nation or kingdom where my master

show yourself to Ahab, and I will send

has not sent to search for you; and

rain on the face of the earth."

when they said, 'He is not here,' he

made the kingdom or nation swear that

2

they could not find you.

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

11"And now you are saying, 'Go, say to 3Ahab called Obadiah who was over the

your master, "Behold, Elijah is here."'

household. (Now Obadiah feared the

12

LORD greatly;

"It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you

4for when Jezebel destroyed the

where I do not know; so when I come

prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a

and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he

hundred prophets and hid them by fifties

will kill me, although I your servant have

feared the LORD from my youth.

13" Has it not been told to my master 22Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone what I did when Jezebel killed the am left a prophet of the LORD, but

prophets of the LORD, that I hid a

Baal's prophets are 450 men.

hundred prophets of the LORD by fifties

in a cave, and provided them with bread

23"Now let them give us two oxen; and and water?

let them choose one ox for themselves

and cut it up, and place it on the wood, 14"And now you are saying, 'Go, say to but put no fire under it; and I will prepare your master, "Behold, Elijah is here"'; he the other ox and lay it on the wood, and

will then kill me."

I will not put a fire under it.

15Elijah said, " As the LORD of hosts 24"Then you call on the name of your lives, before whom I stand, I will surely god, and I will call on the name of the show myself to him today."

LORD, and the God who answers by fire,

He is God." And all the people said, "

16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and

That is a good idea."

told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

25So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,

17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to

"Choose one ox for yourselves and

him, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?"

prepare it first for you are many, and call

on the name of your god, but put no fire

18

under it."

He said, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have,

26

because

you

have

forsaken

the

Then they took the ox which was given

commandments of the LORD and you

them and they prepared it and called on

have followed the Baals.

the name of Baal from morning until

noon saying, "O Baal, answer us." But 19

there was no voice and no one

"Now then send and gather to me all answered. And they leaped about the

Israel at Mount Carmel, together with

altar which they made.

450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets

of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's

27

table."

It came about at noon, that Elijah

mocked them and said, "Call out with a 20

loud voice, for he is a god; either he is So Ahab sent a message among all

occupied or gone aside, or is on a

the sons of Israel and brought the

journey, or perhaps he is asleep and

prophets together at Mount Carmel.

needs to be awakened."

21Elijah came near to all the people and

28So they cried with a loud voice and cut

said, " How long will you hesitate

themselves according to their custom

between two opinions? If the LORD is

with swords and lances until the blood

God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him."

gushed out on them.

But the people did not answer him a

word.

29When midday was past, they raved 37"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, until the time of the offering of the

that this people may know that You, O

evening sacrifice; but there was no

LORD, are God, and that You have

voice, no one answered, and no one

turned their heart back again."

paid attention.

38Then the fire of the LORD fell and

30Then Elijah said to all the people,

consumed the burnt offering and the

"Come near to me." So all the people wood and the stones and the dust, and came near to him. And he repaired the

licked up the water that was in the

altar of the LORD which had been torn

trench.

down.

39When all the people saw it, they fell on

31Elijah took twelve stones according to

their faces; and they said, " The LORD, the number of the tribes of the sons of He is God; the LORD, He is God."

Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD

had come, saying, " Israel shall be your 40Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the name."

prophets of Baal; do not let one of them

escape." So they seized them; and

32So with the stones he built an altar in Elijah brought them down to the brook

the name of the LORD, and he made a

Kishon, and slew them there.

trench around the altar, large enough to

hold two measures of seed.

41Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the 33Then he arranged the wood and cut roar of a heavy shower."

the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But

34And he said, "Fill four pitchers with Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and

water and pour it on the burnt offering he crouched down on the earth and put

and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a his face between his knees.

second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time,"

43He said to his servant, "Go up now, and they did it a third time.

look toward the sea." So he went up and

looked and said, "There is nothing." And 35The water flowed around the altar and

he said, "Go back" seven times.

he also filled the trench with water.

44It came about at the seventh time, that

36At the time of the offering of the

he said, "Behold, a cloud as small as a evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet man's hand is coming up from the sea."

came near and said, " O LORD, the God

And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab,

of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it

'Prepare your chariot and go down, so

be known that You are God in Israel and

that the heavy shower does not stop

that I am Your servant and I have done

you.'"

all these things at Your word.

45In a little while the sky grew black with 7The angel of the LORD came again a clouds and wind, and there was a heavy

second time and touched him and said,

shower. And Ahab rode and went to

"Arise, eat, because the journey is too Jezreel.

great for you."

46Then the hand of the LORD was on

8So he arose and ate and drank, and

Elijah, and he girded up his loins and

went in the strength of that food forty outran Ahab to Jezreel.

days and forty nights to Horeb, the

mountain of God.

19

9

Now Ahab told Jezebel all that

Then he came there to a cave and

Elijah had done, and how he had killed

lodged there; and behold, the word of

all the prophets with the sword.

the LORD came to him, and He said to

him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to

10

Elijah, saying, " So may the gods do to He said, " I have been very zealous for me and even more, if I do not make your

the LORD, the God of hosts; for the

life as the life of one of them by

sons of Israel have forsaken Your

covenant, torn down Your altars and

tomorrow about this time."

killed Your prophets with the sword. And

3

I alone am left; and they seek my life, to

And he was afraid and arose and ran

take it away."

for his life and came to Beersheba,

which belongs to Judah, and left his

11So He said, " Go forth and stand on servant there.

the mountain before the LORD." And

4

behold, the LORD was passing by! And

But he himself went a day's journey into

a great and strong wind was rending the

the wilderness, and came and sat down

mountains and breaking in pieces the

under a juniper tree; and he requested

rocks before the LORD; but the LORD

for himself that he might die, and said, was not in the wind. And after the wind "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, an earthquake, but the LORD was not in

for I am not better than my fathers."

the earthquake.

5He lay down and slept under a juniper

12After the earthquake a fire, but the

tree; and behold, there was an angel

LORD was not in the fire; and after the touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

eat."

13

6

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his

Then he looked and behold, there was

face in his mantle and went out and

at his head a bread cake baked on hot

stood in the entrance of the cave. And

stones, and a jar of water. So he ate

behold, a voice came to him and said,

and drank and lay down again.

"What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14Then he said, " I have been very them and boiled their flesh with the zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts;

implements of the oxen, and gave it to

for the sons of Israel have forsaken

the people and they ate. Then he arose

Your covenant, torn down Your altars

and followed Elijah and ministered to

and killed Your prophets with the sword.

him.

And I alone am left; and they seek my

life, to take it away."

20Now Ben-hadad king of Aram

15The LORD said to him, "Go, return on

gathered all his army, and there were

your way to the wilderness of Damascus,

thirty-two kings with him, and horses

and when you have arrived, you shall

and chariots. And he went up and

anoint Hazael king over Aram;

besieged Samaria and fought against it.

16and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall

2Then he sent messengers to the city to

anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the

Ahab king of Israel and said to him,

son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you

"Thus says Ben-hadad,

shall anoint as prophet in your place.

3

17

'Your silver and your gold are mine;

"It shall come about, the one who

your most beautiful wives and children

escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu

are also mine.'"

shall put to death, and the one who

escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha

4

shall put to death.

The king of Israel replied, "It is

according to your word, my lord, O king;

18

I am yours, and all that I have."

" Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and

5

every mouth that has not kissed him."

Then the messengers returned and

said, "Thus says Ben-hadad, 'Surely, I 19

sent to you saying, "You shall give me So he departed from there and found

your silver and your gold and your wives

Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was

and your children,"

plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before

him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah 6

passed over to him and threw his mantle

but about this time tomorrow I will send

on him.

my servants to you, and they will search

your house and the houses of your

20

servants; and whatever is desirable in

He left the oxen and ran after Elijah

your eyes, they will take in their hand and said, "Please let me kiss my father and carry away.'"

and my mother, then I will follow you."

And he said to him, "Go back again, for

7

what have I done to you?"

Then the king of Israel called all the

elders of the land and said, "Please 21

observe and see how this man is

So he returned from following him, and

looking for trouble; for he sent to me for

took the pair of oxen and sacrificed

my wives and my children and my silver 15Then he mustered the young men of and my gold, and I did not refuse him."

the rulers of the provinces, and there

were 232; and after them he mustered

8All the elders and all the people said to

all the people, even all the sons of Israel,

him, "Do not listen or consent."

7,000.

9

16

So he said to the messengers of Ben—

They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, 'All that hadad was drinking himself drunk in the

you sent for to your servant at the first I

temporary shelters with the thirty-two

will do, but this thing I cannot do.'" And kings who helped him.

the messengers departed and brought

him word again.

17The young men of the rulers of the

provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad

10Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May

sent out and they told him, saying, "Men

the gods do so to me and more also, if have come out from Samaria."

the dust of Samaria will suffice for

handfuls for all the people who follow

18Then he said, "If they have come out me."

for peace, take them alive; or if they

have come out for war, take them alive."

11Then the king of Israel replied, "Tell him, ' Let not him who girds on his armor

19So these went out from the city, the

boast like him who takes it off.'"

young men of the rulers of the provinces,

and the army which followed them.

12When Ben-hadad heard this message,

as he was drinking with the kings in the

20They killed each his man; and the

temporary shelters, he said to his

Arameans fled and Israel pursued them,

servants, "Station yourselves." So they and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped

stationed themselves against the city.

on a horse with horsemen.

13Now behold, a prophet approached

21The king of Israel went out and struck

Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says

the horses and chariots, and killed the

the LORD, 'Have you seen all this great

Arameans with a great slaughter.

multitude? Behold, I will deliver them

into your hand today, and you shall

22Then the prophet came near to the

know that I am the LORD.'"

king of Israel and said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself and observe and

14Ahab said, "By whom?" So he said, see what you have to do; for at the turn

"Thus says the LORD, 'By the young

of the year the king of Aram will come men of the rulers of the provinces.'"

up against you."

Then he said, "Who shall begin the

battle?" And he answered, "You."

23Now the servants of the king of Aram

said to him, " Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger

than we; but rather let us fight against were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came them in the plain, and surely we will be into the city into an inner chamber.

stronger than they.

31His servants said to him, "Behold now,

24"Do this thing: remove the kings, each

we have heard that the kings of the

from his place, and put captains in their

house of Israel are merciful kings,

place,

please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to

25and muster an army like the army that

the king of Israel; perhaps he will save you have lost, horse for horse, and

your life."

chariot for chariot. Then we will fight

against them in the plain, and surely we

32So they girded sackcloth on their loins

will be stronger than they." And he and put ropes on their heads, and came

listened to their voice and did so.

to the king of Israel and said, " Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me

26At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad

live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He mustered the Arameans and went up to is my brother."

Aphek to fight against Israel.

33Now the men took this as an omen,

27The sons of Israel were mustered and

and quickly catching his word said,

were provisioned and went to meet

"Your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, them; and the sons of Israel camped

"Go, bring him." Then Ben-hadad came before them like two little flocks of goats, out to him, and he took him up into the but the Arameans filled the country.

chariot.

28

34

Then a man of God came near and

Ben-hadad said to him, " The cities spoke to the king of Israel and said,

which my father took from your father I

"Thus says the LORD, 'Because the

will restore, and you shall make streets Arameans have said, " The LORD is a for yourself in Damascus, as my father god of the mountains, but He is not a

made in Samaria." Ahab said, "And I will god of the valleys," therefore I will give let you go with this covenant." So he all this great multitude into your hand, made a covenant with him and let him and you shall know that I am the

go.

LORD.'"

35Now a certain man of the sons of the

29So they camped one over against the

prophets said to another by the word of other seven days. And on the seventh

the LORD, "Please strike me." But the day the battle was joined, and the sons man refused to strike him.

of Israel killed of the Arameans 100,000

foot soldiers in one day.

36Then he said to him, "Because you have not listened to the voice of the

30But the rest fled to Aphek into the city,

LORD, behold, as soon as you have

and the wall fell on 27,000 men who

departed from me, a lion will kill you."

And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him.

21Now it came about after these

things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a

37Then he found another man and said,

vineyard which was in Jezreel beside

"Please strike me." And the man struck the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

him, wounding him.

2Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, " Give 38So the prophet departed and waited

me your vineyard, that I may have it for

for the king by the way, and disguised

a vegetable garden because it is close

himself with a bandage over his eyes.

beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you

39As the king passed by, he cried to the

like, I will give you the price of it in king and said, "Your servant went out money."

into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man

3But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD

to me and said, 'Guard this man; if for forbid me that I should give you the

any reason he is missing, then your life inheritance of my fathers."

shall be for his life, or else you shall pay

a talent of silver.'

4So Ahab came into his house sullen

and vexed because of the word which

40"While your servant was busy here

Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him;

and there, he was gone." And the king for he said, "I will not give you the of Israel said to him, "So shall your inheritance of my fathers." And he lay judgment be; you yourself have decided down on his bed and turned away his

it."

face and ate no food.

41Then he hastily took the bandage

5But Jezebel his wife came to him and

away from his eyes, and the king of

said to him, "How is it that your spirit is Israel recognized him that he was of the so sullen that you are not eating food?"

prophets.

6So he said to her, "Because I spoke to

42He said to him, "Thus says the LORD,

Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him,

'Because you have let go out of your

'Give me your vineyard for money; or

hand the man whom I had devoted to

else, if it pleases you, I will give you a destruction, therefore your life shall go vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will for his life, and your people for his not give you my vineyard.'"

people.'"

7Jezebel his wife said to him, " Do you 43So the king of Israel went to his house now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread,

sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.

and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the

Jezreelite."

8So she wrote letters in Ahab's name 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was and sealed them with his seal, and sent

dead, Ahab arose to go down to the

letters to the elders and to the nobles vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to

who were living with Naboth in his city.

take possession of it.

9Now she wrote in the letters, saying,

17Then the word of the LORD came to

"Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

head of the people;

18"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of 10and seat two worthless men before

Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is him, and let them testify against him,

in the vineyard of Naboth where he has

saying, ' You cursed God and the king.'

gone down to take possession of it.

Then take him out and stone him to

death."

19"You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus

says the LORD, " Have you murdered

11So the men of his city, the elders and

and also taken possession?"' And you the nobles who lived in his city, did as shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it

the LORD, " In the place where the dogs

was written in the letters which she had

licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs

sent them.

will lick up your blood, even yours."'"

12They proclaimed a fast and seated

20Ahab said to Elijah, " Have you found Naboth at the head of the people.

me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold

13Then the two worthless men came in

yourself to do evil in the sight of the and sat before him; and the worthless

LORD.

men testified against him, even against

Naboth, before the people, saying,

21"Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and

"Naboth cursed God and the king." So will utterly sweep you away, and will cut they took him outside the city and

off from Ahab every male, both bond

stoned him to death with stones.

and free in Israel;

14Then they sent word to Jezebel,

22and I will make your house like the

saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is

house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,

dead."

and like the house of Baasha the son of

Ahijah, because of the provocation with

15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had

which you have provoked Me to anger,

been stoned and was dead, Jezebel

and because you have made Israel sin.

said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of

the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite,

23"Of Jezebel also has the LORD

which he refused to give you for money;

spoken, saying, ' The dogs will eat

for Naboth is not alive, but dead."

Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.'

24" The one belonging to Ahab, who dies 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?"

who dies in the field the birds of heaven

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of

will eat."

Israel, " I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

25Surely there was no one like Ahab

who sold himself to do evil in the sight of

5Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king

the LORD, because Jezebel his wife

of Israel, "Please inquire first for the incited him.

word of the LORD."

26He acted very abominably in following

6Then the king of Israel gathered the

idols, according to all that the Amorites prophets together, about four hundred

had done, whom the LORD cast out

men, and said to them, "Shall I go before the sons of Israel.

against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I

refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the 27It came about when Ahab heard these Lord will give it into the hand of the words, that he tore his clothes and put king."

on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in

sackcloth and went about despondently.

7But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet

a prophet of the LORD here that we

28Then the word of the LORD came to

may inquire of him?"

Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,

29"Do you see how Ahab has humbled

"There is yet one man by whom we may

himself before MeNULL Because he has

inquire of the LORD, but I hate him,

humbled himself before Me, I will not

because he does not prophesy good

bring the evil in his days, but I will bring

concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah

the evil upon his house in his son's

son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, days."

"Let not the king say so."

9Then the king of Israel called an officer

22Three years passed without war and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah."

between Aram and Israel.

10

2

Now

the

king

of

Israel

and

In the third year Jehoshaphat the king

Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting

of Judah came down to the king of Israel. each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the 3Now the king of Israel said to his

entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all

servants, "Do you know that Ramoth—

the prophets were prophesying before

gilead belongs to us, and we are still

them.

doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?"

11Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah would not prophesy good concerning

made horns of iron for himself and said,

me, but evil?"

"Thus says the LORD, ' With these you will gore the Arameans until they are

19Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the

consumed.'"

word of the LORD. I saw the LORD

sitting on His throne, and all the host of 12All the prophets were prophesying

heaven standing by Him on His right

thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and on His left.

and prosper, for the LORD will give it

into the hand of the king."

20"The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab

to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And

13Then the messenger who went to

one said this while another said that.

summon Micaiah spoke to him saying,

"Behold now, the words of the prophets 21"Then a spirit came forward and stood are uniformly favorable to the king.

before the LORD and said, 'I will entice Please let your word be like the word of

him.'

one of them, and speak favorably."

22"The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he

14But Micaiah said, " As the LORD lives,

said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving what the LORD says to me, that I shall spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'

speak."

Then He said, 'You are to entice him

and also prevail. Go and do so.'

15When he came to the king, the king

said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to 23"Now therefore, behold, the LORD has

Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we

put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all

refrain?" And he answered him, " Go up these your prophets; and the LORD has

and succeed, and the LORD will give it

proclaimed disaster against you."

into the hand of the king."

24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah

16Then the king said to him, "How many

came near and struck Micaiah on the

times must I adjure you to speak to me

cheek and said, " How did the Spirit of nothing but the truth in the name of the the LORD pass from me to speak to LORD?"

you?"

17So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered 25Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on the mountains, Like sheep which on that day when you enter an inner

have no shepherd. And the LORD said,

room to hide yourself."

'These have no master. Let each of

them return to his house in peace.'"

26Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the

18Then the king of Israel said to

governor of the city and to Joash the

Jehoshaphat, " Did I not tell you that he king's son;

27and say, 'Thus says the king, " Put this 35The battle raged that day, and the king man in prison and feed him sparingly

was propped up in his chariot in front of

with bread and water until I return

the Arameans, and died at evening, and

safely."'"

the blood from the wound ran into the

bottom of the chariot.

28Micaiah said, " If you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by

36Then a cry passed throughout the

me." And he said, " Listen, all you army close to sunset, saying, "Every people."

man to his city and every man to his

country."

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat

king of Judah went up against Ramoth—

37So the king died and was brought to

gilead.

Samaria, and they buried the king in

Samaria.

30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,

" I will disguise myself and go into the 38They washed the chariot by the pool of battle, but you put on your robes." So Samaria, and the dogs licked up his

the king of Israel disguised himself and blood

(now

the

harlots

bathed

went into the battle.

themselves there), according to the

word of the LORD which He spoke.

31Now the king of Aram had

commanded the thirty-two captains of

39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with all that he did and the ivory house which small or great, but with the king of Israel

he built and all the cities which he built, alone."

are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

32So when the captains of the chariots

saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely it is 40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and

the king of Israel," and they turned aside Ahaziah his son became king in his

to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat

place.

cried out.

41Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa

33When the captains of the chariots saw

became king over Judah in the fourth

that it was not the king of Israel, they year of Ahab king of Israel.

turned back from pursuing him.

42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old

34Now a certain man drew his bow at

when he became king, and he reigned

random and struck the king of Israel in a

twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his

joint of the armor. So he said to the

mother's

name

was

Azubah

the

driver of his chariot, "Turn around and daughter of Shilhi.

take me out of the fight; for I am

severely wounded."

43He walked in all the way of Asa his

father; he did not turn aside from it,

doing right in the sight of the LORD.

49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to

However, the high places were not

Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with taken away; the people still sacrificed

your servants in the ships." But

and burnt incense on the high places.

Jehoshaphat was not willing.

44Jehoshaphat also made peace with

50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers

the king of Israel.

and was buried with his fathers in the

city of his father David, and Jehoram his

45Now the rest of the acts of

son became king in his place.

Jehoshaphat, and his might which he

showed and how he warred, are they

51Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king

not written in the Book of the Chronicles

over

Israel

in

Samaria

in

the

of the Kings of Judah?

seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king

of Judah, and he reigned two years over

46The remnant of the sodomites who

Israel.

remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land.

52He did evil in the sight of the LORD

and walked in the way of his father and

47Now there was no king in Edom; a

in the way of his mother and in the way

deputy was king.

of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who

caused Israel to sin.

48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish

53

to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not So he served Baal and worshiped him

go for the ships were broken at Ezion—

and provoked the LORD God of Israel to

geber.

anger, according to all that his father

had done.

2nd Kings

7He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and

1Now Moab rebelled against Israel spoke these words to you?"

after the death of Ahab.

8They answered him, " He was a hairy 2

man with a leather girdle bound about

And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in

his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the his upper chamber which was in Tishbite."

Samaria, and became ill. So he sent

messengers and said to them, "Go,

9

inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron,

Then the king sent to him a captain of whether I will recover from this

fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him,

sickness."

and behold, he was sitting on the top of

the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'"

3But the angel of the LORD said to

Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet 10

the messengers of the king of Samaria

Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I and say to them, 'Is it because there is am a man of God, let fire come down no God in Israel that you are going to from heaven and consume you and your

fifty." Then fire came down from heaven

inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of

and consumed him and his fifty.

Ekron?'

11

4"Now therefore thus says the LORD, '

So he again sent to him another

You shall not come down from the bed

captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said

to him, "O man of God, thus says the where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" Then Elijah departed.

king, 'Come down quickly.'"

12

5When the messengers returned to him

Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven

he said to them, "Why have you

and consume you and your fifty." Then returned?"

the fire of God came down from heaven

6

and consumed him and his fifty.

They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, 'Go, return to 13So he again sent the captain of a third the king who sent you and say to him,

fifty with his fifty. When the third captain

"Thus says the LORD, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are of fifty went up, he came and bowed sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the

down on his knees before Elijah, and

god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not

begged him and said to him, "O man of

come down from the bed where you

God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious

have gone up, but shall surely die.'"'"

in your sight.

14"Behold fire came down from heaven 3Then the sons of the prophets who and consumed the first two captains of

were at Bethel came out to Elisha and

fifty with their fifties; but now let my life said to him, "Do you know that the be precious in your sight."

LORD will take away your master from

over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I 15The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, know; be still."

"Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with 4Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay him to the king.

here, for the LORD has sent me to

Jericho." But he said, " As the LORD

16Then he said to him, "Thus says the lives, and as you yourself live, I will not LORD, 'Because

you

have

sent

leave you." So they came to Jericho.

messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub,

the god of Ekron--is it because there is 5The sons of the prophets who were at

no God in Israel to inquire of His word?--

Jericho approached Elisha and said to

therefore you shall not come down from

him, " Do you know that the LORD will the bed where you have gone up, but

take away your master from over you

shall surely die.'"

today?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be still."

17So Ahaziah died according to the word

of the LORD which Elijah had spoken.

6Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay And because he had no son, Jehoram

here, for the LORD has sent me to the

became king in his place in the second

Jordan." And he said, "As the LORD

year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat,

lives, and as you yourself live, I will not king of Judah.

leave you." So the two of them went on.

18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah

7Now fifty men of the sons of the

which he did, are they not written in the

prophets went and stood opposite them

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

at a distance, while the two of them

IsraelNULL

stood by the Jordan.

8

2

Elijah took his mantle and folded it

And it came about when the LORD

together and struck the waters, and they

were divided here and there, so that the

was about to take up Elijah by a

two of them crossed over on dry ground.

whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went

with Elisha from Gilgal.

9When they had crossed over, Elijah

2Elijah said to Elisha, " Stay here please, said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And for the LORD has sent me as far as Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion Bethel." But Elisha said, " As the LORD

lives and as you yourself live, I will not of your spirit be upon me."

leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

10He said, "You have asked a hard thing.

17But when they urged him until he was

Nevertheless, if you see me when I am

ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent taken from you, it shall be so for you; therefore fifty men; and they searched but if not, it shall not be so."

three days but did not find him.

11As they were going along and talking,

18They returned to him while he was

behold, there appeared a chariot of fire staying at Jericho; and he said to them,

and horses of fire which separated the

"Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"

two of them. And Elijah went up by a

whirlwind to heaven.

19Then the men of the city said to Elisha,

"Behold now, the situation of this city is 12Elisha saw it and cried out, " My father, pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water my father, the chariots of Israel and its is bad and the land is unfruitful."

horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes

20He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put

and tore them in two pieces.

salt in it." So they brought it to him.

13He also took up the mantle of Elijah

21He went out to the spring of water and

that fell from him and returned and

threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the stood by the bank of the Jordan.

LORD, 'I have purified these waters;

there shall not be from there death or

14He took the mantle of Elijah that fell unfruitfulness any longer.'"

from him and struck the waters and said,

"Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?"

22So the waters have been purified to

And when he also had struck the waters,

this day, according to the word of Elisha

they were divided here and there; and

which he spoke.

Elisha crossed over.

23Then he went up from there to Bethel;

15Now when the sons of the prophets

and as he was going up by the way,

who were at Jericho opposite him saw

young lads came out from the city and

him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests mocked him and said to him, "Go up, on Elisha." And they came to meet him you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!"

and bowed themselves to the ground

before him.

24When he looked behind him and saw

them, he cursed them in the name of the

16They said to him, "Behold now, there LORD. Then two female bears came out

are with your servants fifty strong men, of the woods and tore up forty-two lads please let them go and search for your of their number.

master; perhaps the Spirit of the LORD

has taken him up and cast him on some

25He went from there to Mount Carmel,

mountain or into some valley." And he and from there he returned to Samaria.

said, "You shall not send."

3

and there was no water for the army or Now Jehoram the son of Ahab

for the cattle that followed them.

became king over Israel at Samaria in

10

the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king

Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! For

of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

the LORD has called these three kings

to give them into the hand of Moab."

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, 11

though not like his father and his mother;

But Jehoshaphat said, " Is there not a for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal

prophet of the LORD here, that we may

which his father had made.

inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered

3Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of

and said, " Elisha the son of Shaphat is Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he

here, who used to pour water on the

hands of Elijah."

made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

12Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the 4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep

LORD is with him." So the king of Israel

breeder, and used to pay the king of

and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom

went down to him.

Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of

100,000 rams.

13Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, 5But when Ahab died, the king of Moab

"What do I have to do with you? Go to rebelled against the king of Israel.

the prophets of your father and to the

prophets of your mother." And the king 6

of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD

And King Jehoram went out of Samaria

has called these three kings together to at that time and mustered all Israel.

give them into the hand of Moab."

7Then he went and sent word to

14Elisha said, " As the LORD of hosts Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying,

lives, before whom I stand, were it not

"The king of Moab has rebelled against that

I

regard

the

presence

of

me. Will you go with me to fight against

Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would

Moab?" And he said, "I will go up; I am not look at you nor see you.

as you are, my people as your people,

my horses as your horses."

15"But now bring me a minstrel." And it 8

came about, when the minstrel played,

He said, "Which way shall we go up?"

that the hand of the LORD came upon

And he answered, "The way of the

him.

wilderness of Edom."

16

9

He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Make

So the king of Israel went with the king

this valley full of trenches.'

of Judah and the king of Edom; and they

made a circuit of seven days' journey,

17"For thus says the LORD, 'You shall 25Thus they destroyed the cities; and not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet

each one threw a stone on every piece

that valley shall be filled with water, so of good land and filled it. So they

that you shall drink, both you and your stopped all the springs of water and

cattle and your beasts.

felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left its stones;

18'This is but a slight thing in the sight of

however, the slingers went about it and

the LORD; He will also give the

struck it.

Moabites into your hand.

26When the king of Moab saw that the

19' Then you shall strike every fortified battle was too fierce for him, he took

city and every choice city, and fell every

with him 700 men who drew swords, to

good tree and stop all springs of water, break through to the king of Edom; but

and mar every good piece of land with

they could not.

stones.'"

27Then he took his oldest son who was

20It happened in the morning about the

to reign in his place, and offered him as

time of offering the sacrifice, that behold,

a burnt offering on the wall. And there water came by the way of Edom, and

came great wrath against Israel, and

the country was filled with water.

they departed from him and returned to

their own land.

21Now all the Moabites heard that the

kings had come up to fight against them.

And all who were able to put on armor

4Now a certain woman of the wives of

and older were summoned and stood on

the sons of the prophets cried out to

the border.

Elisha, "Your servant my husband is

dead, and you know that your servant

22They rose early in the morning, and

feared the LORD; and the creditor has

the sun shone on the water, and the

come to take my two children to be his Moabites saw the water opposite them

slaves."

as red as blood.

2Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for 23Then they said, "This is blood; the you? Tell me, what do you have in the kings have surely fought together, and

house?"

And

she

said,

"Your

they have slain one another. Now

maidservant has nothing in the house

therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

except a jar of oil."

24But when they came to the camp of

3Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at Israel, the Israelites arose and struck

large for yourself from all your neighbors,

the Moabites, so that they fled before

even empty vessels; do not get a few.

them; and they went forward into the

land, slaughtering the Moabites.

4"And you shall go in and shut the door

behind you and your sons, and pour out

into all these vessels, and you shall set 13He said to him, "Say now to her, aside what is full."

'Behold, you have been careful for us

with all this care; what can I do for you?

5So she went from him and shut the

Would you be spoken for to the king or door behind her and her sons; they were

to the captain of the army?'" And she bringing the vessels to her and she

answered, "I live among my own

poured.

people."

6

14

When the vessels were full, she said to

So he said, "What then is to be done her son, "Bring me another vessel." And for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly he said to her, "There is not one vessel she has no son and her husband is old."

more." And the oil stopped.

15He said, "Call her." When he had 7Then she came and told the man of

called her, she stood in the doorway.

God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons 16Then he said, " At this season next can live on the rest."

year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do 8Now there came a day when Elisha not lie to your maidservant."

passed over to Shunem, where there

was a prominent woman, and she

17The woman conceived and bore a son

persuaded him to eat food. And so it

at that season the next year, as Elisha was, as often as he passed by, he

had said to her.

turned in there to eat food.

18When the child was grown, the day

9She said to her husband, "Behold now,

came that he went out to his father to I perceive that this is a holy man of God

the reapers.

passing by us continually.

19He said to his father, "My head, my 10"Please, let us make a little walled head." And he said to his servant, "Carry upper chamber and let us set a bed for him to his mother."

him there, and a table and a chair and a

lampstand; and it shall be, when he

20When he had taken him and brought

comes to us, that he can turn in there."

him to his mother, he sat on her lap until

noon, and then died.

11One day he came there and turned in

to the upper chamber and rested.

21She went up and laid him on the bed

of the man of God, and shut the door

12Then he said to Gehazi his servant,

behind him and went out.

"Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him.

22Then she called to her husband and

said, "Please send me one of the

servants and one of the donkeys, that I 30The mother of the lad said, " As the may run to the man of God and return."

LORD lives and as you yourself live, I

will not leave you." And he arose and 23He said, "Why will you go to him today? followed her.

It is neither new moon nor sabbath."

And she said, "It will be well."

31Then Gehazi passed on before them

and laid the staff on the lad's face, but 24Then she saddled a donkey and said

there was no sound or response. So he

to her servant, "Drive and go forward; do returned to meet him and told him, "The

not slow down the pace for me unless I

lad has not awakened."

tell you."

32When Elisha came into the house,

25So she went and came to the man of

behold the lad was dead and laid on his

God to Mount Carmel. When the man of

bed.

God saw her at a distance, he said to

Gehazi his servant, "Behold, there is the 33So he entered and shut the door

Shunammite.

behind them both and prayed to the

LORD.

26"Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with 34And he went up and lay on the child, your husband? Is it well with the child?'"

and put his mouth on his mouth and his

And she answered, "It is well."

eyes on his eyes and his hands on his

hands, and he stretched himself on him;

27When she came to the man of God to

and the flesh of the child became warm.

the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And

Gehazi came near to push her away;

35Then he returned and walked in the

but the man of God said, "Let her alone,

house once back and forth, and went up

for her soul is troubled within her; and and stretched himself on him; and the

the LORD has hidden it from me and

lad sneezed seven times and the lad

has not told me."

opened his eyes.

28Then she said, "Did I ask for a son 36He called Gehazi and said, "Call this from my lord? Did I not say, ' Do not Shunammite." So he called her. And deceive me'?"

when she came in to him, he said, "Take

up your son."

29Then he said to Gehazi, " Gird up your

loins and take my staff in your hand, and

37Then she went in and fell at his feet go your way; if you meet any man, do

and bowed herself to the ground, and

not salute him, and if anyone salutes

she took up her son and went out.

you, do not answer him; and lay my staff

on the lad's face."

38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there

was a famine in the land. As the sons of

the prophets were sitting before him, he

said to his servant, " Put on the large pot because by him the LORD had given and boil stew for the sons of the

victory to Aram. The man was also a

prophets."

valiant warrior, but he was a leper.

39Then one went out into the field to

2Now the Arameans had gone out in

gather herbs, and found a wild vine and

bands and had taken captive a little girl gathered from it his lap full of wild

from the land of Israel; and she waited gourds, and came and sliced them into

on Naaman's wife.

the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were.

3She said to her mistress, "I wish that my master were with the prophet who is

40So they poured it out for the men to in Samaria! Then he would cure him of

eat. And as they were eating of the stew,

his leprosy."

they cried out and said, "O man of God,

there is death in the pot." And they were 4Naaman went in and told his master,

unable to eat.

saying, "Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel."

41But he said, "Now bring meal." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out 5Then the king of Aram said, "Go now, for the people that they may eat." Then and I will send a letter to the king of there was no harm in the pot.

Israel." He departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand 42Now a man came from Baal-shalishah,

shekels of gold and ten changes of

and brought the man of God bread of

clothes.

the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And

6He brought the letter to the king of

he said, " Give them to the people that Israel, saying, "And now as this letter they may eat."

comes to you, behold, I have sent

Naaman my servant to you, that you

43His attendant said, "What, will I set this may cure him of his leprosy."

before a hundred men?" But he said,

"Give them to the people that they may 7When the king of Israel read the letter,

eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall

he tore his clothes and said, " Am I God, eat and have some left over.'"

to kill and to make alive, that this man is

sending word to me to cure a man of his

44So he set it before them, and they ate

leprosy? But consider now, and see how

and had some left over, according to the

he is seeking a quarrel against me."

word of the LORD.

8It happened when Elisha the man of

5

God heard that the king of Israel had

Now Naaman, captain of the army of

torn his clothes, that he sent word to the

the king of Aram, was a great man with

king, saying, "Why have you torn your his master, and highly respected,

clothes? Now let him come to me, and

he shall know that there is a prophet in earth, but in Israel; so please take a Israel."

present from your servant now."

9So Naaman came with his horses and

16But he said, " As the LORD lives, his chariots and stood at the doorway of

before whom I stand, I will take nothing."

the house of Elisha.

And he urged him to take it, but he

refused.

10Elisha sent a messenger to him,

saying, " Go and wash in the Jordan 17Naaman said, "If not, please let your seven times, and your flesh will be servant at least be given two mules' load

restored to you and you will be clean."

of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice 11But Naaman was furious and went to other gods, but to the LORD.

away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand

18"In this matter may the LORD pardon and call on the name of the LORD his

your servant: when my master goes into

God, and wave his hand over the place

the house of Rimmon to worship there,

and cure the leper.'

and he leans on my hand and I bow

myself in the house of Rimmon, when I

12"Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the

bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the

rivers of Damascus, better than all the

LORD pardon your servant in this

waters of Israel? Could I not wash in

matter."

them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

19He said to him, " Go in peace." So he departed from him some distance.

13Then his servants came near and

spoke to him and said, " My father, had

20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the

the prophet told you to do some great

man of God, thought, "Behold, my

thing, would you not have done it? How

master has spared this Naaman the

much more then, when he says to you,

Aramean, by not receiving from his

'Wash, and be clean'?"

hands what he brought. As the LORD

lives, I will run after him and take

14So he went down and dipped himself

something from him."

seven times in the Jordan, according to

the word of the man of God; and his

21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When

flesh was restored like the flesh of a little

Naaman saw one running after him, he

child and he was clean.

came down from the chariot to meet him

and said, "Is all well?"

15When he returned to the man of God

with all his company, and came and

22He said, " All is well. My master has stood before him, he said, "Behold now, sent me, saying, 'Behold, just now two

I know that there is no God in all the young men of the sons of the prophets

have come to me from the hill country of

Ephraim. Please give them a talent of let us make a place there for ourselves silver and two changes of clothes.'"

where we may live." So he said, "Go."

23Naaman said, " Be pleased to take two

3Then one said, "Please be willing to go

talents." And he urged him, and bound with your servants." And he answered, "I two talents of silver in two bags with two shall go."

changes of clothes and gave them to

two of his servants; and they carried

4So he went with them; and when they

them before him.

came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

24When he came to the hill, he took

5But as one was felling a beam, the axe

them from their hand and deposited

head fell into the water; and he cried out

them in the house, and he sent the men

and said, "Alas, my master! For it was away, and they departed.

borrowed."

25But he went in and stood before his

6Then the man of God said, "Where did

master. And Elisha said to him, "Where it fall?" And when he showed him the have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "

place, he cut off a stick and threw it in Your servant went nowhere."

there, and made the iron float.

26Then he said to him, "Did not my heart

7He said, "Take it up for yourself." So he go with you, when the man turned from put out his hand and took it.

his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes

8Now the king of Aram was warring

and olive groves and vineyards and

against Israel; and he counseled with

sheep and oxen and male and female

his servants saying, "In such and such a

servants?

place shall be my camp."

27"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman

9The man of God sent word to the king

shall cling to you and to your

of Israel saying, "Beware that you do not descendants forever." So he went out pass this place, for the Arameans are from his presence a leper as white as

coming down there."

snow.

10The king of Israel sent to the place

6

about which the man of God had told

Now the sons of the prophets said to

him; thus he warned him, so that he

Elisha, "Behold now, the place before guarded himself there, more than once

you where we are living is too limited for

or twice.

us.

11Now the heart of the king of Aram was

2"Please let us go to the Jordan and enraged over this thing; and he called

each of us take from there a beam, and

his servants and said to them, "Will you

tell me which of us is for the king of and I will bring you to the man whom Israel?"

you seek." And he brought them to

Samaria.

12One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in

20When they had come into Samaria,

Israel, tells the king of Israel the words Elisha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of

that you speak in your bedroom."

these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw;

13So he said, "Go and see where he is,

and behold, they were in the midst of

that I may send and take him." And it Samaria.

was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan."

21Then the king of Israel when he saw

them, said to Elisha, " My father, shall I 14He sent horses and chariots and a kill them? Shall I kill them?"

great army there, and they came by

night and surrounded the city.

22He answered, "You shall not kill them.

Would you kill those you have taken

15Now when the attendant of the man of

captive with your sword and with your

God had risen early and gone out,

bow? Set bread and water before them,

behold, an army with horses and

that they may eat and drink and go to

chariots was circling the city. And his

their master."

servant said to him, "Alas, my master!

What shall we do?"

23So he prepared a great feast for them;

and when they had eaten and drunk he

16So he answered, " Do not fear, for sent them away, and they went to their those who are with us are more than

master. And the marauding bands of

those who are with them."

Arameans did not come again into the

land of Israel.

17Then Elisha prayed and said, " O

24

LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he

Now it came about after this, that Ben—

may see." And the LORD opened the

hadad king of Aram gathered all his

servant's eyes and he saw; and behold,

army and went up and besieged

the mountain was full of horses and

Samaria.

chariots of fire all around Elisha.

25There was a great famine in Samaria;

18When they came down to him, Elisha

and behold, they besieged it, until a

prayed to the LORD and said, "Strike donkey's head was sold for eighty

this people with blindness, I pray." So shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of He struck them with blindness according

dove's dung for five shekels of silver.

to the word of Elisha.

26As the king of Israel was passing by

19Then Elisha said to them, "This is not on the wall a woman cried out to him, the way, nor is this the city; follow me saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"

27He said, "If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From 7Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word the threshing floor, or from the wine of the LORD; thus says the LORD, '

press?"

Tomorrow about this time a measure of

fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and 28And the king said to her, " What is the two measures of barley for a shekel, in matter with you?" And she answered, the gate of Samaria.'"

"This woman said to me, 'Give your son

that we may eat him today, and we will 2The royal officer on whose hand the

eat my son tomorrow.'

king was leaning answered the man of

God and said, "Behold, if the LORD

29" So we boiled my son and ate him; should make windows in heaven, could

and I said to her on the next day, 'Give this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, your son, that we may eat him'; but she you will see it with your own eyes, but has hidden her son."

you will not eat of it."

30When the king heard the words of the

3Now there were four leprous men at the

woman, he tore his clothes--now he was

entrance of the gate; and they said to

passing by on the wall--and the people

one another, "Why do we sit here until looked, and behold, he had sackcloth

we die?

beneath on his body.

4"If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then 31Then he said, "May God do so to me the famine is in the city and we will die and more also, if the head of Elisha the there; and if we sit here, we die also.

son of Shaphat remains on him today."

Now therefore come, and let us go over

to the camp of the Arameans. If they

32Now Elisha was sitting in his house,

spare us, we will live; and if they kill us,

and the elders were sitting with him. And

we will but die."

the king sent a man from his presence;

but before the messenger came to him,

5They arose at twilight to go to the camp

he said to the elders, "Do you see how of the Arameans; when they came to the

this son of a murderer has sent to take outskirts of the camp of the Arameans,

away my head? Look, when the

behold, there was no one there.

messenger comes, shut the door and

hold the door shut against him. Is not

6For the Lord had caused the army of

the sound of his master's feet behind

the Arameans to hear a sound of

him?"

chariots and a sound of horses, even

the sound of a great army, so that they 33While he was still talking with them,

said to one another, "Behold, the king of behold, the messenger came down to

Israel has hired against us the kings of him and he said, " Behold, this evil is the Hittites and the kings of the from the LORD; why should I wait for

Egyptians, to come upon us."

the LORD any longerNULL"

7Therefore they arose and fled in the multitude of Israel who are left in it; twilight, and left their tents and their behold, they will be in any case like all horses and their donkeys, even the the multitude of Israel who have already

camp just as it was, and fled for their life. perished, so let us send and see."

8When these lepers came to the

14They took therefore two chariots with

outskirts of the camp, they entered one

horses, and the king sent after the army

tent and ate and drank, and carried from

of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see."

there silver and gold and clothes, and

went and hid them; and they returned

15They went after them to the Jordan,

and entered another tent and carried

and behold, all the way was full of

from there also, and went and hid them.

clothes and equipment which the

Arameans had thrown away in their

9Then they said to one another, "We are

haste. Then the messengers returned

not doing right. This day is a day of

and told the king.

good news, but we are keeping silent; if

we wait until morning light, punishment

16So the people went out and plundered

will overtake us. Now therefore come,

the camp of the Arameans. Then a

let us go and tell the king's household."

measure of fine flour was sold for a

shekel and two measures of barley for a

10So they came and called to the

shekel, according to the word of the

gatekeepers of the city, and they told

LORD.

them, saying, "We came to the camp of

the Arameans, and behold, there was

17Now the king appointed the royal

no one there, nor the voice of man, only

officer on whose hand he leaned to

the horses tied and the donkeys tied,

have charge of the gate; but the people

and the tents just as they were."

trampled on him at the gate, and he died

just as the man of God had said, who

11The gatekeepers called and told it

spoke when the king came down to him.

within the king's household.

18It happened just as the man of God

12Then the king arose in the night and

had spoken to the king, saying, " Two said to his servants, "I will now tell you measures of barley for a shekel and a what the Arameans have done to us.

measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be

They know that we are hungry; therefore

sold tomorrow about this time at the

they have gone from the camp to hide

gate of Samaria."

themselves in the field, saying, 'When

they come out of the city, we will capture

19Then the royal officer answered the

them alive and get into the city.'"

man of God and said, "Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in

13One of his servants said, "Please, let heaven, could such a thing be?" And he some men take five of the horses which

said, "Behold, you will see it with your remain, which are left in the city. Behold, own eyes, but you will not eat of it."

they will be in any case like all the

20And so it happened to him, for the 7Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now people trampled on him at the gate and

Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it

he died.

was told him, saying, " The man of God

has come here."

8

8

Now Elisha spoke to the woman

The king said to Hazael, " Take a gift in whose son he had restored to life,

your hand and go to meet the man of

saying, "Arise and go with your

God, and inquire of the LORD by him,

saying, 'Will I recover from this

household, and sojourn wherever you

sickness?'"

can sojourn; for the LORD has called for

a famine, and it will even come on the 9

land for seven years."

So Hazael went to meet him and took a

gift in his hand, even every kind of good

2

thing of Damascus, forty camels' loads;

So the woman arose and did according

and he came and stood before him and

to the word of the man of God, and she

went with her household and sojourned

said, " Your son Ben-hadad king of

in the land of the Philistines seven years. Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

3At the end of seven years, the woman

10Then Elisha said to him, " Go, say to returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to appeal to the king him, 'You will surely recover,' but the

for her house and for her field.

LORD has shown me that he will

certainly die."

4Now the king was talking with Gehazi,

11He fixed his gaze steadily on him until

the servant of the man of God, saying,

"Please relate to me all the great things he was ashamed, and the man of God

that Elisha has done."

wept.

12

5

Hazael said, "Why does my lord

As he was relating to the king how he

had restored to life the one who was

weep?" Then he answered, "Because I dead, behold, the woman whose son he

know the evil that you will do to the sons

had restored to life appealed to the king

of Israel: their strongholds you will set for her house and for her field. And

on fire, and their young men you will kill

with the sword, and their little ones you Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the will dash in pieces, and their women woman and this is her son, whom Elisha

restored to life."

with child you will rip up."

13

6When the king asked the woman, she

Then Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should

related it to him. So the king appointed do this great thing?" And Elisha

for her a certain officer, saying, "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of answered, " The LORD has shown me the field from the day that she left the that you will be king over Aram."

land even until now."

14So he departed from Elisha and 22So Edom revolted against Judah to returned to his master, who said to him,

this day. Then Libnah revolted at the

"What did Elisha say to you?" And he same time.

answered, "He told me that you would surely recover."

23The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the 15On the following day, he took the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

cover and dipped it in water and spread

Judah?

it on his face, so that he died. And

Hazael became king in his place.

24So Joram slept with his fathers and

was buried with his fathers in the city of

16Now in the fifth year of Joram the son

David; and Ahaziah his son became

of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat

king in his place.

being then the king of Judah, Jehoram

the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah

25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of

became king.

Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

17He was thirty-two years old when he

became king, and he reigned eight

26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old

years in Jerusalem.

when he became king, and he reigned

one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's

18He walked in the way of the kings of name was Athaliah the granddaughter

Israel, just as the house of Ahab had

of Omri king of Israel.

done, for the daughter of Ahab became

his wife; and he did evil in the sight of 27He walked in the way of the house of the LORD.

Ahab and did evil in the sight of the

LORD, like the house of Ahab had done,

19However, the LORD was not willing to

because he was a son-in-law of the

destroy Judah, for the sake of David His

house of Ahab.

servant, since He had promised him to

give a lamp to him through his sons

28Then he went with Joram the son of

always.

Ahab to war against Hazael king of

Aram

at

Ramoth-gilead,

and

the

20In his days Edom revolted from under

Arameans wounded Joram.

the hand of Judah, and made a king

over themselves.

29So King Joram returned to be healed

in Jezreel of the wounds which the

21Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and

Arameans had inflicted on him at

all his chariots with him. And he arose Ramah when he fought against Hazael

by night and struck the Edomites who

king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of

had surrounded him and the captains of

Jehoram king of Judah went down to

the chariots; but his army fled to their see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel

tents.

because he was sick.

8

9

'For the whole house of Ahab shall

Now Elisha the prophet called one of

perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every

the sons of the prophets and said to him,

male person both bond and free in Israel.

" Gird up your loins, and take this flask 9

of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-

' I will make the house of Ahab like the

gilead.

house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,

and like the house of Baasha the son of

2"When you arrive there, search out

Ahijah.

Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of

10

Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from

' The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the

among his brothers, and bring him to an

territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury inner room.

her.'" Then he opened the door and fled.

3

11

"Then take the flask of oil and pour it on Now Jehu came out to the servants of

his head and say, 'Thus says the LORD,

his master, and one said to him, " Is all

" I have anointed you king over Israel."'

well? Why did this mad fellow come to

Then open the door and flee and do not

you?" And he said to them, "You know wait."

very well the man and his talk."

4

12

So the young man, the servant of the

They said, "It is a lie, tell us now." And prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.

he said, "Thus and thus he said to me,

'Thus says the LORD, "I have anointed 5When he came, behold, the captains of

you king over Israel."'"

the army were sitting, and he said, "I 13

have a word for you, O captain." And Then they hurried and each man took

Jehu said, "For which one of us?" And his garment and placed it under him on he said, "For you, O captain."

the bare steps, and blew the trumpet,

saying, "Jehu is king!"

6He arose and went into the house, and

14

he poured the oil on his head and said So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the

to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.

of Israel, ' I have anointed you king over

Now Joram with all Israel was defending

the people of the LORD, even over

Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of

Israel.

Aram,

7

15

'You shall strike the house of Ahab your

but King Joram had returned to

master, that I may avenge the blood of

Jezreel to be healed of the wounds

My servants the prophets, and the blood

which the Arameans had inflicted on him

of all the servants of the LORD, at the when he fought with Hazael king of

hand of Jezebel.

Aram. So Jehu said, "If this is your mind, then let no one escape or leave the city

to go tell it in Jezreel."

16Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went 23So Joram reined about and fled and to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there.

said to Ahaziah, " There is treachery, O

Ahaziah king of Judah had come down

Ahaziah!"

to see Joram.

24And Jehu drew his bow with his full

17Now the watchman was standing on

strength and shot Joram between his

the tower in Jezreel and he saw the

arms; and the arrow went through his

company of Jehu as he came, and said,

heart and he sank in his chariot.

"I see a company." And Joram said,

"Take a horseman and send him to

25Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer,

meet them and let him say, 'Is it

"Take him up and cast him into the peace?'"

property of the field of Naboth the

Jezreelite, for I remember when you and

18So a horseman went to meet him and

I were riding together after Ahab his

said, "Thus says the king, 'Is it peace?'"

father, that the LORD laid this oracle

And Jehu said, " What have you to do against him:

with peace? Turn behind me." And the watchman reported, "The messenger

26'Surely I have seen yesterday the

came to them, but he did not return."

blood of Naboth and the blood of his

sons,' says the LORD, 'and I will repay 19Then he sent out a second horseman,

you in this property,' says the LORD.

who came to them and said, "Thus says

Now then, take and cast him into the

the king, 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu

property, according to the word of the

answered, "What have you to do with LORD."

peace? Turn behind me."

27When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw

20The watchman reported, "He came

this, he fled by the way of the garden even to them, and he did not return; and

house. And Jehu pursued him and said,

the driving is like the driving of Jehu the

"Shoot him too, in the chariot." So they son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously."

shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and

21Then Joram said, "Get ready." And died there.

they made his chariot ready. Joram king

of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah

28Then his servants carried him in a

went out, each in his chariot, and they chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in

went out to meet Jehu and found him in

his grave with his fathers in the city of the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

David.

22When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it 29Now in the eleventh year of Joram, the

peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over

peace, so long as the harlotries of your Judah.

mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are

so many?"

30When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of heard of it, and she painted her eyes

Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians

and adorned her head and looked out

of the children of Ahab, saying,

the window.

2"Now, when this letter comes to you, 31As Jehu entered the gate, she said, "

since your master's sons are with you,

Is

it

well,

Zimri,

your

master's

as well as the chariots and horses and a

murderer?"

fortified city and the weapons,

32Then he lifted up his face to the

3select the best and fittest of your

window and said, "Who is on my side?

master's sons, and set him on his

Who?" And two or three officials looked father's throne, and fight for your

down at him.

master's house."

33He said, "Throw her down." So they 4But they feared greatly and said,

threw her down, and some of her blood

"Behold, the two kings did not stand was sprinkled on the wall and on the

before him; how then can we stand?"

horses, and he trampled her under foot.

5And the one who was over the

34When he came in, he ate and drank;

household, and he who was over the

and he said, "See now to this cursed city, the elders, and the guardians of the

woman and bury her, for she is a king's

children, sent word to Jehu, saying, "

daughter."

We are your servants, all that you say to

us we will do, we will not make any man

35They went to bury her, but they found

king; do what is good in your sight."

nothing more of her than the skull and

the feet and the palms of her hands.

6Then he wrote a letter to them a

second time saying, "If you are on my 36Therefore they returned and told him.

side, and you will listen to my voice,

And he said, "This is the word of the take the heads of the men, your

LORD, which He spoke by His servant

master's sons, and come to me at

Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ' In the

Jezreel tomorrow about this time." Now property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat

the king's sons, seventy persons, were

the flesh of Jezebel;

with the great men of the city, who were

rearing them.

37and the corpse of Jezebel will be as

7

dung on the face of the field in the

When the letter came to them, they

property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, took the king's sons and slaughtered

"This is Jezebel."'"

them, seventy persons, and put their

heads in baskets, and sent them to him

at Jezreel.

10Now Ahab had seventy sons in

Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and

8When the messenger came and told coming to meet him; and he greeted him him, saying, "They have brought the

and said to him, "Is your heart right, as heads of the king's sons," he said, "Put my heart is with your heart?" And them in two heaps at the entrance of the

Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said, gate until morning."

"If it is, give me your hand." And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him

9Now in the morning he went out and

into the chariot.

stood and said to all the people, "You are innocent; behold, I conspired

16He said, "Come with me and see my against my master and killed him, but

zeal for the LORD." So he made him who killed all these?

ride in his chariot.

10"Know then that there shall fall to the 17When he came to Samaria, he killed earth nothing of the word of the LORD,

all who remained to Ahab in Samaria,

which the LORD spoke concerning the

until he had destroyed him, according to

house of Ahab, for the LORD has done

the word of the LORD which He spoke

what He spoke through His servant

to Elijah.

Elijah."

18Then Jehu gathered all the people and

11So Jehu killed all who remained of the

said to them, " Ahab served Baal a little; house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his

Jehu will serve him much.

great men and his acquaintances and

his priests, until he left him without a 19"Now, summon all the prophets of Baal,

survivor.

all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one be missing, for I have a great 12Then he arose and departed and went

sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing

to Samaria. On the way while he was at

shall not live." But Jehu did it in cunning, Beth-eked of the shepherds,

so that he might destroy the worshipers

of Baal.

13Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king

of Judah and said, "Who are you?" And 20And Jehu said, " Sanctify a solemn they answered, "We are the relatives of assembly for Baal." And they proclaimed Ahaziah; and we have come down to

it.

greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother."

21Then Jehu sent throughout Israel and

all the worshipers of Baal came, so that

14He said, "Take them alive." So they there was not a man left who did not took them alive and killed them at the pit

come. And when they went into the

of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left

house of Baal, the house of Baal was

none of them.

filled from one end to the other.

15Now when he had departed from there,

22He said to the one who was in charge

he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab

of the wardrobe, "Bring out garments for

all the worshipers of Baal." So he 30The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you brought out garments for them.

have done well in executing what is right

in My eyes, and have done to the house

23Jehu went into the house of Baal with

of Ahab according to all that was in My Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he

heart, your sons of the fourth generation

said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search shall sit on the throne of Israel."

and see that there is here with you none

of the servants of the LORD, but only

31But Jehu was not careful to walk in the

the worshipers of Baal."

law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with

all his heart; he did not depart from the 24Then they went in to offer sacrifices sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel

and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had

sin.

stationed for himself eighty men outside,

and he had said, " The one who permits

32In those days the LORD began to cut

any of the men whom I bring into your

off portions from Israel; and Hazael

hands to escape shall give up his life in

defeated them throughout the territory of

exchange."

Israel:

25Then it came about, as soon as he

33from the Jordan eastward, all the land

had finished offering the burnt offering, of

Gilead,

the

Gadites

and

the

that Jehu said to the guard and to the Reubenites and the Manassites, from

royal officers, " Go in, kill them; let none Aroer, which is by the valley of the

come out." And they killed them with the

Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

edge of the sword; and the guard and

the royal officers threw them out, and

34Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and went to the inner room of the house of all that he did and all his might, are they Baal.

not written in the Book of the Chronicles

of the Kings of Israel?

26They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned them.

35And Jehu slept with his fathers, and

they buried him in Samaria. And

27They also broke down the sacred pillar

Jehoahaz his son became king in his

of Baal and broke down the house of

place.

Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.

36Now the time which Jehu reigned over

28Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of

Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Israel.

29However, as for the sins of Jeroboam

11When Athaliah the mother of

the son of Nebat, which he made Israel

Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she

sin, from these Jehu did not depart,

rose and destroyed all the royal

even the golden calves that were at

offspring.

Bethel and that were at Dan.

2But Jehosheba, the daughter of King 9So the captains of hundreds did Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the

according to all that Jehoiada the priest son of Ahaziah and stole him from

commanded. And each one of them

among the king's sons who were being

took his men who were to come in on

put to death, and placed him and his

the sabbath, with those who were to go

nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him

out on the sabbath, and came to

from Athaliah, and he was not put to

Jehoiada the priest.

death.

10The priest gave to the captains of

3So he was hidden with her in the house

hundreds the spears and shields that

of the LORD six years, while Athaliah

had been King David's, which were in

was reigning over the land.

the house of the LORD.

4Now in the seventh year Jehoiada sent

11The guards stood each with his

and brought the captains of hundreds of

weapons in his hand, from the right side

the Carites and of the guard, and

of the house to the left side of the house,

brought them to him in the house of the

by the altar and by the house, around

LORD. Then he made a covenant with

the king.

them and put them under oath in the

house of the LORD, and showed them

12Then he brought the king's son out

the king's son.

and put the crown on him and gave him

the testimony; and they made him king

5He commanded them, saying, "This is and anointed him, and they clapped

the thing that you shall do: one third of their hands and said, " Long live the you, who come in on the sabbath and king!"

keep watch over the king's house

13When Athaliah heard the noise of the

6(one third also shall be at the gate Sur,

guard and of the people, she came to

and one third at the gate behind the

the people in the house of the LORD.

guards), shall keep watch over the

house for defense.

14She looked and behold, the king was

standing by the pillar, according to the 7"Two parts of you, even all who go out

custom, with the captains and the

on the sabbath, shall also keep watch

trumpeters beside the king; and all the

over the house of the LORD for the king.

people of the land rejoiced and blew

trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes

8"Then you shall surround the king, each

and cried, " Treason! Treason!"

with his weapons in his hand; and

whoever comes within the ranks shall be

15And Jehoiada the priest commanded

put to death. And be with the king when

the captains of hundreds who were

he goes out and when he comes in."

appointed over the army and said to

them, "Bring her out between the ranks,

and whoever follows her put to death

with the sword." For the priest said, "Let

her not be put to death in the house of 2Jehoash did right in the sight of the the LORD."

LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the

priest instructed him.

16So they seized her, and when she

arrived at the horses' entrance of the

3Only the high places were not taken

king's house, she was put to death there. away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

17Then Jehoiada made a covenant

between the LORD and the king and the

4Then Jehoash said to the priests, "All people, that they would be the LORD'S

the money of the sacred things which is

people, also between the king and the

brought into the house of the LORD, in

people.

current money, both the money of each

man's assessment and all the money

18All the people of the land went to the which any man's heart prompts him to

house of Baal, and tore it down; his

bring into the house of the LORD,

altars and his images they broke in

pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the

5let the priests take it for themselves, priest of Baal before the altars. And the each from his acquaintance; and they priest appointed officers over the house

shall repair the damages of the house

of the LORD.

wherever any damage may be found."

19He took the captains of hundreds and

6But it came about that in the twenty-the Carites and the guards and all the

third year of King Jehoash the priests

people of the land; and they brought the

had not repaired the damages of the

king down from the house of the LORD,

house.

and came by the way of the gate of the

guards to the king's house. And he sat

7Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada

on the throne of the kings.

the priest, and for the other priests and said to them, "Why do you not repair the 20So all the people of the land rejoiced damages of the house? Now therefore

and the city was quiet. For they had put

take no more money from your

Athaliah to death with the sword at the acquaintances, but pay it for the

king's house.

damages of the house."

21Jehoash was seven years old when he

8So the priests agreed that they would

became king.

take no more money from the people,

nor repair the damages of the house.

12

9

In the seventh year of Jehu,

But Jehoiada the priest took a chest

Jehoash became king, and he reigned

and bored a hole in its lid and put it forty years in Jerusalem; and his

beside the altar, on the right side as one

mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. comes into the house of the LORD; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money which was 17Then Hazael king of Aram went up brought into the house of the LORD.

and fought against Gath and captured it,

and Hazael set his face to go up to

10When they saw that there was much

Jerusalem.

money in the chest, the king's scribe

and the high priest came up and tied it 18Jehoash king of Judah took all the

in bags and counted the money which

sacred things that Jehoshaphat and

was found in the house of the LORD.

Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings

of Judah, had dedicated, and his own

11They gave the money which was

sacred things and all the gold that was weighed out into the hands of those who

found among the treasuries of the house

did the work, who had the oversight of

of the LORD and of the king's house,

the house of the LORD; and they paid it

and sent them to Hazael king of Aram.

out to the carpenters and the builders

Then he went away from Jerusalem.

who worked on the house of the LORD;

19Now the rest of the acts of Joash and

12and to the masons and the

all that he did, are they not written in the

stonecutters, and for buying timber and

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

hewn stone to repair the damages to the

Judah?

house of the LORD, and for all that was

laid out for the house to repair it.

20His servants arose and made a

conspiracy and struck down Joash at

13But there were not made for the house

the house of Millo as he was going

of the LORD silver cups, snuffers, bowls,

down to Silla.

trumpets, any vessels of gold, or

vessels of silver from the money which

21For Jozacar the son of Shimeath and

was brought into the house of the LORD; Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and 14for they gave that to those who did the

they buried him with his fathers in the work, and with it they repaired the house

city of David, and Amaziah his son

of the LORD.

became king in his place.

15Moreover, they did not require an

accounting from the men into whose

13In the twenty-third year of Joash

hand they gave the money to pay to

the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah,

those who did the work, for they dealt

Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king

faithfully.

over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned

seventeen years.

16The money from the guilt offerings and

the money from the sin offerings was

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, not brought into the house of the LORD;

and followed the sins of Jeroboam the

it was for the priests.

son of Nebat, with which he made Israel

sin; he did not turn from them.

3So the anger of the LORD was kindled 11He did evil in the sight of the LORD; against Israel, and He gave them he did not turn away from all the sins of

continually into the hand of Hazael king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which

of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-he made Israel sin, but he walked in

hadad the son of Hazael.

them.

4Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of

12Now the rest of the acts of Joash and

the LORD, and the LORD listened to

all that he did and his might with which him; for He saw the oppression of Israel,

he fought against Amaziah king of

how the king of Aram oppressed them.

Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

5The LORD gave Israel a deliverer, so

that they escaped from under the hand

13So Joash slept with his fathers, and

of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel

Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash

lived in their tents as formerly.

was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

6Nevertheless they did not turn away

from the sins of the house of Jeroboam,

14When Elisha became sick with the

with which he made Israel sin, but

illness of which he was to die, Joash the

walked in them; and the Asherah also

king of Israel came down to him and

remained standing in Samaria.

wept over him and said, " My father, my

father, the chariots of Israel and its

7For he left to Jehoahaz of the army not

horsemen!"

more than fifty horsemen and ten

chariots and 10,000 footmen, for the

15Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and king of Aram had destroyed them and

arrows." So he took a bow and arrows.

made them like the dust at threshing.

16Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz,

your hand on the bow." And he put his and all that he did and his might, are hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on they not written in the Book of the

the king's hands.

Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

17He said, "Open the window toward the

9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers,

east," and he opened it. Then Elisha and they buried him in Samaria; and

said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, Joash his son became king in his place.

"The LORD'S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will 10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you

of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz

have destroyed them."

became king over Israel in Samaria, and

reigned sixteen years.

18Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.

14In the second year of Joash son of

Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son

19So the man of God was angry with him

of Joash king of Judah became king.

and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck

2He was twenty-five years old when he

Aram until you would have destroyed it.

became king, and he reigned twenty—

But now you shall strike Aram only three

nine years in Jerusalem. And his

times."

mother's name was Jehoaddin of

Jerusalem.

20Elisha died, and they buried him. Now

the bands of the Moabites would invade

3He did right in the sight of the LORD, the land in the spring of the year.

yet not like David his father; he did

according to all that Joash his father had

21As they were burying a man, behold,

done.

they saw a marauding band; and they

cast the man into the grave of Elisha.

4Only the high places were not taken

And when the man touched the bones of

away; the people still sacrificed and

Elisha he revived and stood up on his

burned incense on the high places.

feet.

5

22

Now it came about, as soon as the

Now Hazael king of Aram had

kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he oppressed Israel all the days of

killed his servants who had slain the

Jehoahaz.

king his father.

23But the LORD was gracious to them

6But the sons of the slayers he did not and had compassion on them and

put to death, according to what is written

turned to them because of His covenant

in the book of the Law of Moses, as the

with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and

LORD commanded, saying, " The

would not destroy them or cast them

fathers shall not be put to death for the from His presence until now.

sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to

24When Hazael king of Aram died, Ben—

death for his own sin."

hadad his son became king in his place.

7He killed of Edom in the Valley of Salt

25Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz

10,000 and took Sela by war, and

took again from the hand of Ben-hadad

named it Joktheel to this day.

the son of Hazael the cities which he

had taken in war from the hand of

8Then Amaziah sent messengers to

Jehoahaz his father. Three times Joash

Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of

defeated him and recovered the cities of

Jehu, king of Israel, saying, " Come, let Israel.

us face each other."

9Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah 16So Jehoash slept with his fathers and king of Judah, saying, " The thorn bush was buried in Samaria with the kings of which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar Israel; and Jeroboam his son became

which was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give

king in his place.

your daughter to my son in marriage.'

But there passed by a wild beast that

17Amaziah the son of Joash king of

was in Lebanon, and trampled the thorn

Judah lived fifteen years after the death

bush.

of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of

Israel.

10" You have indeed defeated Edom,

and your heart has become proud.

18Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah,

Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for

are they not written in the Book of the why should you provoke trouble so that

Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

you, even you, would fall, and Judah

with you?"

19They conspired against him in

Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but

11But Amaziah would not listen. So

they sent after him to Lachish and killed

Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he

him there.

and Amaziah king of Judah faced each

other at Beth-shemesh, which belongs

20Then they brought him on horses and

to Judah.

he was buried at Jerusalem with his

fathers in the city of David.

12Judah was defeated by Israel, and

they fled each to his tent.

21All the people of Judah took Azariah,

who was sixteen years old, and made

13Then Jehoash king of Israel captured

him king in the place of his father

Amaziah king of Judah, the son of

Amaziah.

Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and

22He built Elath and restored it to Judah

tore down the wall of Jerusalem from

after the king slept with his fathers.

the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate,

400 cubits.

23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the

14

son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam

He took all the gold and silver and all the son of Joash king of Israel became

the utensils which were found in the

king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one

house of the LORD, and in the

years.

treasuries of the king's house, the

hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

24He did evil in the sight of the LORD; 15

he did not depart from all the sins of Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he

which he did, and his might and how he

made Israel sin.

fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are

they not written in the Book of the

Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

25He restored the border of Israel from 3He did right in the sight of the LORD, the entrance of Hamath as far as the according to all that his father Amaziah Sea of the Arabah, according to the

had done.

word of the LORD, the God of Israel,

which He spoke through His servant

4Only the high places were not taken

Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet,

away; the people still sacrificed and

who was of Gath-hepher.

burned incense on the high places.

26For the LORD saw the affliction of

5The LORD struck the king, so that he

Israel, which was very bitter; for there was a leper to the day of his death. And

was neither bond nor free, nor was there

he lived in a separate house, while

any helper for Israel.

Jotham the king's son was over the

household, judging the people of the

27The LORD did not say that He would

land.

blot out the name of Israel from under

heaven, but He saved them by the hand

6Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and

of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

all that he did, are they not written in the

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

28Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam

Judah?

and all that he did and his might, how he

fought and how he recovered for Israel,

7And Azariah slept with his fathers, and

Damascus and Hamath, which had

they buried him with his fathers in the belonged to Judah, are they not written

city of David, and Jotham his son

in the Book of the Chronicles of the

became king in his place.

Kings of Israel?

8In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king

29And Jeroboam slept with his fathers,

of Judah, Zechariah the son of

even with the kings of Israel, and

Jeroboam became king over Israel in

Zechariah his son became king in his

Samaria for six months.

place.

9He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as

15

his fathers had done; he did not depart In the twenty-seventh year of

from the sins of Jeroboam the son of

Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of

Nebat, which he made Israel sin.

Amaziah king of Judah became king.

10Then Shallum the son of Jabesh

2He was sixteen years old when he

conspired against him and struck him

became king, and he reigned fifty-two

before the people and killed him, and

years in Jerusalem; and his mother's

reigned in his place.

name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

11Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah,

behold they are written in the Book of

the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

12This is the word of the LORD which He 20Then Menahem exacted the money

spoke to Jehu, saying, "Your sons to the

from Israel, even from all the mighty

fourth generation shall sit on the throne men of wealth, from each man fifty

of Israel." And so it was.

shekels of silver to pay the king of

Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned

13Shallum son of Jabesh became king in

and did not remain there in the land.

the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of

Judah, and he reigned one month in

21Now the rest of the acts of Menahem

Samaria.

and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the

14Then Menahem son of Gadi went up

Kings of Israel?

from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and

struck Shallum son of Jabesh in

22And Menahem slept with his fathers,

Samaria, and killed him and became

and Pekahiah his son became king in

king in his place.

his place.

15Now the rest of the acts of Shallum

23In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of and his conspiracy which he made,

Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem

behold they are written in the Book of

became king over Israel in Samaria, and

the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

reigned two years.

16Then Menahem struck Tiphsah and all

24He did evil in the sight of the LORD; who were in it and its borders from

he did not depart from the sins of

Tirzah, because they did not open to

Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made

him; therefore he struck it and ripped up

Israel sin.

all its women who were with child.

25Then Pekah son of Remaliah, his

17In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king

officer, conspired against him and struck

of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi

him in Samaria, in the castle of the

became king over Israel and reigned ten

king's house with Argob and Arieh; and

years in Samaria.

with him were fifty men of the Gileadites,

and he killed him and became king in

18He did evil in the sight of the LORD; his place.

he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,

26Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah

which he made Israel sin.

and all that he did, behold they are

written in the Book of the Chronicles of 19Pul, king of Assyria, came against the

the Kings of Israel.

land, and Menahem gave Pul a

thousand talents of silver so that his

27In the fifty-second year of Azariah king

hand might be with him to strengthen

of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah

the kingdom under his rule.

became king over Israel in Samaria, and

reigned twenty years.

28He did evil in the sight of the LORD; built the upper gate of the house of the he did not depart from the sins of LORD.

Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made

Israel sin.

36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and

all that he did, are they not written in the

29In the days of Pekah king of Israel,

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and

Judah?

captured Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah

and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and

37In those days the LORD began to

Gilead and Galilee, all the land of

send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the

Naphtali; and he carried them captive to

son of Remaliah against Judah.

Assyria.

38And Jotham slept with his fathers, and

30And Hoshea the son of Elah made a

he was buried with his fathers in the city

conspiracy against Pekah the son of

of David his father; and Ahaz his son

Remaliah, and struck him and put him to

became king in his place.

death and became king in his place, in

the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

16In the seventeenth year of Pekah

31Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and

the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of

all that he did, behold, they are written in

Jotham, king of Judah, became king.

the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings 2

of Israel.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he

became king, and he reigned sixteen

32In the second year of Pekah the son of

years in Jerusalem; and he did not do

Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham the son

what was right in the sight of the LORD

of Uzziah king of Judah became king.

his God, as his father David had done.

3

33He was twenty-five years old when he

But he walked in the way of the kings of

became king, and he reigned sixteen

Israel, and even made his son pass

years in Jerusalem; and his mother's

through the fire, according to the

name was Jerusha the daughter of

abominations of the nations whom the

Zadok.

LORD had driven out from before the

sons of Israel.

34He did what was right in the sight of 4

the LORD; he did according to all that

He sacrificed and burned incense on

his father Uzziah had done.

the high places and on the hills and

under every green tree.

35Only the high places were not taken

5

away; the people still sacrificed and

Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah

burned incense on the high places. He

son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up

to Jerusalem to wage war; and they

besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome 13and burned his burnt offering and his him.

meal offering, and poured his drink

offering and sprinkled the blood of his

6At that time Rezin king of Aram

peace offerings on the altar.

recovered Elath for Aram, and cleared

the Judeans out of Elath entirely; and

14The bronze altar, which was before the

the Arameans came to Elath and have

LORD, he brought from the front of the

lived there to this day.

house, from between his altar and the

house of the LORD, and he put it on the

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath—

north side of his altar.

pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son; come up and

15Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah

deliver me from the hand of the king of the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar Aram and from the hand of the king of burn the morning burnt offering and the

Israel, who are rising up against me."

evening meal offering and the king's

burnt offering and his meal offering, with

8Ahaz took the silver and gold that was

the burnt offering of all the people of the

found in the house of the LORD and in

land and their meal offering and their

the treasuries of the king's house, and

drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the sent a present to the king of Assyria.

blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze

9

altar shall be for me to inquire by."

So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against

16

Damascus and captured it, and carried

So Urijah the priest did according to all

the people of it away into exile to Kir, that King Ahaz commanded.

and put Rezin to death.

17Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of

10Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to

the stands, and removed the laver from

meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and

them; he also took down the sea from

saw the altar which was at Damascus;

the bronze oxen which were under it

and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest and put it on a pavement of stone.

the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship.

18The covered way for the sabbath

which they had built in the house, and

11So Urijah the priest built an altar;

the outer entry of the king, he removed according to all that King Ahaz had sent

from the house of the LORD because of

from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest

the king of Assyria.

made it, before the coming of King Ahaz

from Damascus.

19Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which

he did, are they not written in the Book 12When the king came from Damascus,

of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

the king saw the altar; then the king

approached the altar and went up to it,

20So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and was buried with his fathers in the city of

they had feared other gods

David; and his son Hezekiah reigned in

his place.

8and walked in the customs of the

nations whom the LORD had driven out

17

before the sons of Israel, and in the

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of

customs of the kings of Israel which they

Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became

had introduced.

king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned

9

nine years.

The sons of Israel did things secretly

which were not right against the LORD

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, their God. Moreover, they built for

only not as the kings of Israel who were

themselves high places in all their towns,

from watchtower to fortified city.

before him.

10

3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up

They set for themselves sacred pillars

against him, and Hoshea became his

and Asherim on every high hill and

servant and paid him tribute.

under every green tree,

11

4But the king of Assyria found

and there they burned incense on all

conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent

the high places as the nations did which

messengers to So king of Egypt and

the LORD had carried away to exile

had offered no tribute to the king of

before them; and they did evil things

provoking the LORD.

Assyria, as he had done year by year;

so the king of Assyria shut him up and 12

bound him in prison.

They served idols, concerning which

the LORD had said to them, "You shall 5

not do this thing."

Then the king of Assyria invaded the

whole land and went up to Samaria and

13

besieged it three years.

Yet the LORD warned Israel and

Judah through all His prophets and

6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of

every seer, saying, " Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My

Assyria captured Samaria and carried

statutes according to all the law which I Israel away into exile to Assyria, and

settled them in Halah and Habor, on the

commanded your fathers, and which I

river of Gozan, and in the cities of the sent to you through My servants the

Medes.

prophets."

14

7

However, they did not listen, but

Now this came about because the sons

of Israel had sinned against the LORD

stiffened their neck like their fathers,

their God, who had brought them up

who did not believe in the LORD their

from the land of Egypt from under the

God.

15They rejected His statutes and His 22The sons of Israel walked in all the covenant which He made with their

sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did

fathers and His warnings with which He

not depart from them

warned them. And they followed vanity

and became vain, and went after the

23until the LORD removed Israel from

nations

which

surrounded

them,

His sight, as He spoke through all His

concerning which the LORD had

servants the prophets. So Israel was

commanded them not to do like them.

carried away into exile from their own

land to Assyria until this day.

16They forsook all the commandments of

the LORD their God and made for

24The king of Assyria brought men from

themselves molten images, even two

Babylon and from Cuthah and from

calves, and made an Asherah and

Avva and from Hamath and Sephar—

worshiped all the host of heaven and

vaim, and settled them in the cities of served Baal.

Samaria in place of the sons of Israel.

So they possessed Samaria and lived in

17Then they made their sons and their

its cities.

daughters pass through the fire, and

practiced divination and enchantments,

25At the beginning of their living there, and sold themselves to do evil in the

they did not fear the LORD; therefore

sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

the LORD sent lions among them which

killed some of them.

18So the LORD was very angry with

Israel and removed them from His sight;

26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, none was left except the tribe of Judah.

saying, "The nations whom you have

carried away into exile in the cities of 19Also Judah did not keep the

Samaria do not know the custom of the

commandments of the LORD their God,

god of the land; so he has sent lions

but walked in the customs which Israel

among them, and behold, they kill them

had introduced.

because they do not know the custom of

the god of the land."

20The

LORD

rejected

all

the

descendants of Israel and afflicted them

27Then the king of Assyria commanded,

and gave them into the hand of

saying, "Take there one of the priests plunderers, until He had cast them out whom you carried away into exile and

of His sight.

let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the

21When He had torn Israel from the

land."

house of David, they made Jeroboam

the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam

28So one of the priests whom they had

drove Israel away from following the

carried away into exile from Samaria

LORD and made them commit a great

came and lived at Bethel, and taught

sin.

them how they should fear the LORD.

29But every nation still made gods of its yourselves down, and to Him you shall own and put them in the houses of the

sacrifice.

high places which the people of Samaria

had made, every nation in their cities in 37"The statutes and the ordinances and which they lived.

the law and the commandment which

He wrote for you, you shall observe to

30The men of Babylon made Succoth—

do forever; and you shall not fear other benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal,

gods.

the men of Hamath made Ashima,

38"The covenant that I have made with 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and

you, you shall not forget, nor shall you Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their

fear other gods.

children in the fire to Adrammelech and

Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.

39"But the LORD your God you shall fear;

and He will deliver you from the hand of

32They also feared the LORD and

all your enemies."

appointed from among themselves

priests of the high places, who acted for

40However, they did not listen, but they them in the houses of the high places.

did according to their earlier custom.

33They feared the LORD and served

41So while these nations feared the

their own gods according to the custom

LORD, they also served their idols; their

of the nations from among whom they

children likewise and their grandchildren,

had been carried away into exile.

as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

34To this day they do according to the

earlier customs: they do not fear the

LORD, nor do they follow their statutes

18Now it came about in the third

or their ordinances or the law, or the

commandments

which

the

LORD

year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of commanded the sons of Jacob, whom

Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz

He named Israel;

king of Judah became king.

2

35with whom the LORD made a

He was twenty-five years old when he

covenant and commanded them, saying,

became king, and he reigned twenty-

" You shall not fear other gods, nor bow

nine years in Jerusalem; and his

down yourselves to them nor serve

mother's name was Abi the daughter of

them nor sacrifice to them.

Zechariah.

3

36"But the LORD, who brought you up He did right in the sight of the LORD, from the land of Egypt with great power according to all that his father David had

and with an outstretched arm, Him you

done.

shall fear, and to Him you shall bow

4He removed the high places and broke 12because they did not obey the voice of down the sacred pillars and cut down

the LORD their God, but transgressed

the Asherah. He also broke in pieces

His covenant, even all that Moses the

the bronze serpent that Moses had

servant of the LORD commanded; they

made, for until those days the sons of

would neither listen nor do it.

Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

13Now in the fourteenth year of King

Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria

5He trusted in the LORD, the God of

came up against all the fortified cities of

Israel; so that after him there was none Judah and seized them.

like him among all the kings of Judah,

nor among those who were before him.

14Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to

the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, " I 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not have done wrong. Withdraw from me;

depart from following Him, but kept His

whatever you impose on me I will bear."

commandments, which the LORD had

So the king of Assyria required of

commanded Moses.

Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred

talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

7And the LORD was with him; wherever

he went he prospered. And he rebelled

15Hezekiah gave him all the silver which

against the king of Assyria and did not was found in the house of the LORD,

serve him.

and in the treasuries of the king's house.

8He defeated the Philistines as far as

16At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold Gaza and its territory, from watchtower

from the doors of the temple of the

to fortified city.

LORD, and from the doorposts which

Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid,

9Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah,

and gave it to the king of Assyria.

which was the seventh year of Hoshea

son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser

17Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan

king of Assyria came up against

and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from

Samaria and besieged it.

Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large

army to Jerusalem. So they went up and

10At the end of three years they

came to Jerusalem. And when they

captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah,

went up, they came and stood by the

which was the ninth year of Hoshea king

conduit of the upper pool, which is on

of Israel, Samaria was captured.

the highway of the fuller's field.

11

18

Then the king of Assyria carried Israel

When they called to the king, Eliakim

away into exile to Assyria, and put them

the son of Hilkiah, who was over the

in Halah and on the Habor, the river of household, and Shebnah the scribe and

Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

Joah the son of Asaph the recorder,

came out to them.

19Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say with us in Judean in the hearing of the now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great people who are on the wall."

king, the king of Assyria, " What is this confidence that you have?

27But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my

master sent me only to your master and

20"You say (but they are only empty to you to speak these words, and not to

words), 'I have counsel and strength for

the men who sit on the wall, doomed to

the war.' Now on whom do you rely, that

eat their own dung and drink their own

you have rebelled against me?

urine with you?"

21"Now behold, you rely on the staff of 28Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with

this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on

a loud voice in Judean, saying, "Hear which if a man leans, it will go into his the word of the great king, the king of hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king Assyria.

of Egypt to all who rely on him.

29"Thus says the king, ' Do not let 22"But if you say to me, 'We trust in the Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be LORD our God,' is it not He whose high

able to deliver you from my hand;

places and whose altars Hezekiah has

taken away, and has said to Judah and

30nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the

to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before

LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely

this altar in Jerusalem'?

deliver us, and this city will not be given

into the hand of the king of Assyria."

23"Now therefore, come, make a bargain

with my master the king of Assyria, and I

31'Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus

will give you two thousand horses, if you

says the king of Assyria, "Make your are able on your part to set riders on peace with me and come out to me, and them.

eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his 24"How then can you repulse one official own cistern,

of the least of my master's servants, and

rely on Egypt for chariots and for

32until I come and take you away to a

horsemen?

land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and

25"Have I now come up without the

vineyards, a land of olive trees and

LORD'S approval against this place to

honey, that you may live and not die."

destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go

But do not listen to Hezekiah when he

up against this land and destroy it.'"'"

misleads you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us."

26Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and

Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh,

33' Has any one of the gods of the

"Speak now to your servants in Aramaic,

nations delivered his land from the hand

for we understand it; and do not speak

of the king of Assyria?

34' Where are the gods of Hamath and the words which the LORD your God Arpad? Where are

the

gods

of

has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have

the remnant that is left.'"

they delivered Samaria from my hand?

5So the servants of King Hezekiah came

35'Who among all the gods of the lands

to Isaiah.

have delivered their land from my hand,

that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem

6Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say from my hand?'"

to your master, 'Thus says the LORD,

"Do not be afraid because of the words 36But the people were silent and

that you have heard, with which the

answered him not a word, for the king's

servants of the king of Assyria have

commandment was, "Do not answer

blasphemed Me.

him."

7"Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that 37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who he will hear a rumor and return to his was over the household, and Shebna

own land. And I will make him fall by the

the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph,

sword in his own land."'"

the recorder, came to Hezekiah with

their clothes torn and told him the words

8Then Rabshakeh returned and found

of Rabshakeh.

the king of Assyria fighting against

Libnah, for he had heard that the king

19

had left Lachish.

And when King Hezekiah heard it,

9

he tore his clothes, covered himself with

When he heard them say concerning

sackcloth and entered the house of the

Tirhakah king of Cush, "Behold, he has LORD.

come out to fight against you," he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying,

2Then he sent Eliakim who was over the

10

household with Shebna the scribe and

"Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king the elders of the priests, covered with

of Judah, 'Do not let your God in whom

sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son you trust deceive you saying, "

of Amoz.

Jerusalem will not be given into the

hand of the king of Assyria."

3They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah,

11

'This day is a day of distress, rebuke,

'Behold, you have heard what the

and rejection; for children have come to

kings of Assyria have done to all the

birth and there is no strength to deliver.

lands, destroying them completely. So

will you be spared?

4' Perhaps the LORD your God will hear

12

all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his

' Did the gods of those nations which

master the king of Assyria has sent to

my fathers destroyed deliver them, even

reproach the living God, and will rebuke

Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Assyria, I have heard you.'

13' Where is the king of Hamath, the king

21"This is the word that the LORD has of Arpad, the king of the city of

spoken against him: 'She has despised

Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?'"

you and mocked you, The virgin

daughter of Zion; She has shaken her

14Then Hezekiah took the letter from the

head behind you, The daughter of

hand of the messengers and read it, and

Jerusalem!

he went up to the house of the LORD

and spread it out before the LORD.

22'Whom have you reproached and

blasphemed? And against whom have

15Hezekiah prayed before the LORD

you raised your voice, And haughtily

and said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy

who are enthroned above the cherubim,

One of Israel!

You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made

23' Through your messengers you have

heaven and earth.

reproached the Lord, And you have said,

"With my many chariots I came up to the

16" Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear;

heights of the mountains, To the

open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and

remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut

listen to the words of Sennacherib,

down its tall cedars and its choice

which he has sent to reproach the living

cypresses. And I entered its farthest

God.

lodging place, its thickest forest.

17

24

"Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria

"I dug wells and drank foreign waters, have devastated the nations and their

And with the sole of my feet I dried up lands

All the rivers of Egypt."

18

25

and have cast their gods into the fire,

' Have you not heard? Long ago I did it;

for they were not gods but the work of From ancient times I planned it. Now I

men's hands, wood and stone. So they

have brought it to pass, That you should

have destroyed them.

turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

19

26

"Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver

'Therefore their inhabitants were short

us from his hand that all the kingdoms of

of strength, They were dismayed and

the earth may know that You alone, O

put to shame; They were as the

LORD, are God."

vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is

20

scorched before it is grown up.

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to

Hezekiah saying, "Thus says the LORD,

the God of Israel, 'Because you have

27'But I know your sitting down, And your 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; going out and your coming in, And your

and when men rose early in the morning,

raging against Me.

behold, all of them were dead.

28'Because of your raging against Me,

36So Sennacherib king of Assyria

And because your arrogance has come

departed and returned home, and lived

up to My ears, Therefore I will put My at Nineveh.

hook in your nose, And My bridle in your

lips, And I will turn you back by the way

37It came about as he was worshiping in

which you came.

the house of Nisroch his god, that

Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him

29'Then this shall be the sign for you: with the sword; and they escaped into

you will eat this year what grows of itself,

the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his

in the second year what springs from

son became king in his place.

the same, and in the third year sow,

reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

20In those days Hezekiah became

30' The surviving remnant of the house of

mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the Judah will again take root downward

son of Amoz came to him and said to

and bear fruit upward.

him, "Thus says the LORD, ' Set your house in order, for you shall die and not

31'For out of Jerusalem will go forth a live.'"

remnant, and out of Mount Zion

survivors. The zeal of the LORD will

2Then he turned his face to the wall and

perform this.

prayed to the LORD, saying,

32'Therefore thus says the LORD

3" Remember now, O LORD, I beseech

concerning the king of Assyria, " He will You, how I have walked before You in

not come to this city or shoot an arrow truth and with a whole heart and have

there; and he will not come before it with

done what is good in Your sight." And a shield or throw up a siege ramp

Hezekiah wept bitterly.

against it.

4

33

Before Isaiah had gone out of the

" By the way that he came, by the middle court, the word of the LORD

same he will return, and he shall not

came to him, saying,

come to this city,"' declares the LORD.

5

34

"Return and say to Hezekiah the leader

' For I will defend this city to save it for

of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the

My own sake and for My servant David's

God of your father David, " I have heard

sake.'"

your prayer, I have seen your tears;

behold, I will heal you. On the third day 35Then it happened that night that the

you shall go up to the house of the

angel of the LORD went out and struck

LORD.

6"I will add fifteen years to your life, and 14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King I will deliver you and this city from the Hezekiah and said to him, "What did hand of the king of Assyria; and I will these men say, and from where have defend this city for My own sake and for

they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, My servant David's sake."'"

"They have come from a far country, from Babylon."

7Then Isaiah said, "Take a cake of figs."

And they took and laid it on the boil, and

15He said, "What have they seen in your

he recovered.

house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there

8Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What will

is nothing among my treasuries that I

be the sign that the LORD will heal me,

have not shown them."

and that I shall go up to the house of the

LORD the third day?"

16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD.

9Isaiah said, " This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will 17'Behold, the days are coming when all

do the thing that He has spoken: shall

that is in your house, and all that your the shadow go forward ten steps or go

fathers have laid up in store to this day back ten steps?"

will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.

10So Hezekiah answered, "It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but

18'Some of your sons who shall issue

let the shadow turn backward ten steps."

from you, whom you will beget, will be

taken away; and they will become

11Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD,

officials in the palace of the king of

and He brought the shadow on the

Babylon.'"

stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

19Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have

12At that time Berodach-baladan a son

spoken is good." For he thought, "Is it of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters not so, if there will be peace and truth in

and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard

my days?"

that Hezekiah had been sick.

20Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah

13Hezekiah listened to them, and

and all his might, and how he made the

showed them all his treasure house, the

pool and the conduit and brought water

silver and the gold and the spices and

into the city, are they not written in the the precious oil and the house of his Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

armor and all that was found in his

Judah?

treasuries. There was nothing in his

house nor in all his dominion that

Hezekiah did not show them.

21So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and 8"And I will not make the feet of Israel Manasseh his son became king in his wander anymore from the land which I

place.

gave their fathers, if only they will

observe to do according to all that I

have commanded them, and according

21Manasseh was twelve years old to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them."

when he became king, and he reigned

fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his

9But they did not listen, and Manasseh

mother's name was Hephzibah.

seduced them to do evil more than the

2

nations whom the LORD destroyed

He did evil in the sight of the LORD,

before the sons of Israel.

according to the abominations of the

nations whom the LORD dispossessed

10Now the LORD spoke through His

before the sons of Israel.

servants the prophets, saying,

3For he rebuilt the high places which

11

Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and

" Because Manasseh king of Judah

he erected altars for Baal and made an

has done these abominations, having

done wickedly more than all the

Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had

Amorites did who were before him, and

done, and worshiped all the host of

heaven and served them.

has also made Judah sin with his idols;

12

4He built altars in the house of the

therefore thus says the LORD, the

God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing

LORD, of which the LORD had said, " In

such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah,

Jerusalem I will put My name."

that whoever hears of it, both his ears 5

will tingle.

For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of

13' I will stretch over Jerusalem the line the LORD.

of Samaria and the plummet of the

6

house of Ahab, and I will wipe

He made his son pass through the fire,

Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it

practiced witchcraft and used divination,

and turning it upside down.

and dealt with mediums and spiritists.

He did much evil in the sight of the

14

LORD provoking Him to anger.

'I will abandon the remnant of My

inheritance and deliver them into the

7

hand of their enemies, and they will

Then he set the carved image of

become as plunder and spoil to all their

Asherah that he had made, in the house

enemies;

of which the LORD said to David and to

his son Solomon, " In this house and in 15

Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all

because they have done evil in My

the tribes of Israel, I will put My name sight, and have been provoking Me to

forever.

anger since the day their fathers came 24Then the people of the land killed all from Egypt, even to this day.'"

those who had conspired against King

Amon, and the people of the land made

16Moreover, Manasseh shed very much

Josiah his son king in his place.

innocent blood until he had filled

Jerusalem from one end to another;

25Now the rest of the acts of Amon

besides his sin with which he made

which he did, are they not written in the

Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of the LORD.

Judah?

17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh

26He was buried in his grave in the

and all that he did and his sin which he garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son

committed, are they not written in the

became king in his place.

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

Judah?

22Josiah was eight years old when

18And Manasseh slept with his fathers

he became king, and he reigned thirty—

and was buried in the garden of his own

one years in Jerusalem; and his

house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon

mother's

name

was

Jedidah

the

his son became king in his place.

daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

19Amon was twenty-two years old when

2He did right in the sight of the LORD

he became king, and he reigned two

and walked in all the way of his father years in Jerusalem; and his mother's

David, nor did he turn aside to the right name was Meshullemeth the daughter

or to the left.

of Haruz of Jotbah.

3

20

Now in the eighteenth year of King

He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as

Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son

Manasseh his father had done.

of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the

scribe, to the house of the LORD saying,

21For he walked in all the way that his father had walked, and served the idols

4" Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that that

his

father

had

served

and

he may count the money brought in to

worshiped them.

the house of the LORD which the

doorkeepers have gathered from the

22So he forsook the LORD, the God of

people.

his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD.

5" Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the

23The servants of Amon conspired

house of the LORD, and let them give it

against him and killed the king in his

to the workmen who are in the house of

own house.

the LORD to repair the damages of the

house,

6to the carpenters and the builders and book, to do according to all that is the masons and for buying timber and

written concerning us."

hewn stone to repair the house.

14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor,

7"Only no accounting shall be made with

Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah

them for the money delivered into their

the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the

hands, for they deal faithfully."

son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas,

keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived

8Then Hilkiah the high priest said to

in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter);

Shaphan the scribe, " I have found the and they spoke to her.

book of the law in the house of the

LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to 15She said to them, "Thus says the

Shaphan who read it.

LORD God of Israel, 'Tell the man who

sent you to me,

9Shaphan the scribe came to the king

and brought back word to the king and

16thus says the LORD, "Behold, I bring said, "Your servants have emptied out evil on this place and on its inhabitants, the money that was found in the house, even all the words of the book which the

and have delivered it into the hand of

king of Judah has read.

the workmen who have the oversight of

the house of the LORD."

17" Because they have forsaken Me and

have burned incense to other gods that

10Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the

they might provoke Me to anger with all

king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given the work of their hands, therefore My

me a book." And Shaphan read it in the

wrath burns against this place, and it

presence of the king.

shall not be quenched."'

11When the king heard the words of the

18"But to the king of Judah who sent you

book of the law, he tore his clothes.

to inquire of the LORD thus shall you

say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of

12Then the king commanded Hilkiah the

Israel, "Regarding the words which you priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan,

have heard,

Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the

scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant

19because your heart was tender and

saying,

you humbled yourself before the LORD

when you heard what I spoke against

13"Go, inquire of the LORD for me and this place and against its inhabitants

the people and all Judah concerning the

that they should become a desolation

words of this book that has been found,

and a curse, and you have torn your

for great is the wrath of the LORD that clothes and wept before Me, I truly have

burns against us, because our fathers

heard you," declares the LORD.

have not listened to the words of this

20"Therefore, behold, I will gather you to to burn incense in the high places in the your fathers, and you will be gathered to

cities of Judah and in the surrounding

your grave in peace, and your eyes will area of Jerusalem, also those who

not see all the evil which I will bring on burned incense to Baal, to the sun and this place."'" So they brought back word to the moon and to the constellations to the king.

and to all the host of heaven.

6

23

He brought out the Asherah from the

Then the king sent, and they

house of the LORD outside Jerusalem

to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the

gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

brook Kidron, and ground it to dust, and

threw its dust on the graves of the

2

common people.

The king went up to the house of the

LORD and all the men of Judah and all

7He also broke down the houses of the

the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him,

and the priests and the prophets and all

male cult prostitutes which were in the

the people, both small and great; and he

house of the LORD, where the women

read in their hearing all the words of the

were weaving hangings for the Asherah.

book of the covenant which was found

8

in the house of the LORD.

Then he brought all the priests from the

cities of Judah, and defiled the high

3The king stood by the pillar and made a

places where the priests had burned

covenant before the LORD, to walk after

incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and

the

LORD,

and

to

keep

His

he broke down the high places of the

gates which were at the entrance of the

commandments and His testimonies

and His statutes with all his heart and all

gate of Joshua the governor of the city, his soul, to carry out the words of this which were on one's left at the city gate.

covenant that were written in this book.

9

And all the people entered into the

Nevertheless the priests of the high

covenant.

places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate

4Then the king commanded Hilkiah the

unleavened bread among their brothers.

high priest and the priests of the second

10

order and the doorkeepers, to bring out

He also defiled Topheth, which is in

of the temple of the LORD all the

the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no

vessels that were made for Baal, for

man might make his son or his daughter

Asherah, and for all the host of heaven;

pass through the fire for Molech.

and he burned them outside Jerusalem

in the fields of the Kidron, and carried 11He did away with the horses which the

their ashes to Bethel.

kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD,

5He did away with the idolatrous priests

by the chamber of Nathan-melech the

whom the kings of Judah had appointed

official, which was in the precincts; and

he burned the chariots of the sun with him, " It is the grave of the man of God fire.

who came from Judah and proclaimed

these things which you have done

12The altars which were on the roof, the

against the altar of Bethel."

upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings

of Judah had made, and the altars

18He said, "Let him alone; let no one which Manasseh had made in the two

disturb his bones." So they left his courts of the house of the LORD, the

bones undisturbed with the bones of the

king broke down; and he smashed them

prophet who came from Samaria.

there and threw their dust into the brook

Kidron.

19Josiah also removed all the houses of

the high places which were in the cities 13The high places which were before

of Samaria, which the kings of Israel

Jerusalem, which were on the right of

had made provoking the LORD; and he

the mount of destruction which Solomon

did to them just as he had done in

the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth

Bethel.

the abomination of the Sidonians, and

for Chemosh the abomination of Moab,

20All the priests of the high places who and for Milcom the abomination of the

were there he slaughtered on the altars

sons of Ammon, the king defiled.

and burned human bones on them; then

he returned to Jerusalem.

14He broke in pieces the sacred pillars

and cut down the Asherim and filled

21Then the king commanded all the

their places with human bones.

people saying, " Celebrate the Passover

to the LORD your God as it is written in

15Furthermore, the altar that was at

this book of the covenant."

Bethel and the high place which

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made

22Surely such a Passover had not been

Israel sin, had made, even that altar and

celebrated from the days of the judges

the high place he broke down. Then he

who judged Israel, nor in all the days of

demolished its stones, ground them to

the kings of Israel and of the kings of dust, and burned the Asherah.

Judah.

16Now when Josiah turned, he saw the

23But in the eighteenth year of King

graves that were there on the mountain,

Josiah, this Passover was observed to

and he sent and took the bones from the

the LORD in Jerusalem.

graves and burned them on the altar

and defiled it according to the word of 24Moreover,

Josiah

removed

the

the LORD which the man of God

mediums and the spiritists and the

proclaimed,

who

proclaimed

these

teraphim and the idols and all the

things.

abominations that were seen in the land

of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he

17Then he said, "What is this monument

might confirm the words of the law

that I see?" And the men of the city told

which were written in the book that 31Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old Hilkiah the priest found in the house of when he became king, and he reigned

the LORD.

three months in Jerusalem; and his

mother's

name was

Hamutal

the

25Before him there was no king like him

daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

who turned to the LORD with all his

heart and with all his soul and with all 32He did evil in the sight of the LORD, his might, according to all the law of according to all that his fathers had

Moses; nor did any like him arise after done.

him.

33Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at

26However, the LORD did not turn from

Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he

the fierceness of His great wrath with

might not reign in Jerusalem; and he

which His anger burned against Judah,

imposed on the land a fine of one

because of all the provocations with

hundred talents of silver and a talent of which Manasseh had provoked Him.

gold.

27The LORD said, "I will remove Judah 34Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son

also from My sight, as I have removed

of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his

Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this

father, and changed his name to

city which I have chosen, and the

Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away

temple of which I said, 'My name shall

and brought him to Egypt, and he died

be there.'"

there.

28Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and

35So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold

all that he did, are they not written in the

to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in

Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of

order to give the money at the command

Judah?

of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and

gold from the people of the land, each

29In his days Pharaoh Neco king of

according to his valuation, to give it to Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to Pharaoh Neco.

the river Euphrates. And King Josiah

went to meet him, and when Pharaoh

36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old

Neco saw him he killed him at Megiddo.

when he became king, and he reigned

eleven years in Jerusalem; and his

30His servants drove his body in a

mother's

name

was

Zebidah

the

chariot from Megiddo, and brought him

daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

to Jerusalem and buried him in his own

tomb. Then the people of the land took

37He did evil in the sight of the LORD, Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and

according to all that his fathers had

anointed him and made him king in

done.

place of his father.

24

mother's name was Nehushta the

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king

daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim

9

became his servant for three years; then

He did evil in the sight of the LORD,

he turned and rebelled against him.

according to all that his father had done.

2

10

The LORD sent against him bands of

At

that

time

the

servants

of

Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went

of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites.

up to Jerusalem, and the city came

So He sent them against Judah to

under siege.

destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through

11And Nebuchadnezzar the king of

His servants the prophets.

Babylon came to the city, while his

servants were besieging it.

3Surely at the command of the LORD it

came upon Judah, to remove them from

12Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out

His sight because of the sins of

to the king of Babylon, he and his

Manasseh, according to all that he had

mother and his servants and his

done,

captains and his officials. So the king of

Babylon took him captive in the eighth

4and also for the innocent blood which

year of his reign.

he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with

innocent blood; and the LORD would

13He carried out from there all the

not forgive.

treasures of the house of the LORD,

and the treasures of the king's house,

5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim

and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold

and all that he did, are they not written which Solomon king of Israel had made

in the Book of the Chronicles of the

in the temple of the LORD, just as the Kings of Judah?

LORD had said.

6

14

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and

Then he led away into exile all

Jehoiachin his son became king in his

Jerusalem and all the captains and all

place.

the mighty men of valor, ten thousand

captives, and all the craftsmen and the

7The king of Egypt did not come out of smiths. None remained except the

his land again, for the king of Babylon poorest people of the land.

had taken all that belonged to the king 15

of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to

river Euphrates.

Babylon; also the king's mother and the

king's wives and his officials and the

8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old

leading men of the land, he led away

when he became king, and he reigned

into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

three months in Jerusalem; and his

16All the men of valor, seven thousand, the gate between the two walls beside and the craftsmen and the smiths, one

the king's garden, though the Chaldeans

thousand, all strong and fit for war, and were all around the city. And they went these the king of Babylon brought into by way of the Arabah.

exile to Babylon.

5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued

17Then the king of Babylon made his

the king and overtook him in the plains uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and

of Jericho and all his army was

changed his name to Zedekiah.

scattered from him.

18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old

6Then they captured the king and

when he became king, and he reigned

brought him to the king of Babylon at

eleven years in Jerusalem; and his

Riblah, and he passed sentence on him.

mother's

name was

Hamutal

the

daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

7They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah

before his eyes, then put out the eyes of

19He did evil in the sight of the LORD, Zedekiah and bound him with bronze

according to all that Jehoiakim had done. fetters and brought him to Babylon.

20For through the anger of the LORD

8Now on the seventh day of the fifth

this came about in Jerusalem and Judah

month, which was the nineteenth year of

until He cast them out from His

King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,

presence.

And

Zedekiah

rebelled

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a

against the king of Babylon.

servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

25

9

Now in the ninth year of his reign,

He burned the house of the LORD, the

king's house, and all the houses of

on the tenth day of the tenth month,

Jerusalem; even every great house he

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came,

he and all his army, against Jerusalem,

burned with fire.

camped against it and built a siege wall

10

all around it.

So all the army of the Chaldeans who

were with the captain of the guard broke

2

down the walls around Jerusalem.

So the city was under siege until the

eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

11Then the rest of the people who were

3On the ninth day of the fourth month

left in the city and the deserters who had

deserted to the king of Babylon and the

the famine was so severe in the city that

rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the

there was no food for the people of the land.

captain of the guard carried away into

exile.

4Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of 12But the captain of the guard left some people of the land; and sixty men of the of the poorest of the land to be

people of the land who were found in

vinedressers and plowmen.

the city.

13Now the bronze pillars which were in

20Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard

the house of the LORD, and the stands

took them and brought them to the king

and the bronze sea which were in the

of Babylon at Riblah.

house of the LORD, the Chaldeans

broke in pieces and carried the bronze

21Then the king of Babylon struck them

to Babylon.

down and put them to death at Riblah in

the land of Hamath. So Judah was led

14They took away the pots, the shovels,

away into exile from its land.

the snuffers, the spoons, and all the

bronze vessels which were used in

22Now as for the people who were left in

temple service.

the

land

of

Judah,

whom

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had

15The captain of the guard also took

left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of

away the firepans and the basins, what

Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.

was fine gold and what was fine silver.

23When all the captains of the forces,

16The two pillars, the one sea, and the they and their men, heard that the king stands which Solomon had made for the of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah

house of the LORD-- the bronze of all

governor, they came to Gedaliah to

these vessels was beyond weight.

Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of

Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of

17The height of the one pillar was

Kareah, and Seraiah the son of

eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital

Tanhumeth

the

Netophathite,

and

was on it; the height of the capital was Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite,

three cubits, with a network and

they and their men.

pomegranates on the capital all around,

all of bronze. And the second pillar was

24Gedaliah swore to them and their men

like these with network.

and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in 18Then the captain of the guard took

the land and serve the king of Babylon, Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah

and it will be well with you."

the second priest, with the three officers

of the temple.

25But it came about in the seventh

month, that Ishmael the son of

19From the city he took one official who

Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the

was overseer of the men of war, and

royal family, came with ten men and

five of the king's advisers who were

struck Gedaliah down so that he died

found in the city; and the scribe of the along with the Jews and the Chaldeans

captain of the army who mustered the

who were with him at Mizpah.

26Then all the people, both small and 28and he spoke kindly to him and set his great, and the captains of the forces

throne above the throne of the kings

arose and went to Egypt; for they were

who were with him in Babylon.

afraid of the Chaldeans.

29Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes

27Now it came about in the thirty—

and had his meals in the king's

seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin

presence regularly all the days of his life;

king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month,

30and for his allowance, a regular

that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in

allowance was given him by the king, a

the year that he became king, released

portion for each day, all the days of his Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;

life.

1st Chronicles

13Canaan became the father of Sidon,

his firstborn, Heth,

1Adam, Seth, Enosh,

14and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the

2

Girgashites,

Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,

15

3

the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

16

4

the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the

Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Hamathites.

5The sons of Japheth were Gomer,

17The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur,

Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech

Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether

and Tiras.

and Meshech.

6The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz,

18Arpachshad became the father of

Diphath, and Togarmah.

Shelah and Shelah became the father of

Eber.

7The sons of Javan were Elishah,

Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.

19Two sons were born to Eber, the name

of the one was Peleg, for in his days the

8The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim,

earth was divided, and his brother's

Put, and Canaan.

name was Joktan.

9The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah,

20Joktan became the father of Almodad,

Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the

Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

sons of Raamah were Sheba and

Dedan.

21Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

10Cush became the father of Nimrod; he

22Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,

began to be a mighty one in the earth.

23

11

Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these

Mizraim became the father of the

were the sons of Joktan.

people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh,

24

12

Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,

Pathrus, Casluh, from which the

Philistines came, and Caphtor.

25Eber, Peleg, Reu,

26Serug, Nahor, Terah,

27Abram, that is Abraham.

39The sons of Lotan were Hori and

Homam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

28The sons of Abraham were Isaac and

Ishmael.

40The sons of Shobal were Alian,

Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And

29These are their genealogies: the

the sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah.

firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then

Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

41The son of Anah was Dishon. And the

sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban,

30Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad,

Ithran and Cheran.

Tema,

42The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan

31Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah; these

and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were

were the sons of Ishmael.

Uz and Aran.

32

43

The sons of Keturah, Abraham's

Now these are the kings who reigned

concubine, whom she bore, were

in the land of Edom before any king of Zimran,

Jokshan,

Medan,

Midian,

the sons of Israel reigned. Bela was the

Ishbak and Shuah. And the sons of

son of Beor, and the name of his city

Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan.

was Dinhabah.

33

44

The sons of Midian were Ephah,

When Bela died, Jobab the son of

Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All

Zerah of Bozrah became king in his

these were the sons of Keturah.

place.

34

45

Abraham became the father of Isaac.

When Jobab died, Husham of the land

The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.

of the Temanites became king in his

place.

35The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel,

46

Jeush, Jalam and Korah.

When Husham died, Hadad the son of

Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field

36

of Moab, became king in his place; and

The sons of Eliphaz were Teman,

the name of his city was Avith.

Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and

Amalek.

47When Hadad died, Samlah of

37

Masrekah became king in his place.

The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah,

Shammah and Mizzah.

48When Samlah died, Shaul of

38

Rehoboth by the River became king in

The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal,

his place.

Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan.

49When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son

of Achbor became king in his place.

50When

Baal-hanan

died,

Hadad

7The son of Carmi was Achar, the

became king in his place; and the name

troubler of Israel, who violated the ban.

of his city was Pai, and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred,

8The son of Ethan was Azariah.

the daughter of Mezahab.

9Now the sons of Hezron, who were

51Then Hadad died. Now the chiefs of

born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and

Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah,

Chelubai.

chief Jetheth,

10Ram became the father of Amminadab,

52chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief

and Amminadab became the father of

Pinon,

Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah;

53chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 11Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, 54chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were

the chiefs of Edom.

12Boaz became the father of Obed, and

Obed became the father of Jesse;

2These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, 13and Jesse became the father of Eliab Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, his firstborn, then Abinadab the second,

Shimea the third,

2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad

14

and Asher.

Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

3

15

The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and

Ozem the sixth, David the seventh;

Shelah; these three were born to him by

Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er,

16and their sisters were Zeruiah and

Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the

Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah

sight of the LORD, so He put him to

were Abshai, Joab and Asahel.

death.

17Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of

4Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him

Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in

all.

18Now Caleb the son of Hezron had

sons by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth;

5The sons of Perez were Hezron and

and these were her sons: Jesher,

Hamul.

Shobab, and Ardon.

6The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan,

19When Azubah died, Caleb married

Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in

Ephrath, who bore him Hur.

all.

20Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri 31The son of Appaim was Ishi. And the became the father of Bezalel.

son of Ishi was Sheshan. And the son of

Sheshan was Ahlai.

21Afterward Hezron went in to the

daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, 32The sons of Jada the brother of

whom he married when he was sixty

Shammai were Jether and Jonathan,

years old; and she bore him Segub.

and Jether died without sons.

22Segub became the father of Jair, who

33The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and

had twenty-three cities in the land of

Zaza.

These

were

the

sons

of

Gilead.

Jerahmeel.

23But Geshur and Aram took the towns

34Now Sheshan had no sons, only

of Jair from them, with Kenath and its

daughters.

And Sheshan had an

villages, even sixty cities. All these were

Egyptian servant whose name was

the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.

Jarha.

24After the death of Hezron in Caleb—

35Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha

ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron's wife, bore

his servant in marriage, and she bore

him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

him Attai.

25Now the sons of Jerahmeel the

36Attai became the father of Nathan, and

firstborn of Hezron were Ram the

Nathan became the father of Zabad,

firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem and

Ahijah.

37and Zabad became the father of

Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of

26Jerahmeel had another wife, whose

Obed,

name was Atarah; she was the mother

of Onam.

38and Obed became the father of Jehu,

and Jehu became the father of Azariah,

27The sons of Ram, the firstborn of

Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin and Eker.

39and Azariah became the father of

Helez, and Helez became the father of

28The sons of Onam were Shammai and

Eleasah,

Jada. And the sons of Shammai were

Nadab and Abishur.

40and Eleasah became the father of

Sismai, and Sismai became the father of

29The name of Abishur's wife was

Shallum,

Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and

Molid.

41and Shallum became the father of

Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the

30The sons of Nadab were Seled and

father of Elishama.

Appaim, and Seled died without sons.

42Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of and the Mishraites; from these came the Jerahmeel, were Mesha his firstborn,

Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

who was the father of Ziph; and his son

was Mareshah, the father of Hebron.

54The sons of Salma were Bethlehem

and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab

43The sons of Hebron were Korah and

and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.

Tappuah and Rekem and Shema.

55The families of scribes who lived at

44Shema became the father of Raham,

Jabez

were

the

Tirathites,

the

the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem

Shimeathites and the Sucathites. Those

became the father of Shammai.

are the Kenites who came from

Hammath, the father of the house of

45The son of Shammai was Maon, and

Rechab.

Maon was the father of Bethzur.

46Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran,

3Now these were the sons of David Moza and Gazez; and Haran became

who were born to him in Hebron: the

the father of Gazez.

firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the

Jezreelitess; the second was Daniel, by

47The sons of Jahdai were Regem,

Abigail the Carmelitess;

Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and

Shaaph.

2the third was Absalom the son of

Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of

48Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore

Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son

Sheber and Tirhanah.

of Haggith;

49She also bore Shaaph the father of

3the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital; the

Madmannah, Sheva the father of

sixth was Ithream, by his wife Eglah.

Machbena and the father of Gibea; and

the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

4Six were born to him in Hebron, and

there he reigned seven years and six

50These were the sons of Caleb. The

months. And in Jerusalem he reigned

sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, thirty-three years.

were Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,

5These were born to him in Jerusalem:

51Salma the father of Bethlehem and

Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon,

Hareph the father of Beth-gader.

four, by Bath-shua the daughter of

Ammiel;

52Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had

6

sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites,

and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,

53and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the 7Nogah, Nepheg and Japhia,

Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites

8Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet, nine.

21The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah

and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the

9All these were the sons of David,

sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the

besides the sons of the concubines; and

sons of Shecaniah.

Tamar was their sister.

22The descendants of Shecaniah were

10Now Solomon's son was Rehoboam,

Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah:

Abijah was his son, Asa his son,

Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah and

Jehoshaphat his son,

Shaphat, six.

11

23

Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash

The sons of Neariah were Elioenai,

his son,

Hizkiah and Azrikam, three.

12

24

Amaziah his son, Azariah his son,

The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah,

Jotham his son,

Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan,

Delaiah and Anani, seven.

13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son,

Manasseh his son,

4The sons of Judah were Perez,

14Amon his son, Josiah his son.

Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal.

15The sons of Josiah were Johanan the

2Reaiah the son of Shobal became the

firstborn, and the second was Jehoiakim,

father of Jahath, and Jahath became the

the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

father of Ahumai and Lahad. These

were the families of the Zorathites.

16The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah

his son, Zedekiah his son.

3These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel,

Ishma and Idbash; and the name of their

17The sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner,

sister was Hazzelelponi.

were Shealtiel his son,

4Penuel was the father of Gedor, and

18and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar,

Ezer the father of Hushah. These were

Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah.

the sons of Hur, the firstborn of

Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

19The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel

5

and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel

Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two

were Meshullam and Hananiah, and

wives, Helah and Naarah.

Shelomith was their sister;

6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher,

20and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah,

Temeni and Haahashtari. These were

Hasadiah and Jushab-hesed, five.

the sons of Naarah.

7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar 16The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph and and Ethnan.

Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

8Koz became the father of Anub and

17The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered,

Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel

Epher and Jalon. (And these are the

the son of Harum.

sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh,

whom Mered took) and she conceived

9Jabez was more honorable than his

and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah

brothers, and his mother named him

the father of Eshtemoa.

Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."

18His Jewish wife bore Jered the father

of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco,

10Now Jabez called on the God of Israel,

and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.

saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that

19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the

Your hand might be with me, and that

sister of Naham, were the fathers of

You would keep me from harm that it

Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the

may not pain me!" And God granted him

Maacathite.

what he requested.

20The sons of Shimon were Amnon and

11Chelub the brother of Shuhah became

Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. And the

the father of Mehir, who was the father sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-of Eshton.

zoheth.

12Eshton became the father of Beth—

21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah

rapha and Paseah, and Tehinnah the

were Er the father of Lecah and Laadah

father of Ir-nahash. These are the men

the father of Mareshah, and the families

of Recah.

of the house of the linen workers at

Beth-ashbea;

13Now the sons of Kenaz were Othniel

and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel

22and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash,

were Hathath and Meonothai.

Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and

Jashubi-lehem. And the records are

14Meonothai became the father of

ancient.

Ophrah, and Seraiah became the father

of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, for

23These were the potters and the

they were craftsmen.

inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they

lived there with the king for his work.

15The sons of Caleb the son of

Jephunneh were Iru, Elah and Naam;

24The sons of Simeon were Nemuel and

and the son of Elah was Kenaz.

Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;

25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, 37Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, Mishma his son.

the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri,

the son of Shemaiah;

26The sons of Mishma were Hammuel

his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.

38these mentioned by name were

leaders in their families; and their

27Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six

fathers' houses increased greatly.

daughters; but his brothers did not have

many sons, nor did all their family

39They went to the entrance of Gedor,

multiply like the sons of Judah.

even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

28They lived at Beersheba, Moladah and

Hazar-shual,

40They found rich and good pasture, and

the land was broad and quiet and

29at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

peaceful; for those who lived there

formerly were Hamites.

30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

41These, recorded by name, came in the

31

days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and

Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth—

attacked their tents and the Meunites

biri and Shaaraim. These were their

who were found there, and destroyed

cities until the reign of David.

them utterly to this day, and lived in their

place, because there was pasture there

32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon,

for their flocks.

Tochen and Ashan, five cities;

42From them, from the sons of Simeon,

33and all their villages that were around five hundred men went to Mount Seir,

the same cities as far as Baal. These

with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and

were their settlements, and they have

Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders.

their genealogy.

43They destroyed the remnant of the

34Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah

Amalekites who escaped, and have

the son of Amaziah,

lived there to this day.

35and Joel and Jehu the son of

Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of

5Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn

Asiel,

of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but 36

because he defiled his father's bed, his and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah,

birthright was given to the sons of

Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according

to the birthright.

2Though Judah prevailed over his 13Their kinsmen of their fathers'

brothers, and from him came the leader,

households were Michael, Meshullam,

yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),

Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber,

seven.

3the sons of Reuben the firstborn of

Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron

14These were the sons of Abihail, the

and Carmi.

son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of

4The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his

Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

Buz;

5

15

Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his

Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni,

son,

was head of their fathers' households.

6

16

Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser

They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in

king of Assyria carried away into exile; its towns, and in all the pasture lands of

he was leader of the Reubenites.

Sharon, as far as their borders.

7

17

His kinsmen by their families, in the

All of these were enrolled in the

genealogy of their generations, were

genealogies in the days of Jotham king

Jeiel the chief, then Zechariah

of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam

king of Israel.

8and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of

18

Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in

The sons of Reuben and the Gadites

Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal-meon.

and

the

half-tribe

of

Manasseh,

consisting of valiant men, men who bore

9

shield and sword and shot with bow and

To the east he settled as far as the

were skillful in battle, were 44,760, who entrance of the wilderness from the river

went to war.

Euphrates, because their cattle had

increased in the land of Gilead.

19They made war against the Hagrites,

10

Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.

In the days of Saul they made war with

the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, so 20

that they occupied their tents throughout

They were helped against them, and

all the land east of Gilead.

the Hagrites and all who were with them

were given into their hand; for they cried

11

out to God in the battle, and He

Now the sons of Gad lived opposite

answered their prayers because they

them in the land of Bashan as far as

trusted in Him.

Salecah.

21

12

They took away their cattle: their

Joel was the chief and Shapham the

50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000

second, then Janai and Shaphat in

donkeys; and 100,000 men.

Bashan.

22For many fell slain, because the war 4Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, was of God. And they settled in their

and Phinehas became the father of

place until the exile.

Abishua,

23Now the sons of the half-tribe of

5and Abishua became the father of

Manasseh lived in the land; from

Bukki, and Bukki became the father of

Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and

Uzzi,

Mount Hermon they were numerous.

6and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah,

24These were the heads of their fathers'

and Zerahiah became the father of

households, even Epher, Ishi, Eliel,

Meraioth,

Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel,

mighty men of valor, famous men,

7Meraioth became the father of Amariah,

heads of their fathers' households.

and Amariah became the father of

Ahitub,

25But they acted treacherously against

the God of their fathers and played the 8and Ahitub became the father of Zadok,

harlot after the gods of the peoples of and Zadok became the father of

the land, whom God had destroyed

Ahimaaz,

before them.

9and Ahimaaz became the father of

26So the God of Israel stirred up the

Azariah, and Azariah became the father

spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, even the of Johanan,

spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile,

10and Johanan became the father of

namely the Reubenites, the Gadites and

Azariah ( it was he who served as the

the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought

priest in the house which Solomon built

them to Halah, Habor, Hara and to the

in Jerusalem),

river of Gozan, to this day.

11and Azariah became the father of

6

Amariah, and Amariah became the

The sons of Levi were Gershon,

father of Ahitub,

Kohath and Merari.

12and Ahitub became the father of

2The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar,

Zadok, and Zadok became the father of

Hebron and Uzziel.

Shallum,

3The children of Amram were Aaron,

13and Shallum became the father of

Moses and Miriam. And the sons of

Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of

Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and

Azariah,

Ithamar.

14and Azariah became the father of 27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father

Elkanah his son.

of Jehozadak;

28The sons of Samuel were Joel the

15and Jehozadak went along when the

firstborn, and Abijah the second.

LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem

away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar.

29The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni

his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,

16The sons of Levi were Gershom,

Kohath and Merari.

30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son,

Asaiah his son.

17These are the names of the sons of

Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

31Now these are those whom David

appointed over the service of song in

18The sons of Kohath were Amram,

the house of the LORD, after the ark

Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

rested there.

19The sons of Merari were Mahli and

32They ministered with song before the

Mushi. And these are the families of the

tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Levites according to their fathers'

Solomon had built the house of the

households.

LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in

their office according to their order.

20Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his

son, Zimmah his son,

33These are those who served with their

sons: From the sons of the Kohathites

21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his were Heman the singer, the son of Joel,

son, Jeatherai his son.

the son of Samuel,

22

34

The sons of Kohath were Amminadab

the son of Elkanah, the son of

his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of

Toah,

23Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and

35

Assir his son,

the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah,

the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,

24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah

36

his son and Shaul his son.

the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel,

the son of Azariah, the son of

25

Zephaniah,

The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and

Ahimoth.

37the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the

26

son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,

As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah

were Zophai his son and Nahath his son,

38the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the 50These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar son of Levi, the son of Israel.

his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his

son,

39Heman's brother Asaph stood at his

right hand, even Asaph the son of

51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah

Berechiah, the son of Shimea,

his son,

40the son of Michael, the son of

52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son,

Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,

Ahitub his son,

41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the

53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

son of Adaiah,

54Now these are their settlements

42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah,

according to their camps within their

the son of Shimei,

borders. To the sons of Aaron of the

families of the Kohathites (for theirs was

43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom,

the first lot),

the son of Levi.

55to them they gave Hebron in the land

44On the left hand were their kinsmen

of Judah and its pasture lands around it;

the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of

Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of

56but the fields of the city and its villages, Malluch,

they gave to Caleb the son of

Jephunneh.

45the son of Hashabiah, the son of

Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,

57To the sons of Aaron they gave the

following cities of refuge: Hebron,

46the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir,

son of Shemer,

Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

47

58

the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the

Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with

son of Merari, the son of Levi.

its pasture lands,

48

59

Their kinsmen the Levites were

Ashan with its pasture lands and Beth—

appointed for all the service of the

shemesh with its pasture lands;

tabernacle of the house of God.

60and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba

49But Aaron and his sons offered on the

with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its altar of burnt offering and on the altar of

pasture lands, and Anathoth with its

incense, for all the work of the most holy

pasture lands. All their cities throughout place, and to make atonement for Israel,

their families were thirteen cities.

according to all that Moses the servant

of God had commanded.

61Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath with its pasture lands, for the rest of the were given by lot, from the family of the

family of the sons of Kohath.

tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of

Manasseh, ten cities.

71To the sons of Gershom were given,

from the family of the half-tribe of

62To the sons of Gershom, according to

Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its

their families, were given from the tribe pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its

of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher, pasture lands;

the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan.

72and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh

with its pasture lands, Daberath with its 63To the sons of Merari were given by lot,

pasture lands

according to their families, from the tribe

of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe

73and Ramoth with its pasture lands,

of Zebulun, twelve cities.

Anem with its pasture lands;

64So the sons of Israel gave to the

74and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal

Levites the cities with their pasture lands. with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 65They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of 75Hukok with its pasture lands and Simeon and the tribe of the sons of

Rehob with its pasture lands;

Benjamin, these

cities

which

are

mentioned by name.

76and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh

in Galilee with its pasture lands,

66Now some of the families of the sons

Hammon with its pasture lands and

of Kohath had cities of their territory

Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

from the tribe of Ephraim.

77To the rest of the Levites, the sons of

67They gave to them the following cities

Merari, were given, from the tribe of

of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of

Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture

Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer

lands, Tabor with its pasture lands;

also with its pasture lands,

78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on

68Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-the east side of the Jordan, were given horon with its pasture lands,

them, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in

the wilderness with its pasture lands,

69Aijalon with its pasture lands and

Jahzah with its pasture lands,

Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands;

79Kedemoth with its pasture lands and

70and from the half-tribe of Manasseh:

Mephaath with its pasture lands;

Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam

80and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim

were the sons of Becher.

with its pasture lands,

9They were enrolled by genealogy,

81Heshbon with its pasture lands and

according to their generations, heads of

Jazer with its pasture lands.

their fathers' households, 20,200 mighty

men of valor.

7

10

Now the sons of Issachar were four:

The son of Jediael was Bilhan. And

Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

the sons of Bilhan were Jeush,

Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan,

2

Tarshish and Ahishahar.

The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah,

Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel,

11All these were sons of Jediael,

heads of their fathers' households. The

sons of Tola were mighty men of valor in

according to the heads of their fathers'

their generations; their number in the

households, 17,200 mighty men of valor,

days of David was 22,600.

who were ready to go out with the army

to war.

3The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah. And the

12

sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah,

Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of

Joel, Isshiah; all five of them were chief

Ir; Hushim was the son of Aher.

men.

13The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel,

4

Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of

With

them

by

their

generations

according to their fathers' households

Bilhah.

were 36,000 troops of the army for war,

14

for they had many wives and sons.

The sons of Manasseh were Asriel,

whom his Aramean concubine bore; she

5Their relatives among all the families of

bore Machir the father of Gilead.

Issachar were mighty men of valor,

15

enrolled by genealogy, in all 87,000.

Machir took a wife for Huppim and

Shuppim, whose sister's name was

6

Maacah. And the name of the second

The sons of Benjamin were three: Bela

and Becher and Jediael.

was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had

daughters.

7The sons of Bela were five: Ezbon,

16Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son,

Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They were

and she named him Peresh; and the

heads of fathers' households, mighty

men of valor, and were 22,034 enrolled

name of his brother was Sheresh, and

by genealogy.

his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

8The sons of Becher were Zemirah,

Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth,

17The son of Ulam was Bedan. These east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with were the sons of Gilead the son of

its towns, and Shechem with its towns

Machir, the son of Manasseh.

as far as Ayyah with its towns,

18His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod

29and along the borders of the sons of

and Abiezer and Mahlah.

Manasseh, Beth-shean with its towns,

Taanach with its towns, Megiddo with its

19The sons of Shemida were Ahian and

towns, Dor with its towns. In these lived

Shechem and Likhi and Aniam.

the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.

20

30

The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah

The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah,

and Bered his son, Tahath his son,

Ishvi and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

31The sons of Beriah were Heber and

21Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and

Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

Ezer and Elead whom the men of Gath

who were born in the land killed,

32Heber became the father of Japhlet,

because they came down to take their

Shomer and Hotham, and Shua their

livestock.

sister.

22Their father Ephraim mourned many

33The sons of Japhlet were Pasach,

days, and his relatives came to comfort

Bimhal and Ashvath. These were the

him.

sons of Japhlet.

23Then he went in to his wife, and she 34The sons of Shemer were Ahi and

conceived and bore a son, and he

Rohgah, Jehubbah and Aram.

named him Beriah, because misfortune

had come upon his house.

35The sons of his brother Helem were

Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.

24His daughter was Sheerah, who built

lower and upper Beth-horon, also

36The sons of Zophah were Suah,

Uzzen-sheerah.

Harnepher, Shual, Beri and Imrah,

25Rephah was his son along with

37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran

Resheph, Telah his son, Tahan his son,

and Beera.

26Ladan his son, Ammihud his son,

38The sons of Jether were Jephunneh,

Elishama his son,

Pispa and Ara.

27Non his son and Joshua his son.

39The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel

and Rizia.

28Their possessions and settlements

were Bethel with its towns, and to the

40All these were the sons of Asher, 12The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, heads of the fathers' houses, choice and

and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod,

mighty men of valor, heads of the

with its towns;

princes. And the number of them

enrolled by genealogy for service in war

13and Beriah and Shema, who were

was 26,000 men.

heads of fathers' households of the

inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight 8

the inhabitants of Gath;

And Benjamin became the father of

14

Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second,

and Ahio, Shashak and Jeremoth.

Aharah the third,

15Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

2Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.

16Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the

3Bela had sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud,

sons of Beriah.

4

17

Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

5

18

Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.

Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the

sons of Elpaal.

6These are the sons of Ehud: these are

19

the heads of fathers' households of the

Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

inhabitants of Geba, and they carried

them into exile to Manahath,

20Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

7namely, Naaman, Ahijah and Gera--he

21Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were

carried them into exile; and he became

the sons of Shimei.

the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

22Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

8Shaharaim became the father of

children in the country of Moab after he 23Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

had sent away Hushim and Baara his

wives.

24Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

9By Hodesh his wife he became the

25Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of

father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

Shashak.

10Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah. These were his

26Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

sons, heads of fathers' households.

27

11

Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zichri were the

By Hushim he became the father of

sons of Jeroham.

Abitub and Elpaal.

28These were heads of the fathers'

39The sons of Eshek his brother were

households

according

to

their

Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second

generations, chief men who lived in

and Eliphelet the third.

Jerusalem.

40The sons of Ulam were mighty men of

29Now in Gibeon, Jeiel, the father of

valor, archers, and had many sons and

Gibeon lived, and his wife's name was

grandsons, 150 of them. All these were

Maacah;

of the sons of Benjamin.

30and his firstborn son was Abdon, then

Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

9So all Israel was enrolled by

genealogies; and behold, they are

31Gedor, Ahio and Zecher.

written in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

And Judah was carried away into exile

32Mikloth became the father of Shimeah.

to Babylon for their unfaithfulness.

And they also lived with their relatives in

Jerusalem opposite their other relatives.

2Now the first who lived in their

possessions in their cities were Israel,

33Ner became the father of Kish, and

the priests, the Levites and the temple

Kish became the father of Saul, and

servants.

Saul became the father of Jonathan,

Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

3Some of the sons of Judah, of the sons

of Benjamin and of the sons of Ephraim

34The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal,

and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:

and Merib-baal became the father of

Micah.

4Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of

Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, 35The sons of Micah were Pithon,

from the sons of Perez the son of Judah.

Melech, Tarea and Ahaz.

5From the Shilonites were Asaiah the

36Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah,

firstborn and his sons.

and Jehoaddah became the father of

Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri

6From the sons of Zerah were Jeuel and

became the father of Moza.

their relatives, 690 of them.

37Moza became the father of Binea;

7From the sons of Benjamin were Sallu

Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son,

the son of Meshullam, the son of

Azel his son.

Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,

38Azel had six sons, and these were

8and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and

their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael,

Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these

and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah,

were the sons of Azel.

the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;

9and their relatives according to their 18being stationed until now at the king's generations, 956. All these were heads gate to the east). These were the

of fathers' households according to their

gatekeepers for the camp of the sons of

fathers' houses.

Levi.

10From the priests were Jedaiah,

19Shallum the son of Kore, the son of

Jehoiarib, Jachin,

Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his

relatives of his father's house, the

11and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son

Korahites, were over the work of the

of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son

service, keepers of the thresholds of the

of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief

tent; and their fathers had been over the

officer of the house of God;

camp of the LORD, keepers of the

entrance.

12and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the

20

son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler

and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of

over them previously, and the LORD

Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the

was with him.

son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;

21Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah

13and their relatives, heads of their

was gatekeeper of the entrance of the

fathers' households, 1,760 very able

tent of meeting.

men for the work of the service of the house of God.

22All these who were chosen to be

gatekeepers at the thresholds were 212.

14Of the Levites were Shemaiah the son

These were enrolled by genealogy in

of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son

their villages, whom David and Samuel

of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;

the seer appointed in their office of trust.

15

23

and Bakbakkar, Heresh and Galal and

So they and their sons had charge of

Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of

the gates of the house of the LORD,

Zichri, the son of Asaph,

even the house of the tent, as guards.

16

24

and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the

The gatekeepers were on the four

son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and

sides, to the east, west, north and south.

Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of

Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the

25Their relatives in their villages were to

Netophathites.

come in every seven days from time to

time to be with them;

17Now the gatekeepers were Shallum

and Akkub and Talmon and Ahiman and

26for the four chief gatekeepers who

their relatives (Shallum the chief

were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over

the treasuries in the house of God.

27They spent the night around the house 36and his firstborn son was Abdon, then of God, because the watch was

Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

committed to them; and they were in

charge of opening it morning by morning. 37Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth.

28Now some of them had charge of the

38Mikloth became the father of Shimeam.

utensils of service, for they counted

And they also lived with their relatives in

them when they brought them in and

Jerusalem opposite their other relatives.

when they took them out.

39Ner became the father of Kish, and

29Some of them also were appointed

Kish became the father of Saul, and

over the furniture and over all the

Saul became the father of Jonathan,

utensils of the sanctuary and over the

Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices.

40The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal;

and Merib-baal became the father of

30Some of the sons of the priests

Micah.

prepared the mixing of the spices.

41The sons of Micah were Pithon,

31Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was

Melech, Tahrea and Ahaz.

the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite,

had the responsibility over the things

42Ahaz became the father of Jarah, and

which were baked in pans.

Jarah became the father of Alemeth,

Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri became

32Some of their relatives of the sons of the father of Moza,

the Kohathites were over the showbread

to prepare it every sabbath.

43and Moza became the father of Binea

and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son,

33Now these are the singers, heads of

Azel his son.

fathers' households of the Levites, who

lived in the chambers of the temple free

44Azel had six sons whose names are

from other service; for they were

these: Azrikam, Bocheru and Ishmael

engaged in their work day and night.

and Sheariah and Obadiah and Hanan.

These were the sons of Azel.

34These were heads of fathers'

households of the Levites according to

their generations, chief men, who lived

10Now the Philistines fought against

in Jerusalem.

Israel; and the men of Israel fled before

35In Gibeon Jeiel the father of Gibeon

the Philistines and fell slain on Mount

lived, and his wife's name was Maacah,

Gilboa.

2The Philistines closely pursued Saul 10They put his armor in the house of and his sons, and the Philistines struck their gods and fastened his head in the down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-house of Dagon.

shua, the sons of Saul.

11When all Jabesh-gilead heard all that

3The battle became heavy against Saul,

the Philistines had done to Saul,

and the archers overtook him; and he

was wounded by the archers.

12all the valiant men arose and took

away the body of Saul and the bodies of

4Then Saul said to his armor bearer,

his sons and brought them to Jabesh,

"Draw your sword and thrust me through

and they buried their bones under the

with it, otherwise these uncircumcised

oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

will come and abuse me." But his armor

bearer would not, for he was greatly

13So Saul died for his trespass which he

afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword

committed against the LORD, because

and fell on it.

of the word of the LORD which he did

not keep; and also because he asked

5When his armor bearer saw that Saul

counsel of a medium, making inquiry of

was dead, he likewise fell on his sword it,

and died.

14and did not inquire of the LORD.

6Thus Saul died with his three sons, and

Therefore He killed him and turned the

all those of his house died together.

kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

7When all the men of Israel who were in

the valley saw that they had fled, and

11Then all Israel gathered to David

that Saul and his sons were dead, they

at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are forsook their cities and fled; and the

your bone and your flesh.

Philistines came and lived in them.

2

8

"In times past, even when Saul was

It came about the next day, when the

king, you were the one who led out and

Philistines came to strip the slain, that brought in Israel; and the LORD your

they found Saul and his sons fallen on

God said to you, ' You shall shepherd

Mount Gilboa.

My people Israel, and you shall be

prince over My people Israel.'"

9So they stripped him and took his head

and his armor and sent messengers

3So all the elders of Israel came to the around the land of the Philistines to

king at Hebron, and David made a

carry the good news to their idols and to

covenant with them in Hebron before

the people.

the LORD; and they anointed David king

over Israel, according to the word of the

LORD through Samuel.

4Then David and all Israel went to 13He was with David at Pasdammim Jerusalem ( that is, Jebus); and the

when the Philistines were gathered

Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land,

together there to battle, and there was a

were there.

plot of ground full of barley; and the

people fled before the Philistines.

5The inhabitants of Jebus said to David,

"You shall not enter here." Nevertheless 14They took their stand in the midst of David captured the stronghold of Zion the plot and defended it, and struck

(that is, the city of David).

down the Philistines; and the LORD

saved them by a great victory.

6Now David had said, "Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and 15Now three of the thirty chief men went commander." Joab the son of Zeruiah

down to the rock to David, into the cave

went up first, so he became chief.

of Adullam, while the army of the

Philistines was camping in the valley of 7Then David dwelt in the stronghold;

Rephaim.

therefore it was called the city of David.

16David was then in the stronghold,

8He built the city all around, from the while the garrison of the Philistines was Millo even to the surrounding area; and then in Bethlehem.

Joab repaired the rest of the city.

17David had a craving and said, "Oh that

9David became greater and greater, for

someone would give me water to drink

the LORD of hosts was with him.

from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

10Now these are the heads of the mighty

18

men whom David had, who gave him

So the three broke through the camp

strong support in his kingdom, together

of the Philistines and drew water from

with all Israel, to make him king,

the well of Bethlehem which was by the

according to the word of the LORD

gate, and took it and brought it to David;

concerning Israel.

nevertheless David would not drink it,

but poured it out to the LORD;

11These constitute the list of the mighty 19

men whom David had: Jashobeam, the

and he said, "Be it far from me before

son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the

my God that I should do this. Shall I

thirty; he lifted up his spear against

drink the blood of these men who went

three hundred whom he killed at one

at the risk of their lives? For at the risk time.

of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things the 12

three mighty men did.

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo,

the Ahohite, who was one of the three

20

mighty men.

As for Abshai the brother of Joab, he

was chief of the thirty, and he swung his

spear against three hundred and killed 30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the them; and he had a name as well as the

son of Baanah the Netophathite,

thirty.

31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the

21Of the three in the second rank he was

sons

of

Benjamin,

Benaiah

the

the most honored and became their

Pirathonite,

commander; however, he did not attain

to the first three.

32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the

Arbathite,

22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son

of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in

33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the

deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel

Shaalbonite,

of Moab. He also went down and killed a

lion inside a pit on a snowy day.

34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan the son of Shagee the

23He killed an Egyptian, a man of great

Hararite,

stature five cubits tall. Now in the

Egyptian's hand was a spear like a

35Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite,

weaver's beam, but he went down to

Eliphal the son of Ur,

him with a club and snatched the spear

from the Egyptian's hand and killed him

36

with his own spear.

Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the

Pelonite,

24These things Benaiah the son of

37

Jehoiada did, and had a name as well

Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of

as the three mighty men.

Ezbai,

38

25Behold, he was honored among the

Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the

thirty, but he did not attain to the three; son of Hagri,

and David appointed him over his guard.

39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the

26Now the mighty men of the armies

Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the

were Asahel the brother of Joab,

son of Zeruiah,

Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the

41

Pelonite,

Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of

Ahlai,

28Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

42

Abiezer the Anathothite,

Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite,

a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with

29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the

him,

Ahohite,

43Hanan the son of Maacah and 6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Jashobeam, the Korahites,

44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and

7and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of

Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

Jeroham of Gedor.

45Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his

8From the Gadites there came over to

brother, the Tizite,

David in the stronghold in the wilderness,

mighty men of valor, men trained for war,

46Eliel the Mahavite and Jeribai and

who could handle shield and spear, and

Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and

whose faces were like the faces of lions,

Ithmah the Moabite,

and they were as swift as the gazelles

on the mountains.

47Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the

9

Mezobaite.

Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second,

Eliab the third,

12

10

Now these are the ones who

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the

fifth,

came to David at Ziklag, while he was

still restricted because of Saul the son of

11

Kish; and they were among the mighty

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

men who helped him in war.

12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

2They were equipped with bows, using

13

both the right hand and the left to sling Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the

stones and to shoot arrows from the

eleventh.

bow; they were Saul's kinsmen from

Benjamin.

14These of the sons of Gad were

captains of the army; he who was least

3The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the

was equal to a hundred and the greatest

sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and

to a thousand.

Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth,

and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite,

15These are the ones who crossed the

Jordan in the first month when it was

4and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty

overflowing all its banks and they put to

man among the thirty, and over the thirty.

flight all those in the valleys, both to the

Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan,

east and to the west.

Jozabad the Gederathite,

16Then some of the sons of Benjamin

5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah,

and Judah came to the stronghold to

Shephatiah the Haruphite,

David.

17David went out to meet them, and said Saul to him, according to the word of the to them, "If you come peacefully to me LORD.

to help me, my heart shall be united with

you; but if to betray me to my

24The sons of Judah who bore shield

adversaries, since there is no wrong in

and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.

my hands, may the God of our fathers

look on it and decide."

25Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of

valor for war, 7,100.

18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai,

who was the chief of the thirty, and he 26Of the sons of Levi 4,600.

said, "We are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to 27

you, And peace to him who helps you;

Now Jehoiada was the leader of the

Indeed, your God helps you!" Then

house of Aaron, and with him were

David received them and made them

3,700,

captains of the band.

28also Zadok, a young man mighty of

19From Manasseh also some defected

valor, and of his father's house twenty—

to David when he was about to go to

two captains.

battle with the Philistines against Saul.

29

But they did not help them, for the lords

Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul's

of the Philistines after consultation sent kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the

him away, saying, "At the cost of our greatest part of them had kept their

heads he may defect to his master

allegiance to the house of Saul.

Saul."

30Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty

20As he went to Ziklag there defected to

men of valor, famous men in their

him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad,

fathers' households.

Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and

Zillethai, captains of thousands who

31Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000,

belonged to Manasseh.

who were designated by name to come

and make David king.

21They helped David against the band of

raiders, for they were all mighty men of 32Of the sons of Issachar, men who

valor, and were captains in the army.

understood the times, with knowledge of

what Israel should do, their chiefs were 22For day by day men came to David to

two hundred; and all their kinsmen were

help him, until there was a great army

at their command.

like the army of God.

33Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who

23Now these are the numbers of the

went out in the army, who could draw up

divisions equipped for war, who came to

in battle formation with all kinds of

David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of

weapons of war and helped David with

an undivided heart.

34Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, 2David said to all the assembly of Israel, and with them 37,000 with shield and

"If it seems good to you, and if it is from spear.

the LORD our God, let us send

everywhere to our kinsmen who remain

35Of the Danites who could draw up in

in all the land of Israel, also to the battle formation, there were 28,600.

priests and Levites who are with them in

their cities with pasture lands, that they 36

may meet with us;

Of Asher there were 40,000 who went

out in the army to draw up in battle

3

formation.

and let us bring back the ark of our God

to us, for we did not seek it in the days 37

of Saul."

From the other side of the Jordan, of

the Reubenites and the Gadites and of

4

the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were

Then all the assembly said that they

120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war

would do so, for the thing was right in for the battle.

the eyes of all the people.

38

5

All these, being men of war who could

So David assembled all Israel together,

draw up in battle formation, came to

from the Shihor of Egypt even to the

Hebron with a perfect heart to make

entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of David king over all Israel; and all the God from Kiriath-jearim.

rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

6David and all Israel went up to Baalah,

that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs 39They were there with David three days,

to Judah, to bring up from there the ark

eating and drinking, for their kinsmen

of God, the LORD who is enthroned

had prepared for them.

above the cherubim, where His name is

called.

40Moreover those who were near to

7

them, even as far as Issachar and

They carried the ark of God on a new

Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on

cart from the house of Abinadab, and

donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen,

Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes

and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen

8David and all Israel were celebrating

and sheep. There was joy indeed in

before God with all their might, even

Israel.

with songs and with lyres, harps,

tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets.

13

9

Then David consulted with the

When they came to the threshing floor

captains of the thousands and the

of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold

hundreds, even with every leader.

the ark, because the oxen nearly upset

it.

10The anger of the LORD burned 6Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

against Uzza, so He struck him down

because he put out his hand to the ark;

7Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.

and he died there before God.

8When the Philistines heard that David

11Then David became angry because of

had been anointed king over all Israel,

the LORD'S outburst against Uzza; and

all the Philistines went up in search of he called that place Perez-uzza to this

David; and David heard of it and went

day.

out against them.

12David was afraid of God that day,

9Now the Philistines had come and

saying, "How can I bring the ark of God

made a raid in the valley of Rephaim.

home to me?"

10David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I 13So David did not take the ark with him

go up against the Philistines? And will

to the city of David, but took it aside to You give them into my hand?" Then the the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will give them into your hand."

14Thus the ark of God remained with the

family of Obed-edom in his house three

11So they came up to Baal-perazim, and

months; and the LORD blessed the

David defeated them there; and David

family of Obed-edom with all that he had. said, "God has broken through my enemies by

my

hand,

like

the

14

breakthrough of waters." Therefore they

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent

named that place Baal-perazim.

messengers to David with cedar trees,

12

masons and carpenters, to build a

They abandoned their gods there; so

house for him.

David gave the order and they were

burned with fire.

2And David realized that the LORD had

13

established him as king over Israel, and

The Philistines made yet another raid

that his kingdom was highly exalted, for in the valley.

the sake of His people Israel.

14David inquired again of God, and God

3Then David took more wives at

said to him, "You shall not go up after Jerusalem, and David became the

them; circle around behind them and

father of more sons and daughters.

come at them in front of the balsam

trees.

4These are the names of the children

15

born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua,

"It shall be when you hear the sound of

Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

marching in the tops of the balsam trees,

then you shall go out to battle, for God 5Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

will have gone out before you to strike 9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, the army of the Philistines."

and 80 of his relatives;

16David did just as God had commanded

10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the

him, and they struck down the army of

chief, and 112 of his relatives.

the Philistines from Gibeon even as far

as Gezer.

11Then David called for Zadok and

Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites,

17Then the fame of David went out into

for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel

all the lands; and the LORD brought the

and Amminadab,

fear of him on all the nations.

12and said to them, "You are the heads

15

of the fathers' households of the Levites;

Now David built houses for

consecrate yourselves both you and

himself in the city of David; and he

your relatives, that you may bring up the

prepared a place for the ark of God and

ark of the LORD God of Israel to the

pitched a tent for it.

place that I have prepared for it.

13

2

" Because you did not carry it at the Then David said, " No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the first, the LORD our God made an LORD chose them to carry the ark of

outburst on us, for we did not seek Him

God and to minister to Him forever."

according to the ordinance."

14

3

So the priests and the Levites

And David assembled all Israel at

Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the

consecrated themselves to bring up the

LORD to its place which he had

ark of the LORD God of Israel.

prepared for it.

15The sons of the Levites carried the ark

4David gathered together the sons of

of God on their shoulders with the poles

Aaron and the Levites:

thereon, as Moses had commanded

according to the word of the LORD.

5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, 16Then David spoke to the chiefs of the

and 120 of his relatives;

Levites to appoint their relatives the

6

singers, with instruments of music,

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief,

harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to

and 220 of his relatives;

raise sounds of joy.

7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief,

17So the Levites appointed Heman the

and 130 of his relatives;

son of Joel, and from his relatives,

Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from

8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the

the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan chief, and 200 of his relatives;

the son of Kushaiah,

18and with them their relatives of the 27Now David was clothed with a robe of second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel,

fine linen with all the Levites who were Shemiramoth,

Jehiel,

Unni,

Eliab,

carrying the ark, and the singers and

Benaiah,

Maaseiah,

Mattithiah,

Chenaniah the leader of the singing with

Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and

the singers. David also wore an ephod

Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

of linen.

19So the singers, Heman, Asaph and

28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of Ethan were appointed to sound aloud

the covenant of the LORD with shouting,

cymbals of bronze;

and with sound of the horn, with

trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals,

20and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth,

with harps and lyres.

Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and

Benaiah, with harps tuned to alamoth;

29It happened when the ark of the

covenant of the LORD came to the city

21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah,

of David, that Michal the daughter of

Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah, to lead

Saul looked out of the window and saw

with lyres tuned to the sheminith.

King David leaping and celebrating; and

she despised him in her heart.

22Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in

charge

of

the

singing; he

gave

instruction in singing because he was

16And they brought in the ark of God

skillful.

and placed it inside the tent which David

had pitched for it, and they offered burnt

23Berechiah

and

Elkanah

were

offerings and peace offerings before

gatekeepers for the ark.

God.

24Shebaniah,

Joshaphat,

Nethanel,

2When David had finished offering the

Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer,

burnt offering and the peace offerings,

the priests, blew the trumpets before the

he blessed the people in the name of

ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also

the LORD.

were gatekeepers for the ark.

3He distributed to everyone of Israel,

25So it was David, with the elders of

both man and woman, to everyone a

Israel and the captains over thousands,

loaf of bread and a portion of meat and who went to bring up the ark of the

a raisin cake.

covenant of the LORD from the house of

Obed-edom with joy.

4He appointed some of the Levites as

ministers before the ark of the LORD,

26Because God was helping the Levites

even to celebrate and to thank and

who were carrying the ark of the

praise the LORD God of Israel:

covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed

seven bulls and seven rams.

5Asaph the chief, and second to him 16The covenant which He made with Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth,

Abraham, And His oath to Isaac.

Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom

and

Jeiel,

with

musical

17He also confirmed it to Jacob for a

instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph

statute, To Israel as an everlasting

played loud-sounding cymbals,

covenant,

6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests

18Saying, " To you I will give the land of blew trumpets continually before the ark

Canaan, As the portion of your

of the covenant of God.

inheritance."

7Then on that day David first assigned

19When they were only a few in number,

Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to

Very few, and strangers in it,

the LORD.

20And they wandered about from nation

8Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon

to nation, And from one kingdom to

His name; Make known His deeds

another people,

among the peoples.

21He permitted no man to oppress them,

9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak

And He reproved kings for their sakes,

of all His wonders.

saying,

10Glory in His holy name; Let the heart 22"Do not touch My anointed ones, And of those who seek the LORD be glad.

do My prophets no harm."

11Seek the LORD and His strength;

23Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

Seek His face continually.

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation

from day to day.

12Remember His wonderful deeds which

He has done, His marvels and the

24Tell of His glory among the nations,

judgments from His mouth,

His wonderful deeds among all the

peoples.

13O seed of Israel His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

25For great is the LORD, and greatly to

be praised; He also is to be feared

14He is the LORD our God; His

above all gods.

judgments are in all the earth.

26For all the gods of the peoples are

15Remember His covenant forever, The

idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

word which He commanded to a

thousand generations,

27Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and joy are in His place.

28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the 38and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and

Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun,

strength.

and Hosah as gatekeepers.

29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His

39He left Zadok the priest and his

name; Bring an offering, and come

relatives

the

priests

before

the

before Him; Worship the LORD in holy

tabernacle of the LORD in the high

array.

place which was at Gibeon,

30Tremble before Him, all the earth;

40to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it

the altar of burnt offering continually

will not be moved.

morning and evening, even according to

all that is written in the law of the LORD,

31Let the heavens be glad, and let the

which He commanded Israel.

earth rejoice; And let them say among

the nations, " The LORD reigns."

41With them were Heman and Jeduthun,

and the rest who were chosen, who

32Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let

were designated by name, to give

the field exult, and all that is in it.

thanks to the LORD, because His

lovingkindness is everlasting.

33Then the trees of the forest will sing for

42

joy before the LORD; For He is coming

And with them were Heman and

to judge the earth.

Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for

those who should sound aloud, and with

34

instruments for the songs of God, and

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is

the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

good;

For

His

lovingkindness

is

everlasting.

43Then all the people departed each to

35

his house, and David returned to bless

Then say, "Save us, O God of our

his household.

salvation, And gather us and deliver us

from the nations, To give thanks to Your

holy name, And glory in Your praise."

17And it came about, when David

36Blessed be the LORD, the God of

dwelt in his house, that David said to

Israel,

From

everlasting

even

to

Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I am

everlasting. Then all the people said,

dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark

"Amen," and praised the LORD.

of the covenant of the LORD is under

curtains."

37So he left Asaph and his relatives

2

there before the ark of the covenant of Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that

the LORD to minister before the ark

is in your heart, for God is with you."

continually, as every day's work required;

3It came about the same night that the 11"When your days are fulfilled that you word of God came to Nathan, saying, must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after

4"Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus you, who will be of your sons; and I will says the LORD, " You shall not build a establish his kingdom.

house for Me to dwell in;

12"He shall build for Me a house, and I 5for I have not dwelt in a house since the will establish his throne forever.

day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and 13" I will be his father and he shall be My from one dwelling place to another.

son;

and

I

will

not

take

My

lovingkindness away from him, as I took

6"In all places where I have walked with

it from him who was before you.

all Israel, have I spoken a word with any

of the judges of Israel, whom I

14"But I will settle him in My house and commanded to shepherd My people,

in My kingdom forever, and his throne

saying, 'Why have you not built for Me a

shall be established forever."'"

house of cedar?'"'

15According to all these words and

7"Now, therefore, thus shall you say to according to all this vision, so Nathan My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD

spoke to David.

of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader 16Then David the king went in and sat

over My people Israel.

before the LORD and said, " Who am I,

O LORD God, and what is my house

8"I have been with you wherever you that You have brought me this far?

have gone, and have cut off all your

enemies from before you; and I will

17"This was a small thing in Your eyes, make you a name like the name of the O God; but You have spoken of Your

great ones who are in the earth.

servant's house for a great while to

come, and have regarded me according

9"I will appoint a place for My people to the standard of a man of high degree,

Israel, and will plant them, so that they O LORD God.

may dwell in their own place and not be

moved again; and the wicked will not

18"What more can David still say to You

waste them anymore as formerly,

concerning the honor bestowed on Your

servant? For You know Your servant.

10even from the day that I commanded

judges to be over My people Israel. And

19"O LORD, for Your servant's sake, and

I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover,

according to Your own heart, You have

I tell you that the LORD will build a

wrought all this greatness, to make

house for you.

known all these great things.

20"O LORD, there is none like You, nor is

there any

God besides

You,

18Now after this it came about that

according to all that we have heard with

David defeated the Philistines and

our ears.

subdued them and took Gath and its

towns from the hand of the Philistines.

21"And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went

2He defeated Moab, and the Moabites

to redeem for Himself as a people, to

became servants to David, bringing

make You a name by great and terrible

tribute.

things, in driving out nations from before

Your people, whom You redeemed out

3

of Egypt?

David also defeated Hadadezer king of

Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to

22

establish his rule to the Euphrates River.

" For Your people Israel You made

Your own people forever, and You, O

4

LORD, became their God.

David took from him 1,000 chariots and

7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot

23

soldiers, and David hamstrung all the

"Now, O LORD, let the word that You chariot horses, but reserved enough of

have spoken concerning Your servant

them for 100 chariots.

and

concerning

his

house

be

established forever, and do as You have

5

spoken.

When the Arameans of Damascus

came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah,

24

David killed 22,000 men of the

"Let Your name be established and

Arameans.

magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of

hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to

6

Israel; and the house of David Your

Then David put garrisons among the

servant is established before You.'

Arameans of Damascus; and the

Arameans became servants to David,

25

bringing tribute. And the LORD helped

"For You, O my God, have revealed to

David wherever he went.

Your servant that You will build for him a

house; therefore Your servant has found

7

courage to pray before You.

David took the shields of gold which

were carried by the servants of

26

Hadadezer

and

brought

them

to

"Now, O LORD, You are God, and

Jerusalem.

have promised this good thing to Your

servant.

8Also from Tibhath and from Cun, cities

27

of Hadadezer, David took a very large

"And now it has pleased You to bless amount of bronze, with which Solomon

the house of Your servant, that it may

made the bronze sea and the pillars and

continue forever before You; for You, O

the bronze utensils.

LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed

forever."

9Now when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of 19Now it came about after this, that Hadadezer king of Zobah,

Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon

died, and his son became king in his

10he sent Hadoram his son to King

place.

David to greet him and to bless him,

because

he

had

fought

against

2Then David said, "I will show kindness Hadadezer and had defeated him; for

to Hanun the son of Nahash, because

Hadadezer had been at war with Tou.

his father showed kindness to me." So And Hadoram brought all kinds of

David sent messengers to console him

articles of gold and silver and bronze.

concerning his father. And David's

servants came into the land of the sons

11King David also dedicated these to the

of Ammon to Hanun to console him.

LORD with the silver and the gold which

he had carried away from all the nations:

3But the princes of the sons of Ammon

from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon,

said to Hanun, "Do you think that David the Philistines, and from Amalek.

is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his

12Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah

servants come to you to search and to

defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley

overthrow and to spy out the land?"

of Salt.

4So Hanun took David's servants and

13Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all

shaved them and cut off their garments

the Edomites became servants to David.

in the middle as far as their hips, and And the LORD helped David wherever

sent them away.

he went.

5Then certain persons went and told

14So David reigned over all Israel; and

David about the men. And he sent to

he

administered

justice

and

meet them, for the men were greatly

righteousness for all his people.

humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then

15Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the

return."

army, and Jehoshaphat the son of

Ahilud was recorder;

6When the sons of Ammon saw that

they had made themselves odious to

16and Zadok the son of Ahitub and

David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon

Abimelech the son of Abiathar were

sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for priests, and Shavsha was secretary;

themselves chariots and horsemen from

Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and

17and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was

from Zobah.

over the Cherethites and the Pelethites,

7

and the sons of David were chiefs at the

So they hired for themselves 32,000

king's side.

chariots, and the king of Maacah and his

people, who came and camped before 16When the Arameans saw that they had Medeba. And the sons of Ammon

been defeated by Israel, they sent

gathered together from their cities and

messengers and brought out the

came to battle.

Arameans who were beyond the River,

with Shophach the commander of the

8When David heard of it, he sent Joab

army of Hadadezer leading them.

and all the army, the mighty men.

17When it was told David, he gathered

9The sons of Ammon came out and

all Israel together and crossed the

drew up in battle array at the entrance of

Jordan, and came upon them and drew

the city, and the kings who had come

up in formation against them. And when

were by themselves in the field.

David drew up in battle array against the

Arameans, they fought against him.

10Now when Joab saw that the battle

18

was set against him in front and in the The Arameans fled before Israel, and

rear, he selected from all the choice

David killed of the Arameans 7,000

men of Israel and they arrayed

charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers,

themselves against the Arameans.

and put to death Shophach the

commander of the army.

11But the remainder of the people he

19

placed in the hand of Abshai his brother;

So when the servants of Hadadezer

and they arrayed themselves against

saw that they were defeated by Israel,

the sons of Ammon.

they made peace with David and served

him. Thus the Arameans were not

12

willing to help the sons of Ammon

He said, "If the Arameans are too

anymore.

strong for me, then you shall help me;

but if the sons of Ammon are too strong

for you, then I will help you.

20Then it happened in the spring, at

13"Be strong, and let us show ourselves

the time when kings go out to battle, that

courageous for the sake of our people

Joab led out the army and ravaged the

and for the cities of our God; and may land of the sons of Ammon, and came

the LORD do what is good in His sight."

and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed

at Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah

14So Joab and the people who were with

and overthrew it.

him drew near to the battle against the 2

Arameans, and they fled before him.

David took the crown of their king from

his head, and he found it to weigh a

15When the sons of Ammon saw that the

talent of gold, and there was a precious

Arameans fled, they also fled before

stone in it; and it was placed on David's

Abshai his brother and entered the city.

head. And he brought out the spoil of

Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

the city, a very great amount.

3He brought out the people who were in bring me word that I may know their it, and cut them with saws and with

number."

sharp instruments and with axes. And

thus David did to all the cities of the 3Joab said, " May the LORD add to His

sons of Ammon. Then David and all the

people a hundred times as many as

people returned to Jerusalem.

they are! But, my lord the king, are they

not all my lord's servants? Why does my

4Now it came about after this, that war lord seek this thing? Why should he be

broke out at Gezer with the Philistines; a cause of guilt to Israel?"

then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed

Sippai, one of the descendants of the

4Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed

giants, and they were subdued.

against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed

and went throughout all Israel, and

5And there was war with the Philistines

came to Jerusalem.

again, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed

Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 5Joab gave the number of the census of

the shaft of whose spear was like a

all the people to David. And all Israel weaver's beam.

were 1,100,000 men who drew the

sword; and Judah was 470,000 men

6Again there was war at Gath, where

who drew the sword.

there was a man of great stature who

had twenty-four fingers and toes, six

6But he did not number Levi and

fingers on each hand and six toes on

Benjamin among them, for the king's

each foot; and he also was descended

command was abhorrent to Joab.

from the giants.

7God was displeased with this thing, so

7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the

He struck Israel.

son of Shimea, David's brother, killed

him.

8David said to God, "I have sinned

greatly, in that I have done this thing.

8These were descended from the giants

But now, please take away the iniquity

in Gath, and they fell by the hand of

of Your servant, for I have done very

David and by the hand of his servants.

foolishly."

9

21

The LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer,

Then Satan stood up against

saying,

Israel and moved David to number

Israel.

10"Go and speak to David, saying, 'Thus

says the LORD, "I offer you three things; 2So David said to Joab and to the

choose for yourself one of them, which I

princes of the people, " Go, number will do to you."'"

Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and

11So Gad came to David and said to him, sheep, what have they done? O LORD

"Thus says the LORD, 'Take for yourself

my God, please let Your hand be

against me and my father's household,

12either three years of famine, or three but not against Your people that they

months to be swept away before your

should be plagued."

foes, while the sword of your enemies

overtakes you, or else three days of the

18Then the angel of the LORD

sword of the LORD, even pestilence in

commanded Gad to say to David, that

the land, and the angel of the LORD

David should go up and build an altar to

destroying throughout all the territory of the LORD on the threshing floor of

Israel.' Now, therefore, consider what

Ornan the Jebusite.

answer I shall return to Him who sent

me."

19So David went up at the word of Gad,

which he spoke in the name of the

13David said to Gad, "I am in great LORD.

distress; please let me fall into the hand

of the LORD, for His mercies are very

20Now Ornan turned back and saw the

great. But do not let me fall into the angel, and his four sons who were with

hand of man."

him hid themselves. And Ornan was

threshing wheat.

14So the LORD sent a pestilence on

Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell.

21As David came to Ornan, Ornan

looked and saw David, and went out

15And God sent an angel to Jerusalem

from the threshing floor and prostrated

to destroy it; but as he was about to

himself before David with his face to the

destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry

ground.

over the calamity, and said to the

destroying angel, "It is enough; now 22Then David said to Ornan, "Give me relax your hand." And the angel of the the site of this threshing floor, that I may LORD was standing by the threshing

build on it an altar to the LORD; for the floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

full price you shall give it to me, that the

plague may be restrained from the

16Then David lifted up his eyes and saw

people."

the angel of the LORD standing

between earth and heaven, with his

23Ornan said to David, "Take it for drawn sword in his hand stretched out

yourself; and let my lord the king do

over Jerusalem. Then David and the

what is good in his sight. See, I will give

elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on

the oxen for burnt offerings and the

their faces.

threshing sledges for wood and the

wheat for the grain offering; I will give it 17David said to God, "Is it not I who all."

commanded to count the people?

Indeed, I am the one who has sinned

and done very wickedly, but these

24But King David said to Ornan, "No, but 3David prepared large quantities of iron I will surely buy it for the full price; for I to make the nails for the doors of the will not take what is yours for the LORD, gates and for the clamps, and more

or offer a burnt offering which costs me bronze than could be weighed;

nothing."

4and timbers of cedar logs beyond

25So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of

number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians

gold by weight for the site.

brought large quantities of cedar timber

to David.

26Then David built an altar to the LORD

there and offered burnt offerings and

5David said, "My son Solomon is young

peace offerings. And he called to the

and inexperienced, and the house that

LORD and He answered him with fire

is to be built for the LORD shall be

from heaven on the altar of burnt

exceedingly magnificent, famous and

offering.

glorious throughout all lands. Therefore

now I will make preparation for it." So 27The LORD commanded the angel, and

David made ample preparations before

he put his sword back in its sheath.

his death.

28

6

At that time, when David saw that the

Then he called for his son Solomon,

LORD had answered him on the

and charged him to build a house for the

threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he

LORD God of Israel.

offered sacrifice there.

7David said to Solomon, " My son, I had

29For the tabernacle of the LORD, which

intended to build a house to the name of

Moses had made in the wilderness, and

the LORD my God.

the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.

8"But the word of the LORD came to me,

saying, ' You have shed much blood and

30But David could not go before it to

have waged great wars; you shall not

inquire of God, for he was terrified by build a house to My name, because you

the sword of the angel of the LORD.

have shed so much blood on the earth

before Me.

22

9

Then David said, " This is the

'Behold, a son will be born to you, who

shall be a man of rest; and I will give house of the LORD God, and this is the

him rest from all his enemies on every

altar of burnt offering for Israel."

side; for his name shall be Solomon,

and I will give peace and quiet to Israel 2So David gave orders to gather the

in his days.

foreigners who were in the land of Israel,

and he set stonecutters to hew out

10' He shall build a house for My name,

stones to build the house of God.

and he shall be My son and I will be his

father; and I will establish the throne of of the land into my hand, and the land is his kingdom over Israel forever.'

subdued before the LORD and before

His people.

11"Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build

19"Now set your heart and your soul to the house of the LORD your God just as

seek the LORD your God; arise,

He has spoken concerning you.

therefore, and build the sanctuary of the

LORD God, so that you may bring the

12" Only the LORD give you discretion ark of the covenant of the LORD and the

and understanding, and give you charge

holy vessels of God into the house that over Israel, so that you may keep the

is to be built for the name of the LORD."

law of the LORD your God.

13" Then you will prosper, if you are 23Now when David reached old age,

careful to observe the statutes and the

he made his son Solomon king over

ordinances

which

the

LORD

Israel.

commanded Moses concerning Israel.

Be strong and courageous, do not fear

2And he gathered together all the

nor be dismayed.

leaders of Israel with the priests and the

Levites.

14"Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD

3The Levites were numbered from thirty

100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000

years old and upward, and their number

talents of silver, and bronze and iron

by census of men was 38,000.

beyond weight, for they are in great

quantity; also timber and stone I have

4

prepared, and you may add to them.

Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the

work of the house of the LORD; and

15

6,000 were officers and judges,

"Moreover, there are many workmen

with you, stonecutters and masons of

5

stone and carpenters, and all men who

and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and

are skillful in every kind of work.

4,000 were praising the LORD with the

instruments which David made for giving

16

praise.

"Of the gold, the silver and the bronze

and the iron there is no limit. Arise and 6

work, and may the LORD be with you."

David divided them into divisions

according to the sons of Levi: Gershon,

17

Kohath, and Merari.

David also commanded all the leaders

of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 7Of the Gershonites were Ladan and 18

Shimei.

"Is not the LORD your God with you?

And has He not given you rest on every

8

side? For He has given the inhabitants

The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first

and Zetham and Joel, three.

9The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth 19The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the and Haziel and Haran, three. These

first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the

were

the

heads

of

the

fathers'

third and Jekameam the fourth.

households of Ladan.

20The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first

10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina,

and Isshiah the second.

Jeush and Beriah. These four were the

sons of Shimei.

21The sons of Merari were Mahli and

Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar

11Jahath was the first and Zizah the

and Kish.

second; but Jeush and Beriah did not

have many sons, so they became a

22Eleazar died and had no sons, but

father's household, one class.

daughters only, so their brothers, the

sons of Kish, took them as wives.

12The sons of Kohath were four: Amram,

Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

23The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli,

Eder and Jeremoth.

13The sons of Amram were Aaron and

Moses. And Aaron was set apart to

24These were the sons of Levi according

sanctify him as most holy, he and his

to their fathers' households, even the

sons forever, to burn incense before the

heads of the fathers' households of

LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in

those of them who were counted, in the

His name forever.

number of names by their census, doing

the work for the service of the house of 14But as for Moses the man of God, his

the LORD, from twenty years old and

sons were named among the tribe of

upward.

Levi.

25For David said, "The LORD God of

15The sons of Moses were Gershom and

Israel has given rest to His people, and Eliezer.

He dwells in Jerusalem forever.

16The son of Gershom was Shebuel the

26"Also, the Levites will no longer need chief.

to carry the tabernacle and all its

utensils for its service."

17The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the

chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but

27For by the last words of David the

the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

sons of Levi were numbered from

twenty years old and upward.

18The son of Izhar was Shelomith the

chief.

28For their office is to assist the sons of

Aaron with the service of the house of

the LORD, in the courts and in the

chambers and in the purifying of all holy

things, even the work of the service of them thus: there were sixteen heads of the house of God,

fathers' households of the descendants

of Eleazar and eight of the descendants

29and with the showbread, and the fine

of Ithamar, according to their fathers'

flour

for

a

grain

offering,

and

households.

unleavened wafers, or what is baked in

the pan or what is well-mixed, and all

5Thus they were divided by lot, the one

measures of volume and size.

as the other; for they were officers of the

sanctuary and officers of God, both from

30They are to stand every morning to

the descendants of Eleazar and the

thank and to praise the LORD, and

descendants of Ithamar.

likewise at evening,

6Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the

31and to offer all burnt offerings to the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them

LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons

in the presence of the king, the princes,

and the fixed festivals in the number set

Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of

by the ordinance concerning them,

Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers'

continually before the LORD.

households of the priests and of the

Levites; one father's household taken for

32

Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

Thus they are to keep charge of the

tent of meeting, and charge of the holy 7

place, and charge of the sons of Aaron

Now the first lot came out for Jehoiarib,

their relatives, for the service of the

the second for Jedaiah,

house of the LORD.

8the third for Harim, the fourth for

Seorim,

24Now the divisions of the 9the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for descendants of Aaron were these: the Mijamin,

sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu,

Eleazar and Ithamar.

10the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for

2But Nadab and Abihu died before their

Abijah,

father and had no sons. So Eleazar and

11

Ithamar served as priests.

the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for

Shecaniah,

3David, with Zadok of the sons of

12

Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of

the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for

Ithamar, divided them according to their

Jakim,

offices for their ministry.

13the thirteenth for Huppah, the

4Since more chief men were found from

fourteenth for Jeshebeab,

the descendants of Eleazar than the

descendants of Ithamar, they divided

14the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth 26The sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi; for Immer,

the sons of Jaaziah, Beno.

15the seventeenth for Hezir, the

27The sons of Merari: by Jaaziah were

eighteenth for Happizzez,

Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

16the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the

28By Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

twentieth for Jehezkel,

29By Kish: the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel.

17the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul,

30The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and

Jerimoth. These were the sons of the

18the twenty-third for Delaiah, the

Levites according to their fathers'

twenty-fourth for Maaziah.

households.

19These were their offices for their

31These also cast lots just as their

ministry when they came in to the house

relatives the sons of Aaron in the

of the LORD according to the ordinance

presence of David the king, Zadok,

given to them through Aaron their father,

Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers'

just as the LORD God of Israel had

households of the priests and of the

commanded him.

Levites--the head of fathers' households

as well as those of his younger brother.

20Now for the rest of the sons of Levi: of

the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the

sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah.

25Moreover, David and the

commanders of the army set apart for

21Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah,

the service some of the sons of Asaph

Isshiah the first.

and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who

were to prophesy with lyres, harps and

22Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the

cymbals; and the number of those who

sons of Shelomoth, Jahath.

performed their service was:

23The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first,

2Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph,

Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third,

Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of

Jekameam the fourth.

Asaph were under the direction of

Asaph, who prophesied under the

24Of the sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the

direction of the king.

sons of Micah, Shamir.

3Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun:

25The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the

Gedaliah,

Zeri,

Jeshaiah,

Shimei,

sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.

Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the

direction of their father Jeduthun with

the harp, who prophesied in giving 13the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his thanks and praising the LORD.

relatives, twelve;

4Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah,

14the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons

Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth,

and his relatives, twelve;

Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti

and

Romamti-ezer,

Joshbekashah,

15the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and

Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth.

his relatives, twelve;

5All these were the sons of Heman the

16the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and

king's seer to exalt him according to the

his relatives, twelve;

words of God, for God gave fourteen

sons and three daughters to Heman.

17the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

6All these were under the direction of

their father to sing in the house of the 18the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and

LORD, with cymbals, harps and lyres,

his relatives, twelve;

for the service of the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were

19

under the direction of the king.

the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and

his relatives, twelve;

7Their number who were trained in

20

singing to the LORD, with their relatives,

for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons

all who were skillful, was 288.

and his relatives, twelve;

21

8They cast lots for their duties, all alike,

for the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons

the small as well as the great, the

and his relatives, twelve;

teacher as well as the pupil.

22for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons 9Now the first lot came out for Asaph to

and his relatives, twelve;

Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he

23

with his relatives and sons were twelve;

for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons

and his relatives, twelve;

10the third to Zaccur, his sons and his 24

relatives, twelve;

for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,

his sons and his relatives, twelve;

11the fourth to Izri, his sons and his

25

relatives, twelve;

for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons

and his relatives, twelve;

12the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his

26

relatives, twelve;

for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons

and his relatives, twelve;

27for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons 7The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, and his relatives, twelve;

Rephael, Obed and Elzabad, whose

brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were

28for the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons valiant men.

and his relatives, twelve;

8All these were of the sons of Obed—

29for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his

edom; they and their sons and their

sons and his relatives, twelve;

relatives were able men with strength for

the service, 62 from Obed-edom.

30for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his

9

sons and his relatives, twelve;

Meshelemiah had sons and relatives,

18 valiant men.

31for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer,

10

his sons and his relatives, twelve.

Also Hosah, one of the sons of Merari

had sons: Shimri the first (although he

was not the firstborn, his father made

26

him first),

For

the

divisions

of

the

gatekeepers there were of the Korahites,

11Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third,

Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the

Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and

sons of Asaph.

relatives of Hosah were 13.

2Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the

12To these divisions of the gatekeepers,

firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah

the chief men, were given duties like

the third, Jathniel the fourth,

their relatives to minister in the house of

the LORD.

3Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth,

Eliehoenai the seventh.

13They cast lots, the small and the great

alike,

according

to

their

fathers'

4Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the

households, for every gate.

firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah

the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the

14The lot to the east fell to Shelemiah.

fifth,

Then they cast lots for his son

Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and

5Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh

his lot came out to the north.

and Peullethai the eighth; God had

indeed blessed him.

15For Obed-edom it fell to the south, and

to his sons went the storehouse.

6Also to his son Shemaiah sons were

born who ruled over the house of their

16For Shuppim and Hosah it was to the

father, for they were mighty men of valor. west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway.

Guard

corresponded to guard.

17On the east there were six Levites, on 27They dedicated part of the spoil won in the north four daily, on the south four battles to repair the house of the LORD.

daily, and at the storehouse two by two.

28And all that Samuel the seer had

18At the Parbar on the west there were

dedicated and Saul the son of Kish,

four at the highway and two at the

Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son

Parbar.

of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated

anything, all of this was in the care of 19These were the divisions of the

Shelomoth and his relatives.

gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of

the sons of Merari.

29As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his

sons were assigned to outside duties for

20The Levites, their relatives, had charge

Israel, as officers and judges.

of the treasures of the house of God and

of the treasures of the dedicated gifts.

30As for the Hebronites, Hashabiah and

his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had

21The sons of Ladan, the sons of the

charge of the affairs of Israel west of the

Gershonites belonging to Ladan, namely,

Jordan, for all the work of the LORD and

the Jehielites, were the heads of the

the service of the king.

fathers' households, belonging to Ladan

the Gershonite.

31As for the Hebronites, Jerijah the chief

(these Hebronites were investigated

22The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel

according to their genealogies and

his brother, had charge of the treasures

fathers' households, in the fortieth year of the house of the LORD.

of David's reign, and men of outstanding

capability were found among them at

23

Jazer of Gilead)

As for the Amramites, the Izharites,

the Hebronites and the Uzzielites,

32and his relatives, capable men, were

24

2,700 in number, heads of fathers'

Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son

households. And King David made them

of Moses, was officer over the treasures. overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the 25His relatives by Eliezer were Rehabiah

Manassites concerning all the affairs of

his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son,

God and of the king.

Zichri his son and Shelomoth his son.

26This Shelomoth and his relatives had

27Now this is the enumeration of the

charge of all the treasures of the

dedicated gifts which King David and

sons of Israel, the heads of fathers'

the heads of the fathers' households,

households,

the

commanders

of

the commanders of thousands and

thousands and of hundreds, and their

hundreds, and the commanders of the

officers who served the king in all the army, had dedicated.

affairs of the divisions which came in

and

went

out

month

by

month

11The eighth for the eighth month was

throughout all the months of the year,

Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zerahites;

each division numbering 24,000:

and in his division were 24,000.

2Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel had

12The ninth for the ninth month was

charge of the first division for the first Abiezer

the

Anathothite

of

the

month; and in his division were 24,000.

Benjamites; and in his division were

24,000.

3He was from the sons of Perez, and

was chief of all the commanders of the

13The tenth for the tenth month was

army for the first month.

Maharai

the

Netophathite

of

the

Zerahites; and in his division were

4Dodai the Ahohite and his division had

24,000.

charge of the division for the second

month, Mikloth being the chief officer;

14The eleventh for the eleventh month

and in his division were 24,000.

was Benaiah the Pirathonite of the sons

of Ephraim; and in his division were

5The third commander of the army for

24,000.

the third month was Benaiah, the son of

Jehoiada the priest, as chief; and in his 15The twelfth for the twelfth month was division were 24,000.

Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel; and

in his division were 24,000.

6This Benaiah was the mighty man of

the thirty, and had charge of thirty; and 16Now in charge of the tribes of Israel: over his division was Ammizabad his chief officer for the Reubenites was

son.

Eliezer the son of Zichri; for the

Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of

7The fourth for the fourth month was

Maacah;

Asahel the brother of Joab, and

Zebadiah his son after him; and in his

17for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel;

division were 24,000.

for Aaron, Zadok;

8The fifth for the fifth month was the

18for Judah, Elihu, one of David's

commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; and

brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of

in his division were 24,000.

Michael;

9The sixth for the sixth month was Ira

19for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of

the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his

Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son

division were 24,000.

of Azriel;

10The seventh for the seventh month

20for the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea the

was Helez the Pelonite of the sons of

son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of

Ephraim; and in his division were 24,000. Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah;

21for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, 30Obil the Ishmaelite had charge of the Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin,

camels; and Jehdeiah the Meronothite

Jaasiel the son of Abner;

had charge of the donkeys.

22for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham.

31Jaziz the Hagrite had charge of the

These were the princes of the tribes of flocks. All these were overseers of the

Israel.

property which belonged to King David.

23But David did not count those twenty

32Also Jonathan, David's uncle, was a

years of age and under, because the

counselor, a man of understanding, and

LORD had said He would multiply Israel

a scribe; and Jehiel the son of

as the stars of heaven.

Hachmoni tutored the king's sons.

24Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to

33Ahithophel was counselor to the king;

count them, but did not finish; and

and Hushai the Archite was the king's

because of this, wrath came upon Israel,

friend.

and the number was not included in the

account of the chronicles of King David.

34Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and

Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel; and

25Now Azmaveth the son of Adiel had

Joab was the commander of the king's

charge of the king's storehouses. And

army.

Jonathan the son of Uzziah had charge

of the storehouses in the country, in the

cities, in the villages and in the towers.

28Now David assembled at

26

Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the Ezri the son of Chelub had charge of

princes

of

the

tribes,

and

the

the agricultural workers who tilled the

commanders of the divisions that served

soil.

the king, and the commanders of

thousands, and the commanders of

27Shimei the Ramathite had charge of

hundreds, and the overseers of all the

the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite

property and livestock belonging to the

had charge of the produce of the

king and his sons, with the officials and vineyards stored in the wine cellars.

the mighty men, even all the valiant men.

28Baal-hanan the Gederite had charge

2Then King David rose to his feet and

of the olive and sycamore trees in the

said, "Listen to me, my brethren and my

Shephelah; and Joash had charge of

people; I had intended to build a

the stores of oil.

permanent home for the ark of the

covenant of the LORD and for the

29Shitrai the Sharonite had charge of the

footstool of our God. So I had made

cattle which were grazing in Sharon;

preparations to build it.

and Shaphat the son of Adlai had

charge of the cattle in the valleys.

3"But God said to me, ' You shall not 10"Consider now, for the LORD has build a house for My name because you

chosen you to build a house for the

are a man of war and have shed blood.'

sanctuary; be courageous and act."

4"Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, 11Then David gave to his son Solomon

chose me from all the house of my

the plan of the porch of the temple, its father to be king over Israel forever. For

buildings, its storehouses, its upper

He has chosen Judah to be a leader;

rooms, its inner rooms and the room for

and in the house of Judah, my father's

the mercy seat;

house, and among the sons of my father

He took pleasure in me to make me king

12and the plan of all that he had in mind,

over all Israel.

for the courts of the house of the LORD,

and for all the surrounding rooms, for

5" Of all my sons (for the LORD has the storehouses of the house of God

given me many sons), He has chosen

and for the storehouses of the dedicated

my son Solomon to sit on the throne of things;

the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

13also for the divisions of the priests and

6"He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the Levites and for all the work of the the one who shall build My house and service of the house of the LORD and

My courts; for I have chosen him to be a

for all the utensils of service in the

son to Me, and I will be a father to him.

house of the LORD;

7'I will establish his kingdom forever if he

14for the golden utensils, the weight of resolutely performs My commandments

gold for all utensils for every kind of and My ordinances, as is done now.'

service; for the silver utensils, the weight

of silver for all utensils for every kind of 8"So now, in the sight of all Israel, the service; assembly of the LORD, and in the

hearing of our God, observe and seek

15and the weight of gold for the golden after all the commandments of the

lampstands and their golden lamps, with

LORD your God so that you may

the weight of each lampstand and its

possess the good land and bequeath it

lamps; and the weight of silver for the to your sons after you forever.

silver lampstands, with the weight of

each lampstand and its lamps according

9"As for you, my son Solomon, know the

to the use of each lampstand;

God of your father, and serve Him with a

whole heart and a willing mind; for the 16and the gold by weight for the tables of

LORD

searches

all

hearts,

and

showbread, for each table; and silver for

understands every intent of the thoughts.

the silver tables;

If you seek Him, He will let you find Him;

but if you forsake Him, He will reject you

17and the forks, the basins, and the

forever.

pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden

bowls with the weight for each bowl; and of iron, and wood for the things of wood, for the silver bowls with the weight for onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of

each bowl;

antimony and stones of various colors,

and all kinds of precious stones and

18and for the altar of incense refined

alabaster in abundance.

gold by weight; and gold for the model

of the chariot, even the cherubim that

3"Moreover, in my delight in the house of spread out their wings and covered the

my God, the treasure I have of gold and

ark of the covenant of the LORD.

silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already

19"All this," said David, "the LORD made provided for the holy temple,

me understand in writing by His hand

upon me, all the details of this pattern."

4namely, 3,000 talents of gold, of the

gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of

20Then David said to his son Solomon, "

refined silver, to overlay the walls of the

Be strong and courageous, and act; do

buildings;

not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD

God, my God, is with you. He will not fail

5of gold for the things of gold and of you nor forsake you until all the work for

silver for the things of silver, that is, for the service of the house of the LORD is

all the work done by the craftsmen. Who

finished.

then is willing to consecrate himself this

day to the LORD?"

21"Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the 6Then the rulers of the fathers'

service of the house of God, and every

households, and the princes of the

willing man of any skill will be with you in

tribes of Israel, and the commanders of

all the work for all kinds of service. The thousands and of hundreds, with the

officials also and all the people will be overseers over the king's work, offered

entirely at your command."

willingly;

7

29

and for the service for the house of God

Then King David said to the entire

they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000

assembly, "My son Solomon, whom

darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of

silver, and 18,000 talents of brass, and alone God has chosen, is still young and

100,000 talents of iron.

inexperienced and the work is great; for

the temple is not for man, but for the 8

LORD God.

Whoever possessed precious stones

gave them to the treasury of the house

2

of the LORD, in care of Jehiel the

"Now with all my ability I have provided

Gershonite.

for the house of my God the gold for the

things of gold, and the silver for the

9

things of silver, and the bronze for the Then the people rejoiced because they

things of bronze, the iron for the things had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole the integrity of my heart, have willingly heart, and King David also rejoiced offered all these things; so now with joy I

greatly.

have seen Your people, who are

present here, make their offerings

10So David blessed the LORD in the

willingly to You.

sight of all the assembly; and David said,

"Blessed are You, O LORD God of

18"O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac

Israel our father, forever and ever.

and Israel, our fathers, preserve this

forever in the intentions of the heart of 11" Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and

Your people, and direct their heart to

the power and the glory and the victory You;

and the majesty, indeed everything that

is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is

19and give to my son Solomon a perfect

the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt

heart to keep Your commandments,

Yourself as head over all.

Your testimonies and Your statutes, and

to do them all, and to build the temple, 12" Both riches and honor come from for which I have made provision."

You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in 20Then David said to all the assembly, Your hand to make great and to

"Now bless the LORD your God." And strengthen everyone.

all the assembly blessed the LORD, the

God of their fathers, and bowed low and

13"Now therefore, our God, we thank

did homage to the LORD and to the king.

You, and praise Your glorious name.

21On the next day they made sacrifices

14"But who am I and who are my people

to the LORD and offered burnt offerings

that we should be able to offer as

to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams

generously as this? For all things come

and 1,000 lambs, with their drink

from You, and from Your hand we have

offerings and sacrifices in abundance for

given You.

all Israel.

15

22

"For we are sojourners before You,

So they ate and drank that day before

and tenants, as all our fathers were; our

the LORD with great gladness.

days on the earth are like a shadow,

and there is no hope.

23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the

LORD as king instead of David his

16"O LORD our God, all this abundance

father; and he prospered, and all Israel that we have provided to build You a

obeyed him.

house for Your holy name, it is from

Your hand, and all is Yours.

24All the officials, the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David pledged 17"Since I know, O my God, that You try allegiance to King Solomon.

the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in

25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in 28Then he died in a ripe old age, full of the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on days, riches and honor; and his son him royal majesty which had not been

Solomon reigned in his place.

on any king before him in Israel.

29Now the acts of King David, from first

26Now David the son of Jesse reigned

to last, are written in the chronicles of over all Israel.

Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of

Nathan

the

prophet

and

in

the

27The period which he reigned over

chronicles of Gad the seer,

Israel was forty years; he reigned in

Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem

30with all his reign, his power, and the thirty-three years.

circumstances which came on him, on

Israel, and on all the kingdoms of the

lands.

2nd Chronicles

8Solomon said to God, "You have dealt

with my father David with great

1Now Solomon the son of David lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place.

established himself securely over his

kingdom, and the LORD his God was

9

with him and exalted him greatly.

"Now, O LORD God, Your promise to

my father David is fulfilled, for You have

2

made me king over a people as

Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the

numerous as the dust of the earth.

commanders of thousands and of

hundreds and to the judges and to every

10

leader in all Israel, the heads of the

" Give me now wisdom and knowledge,

fathers' households.

that I may go out and come in before

this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?"

3Then Solomon and all the assembly

with him went to the high place which

11

was at Gibeon, for God's tent of meeting

God said to Solomon, "Because you

was there, which Moses the servant of

had this in mind, and did not ask for

the LORD had made in the wilderness.

riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even

4

asked for long life, but you have asked However, David had brought up the ark

for yourself wisdom and knowledge that

of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place

you may rule My people over whom I

he had prepared for it, for he had

have made you king,

pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.

12

5

wisdom and knowledge have been

Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel the

granted to you. And I will give you riches

son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made,

and wealth and honor, such as none of

was there before the tabernacle of the

the kings who were before you has

LORD, and Solomon and the assembly

possessed nor those who will come

sought it out.

after you."

6Solomon went up there before the

13So Solomon went from the high place

LORD to the bronze altar which was at

which was at Gibeon, from the tent of

the tent of meeting, and offered a

meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned

thousand burnt offerings on it.

over Israel.

7In that night God appeared to Solomon

14Solomon amassed chariots and

and said to him, "Ask what I shall give horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and

you."

12,000 horsemen, and he stationed

them in the chariot cities and with the 5"The house which I am about to build king at Jerusalem.

will be great, for greater is our God than

all the gods.

15The king made silver and gold as

plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he

6"But who is able to build a house for made cedars as plentiful as sycamores Him, for the heavens and the highest

in the lowland.

heavens cannot contain Him? So who

am I, that I should build a house for Him,

16Solomon's horses were imported from

except to burn incense before Him?

Egypt and from Kue; the king's traders

procured them from Kue for a price.

7"Now send me a skilled man to work in

gold, silver, brass and iron, and in

17They imported chariots from Egypt for

purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and

600 shekels of silver apiece and horses

who knows how to make engravings, to

for 150 apiece, and by the same means

work with the skilled men whom I have

they exported them to all the kings of

in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David

the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

my father provided.

8" Send me also cedar, cypress and

2Now Solomon decided to build a algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut house for the name of the LORD and a

timber of Lebanon; and indeed my

royal palace for himself.

servants will work with your servants,

2So Solomon assigned 70,000 men to

9to prepare timber in abundance for me,

carry loads and 80,000 men to quarry

for the house which I am about to build stone in the mountains and 3,600 to

will be great and wonderful.

supervise them.

10

3

"Now behold, I will give to your

Then Solomon sent word to Huram the

servants, the woodsmen who cut the

king of Tyre, saying, " As you dealt with timber, 20,000 kors of crushed wheat

David my father and sent him cedars to

and 20,000 kors of barley, and 20,000

build him a house to dwell in, so do for baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil."

me.

11

4

Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered

"Behold, I am about to build a house for

in a letter sent to Solomon: " Because the name of the LORD my God,

the LORD loves His people, He has

dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant

made you king over them."

incense before Him and to set out the

showbread continually, and to offer

12

burnt offerings morning and evening, on

Then Huram continued, "Blessed be

sabbaths and on new moons and on the

the LORD, the God of Israel, who has

appointed feasts of the LORD our God,

made heaven and earth, who has given

this being required forever in Israel.

King David a wise son, endowed with

discretion and understanding, who will place that David had prepared on the build a house for the LORD and a royal

threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

palace for himself.

2He began to build on the second day in

13"Now I am sending Huram-abi, a

the second month of the fourth year of

skilled

man,

endowed

with

his reign.

understanding,

3Now these are the foundations which

14the son of a Danite woman and a

Solomon laid for building the house of

Tyrian father, who knows how to work in

God. The length in cubits, according to

gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and

the old standard was sixty cubits, and

wood, and in purple, violet, linen and

the width twenty cubits.

crimson fabrics, and who knows how to

make all kinds of engravings and to

4The porch which was in front of the

execute any design which may be

house was as long as the width of the

assigned to him, to work with your

house, twenty cubits, and the height 120;

skilled men and with those of my lord

and inside he overlaid it with pure gold.

David your father.

5He overlaid the main room with cypress

15"Now then, let my lord send to his wood and overlaid it with fine gold, and servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, ornamented it with palm trees and

of which he has spoken.

chains.

16" We will cut whatever timber you need

6Further, he adorned the house with

from Lebanon and bring it to you on

precious stones; and the gold was gold

rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may from Parvaim.

carry it up to Jerusalem."

7He also overlaid the house with gold--

17Solomon numbered all the aliens who

the beams, the thresholds and its walls

were in the land of Israel, following the and its doors; and he carved cherubim

census which his father David had taken;

on the walls.

and 153,600 were found.

8Now he made the room of the holy of

18He appointed 70,000 of them to carry

holies: its length across the width of the

loads and 80,000 to quarry stones in the

house was twenty cubits, and its width

mountains and 3,600 supervisors to

was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it

make the people work.

with fine gold, amounting to 600 talents.

9

3

The weight of the nails was fifty shekels

Then Solomon began to build the

of gold. He also overlaid the upper

house of the LORD in Jerusalem on

rooms with gold.

Mount Moriah, where the LORD had

appeared to his father David, at the

10Then he made two sculptured 2Also he made the cast metal sea, ten cherubim in the room of the holy of

cubits from brim to brim, circular in form,

holies and overlaid them with gold.

and its height was five cubits and its

circumference thirty cubits.

11The wingspan of the cherubim was

twenty cubits; the wing of one, of five 3Now figures like oxen were under it and

cubits, touched the wall of the house,

all around it, ten cubits, entirely

and its other wing, of five cubits,

encircling the sea. The oxen were in two

touched the wing of the other cherub.

rows, cast in one piece.

12The wing of the other cherub, of five 4It stood on twelve oxen, three facing

cubits, touched the wall of the house;

the north, three facing west, three facing

and its other wing of five cubits was

south and three facing east; and the sea

attached to the wing of the first cherub.

was set on top of them and all their

hindquarters turned inwards.

13The wings of these cherubim extended

twenty cubits, and they stood on their

5It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim

feet facing the main room.

was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000 baths.

14He made the veil of violet, purple,

crimson and fine linen, and he worked

6He also made ten basins in which to

cherubim on it.

wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left to rinse things for the

15He also made two pillars for the front burnt offering; but the sea was for the of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and priests to wash in.

the capital on the top of each was five cubits.

7Then he made the ten golden

lampstands in the way prescribed for

16He made chains in the inner sanctuary

them and he set them in the temple, five

and placed them on the tops of the

on the right side and five on the left.

pillars; and he made one hundred

pomegranates and placed them on the

8He also made ten tables and placed

chains.

them in the temple, five on the right side

and five on the left. And he made one

17He erected the pillars in front of the hundred golden bowls.

temple, one on the right and the other

on the left, and named the one on the

9Then he made the court of the priests

right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz. and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze.

4Then he made a bronze altar, twenty 10

cubits in length and twenty cubits in

He set the sea on the right side of the

house toward the southeast.

width and ten cubits in height.

11Huram also made the pails, the 20the lampstands with their lamps of shovels and the bowls. So Huram

pure gold, to burn in front of the inner finished doing the work which he

sanctuary in the way prescribed;

performed for King Solomon in the

house of God:

21the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs

of gold, of purest gold;

12the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two

22and the snuffers, the bowls, the

networks to cover the two bowls of the

spoons and the firepans of pure gold;

capitals which were on top of the pillars,

and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the holy of holies and the

13and the four hundred pomegranates

doors of the house, that is, of the nave,

for the two networks, two rows of

of gold.

pomegranates for each network to cover

the two bowls of the capitals which were

on the pillars.

5Thus all the work that Solomon

14

performed for the house of the LORD

He also made the stands and he made

was finished. And Solomon brought in

the basins on the stands,

the things that David his father had

dedicated, even the silver and the gold

15and the one sea with the twelve oxen

and all the utensils, and put them in the

under it.

treasuries of the house of God.

16The pails, the shovels, the forks and

2Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem

all its utensils, Huram-abi made of

the elders of Israel and all the heads of polished bronze for King Solomon for

the tribes, the leaders of the fathers'

the house of the LORD.

households of the sons of Israel, to

bring up the ark of the covenant of the 17On the plain of the Jordan the king

LORD out of the city of David, which is cast them in the clay ground between

Zion.

Succoth and Zeredah.

3All the men of Israel assembled

18Thus Solomon made all these utensils

themselves to the king at the feast, that

in great quantities, for the weight of the is in the seventh month.

bronze could not be found out.

4Then all the elders of Israel came, and

19Solomon also made all the things that

the Levites took up the ark.

were in the house of God: even the

golden altar, the tables with the bread of

5They brought up the ark and the tent of

the Presence on them,

meeting and all the holy utensils which

were in the tent; the Levitical priests

brought them up.

6And King Solomon and all the with one voice to praise and to glorify congregation of

Israel

who

were

the LORD, and when they lifted up their

assembled with him before the ark, were

voice accompanied by trumpets and

sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that

cymbals and instruments of music, and

they could not be counted or numbered.

when they praised the LORD saying, "

He

indeed

is

good

for

His

7Then the priests brought the ark of the

lovingkindness is everlasting," then the covenant of the LORD to its place, into house, the house of the LORD, was the inner sanctuary of the house, to the filled with a cloud,

holy of holies, under the wings of the

cherubim.

14so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the

8For the cherubim spread their wings

glory of the LORD filled the house of

over the place of the ark, so that the God.

cherubim made a covering over the ark

and its poles.

6Then Solomon said, "The LORD has

9The poles were so long that the ends of

said that He would dwell in the thick

the poles of the ark could be seen in

cloud.

front of the inner sanctuary, but they

could not be seen outside; and they are

2"I have built You a lofty house, And a there to this day.

place for Your dwelling forever."

10There was nothing in the ark except

3Then the king faced about and blessed

the two tablets which Moses put there at

all the assembly of Israel, while all the Horeb, where the LORD made a

assembly of Israel was standing.

covenant with the sons of Israel, when

they came out of Egypt.

4He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the 11

God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth

When the priests came forth from the

to my father David and has fulfilled it holy place (for all the priests who were with His hands, saying, present had sanctified themselves,

without regard to divisions),

5'Since the day that I brought My people

12

from the land of Egypt, I did not choose

and all the Levitical singers, Asaph,

a city out of all the tribes of Israel in Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and

which to build a house that My name

kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with

might be there, nor did I choose any

cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east

man for a leader over My people Israel;

of the altar, and with them one hundred

and twenty priests blowing trumpets

6but I have chosen Jerusalem that My

13

name might be there, and I have chosen

in unison when the trumpeters and the

David to be over My people Israel.'

singers were to make themselves heard

7" Now it was in the heart of my father 15who has kept with Your servant David, David to build a house for the name of my father, that which You have

the LORD, the God of Israel.

promised him; indeed You have spoken

with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with

8"But the LORD said to my father David,

Your hand, as it is this day.

'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it 16"Now therefore, O LORD, the God of was in your heart.

Israel, keep with Your servant David, my

father, that which You have promised

9'Nevertheless you shall not build the

him, saying, ' You shall not lack a man house, but your son who will be born to

to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your

you, he shall build the house for My

sons take heed to their way, to walk in name.'

My law as you have walked before Me.'

10

17

"Now the LORD has fulfilled His word

"Now therefore, O LORD, the God of

which He spoke; for I have risen in the Israel, let Your word be confirmed which

place of my father David and sit on the You have spoken to Your servant David.

throne of Israel, as the LORD promised,

and have built the house for the name of

18"But will God indeed dwell with

the LORD, the God of Israel.

mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven

and the highest heaven cannot contain

11"There I have set the ark in which is You; how much less this house which I the covenant of the LORD, which He

have built.

made with the sons of Israel."

19"Yet have regard to the prayer of Your

12Then he stood before the altar of the servant and to his supplication, O LORD

LORD in the presence of all the

my God, to listen to the cry and to the assembly of Israel and spread out his

prayer which Your servant prays before

hands.

You;

13

20

Now Solomon had made a bronze

that Your eye may be open toward this

platform, five cubits long, five cubits

house day and night, toward the place

wide and three cubits high, and had set

of which You have said that You would

it in the midst of the court; and he stood

put Your name there, to listen to the

on it, knelt on his knees in the presence

prayer which Your servant shall pray

of all the assembly of Israel and spread

toward this place.

out his hands toward heaven.

21"Listen to the supplications of Your 14He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, servant and of Your people Israel when there is no god like You in heaven or on

they pray toward this place; hear from

earth, keeping covenant and showing

Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear

lovingkindness to Your servants who

and forgive.

walk before You with all their heart;

22"If a man sins against his neighbor and 29whatever prayer or supplication is is made to take an oath, and he comes

made by any man or by all Your people

and takes an oath before Your altar in

Israel, each knowing his own affliction

this house,

and his own pain, and spreading his

hands toward this house,

23then hear from heaven and act and

judge Your servants, punishing the

30then hear from heaven Your dwelling

wicked by bringing his way on his own

place, and forgive, and render to each

head and justifying the righteous by

according to all his ways, whose heart

giving

him

according

to

his

You know for You alone know the hearts

righteousness.

of the sons of men,

24"If Your people Israel are defeated 31that they may fear You, to walk in Your

before an enemy because they have

ways as long as they live in the land

sinned against You, and they return to

which You have given to our fathers.

You and confess Your name, and pray

and make supplication before You in

32"Also concerning the foreigner who is this house,

not from Your people Israel, when he

comes from a far country for Your great

25then hear from heaven and forgive the

name's sake and Your mighty hand and

sin of Your people Israel, and bring

Your outstretched arm, when they come

them back to the land which You have

and pray toward this house,

given to them and to their fathers.

33then hear from heaven, from Your

26"When the heavens are shut up and dwelling place, and do according to all

there is no rain because they have

for which the foreigner calls to You, in sinned against You, and they pray

order that all the peoples of the earth toward this place and confess Your

may know Your name, and fear You as

name, and turn from their sin when You

do Your people Israel, and that they

afflict them;

may know that this house which I have

built is called by Your name.

27then hear in heaven and forgive the

sin of Your servants and Your people

34"When Your people go out to battle Israel, indeed, teach them the good way

against their enemies, by whatever way

in which they should walk. And send

You shall send them, and they pray to

rain on Your land which You have given

You toward this city which You have

to Your people for an inheritance.

chosen and the house which I have built

for Your name,

28"If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if 35then hear from heaven their prayer

there is locust or grasshopper, if their and their supplication, and maintain their

enemies besiege them in the land of

cause.

their cities, whatever plague or whatever

sickness there is,

36"When they sin against You ( for there is no man who does not sin) and You 7Now when Solomon had finished

are angry with them and deliver them to

praying, fire came down from heaven

an enemy, so that they take them away

and consumed the burnt offering and

captive to a land far off or near,

the sacrifices, and the glory of the

LORD filled the house.

37if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and

2The priests could not enter into the

make supplication to You in the land of house of the LORD because the glory of

their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, the LORD filled the LORD'S house.

we have committed iniquity and have

acted wickedly';

3All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire 38

come down and the glory of the LORD

if they return to You with all their heart

upon the house, bowed down on the

and with all their soul in the land of their

pavement with their faces to the ground,

captivity, where they have been taken

and they worshiped and gave praise to

captive, and pray toward their land

the LORD, saying, " Truly He is good, which You have given to their fathers

truly His lovingkindness is everlasting."

and the city which You have chosen,

and toward the house which I have built

4

for Your name,

Then the king and all the people offered

sacrifice before the LORD.

39then hear from heaven, from Your

5

dwelling

place,

their

prayer

and

King Solomon offered a sacrifice of

supplications, and maintain their cause

22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus

and forgive Your people who have

the king and all the people dedicated the

sinned against You.

house of God.

6

40"Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes

The priests stood at their posts, and the

be open and Your ears attentive to the

Levites also, with the instruments of

prayer offered in this place.

music to the LORD, which King David

had made for giving praise to the LORD—

41

-"for His lovingkindness is everlasting"--

" Now therefore arise, O LORD God,

whenever he gave praise by their

to Your resting place, You and the ark of

means, while the priests on the other

Your might; let Your priests, O LORD

side blew trumpets; and all Israel was

God, be clothed with salvation and let

standing.

Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

7

42

Then Solomon consecrated the middle

"O LORD God, do not turn away the

of the court that was before the house of

face of Your anointed; remember Your

the LORD, for there he offered the burnt

lovingkindness to Your servant David."

offerings and the fat of the peace

offerings because the bronze altar which

Solomon had made was not able to

contain the burnt offering, the grain 15" Now My eyes will be open and My offering and the fat.

ears attentive to the prayer offered in

this place.

8So Solomon observed the feast at that

time for seven days, and all Israel with 16"For now I have chosen and

him, a very great assembly who came

consecrated this house that My name

from the entrance of Hamath to the

may be there forever, and My eyes and

brook of Egypt.

My heart will be there perpetually.

9On the eighth day they held a solemn

17"As for you, if you walk before Me as assembly, for the dedication of the altar your father David walked, even to do they observed seven days and the feast

according to all that I have commanded

seven days.

you, and will keep My statutes and My

ordinances,

10Then on the twenty-third day of the

seventh month he sent the people to

18then I will establish your royal throne their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart as I covenanted with your father David, because of the goodness that the LORD

saying, ' You shall not lack a man to be

had shown to David and to Solomon

ruler in Israel.'

and to His people Israel.

19" But if you turn away and forsake My

11Thus Solomon finished the house of

statutes and My commandments which I

the LORD and the king's palace, and

have set before you, and go and serve

successfully completed all that he had

other gods and worship them,

planned on doing in the house of the

LORD and in his palace.

20then I will uproot you from My land

which I have given you, and this house

12Then the LORD appeared to Solomon

which I have consecrated for My name I

at night and said to him, "I have heard will cast out of My sight and I will make it your prayer and have chosen this place

a proverb and a byword among all

for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

peoples.

13" If I shut up the heavens so that there 21"As for this house, which was exalted,

is no rain, or if I command the locust to everyone who passes by it will be

devour the land, or if I send pestilence astonished and say, ' Why has the

among My people,

LORD done thus to this land and to this

house?'

14and My people who are called by My

name humble themselves and pray and

22"And they will say, 'Because they

seek My face and turn from their wicked

forsook the LORD, the God of their

ways, then I will hear from heaven, will fathers who brought them from the land

forgive their sin and will heal their land.

of Egypt, and they adopted other gods

and worshiped them and served them;

therefore He has brought all this 9But Solomon did not make slaves for adversity on them.'"

his work from the sons of Israel; they

were men of war, his chief captains and

commanders of his chariots and his

8Now it came about at the end of the horsemen.

twenty years in which Solomon had built

10

the house of the LORD and his own

These were the chief officers of King

house

Solomon, two hundred and fifty who

ruled over the people.

2that he built the cities which Huram had

11

given to him, and settled the sons of

Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's

Israel there.

daughter up from the city of David to the

house which he had built for her, for he

said, "My wife shall not dwell in the 3Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah

house of David king of Israel, because

and captured it.

the places are holy where the ark of the

LORD has entered."

4He built Tadmor in the wilderness and

all the storage cities which he had built 12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings

in Hamath.

to the LORD on the altar of the LORD

which he had built before the porch;

5He also built upper Beth-horon and

lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with

13and did so according to the daily rule,

walls, gates and bars;

offering them up according to the

commandment of Moses, for the

6and Baalath and all the storage cities

sabbaths, the new moons and the three

that Solomon had, and all the cities for annual feasts--the Feast of Unleavened

his chariots and cities for his horsemen,

Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the

and all that it pleased Solomon to build Feast of Booths.

in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the

land under his rule.

14Now according to the ordinance of his

father David, he appointed the divisions

7All of the people who were left of the of the priests for their service, and the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Levites for their duties of praise and

Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not

ministering before the priests according

of Israel,

to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by

their divisions at every gate; for David 8namely, from their descendants who

the man of God had so commanded.

were left after them in the land whom

the sons of Israel had not destroyed,

15And they did not depart from the

them Solomon raised as forced laborers

commandment of the king to the priests

to this day.

and

Levites

in

any

manner

or

concerning the storehouses.

16Thus all the work of Solomon was 5Then she said to the king, "It was a true carried out from the day of the report which I heard in my own land

foundation of the house of the LORD,

about your words and your wisdom.

and until it was finished. So the house of

the LORD was completed.

6"Nevertheless I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had

17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber

seen it. And behold, the half of the

and to Eloth on the seashore in the land

greatness of your wisdom was not told

of Edom.

me. You surpass the report that I heard.

18And Huram by his servants sent him

7"How blessed are your men, how

ships and servants who knew the sea;

blessed are these your servants who

and they went with Solomon's servants

stand before you continually and hear

to Ophir, and took from there four

your wisdom.

hundred and fifty talents of gold and

brought them to King Solomon.

8"Blessed be the LORD your God who

delighted in you, setting you on His

9

throne as king for the LORD your God;

Now when the queen of Sheba heard

because

your

God

loved

Israel

establishing them forever, therefore He

of the fame of Solomon, she came to

Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult

made you king over them, to do justice

questions. She had a very large retinue,

and righteousness."

with camels carrying spices and a large

9

amount of gold and precious stones;

Then she gave the king one hundred

and when she came to Solomon, she

and twenty talents of gold and a very

spoke with him about all that was on her

great amount of spices and precious

heart.

stones; there had never been spice like

that which the queen of Sheba gave to

2

King Solomon.

Solomon answered all her questions;

nothing was hidden from Solomon which

10

he did not explain to her.

The servants of Huram and the

servants of Solomon who brought gold

3When the queen of Sheba had seen

from Ophir, also brought algum trees

and precious stones.

the wisdom of Solomon, the house

which he had built,

11From the algum trees the king made

4the food at his table, the seating of his

steps for the house of the LORD and for

servants, the attendance of his ministers

the king's palace, and lyres and harps

for the singers; and none like that was and their attire, his cupbearers and their

seen before in the land of Judah.

attire, and his stairway by which he went

up to the house of the LORD, she was

12

breathless.

King Solomon gave to the queen of

Sheba all her desire which she

requested besides a return for what she 21For the king had ships which went to had brought to the king. Then she

Tarshish with the servants of Huram;

turned and went to her own land with

once every three years the ships of

her servants.

Tarshish came bringing gold and silver,

ivory and apes and peacocks.

13Now the weight of gold which came to

Solomon in one year was 666 talents of

22So King Solomon became greater than

gold,

all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

14besides that which the traders and

merchants brought; and all the kings of

23And all the kings of the earth were

Arabia and the governors of the country

seeking the presence of Solomon, to

brought gold and silver to Solomon.

hear his wisdom which God had put in

his heart.

15King Solomon made 200 large shields

of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of

24They brought every man his gift,

beaten gold on each large shield.

articles of silver and gold, garments,

weapons, spices, horses and mules, so

16He made 300 shields of beaten gold,

much year by year.

using three hundred shekels of gold on

each shield, and the king put them in the

25Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for

house of the forest of Lebanon.

horses

and

chariots

and

12,000

horsemen, and he stationed them in the

17Moreover, the king made a great

chariot cities and with the king in

throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure Jerusalem.

gold.

26He was the ruler over all the kings

18There were six steps to the throne and

from the Euphrates River even to the

a footstool in gold attached to the throne,

land of the Philistines, and as far as the

and arms on each side of the seat, and

border of Egypt.

two lions standing beside the arms.

27The king made silver as common as

19Twelve lions were standing there on

stones in Jerusalem, and he made

the six steps on the one side and on the

cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees

other; nothing like it was made for any that are in the lowland.

other kingdom.

28And they were bringing horses for

20All King Solomon's drinking vessels

Solomon from Egypt and from all

were of gold, and all the vessels of the countries.

house of the forest of Lebanon were of

pure gold; silver was not considered

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon,

valuable in the days of Solomon.

from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and speak good words to them, then and in the visions of Iddo the seer

they will be your servants forever."

concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

8But he forsook the counsel of the elders

30Solomon reigned forty years in

which they

had given him, and

Jerusalem over all Israel.

consulted with the young men who grew

up with him and served him.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers

and was buried in the city of his father 9So he said to them, "What counsel do David; and his son Rehoboam reigned you give that we may answer this

in his place.

people, who have spoken to me, saying,

'Lighten the yoke which your father put

on us'?"

10Then Rehoboam went to 10

Shechem, for all Israel had come to

The young men who grew up with him

Shechem to make him king.

spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you,

2

saying, 'Your father made our yoke

When Jeroboam the son of Nebat

heavy, but you make it lighter for us.'

heard of it (for he was in Egypt where he

Thus you shall say to them, 'My little

had fled from the presence of King

finger is thicker than my father's loins!

Solomon), Jeroboam returned from

Egypt.

11'Whereas my father loaded you with a

heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my 3So they sent and summoned him.

father disciplined you with whips, but I When Jeroboam and all Israel came,

will discipline you with scorpions.'"

they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

12So Jeroboam and all the people came

4"Your father made our yoke hard; now to Rehoboam on the third day as the

therefore lighten the hard service of your

king had directed, saying, "Return to me

father and his heavy yoke which he put

on the third day."

on us, and we will serve you."

13The king answered them harshly, and

5He said to them, "Return to me again in

King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of

three days." So the people departed.

the elders.

6Then King Rehoboam consulted with

14He spoke to them according to the

the elders who had served his father

advice of the young men, saying, "My Solomon while he was still alive, saying,

father made your yoke heavy, but I will

"How do you counsel me to answer this

add to it; my father disciplined you with people?"

whips, but I will discipline you with

scorpions."

7They spoke to him, saying, "If you will be kind to this people and please them 15So the king did not listen to the people, 4'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not go for it was a turn of events from God that

up or fight against your relatives; return the LORD might establish His word,

every man to his house, for this thing is

which He spoke through Ahijah the

from Me."'" So they listened to the words Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

of the LORD and returned from going

against Jeroboam.

16When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them the people answered

5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built

the king, saying, " What portion do we cities for defense in Judah.

have in David? We have no inheritance

in the son of Jesse. Every man to your 6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

tents, O Israel; Now look after your own

house, David." So all Israel departed to 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

their tents.

8

17

Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

But as for the sons of Israel who lived

in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam

9

reigned over them.

Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

10

18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,

Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are

who was over the forced labor, and the

fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.

sons of Israel stoned him to death. And

11

King Rehoboam made haste to mount

He also strengthened the fortresses

his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

and put officers in them and stores of

food, oil and wine.

19So Israel has been in rebellion against

12

the house of David to this day.

He put shields and spears in every city

and strengthened them greatly. So he

held Judah and Benjamin.

11Now when Rehoboam had come 13Moreover, the priests and the Levites to Jerusalem, he assembled the house who were in all Israel stood with him

of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen

from all their districts.

men who were warriors, to fight against

Israel to restore the kingdom to

14

Rehoboam.

For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah

2

and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his

But the word of the LORD came to

sons had excluded them from serving as

Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

priests to the LORD.

3"Speak to Rehoboam the son of

15He set up priests of his own for the Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel

high places, for the satyrs and for the in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

calves which he had made.

16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD

12When the kingdom of Rehoboam

God

of

Israel

followed

them

to

was established and strong, he and all

Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God

Israel with him forsook the law of the

of their fathers.

LORD.

17They strengthened the kingdom of

2And it came about in King Rehoboam's

Judah and supported Rehoboam the

fifth year, because they had been

son of Solomon for three years, for they

unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak

walked in the way of David and

king

of

Egypt came up

against

Solomon for three years.

Jerusalem

18Then Rehoboam took as a wife

3with 1,200 chariots and 60,000

Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the

horsemen. And the people who came

son of David and of Abihail the daughter

with him from Egypt were without

of Eliab the son of Jesse,

number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the

Ethiopians.

19and she bore him sons: Jeush,

Shemariah and Zaham.

4He captured the fortified cities of Judah

and came as far as Jerusalem.

20After her he took Maacah the daughter

of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah,

5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to

Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.

Rehoboam and the princes of Judah

who

had

gathered

at

Jerusalem

21Rehoboam

loved

Maacah

the

because of Shishak, and he said to

daughter of Absalom more than all his

them, "Thus says the LORD, ' You have

other wives and concubines. For he had

forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken

taken

eighteen

wives

and

sixty

you to Shishak.'"

concubines and fathered twenty-eight

sons and sixty daughters.

6So the princes of Israel and the king

humbled themselves and said, "The

22Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son

LORD is righteous."

of Maacah as head and leader among

his brothers, for he intended to make

7When the LORD saw that they humbled

him king.

themselves, the word of the LORD

came to Shemaiah, saying, " They have

23He acted wisely and distributed some

humbled themselves so I will not destroy

of his sons through all the territories of them, but I will grant them some

Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified

measure of deliverance, and My wrath

cities, and he gave them food in

shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by

abundance. And he sought many wives

means of Shishak.

for them.

8"But they will become his slaves so that 15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first they may learn the difference between

to last, are they not written in the

My service and the service of the

records of Shemaiah the prophet and of

kingdoms of the countries."

Iddo the seer, according to genealogical

enrollment? And there were wars

9So Shishak king of Egypt came up

between Rehoboam and Jeroboam

against

Jerusalem,

and

took

the

continually.

treasures of the house of the LORD and

the treasures of the king's palace. He

16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers

took everything; he even took the

and was buried in the city of David; and

golden shields which Solomon had

his son Abijah became king in his place.

made.

10Then King Rehoboam made shields of

13In the eighteenth year of King

bronze in their place and committed

Jeroboam, Abijah became king over

them to the care of the commanders of

Judah.

the guard who guarded the door of the

king's house.

2He reigned three years in Jerusalem;

11

and his mother's name was Micaiah the

As often as the king entered the house

daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there

of the LORD, the guards came and

was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

carried them and then brought them

back into the guards' room.

3Abijah began the battle with an army of

12

valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men,

And when he humbled himself, the

while Jeroboam drew up in battle

anger of the LORD turned away from

formation against him with 800,000

him, so as not to destroy him completely;

chosen men who were valiant warriors.

and also conditions were good in Judah.

4

13

Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,

So King Rehoboam strengthened

which is in the hill country of Ephraim, himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now

and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and Rehoboam was forty-one years old

all Israel:

when he began to reign, and he reigned

seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city

5

which the LORD had chosen from all the

"Do you not know that the LORD God tribes of Israel, to put His name there.

of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever

And his mother's name was Naamah the

to David and his sons by a covenant of Ammonitess.

salt?

6

14He did evil because he did not set his

"Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the heart to seek the LORD.

servant of Solomon the son of David,

rose up and rebelled against his master,

7and worthless men gathered about him, 13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to scoundrels, who proved too strong for

come from the rear, so that Israel was in

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when

front of Judah and the ambush was

he was young and timid and could not

behind them.

hold his own against them.

14When Judah turned around, behold,

8"So now you intend to resist the

they were attacked both front and rear;

kingdom of the LORD through the sons

so they cried to the LORD, and the

of David, being a great multitude and

priests blew the trumpets.

having with you the golden calves which

Jeroboam made for gods for you.

15Then the men of Judah raised a war

cry, and when the men of Judah raised

9" Have you not driven out the priests of the war cry, then it was that God routed

the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the

Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah

Levites, and made for yourselves priests

and Judah.

like the peoples of other lands?

Whoever comes to consecrate himself

16When the sons of Israel fled before

with a young bull and seven rams, even

Judah, God gave them into their hand.

he may become a priest of what are no

gods.

17Abijah and his people defeated them

with a great slaughter, so that 500,000

10"But as for us, the LORD is our God, chosen men of Israel fell slain.

and we have not forsaken Him; and the

sons of Aaron are ministering to the

18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued

LORD as priests, and the Levites attend

at that time, and the sons of Judah

to their work.

conquered because they trusted in the

LORD, the God of their fathers.

11"Every morning and evening they burn

to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant

19Abijah

pursued

Jeroboam

and

incense, and the showbread is set on

captured from him several cities, Bethel

the clean table, and the golden

with its villages, Jeshanah with its

lampstand with its lamps is ready to light

villages and Ephron with its villages.

every evening; for we keep the charge

of the LORD our God, but you have

20

forsaken Him.

Jeroboam did not again recover

strength in the days of Abijah; and the 12

LORD struck him and he died.

"Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal

21

trumpets to sound the alarm against you.

But Abijah became powerful; and took

O sons of Israel, do not fight against the

fourteen wives to himself, and became

LORD God of your fathers, for you will

the father of twenty-two sons and

not succeed."

sixteen daughters.

22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and 8Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from his ways and his words are written in the

Judah, bearing large shields and spears,

treatise of the prophet Iddo.

and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing

shields and wielding bows; all of them

were valiant warriors.

14So Abijah slept with his fathers, 9

and they buried him in the city of David,

Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out

and his son Asa became king in his

against them with an army of a million

men and 300 chariots, and he came to

place. The land was undisturbed for ten

Mareshah.

years during his days.

10

2Asa did good and right in the sight of So Asa went out to meet him, and they

the LORD his God,

drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

3for he removed the foreign altars and

11

high places, tore down the sacred pillars,

Then Asa called to the LORD his God

cut down the Asherim,

and said, "LORD, there is no one

besides You to help in the battle

between the powerful and those who

4and commanded Judah to seek the

have no strength; so help us, O LORD

LORD God of their fathers and to

our God, for we trust in You, and in Your

observe the law and the commandment.

name have come against this multitude.

O LORD, You are our God; let not man

5He also removed the high places and

prevail against You."

the incense altars from all the cities of Judah.

And

the

kingdom

was

12So the LORD routed the Ethiopians

undisturbed under him.

before Asa and before Judah, and the

Ethiopians fled.

6He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was

13Asa and the people who were with him

no one at war with him during those

pursued them as far as Gerar; and so

years, because the LORD had given

many Ethiopians fell that they could not him rest.

recover, for they were shattered before

the LORD and before His army. And

7For he said to Judah, " Let us build they carried away very much plunder.

these cities and surround them with

walls and towers, gates and bars. The

14They destroyed all the cities around

land is still ours because we have

Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had

sought the LORD our God; we have

fallen on them; and they despoiled all

sought Him, and He has given us rest

the cities, for there was much plunder in

on every side." So they built and

them.

prospered.

15They also struck down those who had captured in the hill country of owned livestock, and they carried away

Ephraim. He then restored the altar of

large numbers of sheep and camels.

the LORD which was in front of the

Then they returned to Jerusalem.

porch of the LORD.

9

15

He gathered all Judah and Benjamin

Now the Spirit of God came on

and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and

Azariah the son of Oded,

Simeon who resided with them, for

many defected to him from Israel when

2

they saw that the LORD his God was

and he went out to meet Asa and said

with him.

to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you

10

when you are with Him. And if you seek

So they assembled at Jerusalem in the

third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's

Him, He will let you find Him; but if you reign.

forsake Him, He will forsake you.

11

3" For many days Israel was without the

They sacrificed to the LORD that day

true God and without a teaching priest

700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the

spoil they had brought.

and without law.

12

4"But in their distress they turned to the They entered into the covenant to

LORD God of Israel, and they sought

seek the LORD God of their fathers with

Him, and He let them find Him.

all their heart and soul;

13

5" In those times there was no peace to

and whoever would not seek the

him who went out or to him who came in,

LORD God of Israel should be put to

for many disturbances afflicted all the

death, whether small or great, man or

woman.

inhabitants of the lands.

14

6" Nation was crushed by nation, and Moreover, they made an oath to the

city by city, for God troubled them with LORD with a loud voice, with shouting,

every kind of distress.

with trumpets and with horns.

15

7"But you, be strong and do not lose All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath,

courage, for there is reward for your

for they had sworn with their whole heart

work."

and had sought Him earnestly, and He

let them find Him. So the LORD gave

them rest on every side.

8Now when Asa heard these words and

the prophecy which Azariah the son of

16

Oded the prophet spoke, he took

He also removed Maacah, the mother

courage and removed the abominable

of King Asa, from the position of queen idols from all the land of Judah and

mother, because she had made a horrid

image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down

Benjamin and from the cities which he

her horrid image, crushed it and burned 6Then King Asa brought all Judah, and it at the brook Kidron.

they carried away the stones of Ramah

and its timber with which Baasha had

17But the high places were not removed

been building, and with them he fortified

from Israel; nevertheless Asa's heart

Geba and Mizpah.

was blameless all his days.

7At that time Hanani the seer came to

18He brought into the house of God the

Asa king of Judah and said to him, "

dedicated things of his father and his

Because you have relied on the king of

own dedicated things: silver and gold

Aram and have not relied on the LORD

and utensils.

your God, therefore the army of the king

of Aram has escaped out of your hand.

19And there was no more war until the

8

thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

"Were not the Ethiopians and the

Lubim an immense army with very many

chariots and horsemen? Yet because

16

you relied on the LORD, He delivered

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's

them into your hand.

reign Baasha king of Israel came up

against Judah and fortified Ramah in

9"For the eyes of the LORD move to and

order to prevent anyone from going out

fro throughout the earth that He may

or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

strongly support those whose heart is

completely His. You have acted foolishly

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold

in this. Indeed, from now on you will

from the treasuries of the house of the surely have wars."

LORD and the king's house, and sent

them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who

10Then Asa was angry with the seer and

lived in Damascus, saying,

put him in prison, for he was enraged at

him for this. And Asa oppressed some

3"Let there be a treaty between you and

of the people at the same time.

me, as between my father and your

father. Behold, I have sent you silver

11Now, the acts of Asa from first to last,

and gold; go, break your treaty with

behold, they are written in the Book of Baasha king of Israel so that he will

the Kings of Judah and Israel.

withdraw from me."

12

4

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa

So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and

became diseased in his feet. His

sent the commanders of his armies

disease was severe, yet even in his

against the cities of Israel, and they

disease he did not seek the LORD, but

conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all

the physicians.

the store cities of Naphtali.

13

5

So Asa slept with his fathers, having

When Baasha heard of it, he ceased

died in the forty-first year of his reign.

fortifying Ramah and stopped his work.

14They buried him in his own tomb which 8and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, he had cut out for himself in the city of Nethaniah,

Zebadiah,

Asahel,

David, and they laid him in the resting Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah,

place which he had filled with spices of Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites;

various kinds blended by the perfumers'

and with them Elishama and Jehoram,

art; and they made a very great fire for the priests.

him.

9They taught in Judah, having the book

17

of the law of the LORD with them; and

Jehoshaphat his son then became

they went throughout all the cities of

king in his place, and made his position

Judah and taught among the people.

over Israel firm.

10Now the dread of the LORD was on all

2

the kingdoms of the lands which were

He placed troops in all the fortified

around Judah, so that they did not make

cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of

war against Jehoshaphat.

Ephraim which Asa his father had

11

captured.

Some of the Philistines brought gifts

and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the

3

Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700

The LORD was with Jehoshaphat

because he followed the example of his

rams and 7,700 male goats.

father David's earlier days and did not

12

seek the Baals,

So Jehoshaphat grew greater and

greater, and he built fortresses and

4

store cities in Judah.

but sought the God of his father,

followed His commandments, and did

13

not act as Israel did.

He had large supplies in the cities of

Judah, and warriors, valiant men, in

5

Jerusalem.

So the LORD established the kingdom

in his control, and all Judah brought

14

tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had

This was their muster according to

great riches and honor.

their fathers' households: of Judah,

commanders of thousands, Adnah was

6

the commander, and with him 300,000

He took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high

valiant warriors;

places and the Asherim from Judah.

15and next to him was Johanan the

7

commander, and with him 280,000;

Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah,

16

Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to

and next to him Amasiah the son of

teach in the cities of Judah;

Zichri, who volunteered for the LORD,

and with him 200,000 valiant warriors;

17and of Benjamin, Eliada a valiant 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, warrior, and with him 200,000 armed

"There is yet one man by whom we may

with bow and shield;

inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning

18and next to him Jehozabad, and with

me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son

him 180,000 equipped for war.

of Imla." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

19These are they who served the king,

8

apart from those whom the king put in

Then the king of Israel called an officer

the fortified cities through all Judah.

and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla's son."

18

9

Now

Jehoshaphat

had

great

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat

the king of Judah were sitting each on

riches and honor; and he allied himself

his throne, arrayed in their robes, and

by marriage with Ahab.

they were sitting at the threshing floor at

the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and

2Some years later he went down to visit

all the prophets were prophesying

Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered

before them.

many sheep and oxen for him and the

people who were with him, and induced

10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made

him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall

3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat

gore the Arameans until they are

king of Judah, "Will you go with me consumed.'"

against Ramoth-gilead?" And he said to

him, "I am as you are, and my people as

11All the prophets were prophesying

your people, and we will be with you in thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead the battle."

and succeed, for the LORD will give it

into the hand of the king."

4Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king

of Israel, "Please inquire first for the 12Then the messenger who went to

word of the LORD."

summon Micaiah spoke to him saying,

"Behold, the words of the prophets are 5Then the king of Israel assembled the uniformly favorable to the king. So

prophets, four hundred men, and said to

please let your word be like one of them

them, "Shall we go against Ramoth—

and speak favorably."

gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will give it into 13But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, the hand of the king."

what my God says, that I will speak."

6But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet

14When he came to the king, the king

a prophet of the LORD here that we

said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to may inquire of him?"

Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I these your prophets, for the LORD has refrain?" He said, "Go up and succeed, proclaimed disaster against you."

for they will be given into your hand."

23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah

15Then the king said to him, "How many

came near and struck Micaiah on the

times must I adjure you to speak to me

cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of nothing but the truth in the name of the the LORD pass from me to speak to LORD?"

you?"

16So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered 24Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on

on the mountains, Like sheep which

that day when you enter an inner room

have no shepherd; And the LORD said,

to hide yourself."

'These have no master. Let each of

them return to his house in peace.'"

25Then the king of Israel said, " Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the

17Then the king of Israel said to

governor of the city and to Joash the

Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he king's son;

would not prophesy good concerning

me, but evil?"

26and say, 'Thus says the king, " Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly

18Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the

with bread and water until I return

word of the LORD. I saw the LORD

safely."'"

sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His

27Micaiah said, "If you indeed return left.

safely, the LORD has not spoken by

me." And he said, " Listen, all you 19"The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab people."

king of Israel to go up and fall at

Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while

28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat

another said that.

king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

20"Then a spirit came forward and stood

before the LORD and said, 'I will entice 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,

him.' And the LORD said to him, 'How?'

"I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes." So the king 21"He said, 'I will go and be a deceiving of Israel disguised himself, and they spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'

went into battle.

Then He said, 'You are to entice him

and prevail also. Go and do so.'

30Now the king of Aram had

commanded the captains of his chariots,

22"Now therefore, behold, the LORD has

saying, "Do not fight with small or great, put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of

but with the king of Israel alone."

31So when the captains of the chariots and brought them back to the LORD, saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the the God of their fathers.

king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried 5He appointed judges in the land in all out, and the LORD helped him, and God

the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.

diverted them from him.

6He said to the judges, "Consider what 32When the captains of the chariots saw

you are doing, for you do not judge for that it was not the king of Israel, they man but for the LORD who is with you turned back from pursuing him.

when you render judgment.

33A certain man drew his bow at random

7"Now then let the fear of the LORD be

and struck the king of Israel in a joint of

upon you; be very careful what you do,

the armor. So he said to the driver of the

for the LORD our God will have no part

chariot, "Turn around and take me out of

in unrighteousness or partiality or the

the fight, for I am severely wounded."

taking of a bribe."

34The battle raged that day, and the king

8In

Jerusalem

also

Jehoshaphat

of Israel propped himself up in his

appointed some of the Levites and

chariot in front of the Arameans until the

priests, and some of the heads of the

evening; and at sunset he died.

fathers' households of Israel, for the

judgment of the LORD and to judge

19

disputes among the inhabitants of

Then Jehoshaphat the king of

Jerusalem.

Judah returned in safety to his house in

9

Jerusalem.

Then he charged them saying, "Thus

you shall do in the fear of the LORD,

2

faithfully and wholeheartedly.

Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went

out to meet him and said to King

10

Jehoshaphat, " Should you help the

" Whenever any dispute comes to you

wicked and love those who hate the

from your brethren who live in their cities,

LORD and so bring wrath on yourself

between blood and blood, between law

from the LORD?

and

commandment,

statutes

and

ordinances, you shall warn them so that

3"But there is some good in you, for you

they may not be guilty before the LORD,

have removed the Asheroth from the

and wrath may not come on you and

land and you have set your heart to

your brethren. Thus you shall do and

seek God."

you will not be guilty.

11

4So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and

"Behold, Amariah the chief priest will went out again among the people from

be over you in all that pertains to the Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim

LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael,

the ruler of the house of Judah, in all

that pertains to the king. Also the descendants of Abraham Your friend Levites shall be officers before you. Act forever?

resolutely, and the LORD be with the

upright."

8"They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, 20

saying,

Now it came about after this that

9

the sons of Moab and the sons of

' Should evil come upon us, the sword,

Ammon, together with some of the

or judgment, or pestilence, or famine,

Meunites, came to make war against

we will stand before this house and

Jehoshaphat.

before You (for Your name is in this

house) and cry to You in our distress,

2Then some came and reported to

and You will hear and deliver us.'

Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude

10

is coming against you from beyond the

"Now behold, the sons of Ammon and

sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in

Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did

Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi)."

not let Israel invade when they came out

of the land of Egypt (they turned aside 3

from them and did not destroy them),

Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his

attention to seek the LORD, and

11

proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

see how they are rewarding us by

coming to drive us out from Your

4So Judah gathered together to seek

possession which You have given us as

an inheritance.

help from the LORD; they even came

from all the cities of Judah to seek the 12

LORD.

"O our God, will You not judge them?

For we are powerless before this great

5

multitude who are coming against us;

Then

Jehoshaphat

stood

in

the

nor do we know what to do, but our eyes

assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in

the house of the LORD before the new

are on You."

court,

13All Judah was standing before the

6

LORD, with their infants, their wives and

and he said, "O LORD, the God of our their children.

fathers, are You not God in the heavens?

And are You not ruler over all the

14

kingdoms of the nations? Power and

Then in the midst of the assembly the

might are in Your hand so that no one

Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel

can stand against You.

the son of Zechariah, the son of

Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of

7"Did You not, O our God, drive out the

Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of

inhabitants of this land before Your

Asaph;

people Israel and give it to the

15and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the LORD,

for

His

lovingkindness

is

inhabitants of Jerusalem and King

everlasting."

Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to

you, ' Do not fear or be dismayed

22When they began singing and praising,

because of this great multitude, for the the LORD set ambushes against the

battle is not yours but God's.

sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir,

who had come against Judah; so they

16'Tomorrow go down against them.

were routed.

Behold, they will come up by the ascent

of Ziz, and you will find them at the end

23For the sons of Ammon and Moab

of the valley in front of the wilderness of

rose up against the inhabitants of Mount

Jeruel.

Seir destroying them completely; and

when they had finished with the

17'You need not fight in this battle;

inhabitants of Seir, they helped to

station yourselves, stand and see the

destroy one another.

salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O

Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be

24When Judah came to the lookout of

dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them,

the wilderness, they looked toward the

for the LORD is with you."

multitude, and behold, they were

corpses lying on the ground, and no one

18Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his

had escaped.

face to the ground, and all Judah and

the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down

25When Jehoshaphat and his people

before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

came to take their spoil, they found

much among them, including goods,

19The Levites, from the sons of the

garments and valuable things which

Kohathites and of the sons of the

they took for themselves, more than

Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD

they could carry. And they were three

God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

days taking the spoil because there was

so much.

20They rose early in the morning and

went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and

26Then on the fourth day they

when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood

assembled in the valley of Beracah, for

and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and there they blessed the LORD. Therefore

inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust

they have named that place "The Valley

in the LORD your God and you will be

of Beracah" until today.

established. Put your trust in His

prophets and succeed."

27Every man of Judah and Jerusalem

returned with Jehoshaphat at their head,

21When he had consulted with the

returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the people, he appointed those who sang to

LORD had made them to rejoice over

the LORD and those who praised Him in

their enemies.

holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, " Give thanks to the 28They came to Jerusalem with harps, 37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of lyres and trumpets to the house of the

Mareshah

prophesied

against

LORD.

Jehoshaphat saying, "Because you

have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the

29And the dread of God was on all the

LORD has destroyed your works." So

kingdoms of the lands when they heard

the ships were broken and could not go

that the LORD had fought against the

to Tarshish.

enemies of Israel.

30So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at

21Then Jehoshaphat slept with his

peace, for his God gave him rest on all fathers and was buried with his fathers

sides.

in the city of David, and Jehoram his

son became king in his place.

31Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah.

He was thirty-five years old when he

2He had brothers, the sons of

became king, and he reigned in

Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah,

Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his

Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All

mother's

name

was

Azubah

the

these were the sons of Jehoshaphat

daughter of Shilhi.

king of Israel.

32He walked in the way of his father Asa

3Their father gave them many gifts of

and did not depart from it, doing right in

silver, gold and precious things, with

the sight of the LORD.

fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was

33The high places, however, were not

the firstborn.

removed; the people had not yet

directed their hearts to the God of their 4Now when Jehoram had taken over the

fathers.

kingdom of his father and made himself

secure, he killed all his brothers with the

34Now the rest of the acts of

sword, and some of the rulers of Israel Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they

also.

are written in the annals of Jehu the son

of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book

5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when

of the Kings of Israel.

he became king, and he reigned eight

years in Jerusalem.

35After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah

allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel.

6He walked in the way of the kings of

He acted wickedly in so doing.

Israel, just as the house of Ahab did ( for

Ahab's daughter was his wife), and he

36So he allied himself with him to make

did evil in the sight of the LORD.

ships to go to Tarshish, and they made

the ships in Ezion-geber.

7Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy

the house of David because of the

covenant which He had made with all your possessions with a great

David, and since He had promised to

calamity;

give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

15and you will suffer severe sickness, a 8In his days Edom revolted against the

disease of your bowels, until your

rule of Judah and set up a king over

bowels come out because of the

themselves.

sickness, day by day.'"

9Then Jehoram crossed over with his

16Then the LORD stirred up against

commanders and all his chariots with

Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and him. And he arose by night and struck

the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians;

down

the

Edomites

who

were

surrounding him and the commanders of

17and they came against Judah and

the chariots.

invaded it, and carried away all the

possessions found in the king's house

10So Edom revolted against Judah to

together with his sons and his wives, so

this day. Then Libnah revolted at the

that no son was left to him except

same time against his rule, because he

Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

had forsaken the LORD God of his

fathers.

18So after all this the LORD smote him

in his bowels with an incurable sickness.

11Moreover, he made high places in the

mountains of Judah, and caused the

19Now it came about in the course of

inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the

time, at the end of two years, that his harlot and led Judah astray.

bowels came out because of his

sickness and he died in great pain. And

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah his people made no fire for him like the the prophet saying, "Thus says the fire for his fathers.

LORD God of your father David,

'Because you have not walked in the

20He was thirty-two years old when he

ways of Jehoshaphat your father and

became king, and he reigned in

the ways of Asa king of Judah,

Jerusalem eight years; and he departed

with no one's regret, and they buried

13but have walked in the way of the

him in the city of David, but not in the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah tombs of the kings.

and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play

the harlot as the house of Ahab played

the harlot, and you have also killed your

22Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem

brothers, your own family, who were

better than you,

made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in

his place, for the band of men who

14

came with the Arabs to the camp had

behold, the LORD is going to strike

slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the your people, your sons, your wives and

son of Jehoram king of Judah began to Ahab, he found the princes of Judah reign.

and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers

ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them.

2Ahaziah was twenty-two years old

when he became king, and he reigned

9He also sought Ahaziah, and they

one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's

caught him while he was hiding in

name was Athaliah, the granddaughter

Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put

of Omri.

him to death and buried him. For they

said, "He is the son of Jehoshaphat, 3He also walked in the ways of the

who sought the LORD with all his heart."

house of Ahab, for his mother was his

So there was no one of the house of

counselor to do wickedly.

Ahaziah to retain the power of the

kingdom.

4He did evil in the sight of the LORD like

10

the house of Ahab, for they were his

Now when Athaliah the mother of

counselors after the death of his father, Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she

to his destruction.

rose and destroyed all the royal

offspring of the house of Judah.

5He also walked according to their

11

counsel, and went with Jehoram the son

But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter

of Ahab king of Israel to wage war

took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and

against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth—

stole him from among the king's sons

gilead. But the Arameans wounded

who were being put to death, and

Joram.

placed him and his nurse in the

bedroom.

So

Jehoshabeath,

the

6

daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of

So he returned to be healed in Jezreel

Jehoiada the priest (for she was the

of the wounds which they had inflicted

sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah

on him at Ramah, when he fought

so that she would not put him to death.

against Hazael king of Aram. And

Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of

12

Judah, went down to see Jehoram the

He was hidden with them in the house

son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was

of God six years while Athaliah reigned

sick.

over the land.

7Now the destruction of Ahaziah was

from God, in that he went to Joram. For

23Now in the seventh year Jehoiada

when he came, he went out with

strengthened himself, and took captains

Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi,

of hundreds: Azariah the son of

whom the LORD had anointed to cut off

Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan,

the house of Ahab.

Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the

son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of

8It came about when Jehu was

Zichri, and they entered into a covenant

executing judgment on the house of

with him.

2They went throughout Judah and 9Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the gathered the Levites from all the cities of

captains of hundreds the spears and the

Judah, and the heads of the fathers'

large and small shields which had been

households of Israel, and they came to

King David's, which were in the house of

Jerusalem.

God.

3Then all the assembly made a

10He stationed all the people, each man

covenant with the king in the house of

with his weapon in his hand, from the

God. And Jehoiada said to them,

right side of the house to the left side of

"Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the house, by the altar and by the house,

the LORD has spoken concerning the

around the king.

sons of David.

11Then they brought out the king's son

4"This is the thing which you shall do: and put the crown on him, and gave him

one third of you, of the priests and

the testimony and made him king. And

Levites who come in on the sabbath,

Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and

shall be gatekeepers,

said, " Long live the king!"

5and one third shall be at the king's

12When Athaliah heard the noise of the

house, and a third at the Gate of the

people running and praising the king,

Foundation; and all the people shall be

she came into the house of the LORD to

in the courts of the house of the LORD.

the people.

6"But let no one enter the house of the 13She looked, and behold, the king was

LORD except the priests and the

standing by his pillar at the entrance,

ministering Levites; they may enter, for

and the captains and the trumpeters

they are holy. And let all the people

were beside the king. And all the people

keep the charge of the LORD.

of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets,

the

singers

with

their

musical

7"The Levites will surround the king, instruments leading the praise. Then

each man with his weapons in his hand;

Athaliah tore her clothes and said,

and whoever enters the house, let him

"Treason! Treason!"

be killed. Thus be with the king when he

comes in and when he goes out."

14Jehoiada the priest brought out the

captains

of

hundreds

who

were

8So the Levites and all Judah did

appointed over the army and said to

according to all that Jehoiada the priest them, "Bring her out between the ranks;

commanded. And each one of them

and whoever follows her, put to death

took his men who were to come in on

with the sword." For the priest said, "Let the sabbath, with those who were to go her not be put to death in the house of out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the

the LORD."

priest did not dismiss any of the

divisions.

15So they seized her, and when she

arrived at the entrance of the Horse

Gate of the king's house, they put her to years in Jerusalem; and his mother's death there.

name was Zibiah from Beersheba.

16Then Jehoiada made a covenant

2Joash did what was right in the sight of

between himself and all the people and

the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the

the king, that they would be the LORD'S

priest.

people.

3Jehoiada took two wives for him, and

17And all the people went to the house

he became the father of sons and

of Baal and tore it down, and they broke

daughters.

in pieces his altars and his images, and

killed Mattan the priest of Baal before

4Now it came about after this that Joash

the altars.

decided to restore the house of the

LORD.

18Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices

of the house of the LORD under the

5He gathered the priests and Levites

authority of the Levitical priests, whom

and said to them, "Go out to the cities of David had assigned over the house of

Judah and collect money from all Israel

the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of

to repair the house of your God annually,

the LORD, as it is written in the law of and you shall do the matter quickly." But Moses-- with rejoicing and singing the Levites did not act quickly.

according to the order of David.

6So the king summoned Jehoiada the

19He stationed the gatekeepers of the

chief priest and said to him, "Why have house of the LORD, so that no one

you not required the Levites to bring in would enter who was in any way

from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy

unclean.

fixed by Moses the servant of the LORD

on the congregation of Israel for the tent

20He took the captains of hundreds, the

of the testimony?"

nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought the 7For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had king down from the house of the LORD,

broken into the house of God and even

and came through the upper gate to the

used the holy things of the house of the

king's house. And they placed the king

LORD for the Baals.

upon the royal throne.

8So the king commanded, and they

21So all of the people of the land

made a chest and set it outside by the rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they

gate of the house of the LORD.

had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

9They made a proclamation in Judah

24

and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the

Joash was seven years old when

levy fixed by Moses the servant of God

he became king, and he reigned forty

on Israel in the wilderness.

10All the officers and all the people 16They buried him in the city of David rejoiced and brought in their levies and among the kings, because he had done

dropped them into the chest until they

well in Israel and to God and His house.

had finished.

17But after the death of Jehoiada the

11It came about whenever the chest was

officials of Judah came and bowed

brought in to the king's officer by the down to the king, and the king listened Levites, and when they saw that there to them.

was much money, then the king's scribe

and the chief priest's officer would come,

18They abandoned the house of the

empty the chest, take it, and return it to

LORD, the God of their fathers, and

its place. Thus they did daily and

served the Asherim and the idols; so

collected much money.

wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem

for this their guilt.

12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those

who did the work of the service of the 19Yet He sent prophets to them to bring

house of the LORD; and they hired

them back to the LORD; though they

masons and carpenters to restore the

testified against them, they would not

house of the LORD, and also workers in

listen.

iron and bronze to repair the house of

the LORD.

20Then the Spirit of God came on

Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest;

13So the workmen labored, and the

and he stood above the people and said

repair work progressed in their hands,

to them, "Thus God has said, ' Why do and they restored the house of God

you transgress the commandments of

according to its specifications and

the LORD and do not prosper? Because

strengthened it.

you have forsaken the LORD, He has

also forsaken you.'"

14When they had finished, they brought

the rest of the money before the king

21So they conspired against him and at

and Jehoiada; and it was made into

the command of the king they stoned

utensils for the house of the LORD,

him to death in the court of the house of

utensils for the service and the burnt

the LORD.

offering, and pans and utensils of gold

and silver. And they offered burnt

22Thus Joash the king did not remember

offerings in the house of the LORD

the kindness which his father Jehoiada

continually all the days of Jehoiada.

had shown him, but he murdered his

son. And as he died he said, "May the 15Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe

LORD see and avenge!"

old age he died; he was one hundred

and thirty years old at his death.

23Now it happened at the turn of the

year that the army of the Arameans

came up against him; and they came to

Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the 3Now it came about as soon as the officials of the people from among the

kingdom was firmly in his grasp, that he

people, and sent all their spoil to the killed his servants who had slain his

king of Damascus.

father the king.

24Indeed the army of the Arameans

4However, he did not put their children

came with a small number of men; yet

to death, but did as it is written in the the LORD delivered a very great army

law in the book of Moses, which the

into their hands, because they had

LORD commanded, saying, " Fathers

forsaken the LORD, the God of their

shall not be put to death for sons, nor fathers. Thus they executed judgment

sons be put to death for fathers, but

on Joash.

each shall be put to death for his own sin."

25When they had departed from him (for

they left him very sick), his own servants

5Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah

conspired against him because of the

and appointed them according to their

blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, fathers' households under commanders

and murdered him on his bed. So he

of thousands and commanders of

died, and they buried him in the city of hundreds

throughout

Judah

and

David, but they did not bury him in the Benjamin; and he took a census of

tombs of the kings.

those from twenty years old and upward

and found them to be 300,000 choice

26Now these are those who conspired

men, able to go to war and handle spear

against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath

and shield.

the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the

son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

6He hired also 100,000 valiant warriors

out of Israel for one hundred talents of 27As to his sons and the many oracles

silver.

against him and the rebuilding of the

house of God, behold, they are written

7But a man of God came to him saying,

in the treatise of the Book of the Kings.

"O king, do not let the army of Israel go Then Amaziah his son became king in

with you, for the LORD is not with Israel

his place.

nor with any of the sons of Ephraim.

8

25

"But if you do go, do it, be strong for the Amaziah was twenty-five years

battle; yet God will bring you down

old when he became king, and he

before the enemy, for God has power to

reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.

help and to bring down."

And his mother's name was Jehoaddan

9

of Jerusalem.

Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents

2He did right in the sight of the LORD, which I have given to the troops of

yet not with a whole heart.

Israel?" And the man of God answered,

" The LORD has much more to give you stopped and said, "I know that God has than this."

planned to destroy you, because you

have done this and have not listened to

10Then Amaziah dismissed them, the

my counsel."

troops which came to him from Ephraim,

to go home; so their anger burned

17Then Amaziah king of Judah took

against Judah and they returned home

counsel and sent to Joash the son of

in fierce anger.

Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of

Israel, saying, "Come, let us face each 11Now Amaziah strengthened himself

other."

and led his people forth, and went to the

Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of

18Joash the king of Israel sent to

the sons of Seir.

Amaziah king of Judah, saying, " The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent

12The sons of Judah also captured

to the cedar which was in Lebanon,

10,000 alive and brought them to the top

saying, 'Give your daughter to my son in

of the cliff and threw them down from

marriage.' But there passed by a wild

the top of the cliff, so that they were all beast that was in Lebanon and trampled

dashed to pieces.

the thorn bush.

13

19

But the troops whom Amaziah sent

"You said, 'Behold, you have defeated

back from going with him to battle,

Edom.' And your heart has become

raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria

proud in boasting. Now stay at home; for

to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of

why should you provoke trouble so that

them and plundered much spoil.

you, even you, would fall and Judah with

you?"

14Now after Amaziah came from

20

slaughtering the Edomites, he brought

But Amaziah would not listen, for it

the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up

was from God, that He might deliver

as his gods, bowed down before them

them into the hand of Joash because

and burned incense to them.

they had sought the gods of Edom.

15

21

Then the anger of the LORD burned

So Joash king of Israel went up, and

against Amaziah, and He sent him a

he and Amaziah king of Judah faced

prophet who said to him, "Why have you

each other at Beth-shemesh, which

sought the gods of the people who have

belonged to Judah.

not delivered their own people from your

hand?"

22Judah was defeated by Israel, and

they fled each to his tent.

16As he was talking with him, the king

said to him, "Have we appointed you a 23Then Joash king of Israel captured

royal counselor? Stop! Why should you

Amaziah king of Judah, the son of

be struck down?" Then the prophet

Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-

shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem 4He did right in the sight of the LORD

and tore down the wall of Jerusalem

according to all that his father Amaziah from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner

had done.

Gate, 400 cubits.

5He continued to seek God in the days

24He took all the gold and silver and all of Zechariah, who had understanding

the utensils which were found in the

through the vision of God; and as long

house of God with Obed-edom, and the

as he sought the LORD, God prospered

treasures of the king's house, the

him.

hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

6Now he went out and warred against

25And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of

the Philistines, and broke down the wall

Judah, lived fifteen years after the death

of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the 26Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah,

Philistines.

from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah

7God helped him against the Philistines,

and Israel?

and against the Arabians who lived in

Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

27From the time that Amaziah turned

away from following the LORD they

8The Ammonites also gave tribute to

conspired against him in Jerusalem, and

Uzziah, and his fame extended to the

he fled to Lachish; but they sent after border of Egypt, for he became very

him to Lachish and killed him there.

strong.

28Then they brought him on horses and

9Moreover, Uzziah built towers in

buried him with his fathers in the city of Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the

Judah.

Valley Gate and at the corner buttress

and fortified them.

26

10

And all the people of Judah took

He built towers in the wilderness and

hewed many cisterns, for he had much

Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and

livestock, both in the lowland and in the

made him king in the place of his father

Amaziah.

plain. He also had plowmen and

vinedressers in the hill country and the 2

fertile fields, for he loved the soil.

He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

11Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready

3

for battle, which entered combat by

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he

divisions according to the number of

became king, and he reigned fifty-two

their muster, prepared by Jeiel the

years in Jerusalem; and his mother's

scribe and Maaseiah the official, under

name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

the direction of Hananiah, one of the 19But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand king's officers.

for burning incense, was enraged; and

while he was enraged with the priests,

12The total number of the heads of the

the leprosy broke out on his forehead

households, of valiant warriors, was

before the priests in the house of the

2,600.

LORD, beside the altar of incense.

13

20

Under their direction was an elite army

Azariah the chief priest and all the

of 307,500, who could wage war with

priests looked at him, and behold, he

great power, to help the king against the

was leprous on his forehead; and they

enemy.

hurried him out of there, and he himself

also hastened to get out because the

14

LORD had smitten him.

Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the

army shields, spears, helmets, body

21

armor, bows and sling stones.

King Uzziah was a leper to the day of

his death; and he lived in a separate

15

house, being a leper, for he was cut off In Jerusalem he made engines of war

from the house of the LORD. And

invented by skillful men to be on the

Jotham his son was over the king's

towers and on the corners for the

house judging the people of the land.

purpose of shooting arrows and great

stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for

22

he was marvelously helped until he was

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first

strong.

to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written.

16But when he became strong, his heart

23

was so proud that he acted corruptly,

So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and

and he was unfaithful to the LORD his

they buried him with his fathers in the God, for he entered the temple of the

field of the grave which belonged to the

LORD to burn incense on the altar of

kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And incense.

Jotham his son became king in his place.

17Then Azariah the priest entered after

him and with him eighty priests of the

27Jotham was twenty-five years old

LORD, valiant men.

when he became king, and he reigned

sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his

18They opposed Uzziah the king and

mother's name was Jerushah the

said to him, " It is not for you, Uzziah, to daughter of Zadok.

burn incense to the LORD, but for the

priests, the sons of Aaron who are

2He did right in the sight of the LORD, consecrated to burn incense. Get out of

according to all that his father Uzziah

the sanctuary, for you have been

had done; however he did not enter the

unfaithful and will have no honor from

temple of the LORD. But the people

the LORD God."

continued acting corruptly.

3He built the upper gate of the house of 2But he walked in the ways of the kings the LORD, and he built extensively the

of Israel; he also made molten images

wall of Ophel.

for the Baals.

4Moreover, he built cities in the hill

3Moreover, he burned incense in the

country of Judah, and he built fortresses

valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his

and towers on the wooded hills.

sons

in

fire,

according

to

the

abominations of the nations whom the

5He fought also with the king of the

LORD had driven out before the sons of

Ammonites and prevailed over them so

Israel.

that the Ammonites gave him during that

year one hundred talents of silver, ten

4He sacrificed and burned incense on

thousand kors of wheat and ten

the high places, on the hills and under thousand of barley. The Ammonites also

every green tree.

paid him this amount in the second and

in the third year.

5Wherefore, the LORD his God

delivered him into the hand of the king 6So Jotham became mighty because he

of Aram; and they defeated him and

ordered his ways before the LORD his

carried away from him a great number

God.

of captives and brought them to

Damascus. And he was also delivered

7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham,

into the hand of the king of Israel, who even all his wars and his acts, behold, inflicted him with heavy casualties.

they are written in the Book of the Kings

of Israel and Judah.

6For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in

Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant

8He was twenty-five years old when he

men, because they had forsaken the

became king, and he reigned sixteen

LORD God of their fathers.

years in Jerusalem.

7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim,

9And Jotham slept with his fathers, and

slew Maaseiah the king's son and

they buried him in the city of David; and

Azrikam the ruler of the house and

Ahaz his son became king in his place.

Elkanah the second to the king.

8The sons of Israel carried away captive

28Ahaz was twenty years old when of their brethren 200,000 women, sons and daughters; and they took also a he became king, and he reigned sixteen

great deal of spoil from them, and

years in Jerusalem; and he did not do

brought the spoil to Samaria.

right in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done.

9But a prophet of the LORD was there,

whose name was Oded; and he went

out to meet the army which came to

Samaria and said to them, "Behold, to their brothers; then they returned to because the LORD, the God of your Samaria.

fathers, was angry with Judah, He has

delivered them into your hand, and you

16At that time King Ahaz sent to the

have slain them in a rage which has

kings of Assyria for help.

even reached heaven.

17For again the Edomites had come and

10"Now you are proposing to subjugate attacked Judah and carried away

for yourselves the people of Judah and

captives.

Jerusalem for male and female slaves.

Surely, do you not have transgressions

18The Philistines also had invaded the

of your own against the LORD your God? cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, 11"Now therefore, listen to me and return Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its

the captives whom you captured from

villages, Timnah with its villages, and

your brothers, for the burning anger of

Gimzo with its villages, and they settled the LORD is against you."

there.

12Then some of the heads of the sons of

19For the LORD humbled Judah

Ephraim--Azariah the son of Johanan,

because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he

Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth,

had brought about a lack of restraint in Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and

Judah and was very unfaithful to the

Amasa the son of Hadlai--arose against

LORD.

those who were coming from the battle,

20So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria

13and said to them, "You must not bring

came against him and afflicted him

the captives in here, for you are

instead of strengthening him.

proposing to bring upon us guilt against

the LORD adding to our sins and our

21Although Ahaz took a portion out of

guilt; for our guilt is great so that His the house of the LORD and out of the burning anger is against Israel."

palace of the king and of the princes,

and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did 14So the armed men left the captives not help him.

and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly.

22Now in the time of his distress this

same King Ahaz became yet more

15Then the men who were designated by

unfaithful to the LORD.

name arose, took the captives, and they

clothed all their naked ones from the

23For he sacrificed to the gods of

spoil; and they gave them clothes and

Damascus which had defeated him, and

sandals, fed them and gave them drink,

said, " Because the gods of the kings of

anointed them with oil, led all their

Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to

feeble ones on donkeys, and brought

them that they may help me." But they them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, became the downfall of him and all 4He brought in the priests and the Israel.

Levites and gathered them into the

square on the east.

24Moreover, when Ahaz gathered

together the utensils of the house of

5Then he said to them, "Listen to me, O

God, he cut the utensils of the house of

Levites. Consecrate yourselves now,

God in pieces; and he closed the doors

and consecrate the house of the LORD,

of the house of the LORD and made

the God of your fathers, and carry the

altars for himself in every corner of

uncleanness out from the holy place.

Jerusalem.

6"For our fathers have been unfaithful 25In every city of Judah he made high

and have done evil in the sight of the places to burn incense to other gods,

LORD our God, and have forsaken Him

and provoked the LORD, the God of his

and turned their faces away from the

fathers, to anger.

dwelling place of the LORD, and have

turned their backs.

26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are

7"They have also shut the doors of the written in the Book of the Kings of Judah

porch and put out the lamps, and have

and Israel.

not burned incense or offered burnt

offerings in the holy place to the God of

27So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and

Israel.

they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem,

for they did not bring him into the tombs

8"Therefore the wrath of the LORD was

of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his against Judah and Jerusalem, and He

son reigned in his place.

has made them an object of terror, of

horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes.

29Hezekiah became king when he 9

was twenty-five years old; and he

"For behold, our fathers have fallen by reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.

the sword, and our sons and our

And his mother's name was Abijah, the

daughters and our wives are in captivity

daughter of Zechariah.

for this.

10

2He did right in the sight of the LORD,

"Now it is in my heart to make a

according to all that his father David had

covenant with the LORD God of Israel,

done.

that His burning anger may turn away

from us.

3In the first year of his reign, in the first 11

month, he opened the doors of the

"My sons, do not be negligent now, for

house of the LORD and repaired them.

the LORD has chosen you to stand

before Him, to minister to Him, and to be

His ministers and burn incense."

12Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the 19"Moreover, all the utensils which King son of Amasai and Joel the son of Ahaz had discarded during his reign in

Azariah, from the sons of the Kohathites;

his unfaithfulness, we have prepared

and from the sons of Merari, Kish the

and consecrated; and behold, they are

son of Abdi and Azariah the son of

before the altar of the LORD."

Jehallelel; and from the Gershonites,

Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the

20Then King Hezekiah arose early and

son of Joah;

assembled the princes of the city and

went up to the house of the LORD.

13and from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri

and Jeiel; and from the sons of Asaph,

21They brought seven bulls, seven rams,

Zechariah and Mattaniah;

seven lambs and seven male goats for a

sin offering for the kingdom, the

14and from the sons of Heman, Jehiel

sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered

and Shimei; and from the sons of

the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

them on the altar of the LORD.

15They assembled their brothers,

22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the

consecrated themselves, and went in to

priests took the blood and sprinkled it on

cleanse the house of the LORD,

the altar. They also slaughtered the

according to the commandment of the

rams and sprinkled the blood on the

king by the words of the LORD.

altar; they slaughtered the lambs also

and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

16So the priests went in to the inner part

of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, 23Then they brought the male goats of

and every unclean thing which they

the sin offering before the king and the found in the temple of the LORD they

assembly, and they laid their hands on

brought out to the court of the house of them.

the LORD. Then the Levites received it

to carry out to the Kidron valley.

24The priests slaughtered them and

purged the altar with their blood to atone

17Now they began the consecration on

for all Israel, for the king ordered the the first day of the first month, and on burnt offering and the sin offering for all the eighth day of the month they entered

Israel.

the porch of the LORD. Then they

consecrated the house of the LORD in

25He then stationed the Levites in the

eight days, and finished on the sixteenth

house of the LORD with cymbals, with

day of the first month.

harps and with lyres, according to the

command of David and of Gad the

18Then they went in to King Hezekiah

king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet;

and said, "We have cleansed the whole

for the command was from the LORD

house of the LORD, the altar of burnt

through His prophets.

offering with all of its utensils, and the table of showbread with all of its utensils.

26The Levites stood with the musical 33The consecrated things were 600 bulls instruments of David, and the priests

and 3,000 sheep.

with the trumpets.

34But the priests were too few, so that 27Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer

they were unable to skin all the burnt

the burnt offering on the altar. When the

offerings; therefore their brothers the

burnt offering began, the song to the

Levites helped them until the work was

LORD also began with the trumpets,

completed and until the other priests

accompanied by the instruments of

had consecrated themselves. For the

David, king of Israel.

Levites were more conscientious to

consecrate themselves than the priests.

28While the whole assembly worshiped,

the singers also sang and the trumpets

35There were also many burnt offerings

sounded; all this continued until the

with the fat of the peace offerings and burnt offering was finished.

with the libations for the burnt offerings.

Thus the service of the house of the

29Now at the completion of the burnt

LORD was established again.

offerings, the king and all who were

present with him bowed down and

36Then Hezekiah and all the people

worshiped.

rejoiced over what God had prepared for

the people, because the thing came

30Moreover, King Hezekiah and the

about suddenly.

officials ordered the Levites to sing

praises to the LORD with the words of

David and Asaph the seer. So they sang

30Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel

praises with joy, and bowed down and

and Judah and wrote letters also to

worshiped.

Ephraim and Manasseh, that they

should come to the house of the LORD

31Then Hezekiah said, " Now that you at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover

have consecrated yourselves to the

to the LORD God of Israel.

LORD, come near and bring sacrifices

and thank offerings to the house of the 2For the king and his princes and all the

LORD." And the assembly brought

assembly in Jerusalem had decided to

sacrifices and thank offerings, and all

celebrate the Passover in the second

those who were willing brought burnt

month,

offerings.

3

32

since they could not celebrate it at that

The number of the burnt offerings

time, because the priests had not

which the assembly brought was 70

consecrated themselves in sufficient

bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all

numbers, nor had the people been

these were for a burnt offering to the

gathered to Jerusalem.

LORD.

4Thus the thing was right in the sight of Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but the king and all the assembly.

they laughed them to scorn and mocked

them.

5So they established a decree to

circulate a proclamation throughout all

11Nevertheless some men of Asher,

Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that

Manasseh

and

Zebulun

humbled

they should come to celebrate the

themselves and came to Jerusalem.

Passover to the LORD God of Israel at

Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated

12The hand of God was also on Judah to

it in great numbers as it was prescribed.

give them one heart to do what the king

and the princes commanded by the

6The couriers went throughout all Israel

word of the LORD.

and Judah with the letters from the hand

of the king and his princes, even

13Now many people were gathered at

according to the command of the king,

Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of

saying, "O sons of Israel, return to the Unleavened Bread in the second month,

LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and

a very large assembly.

Israel, that He may return to those of

you who escaped and are left from the

14They arose and removed the altars

hand of the kings of Assyria.

which were in Jerusalem; they also

removed all the incense altars and cast

7" Do not be like your fathers and your them into the brook Kidron.

brothers, who were unfaithful to the

LORD God of their fathers, so that He

15Then they slaughtered the Passover

made them a horror, as you see.

lambs on the fourteenth of the second

month. And the priests and Levites were

8"Now do not stiffen your neck like your

ashamed

of

themselves,

and

fathers, but yield to the LORD and enter

consecrated themselves and brought

His

sanctuary

which

He

has

burnt offerings to the house of the

consecrated forever, and serve the

LORD.

LORD your God, that His burning anger

may turn away from you.

16They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses

9"For if you return to the LORD, your the man of God; the priests sprinkled

brothers and your sons will find

the blood which they received from the

compassion before those who led them

hand of the Levites.

captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and

17For there were many in the assembly

compassionate, and will not turn His

who had not consecrated themselves;

face away from you if you return to

therefore, the Levites were over the

Him."

slaughter of the Passover lambs for

everyone who was unclean, in order to

10So the couriers passed from city to city

consecrate them to the LORD.

through the country of Ephraim and

18For a multitude of the people, even 25All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, many from Ephraim and Manasseh,

with the priests and the Levites and all Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified

the assembly that came from Israel,

themselves, yet they ate the Passover

both the sojourners who came from the

otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah

land of Israel and those living in Judah.

prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon

26So there was great joy in Jerusalem,

because there was nothing like this in

19everyone who prepares his heart to

Jerusalem since the days of Solomon

seek God, the LORD God of his fathers,

the son of David, king of Israel.

though not according to the purification

rules of the sanctuary."

27Then the Levitical priests arose and

blessed the people; and their voice was

20So the LORD heard Hezekiah and

heard and their prayer came to His holy

healed the people.

dwelling place, to heaven.

21The sons of Israel present in

Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of

31Now when all this was finished, all

Unleavened Bread for seven days with

Israel who were present went out to the

great joy, and the Levites and the

cities of Judah, broke the pillars in

priests praised the LORD day after day

pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled

with loud instruments to the LORD.

down the high places and the altars

throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as

22Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly

well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until

to all the Levites who showed good

they had destroyed them all. Then all

insight in the things of the LORD. So

the sons of Israel returned to their cities,

they ate for the appointed seven days,

each to his possession.

sacrificing peace offerings and giving

thanks to the LORD God of their fathers.

2And Hezekiah appointed the divisions

of the priests and the Levites by their 23Then the whole assembly decided to

divisions, each according to his service,

celebrate the feast another seven days,

both the priests and the Levites, for

so they celebrated the seven days with

burnt offerings and for peace offerings,

joy.

to minister and to give thanks and to

praise in the gates of the camp of the 24For Hezekiah king of Judah had

LORD.

contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls

and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had

3He also appointed the king's portion of

contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls

his goods for the burnt offerings, namely,

and 10,000 sheep; and a large number

for the morning and evening burnt

of priests consecrated themselves.

offerings, and the burnt offerings for the

sabbaths and for the new moons and for

the fixed festivals, as it is written in the 11Then Hezekiah commanded them to law of the LORD.

prepare rooms in the house of the

LORD, and they prepared them.

4Also he commanded the people who

lived in Jerusalem to give the portion

12They faithfully brought in the

due to the priests and the Levites, that contributions and the tithes and the

they might devote themselves to the law

consecrated things; and Conaniah the

of the LORD.

Levite was the officer in charge of them

and his brother Shimei was second.

5As soon as the order spread, the sons

of Israel provided in abundance the first

13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel,

fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah,

of all the produce of the field; and they Mahath and Benaiah were overseers

brought in abundantly the tithe of all.

under the authority of Conaniah and

Shimei his brother by the appointment of

6The sons of Israel and Judah who lived

King Hezekiah, and Azariah was the

in the cities of Judah also brought in the

chief officer of the house of God.

tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of

sacred gifts which were consecrated to

14Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the

the LORD their God, and placed them in

keeper of the eastern gate, was over the

heaps.

freewill offerings of God, to apportion

the contributions for the LORD and the

7In the third month they began to make

most holy things.

the heaps, and finished them by the

seventh month.

15Under his authority were Eden,

Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah

8When Hezekiah and the rulers came

and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests,

and saw the heaps, they blessed the

to distribute faithfully their portions to LORD and His people Israel.

their brothers by divisions, whether

great or small,

9Then Hezekiah questioned the priests

16

and the Levites concerning the heaps.

without regard to their genealogical

enrollment, to the males from thirty

10

years old and upward--everyone who

Azariah the chief priest of the house of

entered the house of the LORD for his

Zadok said to him, " Since the

daily obligations--for their work in their contributions began to be brought into

duties according to their divisions;

the house of the LORD, we have had

enough to eat with plenty left over, for 17

the LORD has blessed His people, and

as well as the priests who were

this great quantity is left over."

enrolled genealogically according to

their fathers' households, and the

Levites from twenty years old and

upwards, by their duties and their

divisions.

18The genealogical enrollment included saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria all their little children, their wives, their come and find abundant water?"

sons and their daughters, for the whole

assembly,

for

they

consecrated

5And he took courage and rebuilt all the

themselves faithfully in holiness.

wall that had been broken down and

erected towers on it, and built another

19Also for the sons of Aaron the priests outside wall and strengthened the Millo

who were in the pasture lands of their

in the city of David, and made weapons

cities, or in each and every city, there and shields in great number.

were men who were designated by

name to distribute portions to every

6He appointed military officers over the

male among the priests and to everyone

people and gathered them to him in the

genealogically

enrolled

among

the

square at the city gate, and spoke

Levites.

encouragingly to them, saying,

20Thus Hezekiah did throughout all

7" Be strong and courageous, do not Judah; and he did what was good, right

fear or be dismayed because of the king

and true before the LORD his God.

of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is 21Every work which he began in the greater than the one with him.

service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he

8"With him is only an arm of flesh, but did with all his heart and prospered.

with us is the LORD our God to help us

and to fight our battles." And the people 32

relied on the words of Hezekiah king of After these acts of faithfulness

Judah.

Sennacherib king of Assyria came and

9

invaded Judah and besieged the

After this Sennacherib king of Assyria

fortified cities, and thought to break into sent his servants to Jerusalem while he

them for himself.

was besieging Lachish with all his forces

with him, against Hezekiah king of

2Now when Hezekiah saw that

Judah and against all Judah who were

Sennacherib had come and that he

at Jerusalem, saying,

intended to make war on Jerusalem,

10"Thus says Sennacherib king of

3he decided with his officers and his

Assyria, 'On what are you trusting that

warriors to cut off the supply of water you are remaining in Jerusalem under

from the springs which were outside the

siege?

city, and they helped him.

11'Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give

4So many people assembled and

yourselves over to die by hunger and by

stopped up all the springs and the

thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will stream which flowed through the region,

deliver us from the hand of the king of of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to Assyria"?

frighten and terrify them, so that they

might take the city.

12' Has not the same Hezekiah taken

away His high places and His altars,

19They spoke of the God of Jerusalem

and said to Judah and Jerusalem, "You as of the gods of the peoples of the

shall worship before one altar, and on it

earth, the work of men's hands.

you shall burn incense"?

20But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the

13'Do you not know what I and my

prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about

fathers have done to all the peoples of this and cried out to heaven.

the lands? Were the gods of the nations

of the lands able at all to deliver their 21And the LORD sent an angel who

land from my hand?

destroyed

every

mighty

warrior,

commander and officer in the camp of

14' Who was there among all the gods of

the king of Assyria. So he returned in

those nations which my fathers utterly

shame to his own land. And when he

destroyed who could deliver his people

had entered the temple of his god, some

out of my hand, that your God should be

of his own children killed him there with able to deliver you from my hand?

the sword.

15'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah

22So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the

deceive you or mislead you like this, and

inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand

do not believe him, for no god of any

of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and

nation or kingdom was able to deliver

from the hand of all others, and guided his people from my hand or from the

them on every side.

hand of my fathers. How much less will

your God deliver you from my hand?'"

23And many were bringing gifts to the

LORD

at

Jerusalem

and

choice

16His servants spoke further against the

presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so

LORD God and against His servant

that he was exalted in the sight of all Hezekiah.

nations thereafter.

17He also wrote letters to insult the

24In those days Hezekiah became

LORD God of Israel, and to speak

mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD,

against Him, saying, " As the gods of the and the LORD spoke to him and gave

nations of the lands have not delivered

him a sign.

their people from my hand, so the God

of Hezekiah will not deliver His people

25But Hezekiah gave no return for the

from my hand."

benefit he received, because his heart

was proud; therefore wrath came on him

18They called this out with a loud voice and on Judah and Jerusalem.

in the language of Judah to the people

26However, Hezekiah humbled the pride honored him at his death. And his son of his heart, both he and the inhabitants

Manasseh became king in his place.

of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the

LORD did not come on them in the days

of Hezekiah.

33Manasseh was twelve years old

27

when he became king, and he reigned

Now Hezekiah had immense riches

fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

and honor; and he made for himself

treasuries for silver, gold, precious

2

stones, spices, shields and all kinds of He did evil in the sight of the LORD

valuable articles,

according to the abominations of the

nations whom the LORD dispossessed

28

before the sons of Israel.

storehouses also for the produce of

grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of 3

cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks.

For he rebuilt the high places which

Hezekiah his father had broken down;

29

he also erected altars for the Baals and

He made cities for himself and

made Asherim, and worshiped all the

acquired flocks and herds in abundance,

host of heaven and served them.

for God had given him very great wealth.

4

30

He built altars in the house of the

It was Hezekiah who stopped the

LORD of which the LORD had said, "My

upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and name shall be in Jerusalem forever."

directed them to the west side of the city

of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all

5

that he did.

For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of

31

the LORD.

Even in the matter of the envoys of the

rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to

6

inquire of the wonder that had happened

He made his sons pass through the fire

in the land, God left him alone only to in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he

test him, that He might know all that was

practiced witchcraft, used divination,

in his heart.

practiced

sorcery

and

dealt

with

mediums and spiritists. He did much evil

32

in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him

Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah

to anger.

and his deeds of devotion, behold, they

are written in the vision of Isaiah the 7

prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of

Then he put the carved image of the

the Kings of Judah and Israel.

idol which he had made in the house of

God, of which God had said to David

33

and to Solomon his son, " In this house So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and

and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen

they buried him in the upper section of from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My

the tombs of the sons of David; and all name forever;

Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem

8and I will not again remove the foot of 15He also removed the foreign gods and Israel from the land which I have

the idol from the house of the LORD, as

appointed for your fathers, if only they well as all the altars which he had built will observe to do all that I have on the mountain of the house of the

commanded them according to all the

LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw

law, the statutes and the ordinances

them outside the city.

given through Moses."

16He set up the altar of the LORD and

9Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the

sacrificed peace offerings and thank

inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil

offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to

than the nations whom the LORD

serve the LORD God of Israel.

destroyed before the sons of Israel.

17Nevertheless the people still sacrificed

10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his

in the high places, although only to the people, but they paid no attention.

LORD their God.

11Therefore the LORD brought the

18Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh

commanders of the army of the king of

even his prayer to his God, and the

Assyria against them, and they captured

words of the seers who spoke to him in

Manasseh with hooks, bound him with

the name of the LORD God of Israel,

bronze chains and took him to Babylon.

behold, they are among the records of

the kings of Israel.

12When he was in distress, he entreated

the LORD his God and humbled himself

19His prayer also and how God was

greatly before the God of his fathers.

entreated by him, and all his sin, his

unfaithfulness, and the sites on which

13When he prayed to Him, He was

he built high places and erected the

moved by his entreaty and heard his

Asherim and the carved images, before

supplication, and brought him again to

he humbled himself, behold, they are

Jerusalem

to

his

kingdom.

Then

written in the records of the Hozai.

Manasseh knew that the LORD was

God.

20So Manasseh slept with his fathers,

and they buried him in his own house.

14Now after this he built the outer wall of

And Amon his son became king in his

the city of David on the west side of

place.

Gihon, in the valley, even to the

entrance of the Fish Gate; and he

21Amon was twenty-two years old when

encircled the Ophel with it and made it he became king, and he reigned two

very

high.

Then

he

put

army

years in Jerusalem.

commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

22He did evil in the sight of the LORD as

Manasseh his father had done, and

Amon sacrificed to all the carved images

which his father Manasseh had made, 5Then he burned the bones of the and he served them.

priests on their altars and purged Judah

and Jerusalem.

23Moreover, he did not humble himself

before

the

LORD

as

his

father

6In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim,

Manasseh

had

done,

but

Amon

Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their

multiplied guilt.

surrounding ruins,

24Finally his servants conspired against

7he also tore down the altars and beat

him and put him to death in his own

the Asherim and the carved images into

house.

powder, and chopped down all the

incense altars throughout the land of

25But the people of the land killed all the

Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

conspirators against King Amon, and

the people of the land made Josiah his

8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign,

son king in his place.

when he had purged the land and the

house, he sent Shaphan the son of

Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the 34Josiah was eight years old when city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the he became king, and he reigned thirty—

LORD his God.

one years in Jerusalem.

9

2

They came to Hilkiah the high priest

He did right in the sight of the LORD, and delivered the money that was

and walked in the ways of his father

brought into the house of God, which

David and did not turn aside to the right

the Levites, the doorkeepers, had

or to the left.

collected from Manasseh and Ephraim,

and from all the remnant of Israel, and 3For in the eighth year of his reign while

from all Judah and Benjamin and the

he was still a youth, he began to seek inhabitants of Jerusalem.

the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah

10Then they gave it into the hands of the

and Jerusalem of the high places, the

workmen who had the oversight of the

Asherim, the carved images and the

house of the LORD, and the workmen

molten images.

who were working in the house of the

LORD used it to restore and repair the

4They tore down the altars of the Baals

house.

in his presence, and the incense altars

that were high above them he chopped

11They in turn gave it to the carpenters down; also the Asherim, the carved

and to the builders to buy quarried stone

images and the molten images he broke

and timber for couplings and to make

in pieces and ground to powder and

beams for the houses which the kings of

scattered it on the graves of those who Judah had let go to ruin.

had sacrificed to them.

12The men did the work faithfully with 19When the king heard the words of the foremen over them to supervise: Jahath

law, he tore his clothes.

and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of

Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the

20Then the king commanded Hilkiah,

sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites,

Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the

all who were skillful with musical

son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and

instruments.

Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

13They were also over the burden

21"Go, inquire of the LORD for me and bearers,

and

supervised

all

the

for those who are left in Israel and in workmen from job to job; and some of

Judah, concerning the words of the

the Levites were scribes and officials

book which has been found; for great is

and gatekeepers.

the wrath of the LORD which is poured

out on us because our fathers have not

14When they were bringing out the

observed the word of the LORD, to do

money which had been brought into the

according to all that is written in this house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest

book."

found the book of the law of the LORD

given by Moses.

22So Hilkiah and those whom the king

had told went to Huldah the prophetess,

15Hilkiah responded and said to

the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the book of the law in the house of the

wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in

LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to the Second Quarter); and they spoke to

Shaphan.

her regarding this.

16Then Shaphan brought the book to the

23She said to them, "Thus says the

king and reported further word to the

LORD, the God of Israel, 'Tell the man

king, saying, "Everything that was

who sent you to Me,

entrusted to your servants they are

doing.

24thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its

17"They have also emptied out the

inhabitants, even all the curses written

money which was found in the house of

in the book which they have read in the

the LORD, and have delivered it into the

presence of the king of Judah.

hands of the supervisors and the

workmen."

25" Because they have forsaken Me and

have burned incense to other gods, that

18Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the

they might provoke Me to anger with all

king saying, "Hilkiah the priest gave me the works of their hands; therefore My a book." And Shaphan read from it in wrath will be poured out on this place the presence of the king.

and it shall not be quenched."'

26"But to the king of Judah who sent you Jerusalem did according to the covenant to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say

of God, the God of their fathers.

to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of

Israel regarding the words which you

33Josiah removed all the abominations

have heard,

from all the lands belonging to the sons

of Israel, and made all who were

27" Because your heart was tender and present in Israel to serve the LORD their

you humbled yourself before God when

God. Throughout his lifetime they did

you heard His words against this place

not turn from following the LORD God of

and against its inhabitants, and because

their fathers.

you humbled yourself before Me, tore

your clothes and wept before Me, I truly

have heard you," declares the LORD.

35Then Josiah celebrated the

28

Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem,

"Behold, I will gather you to your

and they slaughtered the Passover

fathers and you shall be gathered to

animals on the fourteenth day of the first

your grave in peace, so your eyes will

month.

not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants."'" And 2

they brought back word to the king.

He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the

29

house of the LORD.

Then the king sent and gathered all

the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

3He also said to the Levites who taught

30

all Israel and who were holy to the

The king went up to the house of the

LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house LORD and all the men of Judah, the

which Solomon the son of David king of

inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the

Israel built; it will be a burden on your Levites and all the people, from the

shoulders no longer. Now serve the

greatest to the least; and he read in their

LORD your God and His people Israel.

hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house

4

of the LORD.

" Prepare yourselves by your fathers'

households in your divisions, according

31

to the writing of David king of Israel and

Then the king stood in his place and

according to the writing of his son

made a covenant before the LORD to

Solomon.

walk after the LORD, and to keep His

commandments and His testimonies

5

and His statutes with all his heart and

"Moreover, stand in the holy place

with all his soul, to perform the words of

according to the sections of the fathers'

the covenant written in this book.

households of your brethren the lay

people, and according to the Levites, by

32

division of a father's household.

Moreover, he made all who were

present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to

stand with him. So the inhabitants of

6"Now slaughter the Passover animals, 13So they roasted the Passover animals sanctify yourselves and prepare for your

on the fire according to the ordinance,

brethren to do according to the word of and they boiled the holy things in pots, the LORD by Moses."

in kettles, in pans, and carried them

speedily to all the lay people.

7Josiah contributed to the lay people, to

all who were present, flocks of lambs

14Afterwards

they

prepared

for

and young goats, all for the Passover

themselves and for the priests, because

offerings, numbering 30,000 plus 3,000

the priests, the sons of Aaron, were

bulls; these were from the king's

offering the burnt offerings and the fat possessions.

until

night;

therefore

the

Levites

prepared for themselves and for the

8His officers also contributed a freewill priests, the sons of Aaron.

offering to the people, the priests and

the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and

15The singers, the sons of Asaph, were

Jehiel, the officials of the house of God,

also at their stations according to the

gave to the priests for the Passover

command of David, Asaph, Heman, and

offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300

Jeduthun the king's seer; and the

bulls.

gatekeepers at each gate did not have

to depart from their service, because the

9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and

Levites their brethren prepared for them.

Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah

and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of

16So all the service of the LORD was

the Levites, contributed to the Levites

prepared on that day to celebrate the

for the Passover offerings 5,000 from

Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on

the flocks and 500 bulls.

the altar of the LORD according to the

command of King Josiah.

10So the service was prepared, and the

priests stood at their stations and the

17Thus the sons of Israel who were

Levites by their divisions according to

present celebrated the Passover at that

the king's command.

time, and the Feast of Unleavened

Bread seven days.

11They slaughtered the Passover

animals, and while the priests sprinkled

18There had not been celebrated a

the blood received from their hand, the

Passover like it in Israel since the days Levites skinned them.

of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of

the kings of Israel celebrated such a

12Then they removed the burnt offerings

Passover as Josiah did with the priests,

that they might give them to the sections

the Levites, all Judah and Israel who

of the fathers' households of the lay

were present, and the inhabitants of

people to present to the LORD, as it is Jerusalem.

written in the book of Moses. They did

this also with the bulls.

19In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign

this Passover was celebrated.

20After all this, when Josiah had set the 27and his acts, first to last, behold, they temple in order, Neco king of Egypt are written in the Book of the Kings of came up to make war at Carchemish on

Israel and Judah.

the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to

engage him.

36Then the people of the land took

21But Neco sent messengers to him,

Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him

saying, " What have we to do with each

king in place of his father in Jerusalem.

other, O King of Judah? I am not coming

against you today but against the house

2

with which I am at war, and God has

Joahaz was twenty-three years old

ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own

when he became king, and he reigned

sake from interfering with God who is

three months in Jerusalem.

with me, so that He will not destroy you."

3Then the king of Egypt deposed him at

22However, Josiah would not turn away

Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a

from him, but disguised himself in order fine of one hundred talents of silver and

to make war with him; nor did he listen one talent of gold.

to the words of Neco from the mouth of

4

God, but came to make war on the plain

The king of Egypt made Eliakim his

of Megiddo.

brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,

and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

23The archers shot King Josiah, and the

But Neco took Joahaz his brother and

king said to his servants, "Take me brought him to Egypt.

away, for I am badly wounded."

5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old

24So his servants took him out of the

when he became king, and he reigned

chariot and carried him in the second

eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did

chariot which he had, and brought him

evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

to Jerusalem where he died and was

6

buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came

Judah and Jerusalem mourned for

up against him and bound him with

Josiah.

bronze chains to take him to Babylon.

25

7

Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for

Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of

Josiah. And all the male and female

the articles of the house of the LORD to

singers speak about Josiah in their

Babylon and put them in his temple at

lamentations to this day. And they made

Babylon.

them an ordinance in Israel; behold,

they are also written in the Lamentations. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, and 26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and

what was found against him, behold,

his deeds of devotion as written in the they are written in the Book of the Kings

law of the LORD,

of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his 16but they continually mocked the son became king in his place.

messengers of God, despised His words

and scoffed at His prophets, until the

9Jehoiachin was eight years old when

wrath of the LORD arose against His

he became king, and he reigned three

people, until there was no remedy.

months and ten days in Jerusalem, and

he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

17Therefore He brought up against them

the king of the Chaldeans who slew their

10At the turn of the year King

young men with the sword in the house

Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him

of

their

sanctuary,

and

had

no

to Babylon with the valuable articles of compassion on young man or virgin, old

the house of the LORD, and he made

man or infirm; He gave them all into his

his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah

hand.

and Jerusalem.

18All the articles of the house of God, 11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old

great and small, and the treasures of the

when he became king, and he reigned

house of the LORD, and the treasures

eleven years in Jerusalem.

of the king and of his officers, he

brought them all to Babylon.

12He did evil in the sight of the LORD his

19

God; he did not humble himself before

Then they burned the house of God

Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the

and broke down the wall of Jerusalem,

LORD.

and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable

13

articles.

He

also

rebelled

against

King

Nebuchadnezzar who had made him

20

swear allegiance by God. But he

Those who had escaped from the

stiffened his neck and hardened his

sword he carried away to Babylon; and

heart against turning to the LORD God

they were servants to him and to his

of Israel.

sons until the rule of the kingdom of

Persia,

14Furthermore, all the officials of the

21

priests and the people were very

to fulfill the word of the LORD by the unfaithful following all the abominations

mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had

of the nations; and they defiled the

enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its house of the LORD which He had

desolation it kept sabbath until seventy

sanctified in Jerusalem.

years were complete.

15

22

The LORD, the God of their fathers,

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of sent word to them again and again by

Persia--in order to fulfill the word of the His messengers, because He had

LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah--the

compassion on His people and on His

LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king

dwelling place;

of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation

throughout his kingdom, and also put it me all the kingdoms of the earth, and in writing, saying,

He has appointed me to build Him a

house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

23"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The

Whoever there is among you of all His

LORD, the God of heaven, has given

people, may the LORD his God be with

him, and let him go up!'"

Ezra

aside from all that was given as a

freewill offering.

1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of 7Also King Cyrus brought out the articles Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the of the house of the LORD, which

LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king

Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from

of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation

Jerusalem and put in the house of his

throughout all his kingdom, and also put

gods;

it in writing, saying:

8and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them

2"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The brought out by the hand of Mithredath

LORD, the God of heaven, has given

the treasurer, and he counted them out

me all the kingdoms of the earth and He

to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

has appointed me to build Him a house

9

in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Now this was their number: 30 gold

dishes,

1,000

silver

dishes,

29

3'Whoever there is among you of all His

duplicates;

people, may his God be with him! Let

10

him go up to Jerusalem which is in

30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a

Judah and rebuild the house of the

second kind and 1,000 other articles.

LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God

who is in Jerusalem.

11All the articles of gold and silver

numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought

4'Every survivor, at whatever place he

them all up with the exiles who went up

may live, let the men of that place

from Babylon to Jerusalem.

support him with silver and gold, with

goods and cattle, together with a freewill

offering for the house of God which is in

2Now these are the people of the

Jerusalem.'"

province who came up out of the

captivity

of

the

exiles

whom

5Then the heads of fathers' households

Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon

of Judah and Benjamin and the priests

had carried away to Babylon, and

and the Levites arose, even everyone

returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each

whose spirit God had stirred to go up

to his city.

and rebuild the house of the LORD

which is in Jerusalem.

2These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua,

Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai,

6All those about them encouraged them

Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and

with articles of silver, with gold, with Baanah. The number of the men of the

goods, with cattle and with valuables,

people of Israel:

3the sons of Parosh, 2,172;

23the men of Anathoth, 128;

4the sons of Shephatiah, 372;

24the sons of Azmaveth, 42;

5the sons of Arah, 775;

25the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah

and Beeroth, 743;

6the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of

Jeshua and Joab, 2,812;

26the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621;

7the sons of Elam, 1,254;

27the men of Michmas, 122;

8the sons of Zattu, 945;

28the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

9the sons of Zaccai, 760;

29the sons of Nebo, 52;

10the sons of Bani, 642;

30the sons of Magbish, 156;

11the sons of Bebai, 623;

31the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;

12the sons of Azgad, 1,222;

32the sons of Harim, 320;

13the sons of Adonikam, 666;

33the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725;

14the sons of Bigvai, 2,056;

34the men of Jericho, 345;

15the sons of Adin, 454;

35the sons of Senaah, 3,630.

16the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98;

36The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the

house of Jeshua, 973;

17the sons of Bezai, 323;

37the sons of Immer, 1,052;

18the sons of Jorah, 112;

38the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;

19the sons of Hashum, 223;

39the sons of Harim, 1,017.

20the sons of Gibbar, 95;

40The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and

21the men of Bethlehem, 123;

Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74.

22

41

the men of Netophah, 56;

The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128.

42The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons 55The sons of Solomon's servants: the of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of

sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth,

Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of

the sons of Peruda,

Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139.

56the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon,

43The temple servants: the sons of Ziha,

the sons of Giddel,

the sons of Hasupha, the sons of

Tabbaoth,

57the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of

Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim,

44the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Ami.

the sons of Padon,

58All the temple servants and the sons of

45the sons of Lebanah, the sons of

Solomon's servants were 392.

Hagabah, the sons of Akkub,

59Now these are those who came up

46the sons of Hagab, the sons of

from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub,

Shalmai, the sons of Hanan,

Addan and Immer, but they were not

able to give evidence of their fathers'

47the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

households and their descendants,

the sons of Reaiah,

whether they were of Israel:

48

60

the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

the sons of Delaiah, the sons of

the sons of Gazzam,

Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.

49

61

the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

Of the sons of the priests: the sons of

the sons of Besai,

Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons

of Barzillai, who took a wife from the

50

daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and the sons of Asnah, the sons of

he was called by their name.

Meunim, the sons of Nephisim,

62

51

These searched among their ancestral

the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of

registration, but they could not be

Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

located; therefore they were considered

unclean

and

excluded

from

the

52the sons of Bazluth, the sons of

priesthood.

Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

63The governor said to them that they

53the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera,

should not eat from the most holy things

the sons of Temah,

until a priest stood up with Urim and

Thummim.

54the sons of Neziah, the sons of

Hatipha.

64The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

65besides their male and female because of the peoples of the lands; servants who numbered 7,337; and they

and they offered burnt offerings on it to had 200 singing men and women.

the LORD, burnt offerings morning and

evening.

66Their horses were 736; their mules,

245;

4They celebrated the Feast of Booths,

as it is written, and offered the fixed 67their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720. number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day 68

required;

Some of the heads of fathers'

households, when they arrived at the

5

house of the LORD which is in

and afterward there was a continual

Jerusalem, offered willingly for the

burnt offering, also for the new moons

house of God to restore it on its

and for all the fixed festivals of the

foundation.

LORD that were consecrated, and from

everyone who offered a freewill offering

69

to the LORD.

According to their ability they gave to

the treasury for the work 61,000 gold

6

drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and

From the first day of the seventh month

100 priestly garments.

they began to offer burnt offerings to the

LORD, but the foundation of the temple

70

of the LORD had not been laid.

Now the priests and the Levites, some

of

the

people,

the

singers,

the

7

gatekeepers and the temple servants

Then they gave money to the masons

lived in their cities, and all Israel in their and carpenters, and food, drink and oil

cities.

to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the

sea

at Joppa, according

to the

3

permission they had from Cyrus king of

Now when the seventh month came,

Persia.

and the sons of Israel were in the cities,

the people gathered together as one

8Now in the second year of their coming

man to Jerusalem.

to the house of God at Jerusalem in the

second month, Zerubbabel the son of

2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and

Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak

his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel

and the rest of their brothers the priests

the son of Shealtiel and his brothers

and the Levites, and all who came from

arose and built the altar of the God of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the

Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it work and appointed the Levites from

is written in the law of Moses, the man twenty years and older to oversee the

of God.

work of the house of the LORD.

3So they set up the altar on its

9Then Jeshua with his sons and

foundation, for they were terrified

brothers stood united with Kadmiel and

his sons, the sons of Judah and the 2they approached Zerubbabel and the sons of Henadad with their sons and

heads of fathers' households, and said

brothers the Levites, to oversee the

to them, "Let us build with you, for we, workmen in the temple of God.

like you, seek your God; and we have

been sacrificing to Him since the days of

10Now when the builders had laid the

Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who

foundation of the temple of the LORD,

brought us up here."

the priests stood in their apparel with

trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of

3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the

Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the

rest of the heads of fathers' households

LORD according to the directions of

of Israel said to them, " You have King David of Israel.

nothing in common with us in building a

house to our God; but we ourselves will

11They sang, praising and giving thanks

together build to the LORD God of Israel,

to the LORD, saying, " For He is good, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has for His lovingkindness is upon Israel

commanded us."

forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the

4Then the people of the land

LORD because the foundation of the

discouraged the people of Judah, and

house of the LORD was laid.

frightened them from building,

12Yet many of the priests and Levites

5and hired counselors against them to

and heads of fathers' households, the

frustrate their counsel all the days of

old men who had seen the first temple,

Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign

wept with a loud voice when the

of Darius king of Persia.

foundation of this house was laid before

their eyes, while many shouted aloud for

6Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the

joy,

beginning of his reign, they wrote an

accusation against the inhabitants of

13so that the people could not

Judah and Jerusalem.

distinguish the sound of the shout of joy

from the sound of the weeping of the

7And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam,

people, for the people shouted with a

Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his

loud shout, and the sound was heard far

colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of

away.

Persia; and the text of the letter was

written in Aramaic and translated from

4

Aramaic.

Now when the enemies of Judah and

8

Benjamin heard that the people of the

Rehum the commander and Shimshai

exile were building a temple to the

the scribe wrote a letter against

LORD God of Israel,

Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as

follows--

9then wrote Rehum the commander and 16"We inform the king that if that city is Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result

colleagues, the judges and the lesser

you will have no possession in the

governors, the officials, the secretaries, province beyond the River."

the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the

men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,

17Then the king sent an answer to

Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the

10and the rest of the nations which the scribe, and to the rest of their

great and honorable Osnappar deported

colleagues who live in Samaria and in

and settled in the city of Samaria, and in

the rest of the provinces beyond the

the rest of the region beyond the River.

River: "Peace. And now

Now

18the document which you sent to us

11this is the copy of the letter which they

has been translated and read before me.

sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond 19"A decree has been issued by me, and

the River, and now

a search has been made and it has

been discovered that that city has risen 12let it be known to the king that the up against the kings in past days, that Jews who came up from you have come rebellion

and

revolt

have

been

to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding

perpetrated in it,

the rebellious and evil city and are

finishing the walls and repairing the

20that mighty kings have ruled over

foundations.

Jerusalem, governing all the provinces

beyond the River, and that tribute,

13"Now let it be known to the king, that if custom and toll were paid to them.

that city is rebuilt and the walls are

finished, they will not pay tribute, custom

21"So, now issue a decree to make

or toll, and it will damage the revenue of

these men stop work, that this city may the kings.

not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by

me.

14"Now because we are in the service of

the palace, and it is not fitting for us to 22"Beware of being negligent in carrying see the king's dishonor, therefore we

out this matter; why should damage

have sent and informed the king,

increase to the detriment of the kings?"

15so that a search may be made in the

23Then as soon as the copy of King

record books of your fathers. And you

Artaxerxes' document was read before

will discover in the record books and

Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and

learn that that city is a rebellious city their colleagues, they went in haste to and damaging to kings and provinces,

Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped

and that they have incited revolt within it

them by force of arms.

in past days; therefore that city was laid

waste.

24Then work on the house of God in 7They sent a report to him in which it Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped was written thus: "To Darius the king, all until the second year of the reign of

peace.

Darius king of Persia.

8"Let it be known to the king that we 5

have gone to the province of Judah, to

When the prophets, Haggai the

the house of the great God, which is

prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo,

being built with huge stones, and beams

are being laid in the walls; and this work

prophesied to the Jews who were in

is going on with great care and is

Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the

God of Israel, who was over them,

succeeding in their hands.

9

2then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel

"Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree

and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose

to rebuild this temple and to finish this and began to rebuild the house of God

which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets

structure?'

of God were with them supporting them.

10"We also asked them their names so 3

as to inform you, and that we might write

At that time Tattenai, the governor of

down the names of the men who were

the province beyond the River, and

Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues

at their head.

came to them and spoke to them thus, "

11

Who issued you a decree to rebuild this

"Thus they answered us, saying, 'We

temple and to finish this structure?"

are the servants of the God of heaven

and earth and are rebuilding the temple

4Then we told them accordingly what the

that was built many years ago, which a

names of the men were who were

great king of Israel built and finished.

reconstructing this building.

12'But because our fathers had provoked

5But the eye of their God was on the

the God of heaven to wrath, He gave

elders of the Jews, and they did not stop

them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar

them until a report could come to Darius,

king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who

and then a written reply be returned

destroyed this temple and deported the

people to Babylon.

concerning it.

13

6This is the copy of the letter which

'However, in the first year of Cyrus

Tattenai, the governor of the province

king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a

beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai

decree to rebuild this house of God.

and his colleagues the officials, who

14

were beyond the River, sent to Darius

'Also the gold and silver utensils of the

the king.

house of God which Nebuchadnezzar

had taken from the temple in Jerusalem,

and brought them to the temple of

Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the 4with three layers of huge stones and temple of Babylon and they were given

one layer of timbers. And let the cost be

to one whose name was Sheshbazzar,

paid from the royal treasury.

whom he had appointed governor.

5'Also let the gold and silver utensils of 15'He said to him, "Take these utensils, the house

of

God,

which

go and deposit them in the temple in

Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple

Jerusalem and let the house of God be

in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be

rebuilt in its place."

returned and brought to their places in

the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall

16'Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid

put them in the house of God.'

the foundations of the house of God in

Jerusalem; and from then until now it

6"Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of has been under construction and it is

the province beyond the River, Shethar—

not yet completed.'

bozenai and your colleagues, the

officials of the provinces beyond the

17"Now if it pleases the king, let a search River, keep away from there.

be conducted in the king's treasure

house, which is there in Babylon, if it be

7"Leave this work on the house of God that a decree was issued by King Cyrus

alone; let the governor of the Jews and to rebuild this house of God at

the elders of the Jews rebuild this house

Jerusalem; and let the king send to us

of God on its site.

his decision concerning this matter."

8"Moreover, I issue a decree concerning

6

what you are to do for these elders of Then King Darius issued a decree,

Judah in the rebuilding of this house of and search was made in the archives,

God: the full cost is to be paid to these where the treasures were stored in

people from the royal treasury out of the

taxes of the provinces beyond the River,

Babylon.

and that without delay.

2In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in

9

the province of Media, a scroll was

"Whatever is needed, both young bulls,

found and there was written in it as

rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt,

follows: "Memorandum--

wine and anointing oil, as the priests in 3

Jerusalem request, it is to be given to

" In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus them daily without fail,

the king issued a decree: 'Concerning

the house of God at Jerusalem, let the

10that they may offer acceptable

temple, the place where sacrifices are

sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray

offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations

be retained, its height being 60 cubits

for the life of the king and his sons.

and its width 60 cubits;

11"And I issued a decree that any man 18Then they appointed the priests to who violates this edict, a timber shall be

their divisions and the Levites in their drawn from his house and he shall be

orders for the service of God in

impaled on it and his house shall be

Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of

made a refuse heap on account of this.

Moses.

12"May the God who has caused His

19The exiles observed the Passover on

name to dwell there overthrow any king

the fourteenth of the first month.

or people who attempts to change it, so

as to destroy this house of God in

20For the priests and the Levites had

Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this

purified themselves together; all of them

decree, let it be carried out with all

were pure. Then they slaughtered the

diligence!"

Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for

their brothers the priests and for

13Then Tattenai, the governor of the

themselves.

province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out

21The sons of Israel who returned from

the decree with all diligence, just as

exile and all those who had separated

King Darius had sent.

themselves from the impurity of the

nations of the land to join them, to seek

14And the elders of the Jews were

the LORD God of Israel, ate the

successful in building through the

Passover.

prophesying of Haggai the prophet and

Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they

22And they observed the Feast of

finished building according to the

Unleavened Bread seven days with joy,

command of the God of Israel and the

for the LORD had caused them to

decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes

rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Persia.

king

of

Assyria

toward them

to

encourage them in the work of the

15This temple was completed on the

house of God, the God of Israel.

third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

7Now after these things, in the reign of 16And the sons of Israel, the priests, the

Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up

Levites and the rest of the exiles,

Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son

celebrated the dedication of this house

of Hilkiah,

of God with joy.

2

17

son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of

They offered for the dedication of this

Ahitub,

temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400

lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel

3

12 male goats, corresponding to the

son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of

number of the tribes of Israel.

Meraioth,

4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of 13I have issued a decree that any of the Bukki,

people of Israel and their priests and the

Levites in my kingdom who are willing to

5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of

go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.

14"Forasmuch as you are sent by the 6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and

king and his seven counselors to inquire

he was a scribe skilled in the law of

concerning

Judah

and

Jerusalem

Moses, which the LORD God of Israel

according to the law of your God which

had given; and the king granted him all is in your hand,

he requested because the hand of the

LORD his God was upon him.

15and to bring the silver and gold, which

the king and his counselors have freely

7Some of the sons of Israel and some of

offered to the God of Israel, whose

the priests, the Levites, the singers, the dwelling is in Jerusalem,

gatekeepers and the temple servants

went up to Jerusalem in the seventh

16with all the silver and gold which you year of King Artaxerxes.

find in the whole province of Babylon,

along with the freewill offering of the

8He came to Jerusalem in the fifth

people and of the priests, who offered

month, which was in the seventh year of

willingly for the house of their God which

the king.

is in Jerusalem;

9

17

For on the first of the first month he with this money, therefore, you shall

began to go up from Babylon; and on

diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs,

the first of the fifth month he came to with their grain offerings and their drink Jerusalem, because the good hand of offerings and offer them on the altar of his God was upon him.

the house of your God which is in

Jerusalem.

10For Ezra had set his heart to study the

18

law of the LORD and to practice it, and

"Whatever seems good to you and to

to teach His statutes and ordinances in

your brothers to do with the rest of the Israel.

silver and gold, you may do according to

the will of your God.

11Now this is the copy of the decree

19

which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the

"Also the utensils which are given to priest, the scribe, learned in the words you for the service of the house of your of the commandments of the LORD and

God, deliver in full before the God of

His statutes to Israel:

Jerusalem.

12

20

"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the

"The rest of the needs for the house of

priest, the scribe of the law of the God of

your God, for which you may have

heaven, perfect peace. And now

occasion to provide, provide for it from 27Blessed be the LORD, the God of our the royal treasury.

fathers, who has put such a thing as this

in the king's heart, to adorn the house of

21"I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a the LORD which is in Jerusalem,

decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that

28and has extended lovingkindness to

whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of

me before the king and his counselors

the law of the God of heaven, may

and before all the king's mighty princes.

require of you, it shall be done diligently,

Thus I was strengthened according to

the hand of the LORD my God upon me,

22even up to 100 talents of silver, 100

and I gathered leading men from Israel

kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100

to go up with me.

baths of oil, and salt as needed.

23"Whatever is commanded by the God

8Now these are the heads of their of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the

fathers'

households

and

the

house of the God of heaven, so that

genealogical enrollment of those who

there will not be wrath against the

went up with me from Babylon in the

kingdom of the king and his sons.

reign of King Artaxerxes:

24"We also inform you that it is not 2of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of

allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll on the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons

any of the priests, Levites, singers,

of David, Hattush;

doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of

this house of God.

3of the sons of Shecaniah who was of

the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with

25"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of

him 150 males who were in the

your God which is in your hand, appoint

genealogical list;

magistrates and judges that they may

judge all the people who are in the

4of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai

province beyond the River, even all

the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with

those who know the laws of your God;

him;

and you may teach anyone who is

ignorant of them.

5of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the

26

son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him;

" Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let 6

judgment be executed upon him strictly,

and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son

whether for death or for banishment or

of Jonathan and 50 males with him;

for confiscation of goods or for

7

imprisonment."

and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the

son of Athaliah and 70 males with him;

8and of the sons of Shephatiah, 18According to the good hand of our God

Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80

upon us they brought us a man of

males with him;

insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi,

the

son

of

Israel,

namely

9of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of

Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers,

Jehiel and 218 males with him;

18 men;

10

19

and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the

and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the

son of Josiphiah and 160 males with

sons of Merari, with his brothers and

him;

their sons, 20 men;

11

20

and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah

and 220 of the temple servants, whom

the son of Bebai and 28 males with him;

David and the princes had given for the

service of the Levites, all of them

12

designated by name.

and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the

son of Hakkatan and 110 males with

21

him;

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the

river of Ahava, that we might humble

13

ourselves before our God to seek from

and of the sons of Adonikam, the last

Him a safe journey for us, our little ones,

ones, these being their names, Eliphelet,

and all our possessions.

Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with

them;

22For I was ashamed to request from the

14

king troops and horsemen to protect us

and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and

from the enemy on the way, because we

Zabbud, and 70 males with them.

had said to the king, " The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those 15Now I assembled them at the river that

who seek Him, but His power and His

runs to Ahava, where we camped for

anger are against all those who forsake

three days; and when I observed the

Him."

people and the priests, I did not find any

Levites there.

23So we fasted and sought our God

concerning this matter, and He listened

16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah,

to our entreaty.

Elnathan,

Jarib,

Elnathan, Nathan,

Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men,

24Then I set apart twelve of the leading and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers.

priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with

them ten of their brothers;

17I sent them to Iddo the leading man at

the place Casiphia; and I told them what

25and I weighed out to them the silver, to say to Iddo and his brothers, the

the gold and the utensils, the offering for

temple servants at the place Casiphia,

the house of our God which the king and

that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

his counselors and his princes and all Phinehas; and with them were the Israel present there had offered.

Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and

Noadiah the son of Binnui.

26Thus I weighed into their hands 650

talents of silver, and silver utensils worth

34Everything

was

numbered

and

100 talents, and 100 gold talents,

weighed, and all the weight was

recorded at that time.

27and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics,

and two utensils of fine shiny bronze,

35The exiles who had come from the

precious as gold.

captivity offered burnt offerings to the

God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96

28Then I said to them, " You are holy to

rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin

the LORD, and the utensils are holy;

offering, all as a burnt offering to the and the silver and the gold are a freewill

LORD.

offering to the LORD God of your

fathers.

36Then they delivered the king's edicts to

the king's satraps and to the governors

29"Watch and keep them until you weigh

in the provinces beyond the River, and

them before the leading priests, the

they supported the people and the

Levites and the heads of the fathers'

house of God.

households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the

chambers of the house of the LORD."

9Now when these things had been

30So the priests and the Levites

completed, the princes approached me,

accepted the weighed out silver and

saying, "The people of Israel and the gold and the utensils, to bring them to priests and the Levites have not Jerusalem to the house of our God.

separated themselves from the peoples

of

the

lands,

according to their

31Then we journeyed from the river

abominations, those of the Canaanites,

Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to

the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites,

go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our

the Ammonites, the Moabites, the

God was over us, and He delivered us

Egyptians and the Amorites.

from the hand of the enemy and the

ambushes by the way.

2"For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and

32Thus we came to Jerusalem and

for their sons, so that the holy race has remained there three days.

intermingled with the peoples of the

lands; indeed, the hands of the princes

33On the fourth day the silver and the

and the rulers have been foremost in

gold and the utensils were weighed out

this unfaithfulness."

in the house of our God into the hand of

3

Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest,

When I heard about this matter, I tore

and with him was Eleazar the son of

my garment and my robe, and pulled

some of the hair from my head and my 10"Now, our God, what shall we say after beard, and sat down appalled.

this? For we have forsaken Your

commandments,

4Then everyone who trembled at the

words of the God of Israel on account of

11which You have commanded by Your

the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered

servants the prophets, saying, 'The land

to me, and I sat appalled until the

which you are entering to possess is an

evening offering.

unclean land with the uncleanness of

the peoples of the lands, with their

5But at the evening offering I arose from

abominations which have filled it from

my humiliation, even with my garment

end to end and with their impurity.

and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees

and stretched out my hands to the

12'So now do not give your daughters to

LORD my God;

their sons nor take their daughters to

your sons, and never seek their peace

6and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed or their prosperity, that you may be

and embarrassed to lift up my face to

strong and eat the good things of the

You, my God, for our iniquities have

land and leave it as an inheritance to

risen above our heads and our guilt has

your sons forever.'

grown even to the heavens.

13"After all that has come upon us for 7" Since the days of our fathers to this our evil deeds and our great guilt, since day we have been in great guilt, and on

You our God have requited us less than

account of our iniquities we, our kings

our iniquities deserve, and have given

and our priests have been given into the

us an escaped remnant as this,

hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to

14shall

we

again

break

Your

open shame, as it is this day.

commandments and intermarry with the

peoples

who

commit

these

8"But now for a brief moment grace has

abominations? Would You not be angry

been shown from the LORD our God, to

with us to the point of destruction, until leave us an escaped remnant and to

there is no remnant nor any who escape?

give us a peg in His holy place, that our

God may enlighten our eyes and grant

15"O LORD God of Israel, You are

us a little reviving in our bondage.

righteous, for we have been left an

escaped remnant, as it is this day;

9" For we are slaves; yet in our bondage

behold, we are before You in our guilt, our God has not forsaken us, but has

for no one can stand before You

extended lovingkindness to us in the

because of this."

sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our

God, to restore its ruins and to give us a

10Now while Ezra was praying and

wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

making

confession,

weeping

and

prostrating himself before the house of he himself excluded from the assembly God, a very large assembly, men,

of the exiles.

women and children, gathered to him

from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.

9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin

assembled at Jerusalem within the three

2Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the

days. It was the ninth month on the

sons of Elam, said to Ezra, " We have twentieth of the month, and all the

been unfaithful to our God and have

people sat in the open square before the

married foreign women from the peoples

house of God, trembling because of this

of the land; yet now there is hope for matter and the heavy rain.

Israel in spite of this.

10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said

3"So now let us make a covenant with to them, "You have been unfaithful and our God to put away all the wives and have married foreign wives adding to

their children, according to the counsel

the guilt of Israel.

of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it

11"Now therefore, make confession to

be done according to the law.

the LORD God of your fathers and do

His will; and separate yourselves from

4"Arise! For this matter is your

the peoples of the land and from the

responsibility, but we will be with you; be

foreign wives."

courageous and act."

12Then all the assembly replied with a

5Then Ezra rose and made the leading

loud voice, "That's right! As you have priests, the Levites and all Israel, take said, so it is our duty to do.

oath that they would do according to this

proposal; so they took the oath.

13"But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to 6Then Ezra rose from before the house

stand in the open. Nor can the task be of God and went into the chamber of

done in one or two days, for we have

Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although

transgressed greatly in this matter.

he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over

14"Let our leaders represent the whole the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at

7They made a proclamation throughout

appointed times, together with the

Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles,

elders and judges of each city, until the that they should assemble at Jerusalem,

fierce anger of our God on account of

this matter is turned away from us."

8and that whoever would not come

within three days, according to the

15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and

counsel of the leaders and the elders, all

Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this,

his possessions should be forfeited and

with Meshullam and Shabbethai the 25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there Levite supporting them.

were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin,

Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah;

16But the exiles did so. And Ezra the

priest selected men who were heads of

26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah,

fathers' households for each of their

Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and

father's households, all of them by name.

Elijah;

So they convened on the first day of the

tenth month to investigate the matter.

27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai,

Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad

17They finished investigating all the men

and Aziza;

who had married foreign wives by the

first day of the first month.

28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan,

Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai;

18Among the sons of the priests who

had married foreign wives were found of

29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam,

the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak,

Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and

and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer,

Jeremoth;

Jarib and Gedaliah.

30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna,

19They pledged to put away their wives,

Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah,

and being guilty, they offered a ram of Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh;

the flock for their offense.

31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer,

20Of the sons of Immer there were

Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Hanani and Zebadiah;

32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah;

21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah,

Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah;

33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai,

Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai,

22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai,

Manasseh and Shimei;

Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad

and Elasah.

34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram,

Uel,

23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei,

Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah,

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

Judah and Eliezer.

36

24

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Of the singers there was Eliashib; and

of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and

37

Uri.

Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,

38Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

43Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel,

Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

and Benaiah.

41

44

Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

All these had married foreign wives,

and some of them had wives by whom

42

they had children.

Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.

Nehemiah

7" We have acted very corruptly against

You

and

have

not

kept

the

1The words of Nehemiah the son of commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month

Your servant Moses.

Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I

was in Susa the capitol,

8"Remember the word which You

2

commanded

Your

servant

Moses,

that Hanani, one of my brothers, and

saying, ' If you are unfaithful I will scatter some men from Judah came; and I

you among the peoples;

asked them concerning the Jews who

had escaped and had survived the

9

captivity, and about Jerusalem.

but if you return to Me and keep My

commandments and do them, though

those of you who have been scattered

3They said to me, "The remnant there in

were in the most remote part of the

the province who survived the captivity

heavens, I will gather them from there

are in great distress and reproach, and

and will bring them to the place where I

the wall of Jerusalem is broken down

have chosen to cause My name to

and its gates are burned with fire."

dwell.'

4When I heard these words, I sat down

10" They are Your servants and Your and wept and mourned for days; and I

people whom You redeemed by Your

was fasting and praying before the God

great power and by Your strong hand.

of heaven.

11

5

"O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear

I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of

be attentive to the prayer of Your

heaven, the great and awesome God,

servant and the prayer of Your servants

who preserves the covenant and

who delight to revere Your name, and

lovingkindness for those who love Him

make Your servant successful today

and keep His commandments,

and grant him compassion before this

man." Now I was the cupbearer to the 6let Your ear now be attentive and Your

king.

eyes open to hear the prayer of Your

servant which I am praying before You

now, day and night, on behalf of the

2And it came about in the month

sons of Israel Your servants, confessing

the sins of the sons of Israel which we Nisan, in the twentieth year of King

have sinned against You; I and my

Artaxerxes, that wine was before him,

father's house have sinned.

and I took up the wine and gave it to the

king. Now I had not been sad in his

presence.

2So the king said to me, "Why is your 9Then I came to the governors of the face sad though you are not sick? This

provinces beyond the River and gave

is nothing but sadness of heart." Then I them the king's letters. Now the king had

was very much afraid.

sent with me officers of the army and

horsemen.

3I said to the king, " Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad

10When Sanballat the Horonite and

when the city, the place of my fathers'

Tobiah the Ammonite official heard

tombs, lies desolate and its gates have

about it, it was very displeasing to them

been consumed by fire?"

that someone had come to seek the

welfare of the sons of Israel.

4Then the king said to me, "What would

you request?" So I prayed to the God of

11So I came to Jerusalem and was there

heaven.

three days.

5I said to the king, "If it please the king, 12And I arose in the night, I and a few and if your servant has found favor men with me. I did not tell anyone what

before you, send me to Judah, to the

my God was putting into my mind to do

city of my fathers' tombs, that I may

for Jerusalem and there was no animal

rebuild it."

with me except the animal on which I

was riding.

6Then the king said to me, the queen

sitting beside him, "How long will your 13So I went out at night by the Valley journey be, and when will you return?"

Gate in the direction of the Dragon's

So it pleased the king to send me, and I

Well and on to the Refuse Gate,

gave him a definite time.

inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which

were broken down and its gates which

7And I said to the king, "If it please the were consumed by fire.

king, let letters be given me for the

governors of the provinces beyond the

14Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate

River, that they may allow me to pass

and the King's Pool, but there was no

through until I come to Judah,

place for my mount to pass.

8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the

15So I went up at night by the ravine and

king's forest, that he may give me timber

inspected the wall. Then I entered the

to make beams for the gates of the

Valley Gate again and returned.

fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to

16The officials did not know where I had

which I will go." And the king granted gone or what I had done; nor had I as them to me because the good hand of yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles,

my God was on me.

the officials or the rest who did the work.

17Then I said to them, "You see the bad 4Next to them Meremoth the son of situation we are in, that Jerusalem is

Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs.

desolate and its gates burned by fire.

And next to him Meshullam the son of

Come, let us rebuild the wall of

Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made

Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a

repairs. And next to him Zadok the son

reproach."

of Baana also made repairs.

18I told them how the hand of my God

5Moreover, next to him the Tekoites

had been favorable to me and also

made repairs, but their nobles did not

about the king's words which he had

support the work of their masters.

spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands 6Joiada the son of Paseah and to the good work.

Meshullam the son of Besodeiah

repaired the Old Gate; they laid its

19But when Sanballat the Horonite and

beams and hung its doors with its bolts Tobiah the Ammonite official, and

and its bars.

Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked

us and despised us and said, "What is 7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite

this thing you are doing? Are you

and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of

rebelling against the king?"

Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made

repairs for the official seat of the

20So I answered them and said to them,

governor of the province beyond the

" The God of heaven will give us

River.

success; therefore we His servants will

arise and build, but you have no portion,

8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah

right or memorial in Jerusalem."

of the goldsmiths made repairs. And

next to him Hananiah, one of the

3

perfumers, made repairs, and they

Then Eliashib the high priest arose

restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad

Wall.

with his brothers the priests and built the

Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and

9

hung its doors. They consecrated the

Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur,

wall to the Tower of the Hundred and

the official of half the district of

the Tower of Hananel.

Jerusalem, made repairs.

2

10

Next to him the men of Jericho built,

Next to them Jedaiah the son of

and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri

Harumaph made repairs opposite his

built.

house. And next to him Hattush the son

of Hashabneiah made repairs.

3Now the sons of Hassenaah built the

11

Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung

Malchijah the son of Harim and

its doors with its bolts and bars.

Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab

repaired another section and the Tower Henadad, official of the other half of the of Furnaces.

district of Keilah.

12Next to him Shallum the son of

19Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua,

Hallohesh, the official of half the district the official of Mizpah, repaired another of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his

section in front of the ascent of the

daughters.

armory at the Angle.

13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah

20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai

repaired the Valley Gate. They built it

zealously repaired another section, from

and hung its doors with its bolts and its the Angle to the doorway of the house of

bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall Eliashib the high priest.

to the Refuse Gate.

21After him Meremoth the son of Uriah

14Malchijah the son of Rechab, the

the son of Hakkoz repaired another

official of the district of Beth-haccherem section, from the doorway of Eliashib's

repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and

house even as far as the end of his

hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.

house.

15Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the

22After him the priests, the men of the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired

valley, carried out repairs.

the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it

and hung its doors with its bolts and its 23After them Benjamin and Hasshub

bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah

carried out repairs in front of their house.

at the king's garden as far as the steps After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah,

that descend from the city of David.

son of Ananiah, carried out repairs

beside his house.

16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk,

official of half the district of Bethzur, 24After him Binnui the son of Henadad

made repairs as far as a point opposite repaired another section, from the

the tombs of David, and as far as the

house of Azariah as far as the Angle

artificial pool and the house of the

and as far as the corner.

mighty men.

25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in 17After him the Levites carried out

front of the Angle and the tower

repairs under Rehum the son of Bani.

projecting from the upper house of the

Next to him Hashabiah, the official of

king, which is by the court of the guard.

half the district of Keilah, carried out After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh

repairs for his district.

made repairs.

18After him their brothers carried out

26The temple servants living in Ophel

repairs under Bavvai the son of

made repairs as far as the front of the

Water Gate toward the east and the 2He spoke in the presence of his projecting tower.

brothers and the wealthy men of

Samaria and said, "What are these

27After them the Tekoites repaired

feeble Jews doing? Are they going to

another section in front of the great

restore it for themselves? Can they offer

projecting tower and as far as the wall of

sacrifices? Can they finish in a day?

Ophel.

Can they revive the stones from the

dusty rubble even the burned ones?"

28Above the Horse Gate the priests

3

carried out repairs, each in front of his Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near

house.

him and he said, "Even what they are building-- if a fox should jump on it, he 29

would break their stone wall down!"

After them Zadok the son of Immer

carried out repairs in front of his house.

4

And after him Shemaiah the son of

Hear, O our God, how we are despised!

Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate,

Return their reproach on their own

carried out repairs.

heads and give them up for plunder in a

land of captivity.

30After him Hananiah the son of

5

Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of

Do not forgive their iniquity and let not Zalaph, repaired another section. After

their sin be blotted out before You, for him Meshullam the son of Berechiah

they have demoralized the builders.

carried out repairs in front of his own quarters.

6So we built the wall and the whole wall

was joined together to half its height, for

31After him Malchijah, one of the

the people had a mind to work.

goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as

the house of the temple servants and of

7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs,

the merchants, in front of the Inspection

the Ammonites and the Ashdodites

Gate and as far as the upper room of

heard that the repair of the walls of

the corner.

Jerusalem went on, and that the

breaches began to be closed, they were

32Between the upper room of the corner

very angry.

and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and

the merchants carried out repairs.

8All of them conspired together to come

and fight against Jerusalem and to

cause a disturbance in it.

4Now it came about that when 9But we prayed to our God, and Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very

because of them we set up a guard

angry and mocked the Jews.

against them day and night.

10Thus in Judah it was said, "The their load with one hand doing the work strength of the burden bearers is failing,

and the other holding a weapon.

Yet there is much rubbish; And we

ourselves are unable To rebuild the

18As for the builders, each wore his

wall."

sword girded at his side as he built,

while the trumpeter stood near me.

11Our enemies said, "They will not know

or see until we come among them, kill

19I said to the nobles, the officials and them and put a stop to the work."

the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on

12When the Jews who lived near them

the wall far from one another.

came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place

20"At whatever place you hear the sound

where you may turn,"

of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God

will fight for us."

13then I stationed men in the lowest

parts of the space behind the wall, the 21So we carried on the work with half of

exposed places, and I stationed the

them holding spears from dawn until the

people in families with their swords,

stars appeared.

spears and bows.

22At that time I also said to the people, 14When I saw their fear, I rose and

"Let each man with his servant spend spoke to the nobles, the officials and the

the night within Jerusalem so that they

rest of the people: " Do not be afraid of may be a guard for us by night and a them; remember the Lord who is great

laborer by day."

and awesome, and fight for your

brothers, your sons, your daughters,

23So neither I, my brothers, my servants,

your wives and your houses."

nor the men of the guard who followed

me, none of us removed our clothes,

15When our enemies heard that it was

each took his weapon even to the water.

known to us, and that God had

frustrated their plan, then all of us

returned to the wall, each one to his

5Now there was a great outcry of the

work.

people and of their wives against their

16From that day on, half of my servants

Jewish brothers.

carried on the work while half of them

2

held the spears, the shields, the bows

For there were those who said, "We, and the breastplates; and the captains

our sons and our daughters are many;

were behind the whole house of Judah.

therefore let us get grain that we may

eat and live."

17Those who were rebuilding the wall

3

and those who carried burdens took

There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and

our houses that we might get grain 11"Please, give back to them this very because of the famine."

day their fields, their vineyards, their

olive groves and their houses, also the

4Also there were those who said, "We hundredth part of the money and of the

have borrowed money for the king's tax

grain, the new wine and the oil that you

on our fields and our vineyards.

are exacting from them."

5

12

"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our Then they said, "We will give it back brothers, our children like their children.

and will require nothing from them; we

Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and

will do exactly as you say." So I called our daughters to be slaves, and some of

the priests and took an oath from them

our daughters are forced into bondage

that they would do according to this

already, and we are helpless because

promise.

our fields and vineyards belong to

others."

13I also shook out the front of my

garment and said, "Thus may God

6Then I was very angry when I had

shake out every man from his house

heard their outcry and these words.

and from his possessions who does not

fulfill this promise; even thus may he be

7

shaken out and emptied." And all the I consulted with myself and contended

assembly said, "Amen!" And they

with the nobles and the rulers and said praised the LORD. Then the people did

to them, " You are exacting usury, each

according to this promise.

from his brother!" Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.

14Moreover, from the day that I was

8

appointed to be their governor in the

I said to them, "We according to our land of Judah, from the twentieth year to

ability have redeemed our Jewish

the

thirty-second

year

of

King

brothers who were sold to the nations;

Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I

now would you even sell your brothers

nor my kinsmen have eaten the

that they may be sold to us?" Then they

governor's food allowance.

were silent and could not find a word to

say.

15But the former governors who were

9

before me laid burdens on the people

Again I said, "The thing which you are and took from them bread and wine

doing is not good; should you not walk

besides forty shekels of silver; even

in the fear of our God because of the

their servants domineered the people.

reproach of the nations, our enemies?

But I did not do so because of the fear of God.

10"And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and

16I also applied myself to the work on

grain. Please, let us leave off this usury.

this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for

the work.

17Moreover, there were at my table one 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me hundred and fifty Jews and officials,

in the same manner a fifth time with an besides those who came to us from the

open letter in his hand.

nations that were around us.

6In it was written, "It is reported among 18Now that which was prepared for each

the nations, and Gashmu says, that you

day was one ox and six choice sheep,

and the Jews are planning to rebel;

also birds were prepared for me; and

therefore you are rebuilding the wall.

once in ten days all sorts of wine were And you are to be their king, according furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I to these reports.

did not demand the governor's food

allowance, because the servitude was

7"You have also appointed prophets to heavy on this people.

proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you,

'A king is in Judah!' And now it will be 19Remember me, O my God, for good,

reported to the king according to these

according to all that I have done for this

reports. So come now, let us take

people.

counsel together."

8

6

Then I sent a message to him saying,

Now when it was reported to

"Such things as you are saying have not

Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab

been done, but you are inventing them

and to the rest of our enemies that I had

in your own mind."

rebuilt the wall, and that no breach

9

remained in it, although at that time I For all of them were trying to frighten us,

had not set up the doors in the gates,

thinking, "They will become discouraged

with the work and it will not be done."

2then Sanballat and Geshem sent a

But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

message to me, saying, "Come, let us 10

meet together at Chephirim in the plain

When

I

entered

the

house

of

of Ono." But they were planning to harm

Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of

me.

Mehetabel, who was confined at home,

he said, "Let us meet together in the 3So I sent messengers to them, saying,

house of God, within the temple, and let

us close the doors of the temple, for

"I am doing a great work and I cannot they are coming to kill you, and they are

come down. Why should the work stop

while I leave it and come down to you?"

coming to kill you at night."

11

4They sent messages to me four times

But I said, " Should a man like me flee?

And could one such as I go into the

in this manner, and I answered them in

temple to save his life? I will not go in."

the same way.

12Then I perceived that surely God had

not sent him, but he uttered his

prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

7Now when the wall was rebuilt and I

had set up the doors, and the

13He was hired for this reason, that I

gatekeepers and the singers and the

might become frightened and act

Levites were appointed,

accordingly and sin, so that they might

have an evil report in order that they

2then I put Hanani my brother, and

could reproach me.

Hananiah the commander of the fortress,

in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a

14Remember, O my God, Tobiah and

faithful man and feared God more than

Sanballat according to these works of

many.

theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess

and the rest of the prophets who were

3Then I said to them, "Do not let the trying to frighten me.

gates of Jerusalem be opened until the

sun is hot, and while they are standing 15So the wall was completed on the

guard, let them shut and bolt the doors.

twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two

Also appoint guards from the inhabitants

days.

of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each

in front of his own house."

16When all our enemies heard of it, and

all the nations surrounding us saw it,

4Now the city was large and spacious,

they lost their confidence; for they

but the people in it were few and the

recognized that this work had been

houses were not built.

accomplished with the help of our God.

5Then my God put it into my heart to

17Also in those days many letters went

assemble the nobles, the officials and

from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and

the

people

to

be

enrolled

by

Tobiah's letters came to them.

genealogies. Then I found the book of

the genealogy of those who came up

18For many in Judah were bound by

first in which I found the following record:

oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and

6These are the people of the province

his son Jehohanan had married the

who came up from the captivity of the

daughter of Meshullam the son of

exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king

Berechiah.

of Babylon had carried away, and who

returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each

19Moreover, they were speaking about

to his city,

his good deeds in my presence and

reported my words to him. Then Tobiah

7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua,

sent letters to frighten me.

Nehemiah,

Azariah,

Raamiah,

Nahamani,

Mordecai,

Bilshan,

Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The

number of men of the people of Israel:

8the sons of Parosh, 2,172;

28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

9the sons of Shephatiah, 372;

29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah

and Beeroth, 743;

10the sons of Arah, 652;

30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

11the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons

of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;

31the men of Michmas, 122;

12the sons of Elam, 1,254;

32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

13the sons of Zattu, 845;

33the men of the other Nebo, 52;

14the sons of Zaccai, 760;

34the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;

15the sons of Binnui, 648;

35the sons of Harim, 320;

16the sons of Bebai, 628;

36the men of Jericho, 345;

17the sons of Azgad, 2,322;

37the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721;

18the sons of Adonikam, 667;

38the sons of Senaah, 3,930.

19the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;

39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the

house of Jeshua, 973;

20the sons of Adin, 655;

40the sons of Immer, 1,052;

21the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;

41the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;

22the sons of Hashum, 328;

42the sons of Harim, 1,017.

23the sons of Bezai, 324;

43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of

24the sons of Hariph, 112;

Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74.

25

44

the sons of Gibeon, 95;

The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.

26

45

the men of Bethlehem and Netophah,

The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum,

188;

the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon,

the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita,

27

the sons of Shobai, 138.

the men of Anathoth, 128;

46The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, 59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of the sons of Hasupha, the sons of

Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim,

Tabbaoth,

the sons of Amon.

47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the

60All the temple servants and the sons of

sons of Padon,

Solomon's servants were 392.

48the sons of Lebana, the sons of

61These were they who came up from

Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon

and Immer; but they could not show

49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel,

their

fathers'

houses

or

their

the sons of Gahar,

descendants, whether they were of

Israel:

50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin,

62

the sons of Nekoda,

the sons of Delaiah, the sons of

Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.

51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza,

63

the sons of Paseah,

Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah,

the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai,

52

who took a wife of the daughters of

the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim,

Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named

the sons of Nephushesim,

after them.

53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of

64These searched among their ancestral

Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean

54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida,

and excluded from the priesthood.

the sons of Harsha,

65The governor said to them that they

55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera,

should not eat from the most holy things

the sons of Temah,

until a priest arose with Urim and

Thummim.

56the sons of Neziah, the sons of

Hatipha.

66The whole assembly together was

42,360,

57The sons of Solomon's servants: the

sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth,

67besides their male and their female

the sons of Perida,

servants, of whom there were 7,337;

and they had 245 male and female

58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon,

singers.

the sons of Giddel,

68Their horses were 736; their mules,

245;

69their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720. people were attentive to the book of the law.

70Some from among the heads of

fathers' households gave to the work.

4Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden

The governor gave to the treasury 1,000

podium which they had made for the

gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests'

purpose.

And

beside

him

stood

garments.

Mattithiah,

Shema,

Anaiah,

Uriah,

Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand;

71Some of the heads of fathers'

and

Pedaiah,

Mishael,

Malchijah,

households gave into the treasury of the

Hashum,

Hashbaddanah,

Zechariah

work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200

and Meshullam on his left hand.

silver minas.

5Ezra opened the book in the sight of all

72That which the rest of the people gave

the people for he was standing above all

was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000

the people; and when he opened it, all

silver minas and 67 priests' garments.

the people stood up.

73

6

Now the priests, the Levites, the

Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great

gatekeepers, the singers, some of the

God. And all the people answered, "

people, the temple servants and all

Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their

Israel, lived in their cities. And when the

hands; then they bowed low and

seventh month came, the sons of Israel

worshiped the LORD with their faces to

were in their cities.

the ground.

7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin,

8And all the people gathered as one Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita,

Azariah,

Jozabad,

Hanan,

man at the square which was in front of

Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law

the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra

to the people while the people remained

the scribe to bring the book of the law of

in their place.

Moses which the LORD had given to

Israel.

8They read from the book, from the law

2

of God, translating to give the sense so Then Ezra the priest brought the law

that they understood the reading.

before the assembly of men, women

and

all

who

could

listen

with

9

understanding, on the first day of the

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor,

seventh month.

and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all

the people, " This day is holy to the 3He read from it before the square which

LORD your God; do not mourn or

was in front of the Water Gate from

weep." For all the people were weeping

early morning until midday, in the

when they heard the words of the law.

presence of men and women, those

who could understand; and all the

10Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the 17The entire assembly of those who had fat, drink of the sweet, and send

returned from the captivity made booths

portions to him who has nothing

and lived in them. The sons of Israel

prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord.

had indeed not done so from the days of

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the

Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And

LORD is your strength."

there was great rejoicing.

11So the Levites calmed all the people,

18He read from the book of the law of

saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do God daily, from the first day to the last not be grieved."

day. And they celebrated the feast

seven days, and on the eighth day there

12All the people went away to eat, to

was a solemn assembly according to

drink, to send portions and to celebrate the ordinance.

a

great

festival,

because

they

understood the words which had been

made known to them.

9Now on the twenty-fourth day of this

month the sons of Israel assembled with

13Then on the second day the heads of

fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon fathers' households of all the people, the

them.

priests and the Levites were gathered to

Ezra the scribe that they might gain

2The descendants of Israel separated

insight into the words of the law.

themselves from all foreigners, and

stood and confessed their sins and the

14They found written in the law how the

iniquities of their fathers.

LORD had commanded through Moses

that the sons of Israel should live in

3While they stood in their place, they

booths during the feast of the seventh

read from the book of the law of the

month.

LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed

15So they proclaimed and circulated a

and worshiped the LORD their God.

proclamation in all their cities and in

Jerusalem, saying, " Go out to the hills, 4Now on the Levites' platform stood

and bring olive branches and wild olive

Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah,

branches,

myrtle

branches,

palm

Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani,

branches and branches of other leafy

and they cried with a loud voice to the trees, to make booths, as it is written."

LORD their God.

16So the people went out and brought

5Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel,

them and made booths for themselves,

Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah,

each on his roof, and in their courts and

Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, "Arise, in the courts of the house of God, and in

bless the LORD your God forever and

the square at the Water Gate and in the

ever! O may Your glorious name be

square at the Gate of Ephraim.

blessed And exalted above all blessing 12"And with a pillar of cloud You led and praise!

them by day, And with a pillar of fire by night To light for them the way In which

6" You alone are the LORD. You have they were to go.

made the heavens, The heaven of

heavens with all their host, The earth

13"Then You came down on Mount Sinai,

and all that is on it, The seas and all that

And spoke with them from heaven; You

is in them. You give life to all of them gave them just ordinances and true laws,

And the heavenly host bows down

Good statutes and commandments.

before You.

14"So You made known to them Your

7"You are the LORD God, Who chose

holy sabbath, And laid down for them

Abram And brought him out from Ur of

commandments,

statutes

and

law,

the Chaldees, And gave him the name

Through Your servant Moses.

Abraham.

15"You provided bread from heaven for 8"You found his heart faithful before You, them for their hunger, You brought forth And made a covenant with him To give

water from a rock for them for their thirst,

him the land of the Canaanite, Of the

And You told them to enter in order to Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite,

possess The land which You swore to

the Jebusite and the Girgashite-- To

give them.

give it to his descendants. And You

have fulfilled Your promise, For You are

16"But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; righteous.

They became stubborn and would not

listen to Your commandments.

9" You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red

17"They refused to listen, And did not Sea.

remember Your wondrous deeds which

You had performed among them; So

10"Then You performed signs and

they became stubborn and appointed a

wonders against Pharaoh, Against all

leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.

his servants and all the people of his

But You are a God of forgiveness,

land; For You knew that they acted

Gracious and compassionate, Slow to

arrogantly toward them, And made a

anger and abounding in lovingkindness;

name for Yourself as it is this day.

And You did not forsake them.

11" You divided the sea before them, So

18"Even when they made for themselves

they passed through the midst of the

A calf of molten metal And said, 'This is

sea on dry ground; And their pursuers

your God Who brought you up from

You hurled into the depths, Like a stone

Egypt,'

And

committed

great

into raging waters.

blasphemies,

19You, in Your great compassion, Did 26" But they became disobedient and not forsake them in the wilderness; The

rebelled against You, And cast Your law

pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,

behind their backs And killed Your

To guide them on their way, Nor the

prophets who had admonished them So

pillar of fire by night, to light for them the that they might return to You, And they way in which they were to go.

committed great blasphemies.

20" You gave Your good Spirit to instruct 27"Therefore You delivered them into the

them, Your manna You did not withhold

hand of their oppressors who oppressed

from their mouth, And You gave them

them, But when they cried to You in the

water for their thirst.

time of their distress, You heard from

heaven, and according to Your great

21"Indeed, forty years You provided for compassion You gave them deliverers

them in the wilderness and they were

who delivered them from the hand of

not in want; Their clothes did not wear their oppressors.

out, nor did their feet swell.

28"But as soon as they had rest, they did 22"You also gave them kingdoms and

evil again before You; Therefore You

peoples, And allotted them to them as a

abandoned them to the hand of their

boundary. They took possession of the

enemies, so that they ruled over them.

land of Sihon the king of Heshbon And

When they cried again to You, You

the land of Og the king of Bashan.

heard from heaven, And many times

You rescued them according to Your

23

compassion,

"You made their sons numerous as the

stars of heaven, And You brought them

29

into the land Which You had told their

And admonished them in order to turn

fathers to enter and possess.

them back to Your law. Yet they acted

arrogantly and did not listen to Your

24

commandments but sinned against Your

" So their sons entered and possessed

ordinances, By which if a man observes

the land. And You subdued before them

them he shall live. And they turned a

the

inhabitants

of

the

land,

the

stubborn shoulder and stiffened their

Canaanites, And You gave them into

neck, and would not listen.

their hand, with their kings and the

peoples of the land, To do with them as

30

they desired.

" However, You bore with them for

many years, And admonished them by

25

Your Spirit through Your prophets, Yet

" They captured fortified cities and a they would not give ear. Therefore You fertile land. They took possession of

gave them into the hand of the peoples

houses full of every good thing, Hewn

of the lands.

cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, Fruit

trees in abundance. So they ate, were

31

filled and grew fat, And reveled in Your

"Nevertheless,

in

Your

great

great goodness.

compassion You did not make an end of

them or forsake them, For You are a the sealed document are the names of gracious and compassionate God.

our leaders, our Levites and our priests."

32"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who

10Now on the sealed document

keeps covenant and lovingkindness, Do

were the names of: Nehemiah the

not

let

all

the

hardship

seem

governor, the son of Hacaliah, and

insignificant before You, Which has

Zedekiah,

come upon us, our kings, our princes,

our priests, our prophets, our fathers

2

and on all Your people, From the days

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

of the kings of Assyria to this day.

3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

33"However, You are just in all that has 4

come upon us; For You have dealt

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

34"For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law

6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Or

paid

attention

to

Your

commandments and Your admonitions

7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

with which You have admonished them.

8Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were

35"But they, in their own kingdom, With the priests.

Your great goodness which You gave

them, With the broad and rich land

9And the Levites: Jeshua the son of

which You set before them, Did not

Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad,

serve You or turn from their evil deeds.

Kadmiel;

36"Behold, we are slaves today, And as 10also their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah,

to the land which You gave to our

Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, Behold, we are slaves in it.

11Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

37" Its abundant produce is for the kings 12

Whom You have set over us because of

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

our sins; They also rule over our bodies

13

And over our cattle as they please, So

Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

we are in great distress.

14The leaders of the people: Parosh,

38"Now because of all this We are

Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

making an agreement in writing; And on

15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

30and that we will not give our daughters

to the peoples of the land or take their 17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

daughters for our sons.

18

31

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

As for the peoples of the land who

bring wares or any grain on the sabbath

19

day to sell, we will not buy from them on

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and

20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

the exaction of every debt.

21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

32We also placed ourselves under

obligation to contribute yearly one third 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

33for the showbread, for the continual

24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

grain offering, for the continual burnt

offering, the sabbaths, the new moon,

25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

for the appointed times, for the holy

things and for the sin offerings to make 26

atonement for Israel, and all the work of

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

the house of our God.

27Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

34Likewise we cast lots for the supply of

wood among the priests, the Levites and

28Now the rest of the people, the priests,

the people so that they might bring it to the Levites, the gatekeepers, the

the house of our God, according to our

singers, the temple servants and all

fathers' households, at fixed times

those who had separated themselves

annually, to burn on the altar of the

from the peoples of the lands to the law

LORD our God, as it is written in the law;

of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge

35and that they might bring the first fruits

and understanding,

of our ground and the first fruits of all the

fruit of every tree to the house of the 29are joining with their kinsmen, their

LORD annually,

nobles, and are taking on themselves a

curse and an oath to walk in God's law,

36and bring to the house of our God the

which was given through Moses, God's

firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, servant, and to keep and to observe all and the firstborn of our herds and our the commandments of GOD our Lord,

flocks as it is written in the law, for the and His ordinances and His statutes;

priests who are ministering in the house

of our God.

37We will also bring the first of our dough, 4Some of the sons of Judah and some our contributions, the fruit of every tree, of the sons of Benjamin lived in

the new wine and the oil to the priests at

Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah:

the chambers of the house of our God,

Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of

and the tithe of our ground to the Levites,

Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son

for the Levites are they who receive the

of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of

tithes in all the rural towns.

the sons of Perez;

38The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be 5and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the

with the Levites when the Levites

son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah,

receive tithes, and the Levites shall

the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the

bring up the tenth of the tithes to the son of Zechariah, the son of the

house of our God, to the chambers of

Shilonite.

the storehouse.

6All the sons of Perez who lived in

39For the sons of Israel and the sons of

Jerusalem were 468 able men.

Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the 7Now these are the sons of Benjamin: chambers; there are the utensils of the

Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of

sanctuary,

the

priests

who

are

Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of

ministering, the gatekeepers and the

Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of

singers. Thus we will not neglect the

Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah;

house of our God.

8and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928.

11Now the leaders of the people 9Joel the son of Zichri was their lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the overseer, and Judah the son of people cast lots to bring one out of ten Hassenuah was second in command of

to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the city.

nine-tenths remained in the other cities.

10From the priests: Jedaiah the son of

2And the people blessed all the men

Joiarib, Jachin,

who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

11Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of 3Now these are the heads of the

Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of

provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in

Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader

the cities of Judah each lived on his own

of the house of God,

property in their cities--the Israelites, the

priests, the Levites, the temple servants

12and their kinsmen who performed the

and the descendants of Solomon's

work of the temple, 822; and Adaiah the

servants.

son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the

son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the

son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

13and his kinsmen, heads of fathers'

the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph,

households, 242; and Amashsai the son

who were the singers for the service of of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of the house of God.

Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

23For there was a commandment from

14and their brothers, valiant warriors,

the king concerning them and a firm

128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the

regulation for the song leaders day by

son of Haggedolim.

day.

15Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the

24Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of

son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the

the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was

son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

the king's representative in all matters

concerning the people.

16and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the

leaders of the Levites, who were in

25Now as for the villages with their fields,

charge of the outside work of the house

some of the sons of Judah lived in

of God;

Kiriath-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, and in Jekabzeel and its

17and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son

villages,

of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the

leader in beginning the thanksgiving at

26and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth—

prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second

pelet,

among his brethren; and Abda the son

of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son

27and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and

of Jeduthun.

its towns,

18All the Levites in the holy city were 284. 28and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns, 19Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon

and their brethren who kept watch at the

29and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in

gates, were 172.

Jarmuth,

20The rest of Israel, of the priests and of

30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages,

the Levites, were in all the cities of

Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its

Judah, each on his own inheritance.

towns.

So

they

encamped

from

Beersheba as far as the valley of

21But the temple servants were living in

Hinnom.

Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in

charge of the temple servants.

31The sons of Benjamin also lived from

Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at

22Now the overseer of the Levites in

Bethel and its towns,

Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the

son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah,

32at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father

of Joiada,

34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

11and Joiada became the father of

35Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

Jonathan, and Jonathan became the

father of Jaddua.

36From the Levites, some divisions in

12

Judah belonged to Benjamin.

Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests,

the heads of fathers' households were:

of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah,

12

Hananiah;

Now these are the priests and the

Levites who came up with Zerubbabel

13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah,

the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:

Jehohanan;

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

14

2

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Joseph;

3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

15of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon,

Meshullam;

5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

17of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of

6Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Moadiah, Piltai;

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.

18of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah,

These were the heads of the priests and

Jehonathan;

their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

19of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

8The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui,

Kadmiel,

Sherebiah,

Judah,

and

20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Mattaniah who was in charge of the

songs of thanksgiving, he and his

21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah,

brothers.

Nethanel.

9Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers,

22

stood opposite them in their service

As for the Levites, the heads of

divisions.

fathers' households were registered in

the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and

10

Johanan and Jaddua; so were the

Jeshua became the father of Joiakim,

priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

and Joiakim became the father of

23The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers'

30The priests and the Levites purified

households, were registered in the Book

themselves; they also purified the

of the Chronicles up to the days of

people, the gates and the wall.

Johanan the son of Eliashib.

31Then I had the leaders of Judah come

24The heads of the Levites were

up on top of the wall, and I appointed Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the

two great choirs, the first proceeding to son of Kadmiel, with their brothers

the right on top of the wall toward the opposite them, to praise and give thanks,

Refuse Gate.

as prescribed by David the man of God,

division corresponding to division.

32Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of

Judah followed them,

25Mattaniah,

Bakbukiah,

Obadiah,

Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were

33with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

gatekeepers keeping watch at the

storehouses of the gates.

34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

26These served in the days of Joiakim

35and some of the sons of the priests

the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak,

with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of

and in the days of Nehemiah the

Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son

governor and of Ezra the priest and

of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the

scribe.

son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

27Now at the dedication of the wall of

36and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel,

Jerusalem they sought out the Levites

Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah

from all their places, to bring them to and

Hanani,

with

the

musical

Jerusalem so that they might celebrate

instruments of David the man of God.

the dedication with gladness, with

And Ezra the scribe went before them.

hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to

the accompaniment of cymbals, harps

37

and lyres.

At the Fountain Gate they went directly

up the steps of the city of David by the 28

stairway of the wall above the house of So the sons of the singers were

David to the Water Gate on the east.

assembled from the district around

Jerusalem, and from the villages of the

38

Netophathites,

The second choir proceeded to the left,

while I followed them with half of the

29

people on the wall, above the Tower of

from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in

Furnaces, to the Broad Wall,

Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had

built

themselves

villages

around

39

Jerusalem.

and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the

Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower

of Hananel and the Tower of the

Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and 47So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

and Nehemiah gave the portions due

the singers and the gatekeepers as

40Then the two choirs took their stand in

each day required, and set apart the

the house of God. So did I and half of consecrated portion for the Levites, and

the officials with me;

the Levites set apart the consecrated

portion for the sons of Aaron.

41and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah,

Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah

and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

13On that day they read aloud from

the book of Moses in the hearing of the

42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar,

people; and there was found written in it

Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and

that no Ammonite or Moabite should

Ezer. And the singers sang, with

ever enter the assembly of God,

Jezrahiah their leader,

2because they did not meet the sons of

43and on that day they offered great

Israel with bread and water, but hired

sacrifices and rejoiced because God

Balaam against them to curse them.

had given them great joy, even the

However, our God turned the curse into

women and children rejoiced, so that the

a blessing.

joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

3So when they heard the law, they

44On that day men were also appointed

excluded all foreigners from Israel.

over the chambers for the stores, the

contributions, the first fruits and the

4Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, tithes, to gather into them from the fields

who was appointed over the chambers

of the cities the portions required by the

of the house of our God, being related to

law for the priests and Levites; for Judah

Tobiah,

rejoiced over the priests and Levites

who served.

5had prepared a large room for him,

where formerly they put the grain

45For they performed the worship of their

offerings, the frankincense, the utensils

God and the service of purification,

and the tithes of grain, wine and oil

together with the singers and the

prescribed for the Levites, the singers

gatekeepers in accordance with the

and

the

gatekeepers,

and

the

command of David and of his son

contributions for the priests.

Solomon.

6But during all this time I was not in 46For in the days of David and Asaph, in

Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year

ancient times, there were leaders of the

of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had

singers, songs of praise and hymns of

gone to the king. After some time,

thanksgiving to God.

however, I asked leave from the king,

7and I came to Jerusalem and learned 15In those days I saw in Judah some about the evil that Eliashib had done for

who were treading wine presses on the

Tobiah, by preparing a room for him in

sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain

the courts of the house of God.

and loading them on donkeys, as well

as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of

8It was very displeasing to me, so I

loads, and they brought them into

threw all of Tobiah's household goods

Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I

out of the room.

admonished them on the day they sold

food.

9Then I gave an order and they

16

cleansed the rooms; and I returned

Also men of Tyre were living there who

there the utensils of the house of God

imported

fish

and

all

kinds

of

with the grain offerings and the

merchandise, and sold them to the sons

frankincense.

of Judah on the sabbath, even in

Jerusalem.

10I also discovered that the portions of 17

the Levites had not been given them, so

Then I reprimanded the nobles of

that the Levites and the singers who

Judah and said to them, "What is this performed the service had gone away,

evil thing you are doing, by profaning

each to his own field.

the sabbath day?

11

18

So I reprimanded the officials and said,

" Did not your fathers do the same, so

" Why is the house of God forsaken?"

that our God brought on us and on this Then I gathered them together and

city all this trouble? Yet you are adding restored them to their posts.

to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."

12All Judah then brought the tithe of the

19

grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.

It came about that just as it grew dark

at the gates of Jerusalem before the

13

sabbath, I commanded that the doors

In charge of the storehouses I

should be shut and that they should not

appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok

open them until after the sabbath. Then

the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites,

I stationed some of my servants at the

and in addition to them was Hanan the

gates so that no load would enter on the

son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for

sabbath day.

they were considered reliable, and it

was their task to distribute to their

20

kinsmen.

Once or twice the traders and

merchants of every kind of merchandise

14

spent the night outside Jerusalem.

Remember me for this, O my God, and

do not blot out my loyal deeds which I 21

have performed for the house of my

Then I warned them and said to them,

God and its services.

"Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you." From that time on 26" Did not Solomon king of Israel sin they did not come on the sabbath.

regarding these things? Yet among the

many nations there was no king like him,

22And I commanded the Levites that

and he was loved by his God, and God

they should purify themselves and come

made

him

king

over

all

Israel;

as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath

nevertheless the foreign women caused

day. For this also remember me, O my

even him to sin.

God, and have compassion on me

according to the greatness of Your

27"Do we then hear about you that you lovingkindness.

have committed all this great evil by

acting unfaithfully against our God by

23In those days I also saw that the Jews

marrying foreign women?"

had married women from Ashdod,

Ammon and Moab.

28Even one of the sons of Joiada, the

son of Eliashib the high priest, was a

24As for their children, half spoke in the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so

language of Ashdod, and none of them

I drove him away from me.

was able to speak the language of

Judah, but the language of his own

29Remember them, O my God, because

people.

they have defiled the priesthood and the

covenant of the priesthood and the

25So I contended with them and cursed

Levites.

them and struck some of them and

pulled out their hair, and made them

30Thus I purified them from everything

swear by God, "You shall not give your foreign and appointed duties for the

daughters to their sons, nor take of their

priests and the Levites, each in his task,

daughters

for

your

sons

or

for

yourselves.

31and I arranged for the supply of wood

at appointed times and for the first fruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.

Esther

8The drinking was done according to the

law, there was no compulsion, for so the

1Now it took place in the days of king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned

according to the desires of each person.

from India to Ethiopia over 127

provinces,

9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for

2

the women in the palace which

in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on

belonged to King Ahasuerus.

his royal throne which was at the citadel

in Susa,

10On the seventh day, when the heart of

3

the king was merry with wine, he

in the third year of his reign he gave a commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona,

banquet

for

all

his

princes

and

Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the

attendants, the army officers of Persia

seven eunuchs who served in the

and Media, the nobles and the princes

presence of King Ahasuerus,

of his provinces being in his presence.

11

4

to bring Queen Vashti before the king

And he displayed the riches of his royal

with her royal crown in order to display glory and the splendor of his great

her beauty to the people and the princes,

majesty for many days, 180 days.

for she was beautiful.

5When these days were completed, the

12But Queen Vashti refused to come at

king gave a banquet lasting seven days

the king's command delivered by the

for all the people who were present at

eunuchs. Then the king became very

the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to

angry and his wrath burned within him.

the least, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.

13Then the king said to the wise men

6

who understood the times--for it was the

There were hangings of fine white and

custom of the king so to speak before all

violet linen held by cords of fine purple who knew law and justice

linen on silver rings and marble columns,

and couches of gold and silver on a

14and were close to him: Carshena,

mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble,

Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres,

mother-of-pearl and precious stones.

Marsena and Memucan, the seven

7

princes of Persia and Media who had

Drinks were served in golden vessels of

access to the king's presence and sat in

various kinds, and the royal wine was

the first place in the kingdom--

plentiful according to the king's bounty.

15"According to law, what is to be done 22So he sent letters to all the king's with Queen Vashti, because she did not

provinces, to each province according to

obey the command of King Ahasuerus

its script and to every people according delivered by the eunuchs?"

to their language, that every man should

be the master in his own house and the

16In the presence of the king and the

one who speaks in the language of his

princes, Memucan said, "Queen Vashti

own people.

has wronged not only the king but also

all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King

2After these things when the anger of

Ahasuerus.

King Ahasuerus had subsided, he

remembered Vashti and what she had

17"For the queen's conduct will become done and what had been decreed

known to all the women causing them to

against her.

look with contempt on their husbands by

saying, 'King Ahasuerus commanded

2Then the king's attendants, who served

Queen Vashti to be brought in to his

him, said, " Let beautiful young virgins presence, but she did not come.'

be sought for the king.

18"This day the ladies of Persia and 3"Let the king appoint overseers in all Media who have heard of the queen's the provinces of his kingdom that they

conduct will speak in the same way to

may gather every beautiful young virgin

all the king's princes, and there will be to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into

plenty of contempt and anger.

the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch,

who is in charge of the women; and let 19"If it pleases the king, let a royal edict their cosmetics be given them.

be issued by him and let it be written in

the laws of Persia and Media so that it 4"Then let the young lady who pleases cannot be repealed, that Vashti may no the king be queen in place of Vashti."

longer come into the presence of King

And the matter pleased the king, and he

Ahasuerus, and let the king give her

did accordingly.

royal position to another who is more

worthy than she.

5Now there was at the citadel in Susa a

20

Jew whose name was Mordecai, the

"When the king's edict which he will son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of

make is heard throughout all his

Kish, a Benjamite,

kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great 6

and small."

who had been taken into exile from

Jerusalem with the captives who had

21

been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah,

This word pleased the king and the

whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of

princes, and the king did as Memucan

Babylon had exiled.

proposed.

7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is was given her to take with her from the Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had harem to the king's palace.

no father or mother. Now the young lady

was beautiful of form and face, and

14In the evening she would go in and in

when her father and her mother died,

the morning she would return to the

Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

second harem, to the custody of

Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was

8So it came about when the command

in charge of the concubines. She would

and decree of the king were heard and

not again go in to the king unless the many young ladies were gathered to the

king delighted in her and she was

citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai,

summoned by name.

that Esther was taken to the king's

palace into the custody of Hegai, who

15Now when the turn of Esther, the

was in charge of the women.

daughter of Abihail the uncle of

Mordecai who had taken her as his

9Now the young lady pleased him and

daughter, came to go in to the king, she

found favor with him. So he quickly

did not request anything except what

provided her with her cosmetics and

Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in

food, gave her seven choice maids from

charge of the women, advised. And

the king's palace and transferred her

Esther found favor in the eyes of all who

and her maids to the best place in the saw her.

harem.

16So Esther was taken to King

10Esther did not make known her people

Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the

or her kindred, for Mordecai had

tenth month which is the month Tebeth,

instructed her that she should not make

in the seventh year of his reign.

them known.

17The king loved Esther more than all

11Every day Mordecai walked back and

the women, and she found favor and

forth in front of the court of the harem to

kindness with him more than all the

learn how Esther was and how she

virgins, so that he set the royal crown on

fared.

her head and made her queen instead

of Vashti.

12Now when the turn of each young lady

came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after

18Then the king gave a great banquet,

the end of her twelve months under the

Esther's banquet, for all his princes and

regulations for the women--for the days

his servants; he also made a holiday for

of their beautification were completed as

the provinces and gave gifts according

follows: six months with oil of myrrh and

to the king's bounty.

six months with spices and the

cosmetics for women--

19When the virgins were gathered

together the second time, then Mordecai

13the young lady would go in to the king

was sitting at the king's gate.

in this way: anything that she desired

20Esther had not yet made known her 4Now it was when they had spoken daily kindred or her people, even as Mordecai

to him and he would not listen to them, had commanded her; for Esther did

that they told Haman to see whether

what Mordecai told her as she had done

Mordecai's reason would stand; for he

when under his care.

had told them that he was a Jew.

21In those days, while Mordecai was

5When Haman saw that Mordecai

sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and

neither bowed down nor paid homage to

Teresh, two of the king's officials from him, Haman was filled with rage.

those who guarded the door, became

angry and sought to lay hands on King

6But he disdained to lay hands on

Ahasuerus.

Mordecai alone, for they had told him

who the people of Mordecai were;

22But the plot became known to

therefore Haman sought to destroy all

Mordecai and he told Queen Esther,

the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who

and Esther informed the king in

were throughout the whole kingdom of

Mordecai's name.

Ahasuerus.

23Now when the plot was investigated

7In the first month, which is the month and found to be so, they were both

Nisan, in the twelfth year of King

hanged on a gallows; and it was written

Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast

in the Book of the Chronicles in the

before Haman from day to day and from

king's presence.

month to month, until the twelfth month,

that is the month Adar.

3

8

After these events King Ahasuerus

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus,

promoted

Haman,

the

son

of

"There is a certain people scattered and

Hammedatha

the

Agagite,

and

dispersed among the peoples in all the

provinces of your kingdom; their laws

advanced him and established his

are different from those of all other

authority over all the princes who were

with him.

people and they do not observe the

king's laws, so it is not in the king's 2

interest to let them remain.

All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid

9"If it is pleasing to the king, let it be homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded

concerning

him.

But

decreed that they be destroyed, and I

Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid

will pay ten thousand talents of silver

homage.

into the hands of those who carry on the

king's business, to put into the king's

treasuries."

3Then the king's servants who were at

the king's gate said to Mordecai, " Why 10

are

you

transgressing

the

king's

Then the king took his signet ring from

command?"

his hand and gave it to Haman, the son

of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy the midst of the city and wailed loudly of the Jews.

and bitterly.

11The king said to Haman, "The silver is

2He went as far as the king's gate, for no

yours, and the people also, to do with

one was to enter the king's gate clothed

them as you please."

in sackcloth.

12Then the king's scribes were

3In each and every province where the

summoned on the thirteenth day of the

command and decree of the king came,

first month, and it was written just as there was great mourning among the

Haman commanded to the king's

Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing;

satraps, to the governors who were over

and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

each province and to the princes of

each people, each province according to

4Then Esther's maidens and her

its script, each people according to its eunuchs came and told her, and the

language, being written in the name of

queen writhed in great anguish. And she

King Ahasuerus and sealed with the

sent garments to clothe Mordecai that

king's signet ring.

he might remove his sackcloth from him,

but he did not accept them.

13Letters were sent by couriers to all the

king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to

5Then Esther summoned Hathach from

annihilate all the Jews, both young and

the king's eunuchs, whom the king had

old, women and children, in one day, the

appointed to attend her, and ordered

thirteenth day of the twelfth month,

him to go to Mordecai to learn what this

which is the month Adar, and to seize

was and why it was.

their possessions as plunder.

6So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the

14A copy of the edict to be issued as law

city square in front of the king's gate.

in every province was published to all

the peoples so that they should be

7Mordecai told him all that had

ready for this day.

happened to him, and the exact amount

of money that Haman had promised to

15The couriers went out impelled by the

pay to the king's treasuries for the

king's command while the decree was

destruction of the Jews.

issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink,

8He also gave him a copy of the text of

the city of Susa was in confusion.

the edict which had been issued in Susa

for their destruction, that he might show

4

Esther and inform her, and to order her When Mordecai learned all that had

to go in to the king to implore his favor been done, he tore his clothes, put on and to plead with him for her people.

sackcloth and ashes, and went out into

9Hathach came back and related 17So Mordecai went away and did just Mordecai's words to Esther.

as Esther had commanded him.

10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and

ordered him to reply to Mordecai:

5Now it came about on the third day

that Esther put on her royal robes and

11"All the king's servants and the people stood in the inner court of the king's

of the king's provinces know that for any

palace in front of the king's rooms, and man or woman who comes to the king to

the king was sitting on his royal throne the inner court who is not summoned,

in the throne room, opposite the

he has but one law, that he be put to entrance to the palace.

death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live.

2When the king saw Esther the queen

And I have not been summoned to

standing in the court, she obtained favor

come to the king for these thirty days."

in his sight; and the king extended to

Esther the golden scepter which was in

12They related Esther's words to

his hand. So Esther came near and

Mordecai.

touched the top of the scepter.

13Then Mordecai told them to reply to

3Then the king said to her, "What is Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the troubling you, Queen Esther? And what king's palace can escape any more than

is your request? Even to half of the

all the Jews.

kingdom it shall be given to you."

14"For if you remain silent at this time, 4Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may relief and deliverance will arise for the the king and Haman come this day to Jews from another place and you and

the banquet that I have prepared for

your father's house will perish. And who

him."

knows whether you have not attained

royalty for such a time as this?"

5Then the king said, " Bring Haman

quickly that we may do as Esther

15Then Esther told them to reply to

desires." So the king and Haman came Mordecai,

to the banquet which Esther had

prepared.

16"Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not 6As they drank their wine at the banquet, eat or drink for three days, night or day.

the king said to Esther, " What is your I and my maidens also will fast in the petition, for it shall be granted to you.

same way. And thus I will go in to the And what is your request? Even to half

king, which is not according to the law; of the kingdom it shall be done."

and if I perish, I perish."

7So Esther replied, "My petition and my request is:

8if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant 6During that night the king could not my petition and do what I request, may

sleep so he gave an order to bring the the king and Haman come to the

book of records, the chronicles, and

banquet which I will prepare for them,

they were read before the king.

and tomorrow I will do as the king says."

2

9

It was found written what Mordecai had

Then Haman went out that day glad

reported

concerning

Bigthana

and

and pleased of heart; but when Haman

Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who

saw Mordecai in the king's gate and that

were doorkeepers, that they had sought

he did not stand up or tremble before

to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

him, Haman was filled with anger

against Mordecai.

3The king said, "What honor or dignity 10

has been bestowed on Mordecai for

Haman controlled himself, however,

this?" Then the king's servants who

went to his house and sent for his

attended him said, "Nothing has been friends and his wife Zeresh.

done for him."

11Then Haman recounted to them the

4So the king said, "Who is in the court?"

glory of his riches, and the number of

Now Haman had just entered the outer

his sons, and every instance where the

court of the king's palace in order to

king had magnified him and how he had

speak to the king about hanging

promoted him above the princes and

Mordecai on the gallows which he had

servants of the king.

prepared for him.

12Haman also said, "Even Esther the

5The king's servants said to him,

queen let no one but me come with the

"Behold, Haman is standing in the

king to the banquet which she had

court." And the king said, "Let him come prepared; and tomorrow also I am

in."

invited by her with the king.

6

13

So Haman came in and the king said to

"Yet all of this does not satisfy me him, "What is to be done for the man every time I see Mordecai the Jew whom the king desires to honor?" And sitting at the king's gate."

Haman said to himself, "Whom would

the king desire to honor more than me?"

14Then Zeresh his wife and all his

friends said to him, " Have a gallows fifty 7Then Haman said to the king, "For the cubits high made and in the morning ask

man whom the king desires to honor,

the king to have Mordecai hanged on it;

then go joyfully with the king to the

8

banquet." And the advice pleased

let them bring a royal robe which the

Haman, so he had the gallows made.

king has worn, and the horse on which

the king has ridden, and on whose head

a royal crown has been placed;

9and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most 7Now the king and Haman came to

noble princes and let them array the

drink wine with Esther the queen.

man whom the king desires to honor

and lead him on horseback through the

2

city square, and proclaim before him,

And the king said to Esther on the

'Thus it shall be done to the man whom

second day also as they drank their

the king desires to honor.'"

wine at the banquet, " What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be

10

granted you. And what is your request?

Then the king said to Haman, "Take

Even to half of the kingdom it shall be quickly the robes and the horse as you

done."

have said, and do so for Mordecai the

Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate; do

3

not fall short in anything of all that you Then Queen Esther replied, " If I have have said."

found favor in your sight, O king, and if it

pleases the king, let my life be given me

11

as my petition, and my people as my

So Haman took the robe and the horse,

request;

and arrayed Mordecai, and led him on

horseback through the city square, and

4

proclaimed before him, "Thus it shall be

for we have been sold, I and my people,

done to the man whom the king desires

to be destroyed, to be killed and to be to honor."

annihilated. Now if we had only been

sold as slaves, men and women, I would

12

have remained silent, for the trouble

Then Mordecai returned to the king's

would not be commensurate with the

gate.

But

Haman

hurried

home,

annoyance to the king."

mourning, with his head covered.

5

13

Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen

Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife

Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, and all his friends everything that had who would presume to do thus?"

happened to him. Then his wise men

and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If 6

Mordecai, before whom you have begun

Esther said, " A foe and an enemy is to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not this wicked Haman!" Then Haman overcome him, but will surely fall before

became terrified before the king and

him."

queen.

7

14While they were still talking with him, The king arose in his anger from

the king's eunuchs arrived and hastily

drinking wine and went into the palace

brought Haman to the banquet which

garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his

Esther had prepared.

life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him

by the king.

8Now when the king returned from the 5Then she said, " If it pleases the king palace garden into the place where they and if I have found favor before him and

were drinking wine, Haman was falling

the matter seems proper to the king and

on the couch where Esther was. Then

I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written

the king said, "Will he even assault the to revoke the letters devised by Haman,

queen with me in the house?" As the the son of Hammedatha the Agagite,

word went out of the king's mouth, they

which he wrote to destroy the Jews who

covered Haman's face.

are in all the king's provinces.

9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs

6"For how can I endure to see the

who were before the king said, "Behold calamity which will befall my people, and

indeed, the gallows standing at Haman's

how can I endure to see the destruction

house fifty cubits high, which Haman

of my kindred?"

made for Mordecai who spoke good on

behalf of the king!" And the king said, 7So King Ahasuerus said to Queen

"Hang him on it."

Esther and to Mordecai the Jew,

"Behold, I have given the house of

10So they hanged Haman on the gallows

Haman to Esther, and him they have

which he had prepared for Mordecai,

hanged on the gallows because he had

and the king's anger subsided.

stretched out his hands against the

Jews.

8

8

On that day King Ahasuerus gave the

"Now you write to the Jews as you see

house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews,

fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which

to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came

before the king, for Esther had disclosed

is written in the name of the king and what he was to her.

sealed with the king's signet ring may

not be revoked."

2The king took off his signet ring which 9So the king's scribes were called at that

he had taken away from Haman, and

gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set

time in the third month (that is, the

Mordecai over the house of Haman.

month Sivan), on the twenty-third day;

and it was written according to all that 3

Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the

Then Esther spoke again to the king,

satraps, the governors and the princes

fell at his feet, wept and implored him to

of the provinces which extended from

avert the evil scheme of Haman the

India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to

Agagite and his plot which he had

every province according to its script,

devised against the Jews.

and to every people according to their

language as well as to the Jews

4The king extended the golden scepter

according to their script and their

to Esther. So Esther arose and stood

language.

before the king.

10He wrote in the name of King there was gladness and joy for the Jews, Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's

a feast and a holiday. And many among

signet ring, and sent letters by couriers the peoples of the land became Jews,

on horses, riding on steeds sired by the

for the dread of the Jews had fallen on royal stud.

them.

11In them the king granted the Jews who

were in each and every city the right to 9Now in the twelfth month (that is, the assemble and to defend their lives, to month Adar), on the thirteenth day when

destroy, to kill and to annihilate the

the king's command and edict were

entire army of any people or province

about to be executed, on the day when

which might attack them, including

the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain

children and women, and to plunder

the mastery over them, it was turned to their spoil,

the

contrary

so

that

the

Jews

themselves gained the mastery over

12on one day in all the provinces of King

those who hated them.

Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the

twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).

2The Jews assembled in their cities

throughout all the provinces of King

13A copy of the edict to be issued as law

Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who

in each and every province was

sought their harm; and no one could

published to all the peoples, so that the stand before them, for the dread of them

Jews would be ready for this day to

had fallen on all the peoples.

avenge themselves on their enemies.

3Even all the princes of the provinces,

14The couriers, hastened and impelled

the satraps, the governors and those

by the king's command, went out, riding

who were doing the king's business

on the royal steeds; and the decree was

assisted the Jews, because the dread of

given out at the citadel in Susa.

Mordecai had fallen on them.

15Then Mordecai went out from the

4Indeed, Mordecai was great in the

presence of the king in royal robes of

king's house, and his fame spread

blue and white, with a large crown of

throughout all the provinces; for the man

gold and a garment of fine linen and

Mordecai became greater and greater.

purple; and the city of Susa shouted and

rejoiced.

5Thus the Jews struck all their enemies

with the sword, killing and destroying;

16For the Jews there was light and

and they did what they pleased to those

gladness and joy and honor.

who hated them.

17In each and every province and in

6At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed each and every city, wherever the king's

and destroyed five hundred men,

commandment and his decree arrived,

7and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 16Now the rest of the Jews who were in

the king's provinces assembled, to

8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those

9

who hated them; but they did not lay

Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,

their hands on the plunder.

10the ten sons of Haman the son of

17This was done on the thirteenth day of

Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but

the month Adar, and on the fourteenth

they did not lay their hands on the

day they rested and made it a day of

plunder.

feasting and rejoicing.

11On that day the number of those who

18But the Jews who were in Susa

were killed at the citadel in Susa was

assembled on the thirteenth and the

reported to the king.

fourteenth of the same month, and they

rested on the fifteenth day and made it a

12The king said to Queen Esther, "The day of feasting and rejoicing.

Jews have killed and destroyed five

hundred men and the ten sons of

19Therefore the Jews of the rural areas,

Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then

who live in the rural towns, make the

have they done in the rest of the king's fourteenth day of the month Adar a

provinces! Now what is your petition? It holiday for rejoicing and feasting and

shall even be granted you. And what is

sending portions of food to one another.

your further request? It shall also be

done."

20Then Mordecai recorded these events,

13

and he sent letters to all the Jews who Then said Esther, "If it pleases the were in all the provinces of King king, let tomorrow also be granted to the

Ahasuerus, both near and far,

Jews who are in Susa to do according to

the edict of today; and let Haman's ten 21

sons be hanged on the gallows."

obliging

them

to

celebrate

the

fourteenth day of the month Adar, and

14

the fifteenth day of the same month,

So the king commanded that it should

annually,

be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were

22

hanged.

because on those days the Jews rid

themselves of their enemies, and it was

15

a month which was turned for them from

The

Jews

who

were

in

Susa

sorrow into gladness and from mourning

assembled also on the fourteenth day of

into a holiday; that they should make

the month Adar and killed three hundred

them days of feasting and rejoicing and

men in Susa, but they did not lay their sending portions of food to one another

hands on the plunder.

and gifts to the poor.

23Thus the Jews undertook what they 29Then Queen Esther, daughter of had started to do, and what Mordecai

Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote

had written to them.

with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

24For Haman the son of Hammedatha,

the Agagite, the adversary of all the

30He sent letters to all the Jews, to the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to

127 provinces of the kingdom of

destroy them and had cast Pur, that is

Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and

the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. truth, 25But when it came to the king's

31to establish these days of Purim at

attention, he commanded by letter that

their appointed times, just as Mordecai

his wicked scheme which he had

the Jew and Queen Esther had

devised against the Jews, should return

established for them, and just as they

on his own head and that he and his

had established for themselves and for

sons should be hanged on the gallows.

their descendants with instructions for

their

times

of

fasting

and

their

26Therefore they called these days

lamentations.

Purim after the name of Pur. And

because of the instructions in this letter,

32The command of Esther established

both what they had seen in this regard

these customs for Purim, and it was

and what had happened to them,

written in the book.

27the Jews established and made a

custom for themselves and for their

10Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute

descendants and for all those who allied

on the land and on the coastlands of the

themselves with them, so that they

sea.

would not fail to celebrate these two

days according to their regulation and

2

according to their appointed time

And all the accomplishments of his

annually.

authority and strength, and the full

account of the greatness of Mordecai to

28

which the king advanced him, are they

So these days were to be remembered

not written in the Book of the Chronicles

and

celebrated

throughout

every

of the Kings of Media and Persia?

generation, every family, every province

and every city; and these days of Purim

3

were not to fail from among the Jews, or

For Mordecai the Jew was second only

their

memory

fade

from

their

to King Ahasuerus, and great among the

descendants.

Jews and in favor with his many

kinsmen, one who sought the good of

his people and one who spoke for the

welfare of his whole nation.

Job

8The LORD said to Satan, "Have you

considered My servant Job? For there is

1There was a man in the land of Uz no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God whose name was Job; and that man

and turning away from evil."

was blameless, upright, fearing God and

turning away from evil.

9Then Satan answered the LORD,

2

"Does Job fear God for nothing?

Seven sons and three daughters were

born to him.

10" Have You not made a hedge about 3

him and his house and all that he has, His possessions also were 7,000 sheep,

on every side? You have blessed the

3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500

work of his hands, and his possessions

female

donkeys,

and

very

many

have increased in the land.

servants; and that man was the greatest

of all the men of the east.

11" But put forth Your hand now and 4

touch all that he has; he will surely curse

His sons used to go and hold a feast in

You to Your face."

the house of each one on his day, and

they would send and invite their three

12

sisters to eat and drink with them.

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold,

all that he has is in your power, only do

5

not put forth your hand on him." So When the days of feasting had

Satan departed from the presence of the

completed their cycle, Job would send

LORD.

and consecrate them, rising up early in

the morning and offering burnt offerings

13

according to the number of them all; for

Now on the day when his sons and his

Job said, " Perhaps my sons have

daughters were eating and drinking wine

in their oldest brother's house,

sinned and cursed God in their hearts."

Thus Job did continually.

14a messenger came to Job and said,

6Now there was a day when the sons of

"The oxen were plowing and the

God came to present themselves before

donkeys feeding beside them,

the LORD, and Satan also came among

15

them.

and the Sabeans attacked and took

them. They also slew the servants with

7The LORD said to Satan, "From where

the edge of the sword, and I alone have

do you come?" Then Satan answered

escaped to tell you."

the LORD and said, " From roaming

16

about on the earth and walking around

While he was still speaking, another

on it."

also came and said, " The fire of God

fell from heaven and burned up the 2The LORD said to Satan, "Where have sheep and the servants and consumed

you come from?" Then Satan answered

them, and I alone have escaped to tell

the LORD and said, "From roaming

you."

about on the earth and walking around

on it."

17While he was still speaking, another

also came and said, "The Chaldeans

3The LORD said to Satan, "Have you

formed three bands and made a raid on

considered My servant Job? For there is

the camels and took them and slew the

no one like him on the earth, a

servants with the edge of the sword, and

blameless and upright man fearing God

I alone have escaped to tell you."

and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you

18While he was still speaking, another

incited Me against him to ruin him

also came and said, "Your sons and

without cause."

your daughters were eating and drinking

wine in their oldest brother's house,

4Satan answered the LORD and said,

"Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he 19and behold, a great wind came from

will give for his life.

across the wilderness and struck the

four corners of the house, and it fell on 5" However, put forth Your hand now, the young people and they died, and I and touch his bone and his flesh; he will

alone have escaped to tell you."

curse You to Your face."

20Then Job arose and tore his robe and

6So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, shaved his head, and he fell to the

he is in your power, only spare his life."

ground and worshiped.

7Then Satan went out from the presence

21He said, " Naked I came from my

of the LORD and smote Job with sore

mother's womb, And naked I shall return

boils from the sole of his foot to the there. The LORD gave and the LORD

crown of his head.

has taken away. Blessed be the name

of the LORD."

8And he took a potsherd to scrape

himself while he was sitting among the

22Through all this Job did not sin nor did

ashes.

he blame God.

9Then his wife said to him, "Do you still 2

hold fast your integrity? Curse God and

Again there was a day when the sons

die!"

of God came to present themselves

10

before the LORD, and Satan also came

But he said to her, "You speak as one

among them to present himself before

of the foolish women speaks. Shall we

the LORD.

indeed accept good from God and not

accept adversity?" In all this Job did not year; Let it not come into the number of sin with his lips.

the months.

11Now when Job's three friends heard of

7"Behold, let that night be barren; Let no all this adversity that had come upon

joyful shout enter it.

him, they came each one from his own

place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the

8"Let those curse it who curse the day, Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite;

Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.

and they made an appointment together

to come to sympathize with him and

9"Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; comfort him.

Let it wait for light but have none, And let it not see the breaking dawn;

12When they lifted up their eyes at a

distance and did not recognize him, they

10Because it did not shut the opening of

raised their voices and wept. And each

my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from

of them tore his robe and they threw

my eyes.

dust over their heads toward the sky.

11

13

" Why did I not die at birth, Come forth

Then they sat down on the ground with

from the womb and expire?

him for seven days and seven nights

with no one speaking a word to him, for

12

they saw that his pain was very great.

"Why did the knees receive me, And

why the breasts, that I should suck?

3

13"For now I would have lain down and Afterward Job opened his mouth and

been quiet; I would have slept then, I

cursed the day of his birth.

would have been at rest,

2And Job said,

14With kings and with counselors of the

earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;

3" Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, 'A 15Or with princes who had gold, Who

boy is conceived.'

were filling their houses with silver.

4"May that day be darkness; Let not God

16"Or like a miscarriage which is

above care for it, Nor light shine on it.

discarded, I would not be, As infants

that never saw light.

5"Let darkness and black gloom claim it;

Let a cloud settle on it; Let the

17"There the wicked cease from raging, blackness of the day terrify it.

And there the weary are at rest.

6"As for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the 18"The prisoners are at ease together; 4"Your words have helped the tottering They do not hear the voice of the to stand, And you have strengthened

taskmaster.

feeble knees.

19"The small and the great are there, 5"But now it has come to you, and you And the slave is free from his master.

are impatient; It touches you, and you

are dismayed.

20"Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul,

6"Is not your fear of God your

confidence, And the integrity of your

21Who long for death, but there is none,

ways your hope?

And dig for it more than for hidden

treasures,

7"Remember now, who ever perished

being innocent? Or where were the

22Who rejoice greatly, And exult when

upright destroyed?

they find the grave?

8"According to what I have seen, those 23"Why is light given to a man whose who plow iniquity And those who sow way is hidden, And whom God has

trouble harvest it.

hedged in?

9"By the breath of God they perish, And

24"For my groaning comes at the sight of

by the blast of His anger they come to my food, And my cries pour out like

an end.

water.

10"The roaring of the lion and the voice 25"For what I fear comes upon me, And of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the what I dread befalls me.

young lions are broken.

26

11

"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I

"The lion perishes for lack of prey, And

am not at rest, but turmoil comes."

the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

12"Now a word was brought to me

4Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it.

2"If one ventures a word with you, will 13"Amid disquieting thoughts from the you become impatient? But who can visions of the night, When deep sleep

refrain from speaking?

falls on men,

3"Behold you have admonished many,

14Dread came upon me, and trembling,

And you have strengthened weak hands. And made all my bones shake.

15"Then a spirit passed by my face; The 5"His harvest the hungry devour And hair of my flesh bristled up.

take it to a place of thorns, And the

schemer is eager for their wealth.

16"It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes;

6"For affliction does not come from the There was silence, then I heard a voice:

dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the

ground,

17'Can mankind be just before God? Can

a man be pure before his Maker?

7For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

18' He puts no trust even in His servants;

And against His angels He charges

8"But as for me, I would seek God, And I

error.

would place my cause before God;

19'How much more those who dwell in

9Who does great and unsearchable

houses of clay, Whose foundation is in

things, Wonders without number.

the dust, Who are crushed before the

moth!

10"He gives rain on the earth And sends

water on the fields,

20' Between morning and evening they

are broken in pieces; Unobserved, they

11So that He sets on high those who are

perish forever.

lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to

safety.

21'Is not their tent-cord plucked up within

them? They die, yet without wisdom.'

12"He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot

5

attain success.

"Call now, is there anyone who will 13

answer you? And to which of the holy

"He captures the wise by their own

ones will you turn?

shrewdness, And the advice of the

cunning is quickly thwarted.

2"For anger slays the foolish man, And 14

jealousy kills the simple.

"By day they meet with darkness, And

grope at noon as in the night.

3"I have seen the foolish taking root, 15

And I cursed his abode immediately.

"But He saves from the sword of their mouth, And the poor from the hand of

4"His sons are far from safety, They are

the mighty.

even oppressed in the gate, And there is

16

no deliverer.

"So the helpless has hope, And

unrighteousness must shut its mouth.

17"Behold, how happy is the man whom 2" Oh that my grief were actually God reproves, So do not despise the

weighed And laid in the balances

discipline of the Almighty.

together with my calamity!

18"For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; 3"For then it would be heavier than the He wounds, and His hands also heal.

sand of the seas; Therefore my words

have been rash.

19"From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you.

4"For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, Their poison my spirit drinks;

20"In famine He will redeem you from The terrors of God are arrayed against

death, And in war from the power of the

me.

sword.

5"Does the wild donkey bray over his 21"You will be hidden from the scourge grass, Or does the ox low over his of the tongue, And you will not be afraid

fodder?

of violence when it comes.

6"Can something tasteless be eaten

22"You will laugh at violence and famine, without salt, Or is there any taste in the

And you will not be afraid of wild beasts.

white of an egg?

23

7

"For you will be in league with the

"My soul refuses to touch them; They stones of the field, And the beasts of the

are like loathsome food to me.

field will be at peace with you.

8"Oh that my request might come to

24"You will know that your tent is secure, pass, And that God would grant my

For you will visit your abode and fear no

longing!

loss.

9"Would that God were willing to crush 25"You will know also that your

me, That He would loose His hand and

descendants will be many, And your

cut me off!

offspring as the grass of the earth.

10"But it is still my consolation, And I 26"You will come to the grave in full vigor, rejoice in unsparing pain, That I have Like the stacking of grain in its season.

not denied the words of the Holy One.

27

11

"Behold this; we have investigated it,

"What is my strength, that I should wait?

and so it is. Hear it, and know for

And what is my end, that I should

yourself."

endure?

12"Is my strength the strength of stones, 6Then Job answered,

Or is my flesh bronze?

13"Is it that my help is not within me, And 25"How painful are honest words! But that deliverance is driven from me?

what does your argument prove?

14"For the despairing man there should 26"Do you intend to reprove my words, be kindness from his friend; So that he When the words of one in despair does not forsake the fear of the Almighty. belong to the wind?

15"My brothers have acted deceitfully 27"You would even cast lots for the like a wadi, Like the torrents of wadis orphans And barter over your friend.

which vanish,

28"Now please look at me, And see if I 16Which are turbid because of ice And lie to your face.

into which the snow melts.

29"Desist now, let there be no injustice; 17"When they become waterless, they Even desist, my righteousness is yet in

are silent, When it is hot, they vanish it.

from their place.

30"Is there injustice on my tongueNULL

18"The paths of their course wind along,

Cannot

my

palate

discern

They go up into nothing and perish.

calamitiesNULL

19"The caravans of Tema looked, The

travelers of Sheba hoped for them.

7"Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a 20"They were disappointed for they had hired man?

trusted, They came there and were

confounded.

2"As a slave who pants for the shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits

21"Indeed, you have now become such, for his wages,

You see a terror and are afraid.

3So am I allotted months of vanity, And

22"Have I said, 'Give me something,' Or,

nights of trouble are appointed me.

'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,'

4"When I lie down I say, 'When shall I 23Or, 'Deliver me from the hand of the arise?' But the night continues, And I am

adversary,' Or, 'Redeem me from the

continually tossing until dawn.

hand of the tyrants'?

5"My flesh is clothed with worms and a 24"Teach me, and I will be silent; And crust of dirt, My skin hardens and runs.

show me how I have erred.

6"My days are swifter than a weaver's 18That You examine him every morning shuttle, And come to an end without

And try him every moment?

hope.

19" Will You never turn Your gaze away 7"Remember that my life is but breath; from me, Nor let me alone until I My eye will not again see good.

swallow my spittle?

8"The eye of him who sees me will

20" Have I sinned? What have I done to

behold me no longer; Your eyes will be

You, O watcher of men? Why have You

on me, but I will not be.

set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?

9"When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, So

he who goes down to Sheol does not

21"Why then do You not pardon my

come up.

transgression And take away my

iniquityNULL For now I will lie down in 10"He will not return again to his house, the dust; And You will seek me, but I will Nor will his place know him anymore.

not be."

11"Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I

8Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

2"How long will you say these things, 12"Am I the sea, or the sea monster, And the words of your mouth be a That You set a guard over me?

mighty wind?

13"If I say, ' My bed will comfort me, My 3"Does God pervert justice? Or does the

couch will ease my complaint,'

Almighty pervert what is right?

14Then You frighten me with dreams

4" If your sons sinned against Him, Then

And terrify me by visions;

He delivered them into the power of

their transgression.

15So that my soul would choose

suffocation, Death rather than my pains.

5"If you would seek God And implore the

compassion of the Almighty,

16"I waste away; I will not live forever.

Leave me alone, for my days are but a

6If you are pure and upright, Surely now

breath.

He would rouse Himself for you And

restore your righteous estate.

17" What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him,

7"Though

your

beginning

was

insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly.

8"Please inquire of past generations, 20"Lo, God will not reject a man of And consider the things searched out by integrity, Nor will He support the

their fathers.

evildoers.

9"For we are only of yesterday and know

21"He will yet fill your mouth with nothing, Because our days on earth are

laughter And your lips with shouting.

as a shadow.

22"Those who hate you will be clothed 10"Will they not teach you and tell you, with shame, And the tent of the wicked And bring forth words from their minds?

will be no longer."

11"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without

9Then Job answered,

water?

2

12

"In truth I know that this is so; But how

"While it is still green and not cut down, can a man be in the right before God?

Yet it withers before any other plant.

3

13

"If one wished to dispute with Him, He

"So are the paths of all who forget God;

could not answer Him once in a

And the hope of the godless will perish,

thousand times.

14Whose confidence is fragile, And

4" Wise in heart and mighty in strength, whose trust a spider's web.

Who has defied Him without harm?

15"He trusts in his house, but it does not 5" It is God who removes the mountains,

stand; He holds fast to it, but it does not

they know not how, When He overturns

endure.

them in His anger;

16"He thrives before the sun, And his 6Who shakes the earth out of its place, shoots spread out over his garden.

And its pillars tremble;

17"His roots wrap around a rock pile, He

7Who commands the sun not to shine,

grasps a house of stones.

And sets a seal upon the stars;

18"If he is removed from his place, Then

8Who alone stretches out the heavens

it will deny him, saying, ' I never saw And tramples down the waves of the

you.'

sea;

19"Behold, this is the joy of His way; And 9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the

out of the dust others will spring.

Pleiades, And the chambers of the

south;

10Who does great things, unfathomable, 22"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He And wondrous works without number.

destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'

11"Were He to pass by me, I would not 23"If the scourge kills suddenly, He see Him; Were He to move past me, I mocks the despair of the innocent.

would not perceive Him.

24"The earth is given into the hand of the 12"Were He to snatch away, who could wicked; He covers the faces of its restrain Him? Who could say to Him, '

judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

What are You doing?'

25"Now my days are swifter than a

13"God will not turn back His anger; runner; They flee away, they see no

Beneath Him crouch the helpers of

good.

Rahab.

26"They slip by like reed boats, Like an 14"How then can I answer Him, And eagle that swoops on its prey.

choose my words before Him?

27"Though I say, 'I will forget my

15"For though I were right, I could not complaint, I will leave off my sad

answer; I would have to implore the

countenance and be cheerful,'

mercy of my judge.

28I am afraid of all my pains, I know that

16"If I called and He answered me, I You will not acquit me.

could not believe that He was listening

to my voice.

29"I am accounted wicked, Why then

should I toil in vain?

17"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause. 30"If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, 18"He will not allow me to get my breath, But saturates me with bitterness.

31Yet You would plunge me into the pit,

And my own clothes would abhor me.

19"If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one! And if it is a matter of 32"For He is not a man as I am that I justice, who can summon Him?

may answer Him, That we may go to

court together.

20" Though I am righteous, my mouth will

condemn me; Though I am guiltless, He

33"There is no umpire between us, Who

will declare me guilty.

may lay his hand upon us both.

21"I am guiltless; I do not take notice of 34"Let Him remove His rod from me, And myself; I despise my life.

let not dread of Him terrify me.

35"Then I would speak and not fear Him; 12'You have granted me life and But I am not like that in myself.

lovingkindness; And Your care has

preserved my spirit.

10

13

" I loathe my own life; I will give

'Yet these things You have concealed

full vent to my complaint; I will speak in in Your heart; I know that this is within the bitterness of my soul.

You:

14

2

If I sin, then You would take note of

"I will say to God, ' Do not condemn me;

Let me know why You contend with me.

me, And would not acquit me of my guilt.

15

3'Is it right for You indeed to oppress, To

'If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am

righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I reject the labor of Your hands, And to am sated with disgrace and conscious

look favorably on the schemes of the

wicked?

of my misery.

16

4'Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You

'Should my head be lifted up, You

would hunt me like a lion; And again

see as a man sees?

You would show Your power against me.

5'Are Your days as the days of a mortal,

17

Or Your years as man's years,

'You renew Your witnesses against me

And increase Your anger toward me;

Hardship after hardship is with me.

6That You should seek for my guilt And

search after my sin?

18' Why then have You brought me out

7

of the womb? Would that I had died and

'According to Your knowledge I am

no eye had seen me!

indeed not guilty, Yet there is no

deliverance from Your hand.

19'I should have been as though I had

8

not been, Carried from womb to tomb.'

' Your hands fashioned and made me

altogether, And would You destroy me?

20"Would He not let my few days alone?

9

Withdraw from me that I may have a

'Remember now, that You have made

little cheer

me as clay; And would You turn me into

dust again?

21Before I go-- and I shall not return-- To

10

the land of darkness and deep shadow,

'Did You not pour me out like milk And

curdle me like cheese;

22The land of utter gloom as darkness

11

itself, Of deep shadow without order,

Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit

And which shines as the darkness."

me together with bones and sinews?

13

11

" If you would direct your heart right Then Zophar the Naamathite

And spread out your hand to Him,

answered,

14If iniquity is in your hand, put it far 2"Shall a multitude of words go

away, And do not let wickedness dwell

unanswered, And a talkative man be

in your tents;

acquitted?

15"Then, indeed, you could lift up your 3

face without moral defect, And you

"Shall your boasts silence men? And

shall you scoff and none rebuke?

would be steadfast and not fear.

16

4"For you have said, 'My teaching is

"For you would forget your trouble, As waters that have passed by, you would

pure, And I am innocent in your eyes.'

remember it.

5"But would that God might speak, And 17

open His lips against you,

"Your life would be brighter than

noonday; Darkness would be like the

morning.

6And show you the secrets of wisdom!

For sound wisdom has two sides. Know

18

then that God forgets a part of your

"Then you would trust, because there iniquity.

is hope; And you would look around and

rest securely.

7" Can you discover the depths of God?

19

Can you discover the limits of the

"You would lie down and none would

Almighty?

disturb you, And many would entreat

your favor.

8"They are high as the heavens, what 20"But the eyes of the wicked will fail, can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

And there will be no escape for them;

And their hope is to breathe their last."

9"Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.

12Then Job responded,

10"If He passes by or shuts up, Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?

2"Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!

11"For He knows false men, And He

sees iniquity without investigating.

3"But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not

12" An idiot will become intelligent When know such things as these?

the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.

4"I am a joke to my friends, The one who 16"With Him are strength and sound called on God and He answered him;

wisdom, The misled and the misleader

The just and blameless man is a joke.

belong to Him.

5"He who is at ease holds calamity in 17"He makes counselors walk barefoot contempt, As prepared for those whose

And makes fools of judges.

feet slip.

18"He loosens the bond of kings And 6"The tents of the destroyers prosper, binds their loins with a girdle.

And those who provoke God are secure,

Whom God brings into their power.

19"He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones.

7"But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens,

20"He deprives the trusted ones of

and let them tell you.

speech And takes away the discernment

of the elders.

8"Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare 21"He pours contempt on nobles And to you.

loosens the belt of the strong.

9"Who among all these does not know 22"He reveals mysteries from the

That the hand of the LORD has done

darkness And brings the deep darkness

this,

into light.

10In whose hand is the life of every living

23"He makes the nations great, then

thing, And the breath of all mankind?

destroys them; He enlarges the nations,

then leads them away.

11"Does not the ear test words, As the palate tastes its food?

24"He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth's people And makes them 12"Wisdom is with aged men, With long wander in a pathless waste.

life is understanding.

25"They grope in darkness with no light,

13"With Him are wisdom and might; To And He makes them stagger like a

Him belong counsel and understanding.

drunken man.

14"Behold, He tears down, and it cannot

be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and

13" Behold, my eye has seen all this, there can be no release.

My ear has heard and understood it.

15"Behold, He restrains the waters, and 2" What you know I also know; I am not

they dry up; And He sends them out,

inferior to you.

and they inundate the earth.

3"But I would speak to the Almighty, And 16"This also will be my salvation, For a I desire to argue with God.

godless man may not come before His

presence.

4"But you smear with lies; You are all worthless physicians.

17"Listen carefully to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears.

5"O that you would be completely silent,

And that it would become your wisdom!

18"Behold now, I have prepared my case;

I know that I will be vindicated.

6"Please hear my argument And listen to

the contentions of my lips.

19" Who will contend with me? For then I

would be silent and die.

7"Will you speak what is unjust for God,

And speak what is deceitful for Him?

20"Only two things do not do to me, Then

I will not hide from Your face:

8"Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

21Remove Your hand from me, And let

not the dread of You terrify me.

9"Will it be well when He examines you?

Or will you deceive Him as one deceives

22"Then call, and I will answer; Or let me a man?

speak, then reply to me.

10"He will surely reprove you If you 23" How many are my iniquities and sins?

secretly show partiality.

Make known to me my rebellion and my

sin.

11"Will not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you?

24"Why do You hide Your face And

consider me Your enemy?

12"Your

memorable

sayings

are

proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are

25"Will You cause a driven leaf to

defenses of clay.

tremble? Or will You pursue the dry

chaff?

13" Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may.

26"For You write bitter things against me And make me to inherit the iniquities of 14"Why should I take my flesh in my my youth.

teeth And put my life in my hands?

27"You put my feet in the stocks And 15" Though He slay me, I will hope in watch all my paths; You set a limit for Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways the soles of my feet,

before Him.

28While I am decaying like a rotten thing, 12So man lies down and does not rise.

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Until the heavens are no longer, He will

not awake nor be aroused out of his

sleep.

14" Man, who is born of woman, Is 13

short-lived and full of turmoil.

"Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, That You would conceal me until Your

2

wrath returns to You, That You would

" Like a flower he comes forth and set a limit for me and remember me!

withers. He also flees like a shadow and

does not remain.

14"If a man dies, will he live again? All 3

the days of my struggle I will wait Until

"You also open Your eyes on him And my change comes.

bring him into judgment with Yourself.

15

4

"You will call, and I will answer You;

" Who can make the clean out of the You will long for the work of Your hands.

unclean? No one!

16"For now You number my steps, You 5"Since his days are determined, The do not observe my sin.

number of his months is with You; And

his limits You have set so that he cannot

17

pass.

"My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity.

6" Turn Your gaze from him that he may

18

rest, Until he fulfills his day like a hired

"But the falling mountain crumbles

man.

away, And the rock moves from its place;

19

7

Water wears away stones, Its torrents

"For there is hope for a tree, When it is wash away the dust of the earth; So You

cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail.

destroy man's hope.

20

8

"You forever overpower him and he

"Though its roots grow old in the

departs; You change his appearance

ground And its stump dies in the dry soil, and send him away.

9At the scent of water it will flourish And

21

put forth sprigs like a plant.

"His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it; Or they become insignificant,

10

but he does not perceive it.

"But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires, and where is he?

22"But his body pains him, And he

11

mourns only for himself."

"As water evaporates from the sea,

And a river becomes parched and dried

up,

13

15

That you should turn your spirit against

Then

Eliphaz

the

Temanite

God And allow such words to go out of

responded,

your mouth?

14

2"Should a wise man answer with windy

"What is man, that he should be pure,

knowledge And fill himself with the east Or he who is born of a woman, that he wind?

should be righteous?

15

3

"Behold, He puts no trust in His holy

"Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

ones, And the heavens are not pure in

His sight;

4"Indeed, you do away with reverence 16How much less one who is detestable

And hinder meditation before God.

and corrupt, Man, who drinks iniquity

5

like water!

"For your guilt teaches your mouth, And

you choose the language of the crafty.

17"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

6"Your own mouth condemns you, and

not I; And your own lips testify against 18

you.

What wise men have told, And have

not concealed from their fathers,

7"Were you the first man to be born, Or

19To whom alone the land was given,

were you brought forth before the hills?

And no alien passed among them.

8"Do you hear the secret counsel of God,

20

And limit wisdom to yourself?

"The wicked man writhes in pain all his

days, And numbered are the years

9

stored up for the ruthless.

" What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that we

21

do not?

"Sounds of terror are in his ears; While

at peace the destroyer comes upon him.

10"Both the gray-haired and the aged are

22

among us, Older than your father.

"He does not believe that he will return

from darkness, And he is destined for

11

the sword.

"Are the consolations of God too small

for you, Even the word spoken gently

23

with you?

"He wanders about for food, saying,

'Where is it?' He knows that a day of

12

darkness is at hand.

"Why does your heart carry you away?

And why do your eyes flash,

24"Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack, 25Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself 16Then Job answered,

arrogantly against the Almighty.

2

26

"I have heard many such things; Sorry

"He rushes headlong at Him With his comforters are you all.

massive shield.

3

27

"Is there no limit to windy words? Or

"For he has covered his face with his what plagues you that you answer?

fat And made his thighs heavy with flesh.

4

28

"I too could speak like you, If I were in

"He has lived in desolate cities, In your place. I could compose words

houses no one would inhabit, Which are

against you And shake my head at you.

destined to become ruins.

5

29

"I could strengthen you with my mouth,

"He will not become rich, nor will his And the solace of my lips could lessen wealth endure; And his grain will not

your pain.

bend down to the ground.

6

30

"If I speak, my pain is not lessened,

"He will not escape from darkness;

And if I hold back, what has left me?

The flame will wither his shoots, And by

the breath of His mouth he will go away.

7"But now He has exhausted me; You

31

have laid waste all my company.

"Let him not trust in emptiness,

deceiving himself; For emptiness will be

8

his reward.

"You have shriveled me up, It has

become a witness; And my leanness

32

rises up against me, It testifies to my

"It will be accomplished before his time, face.

And his palm branch will not be green.

9

33

"His anger has torn me and hunted me

"He will drop off his unripe grape like down, He has gnashed at me with His the vine, And will cast off his flower like teeth; My adversary glares at me.

the olive tree.

10

34

"They have gaped at me with their

"For the company of the godless is

mouth, They have slapped me on the

barren, And fire consumes the tents of

cheek with contempt; They have

the corrupt.

massed themselves against me.

35"They conceive mischief and bring

11"God hands me over to ruffians And forth iniquity, And their mind prepares

tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

deception."

12"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck

and shaken me to pieces; He has also 3"Lay down, now, a pledge for me with set me up as His target.

Yourself; Who is there that will be my

guarantor?

13"His arrows surround me. Without

mercy He splits my kidneys open; He

4"For You have kept their heart from pours out my gall on the ground.

understanding, Therefore You will not

exalt them.

14"He breaks through me with breach

after breach; He runs at me like a

5"He who informs against friends for a warrior.

share of the spoil, The eyes of his

children also will languish.

15"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust.

6"But He has made me a byword of the

people, And I am one at whom men spit.

16"My face is flushed from weeping, And

deep darkness is on my eyelids,

7"My eye has also grown dim because of grief, And all my members are as a

17Although there is no violence in my

shadow.

hands, And my prayer is pure.

8"The upright will be appalled at this, 18"O earth, do not cover my blood, And And the innocent will stir up himself let there be no resting place for my cry.

against the godless.

19

9

"Even now, behold, my witness is in

"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to heaven, And my advocate is on high.

his way, And he who has clean hands

will grow stronger and stronger.

20"My friends are my scoffers; My eye 10

weeps to God.

"But come again all of you now, For I do not find a wise man among you.

21"O that a man might plead with God As

11

a man with his neighbor!

"My days are past, my plans are torn apart, Even the wishes of my heart.

22"For when a few years are past, I shall 12

go the way of no return.

"They make night into day, saying,

'The light is near,' in the presence of darkness.

17"My spirit is broken, my days are 13"If I look for Sheol as my home, I make extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

my bed in the darkness;

2" Surely mockers are with me, And my

14If I call to the pit, 'You are my father'; eye gazes on their provocation.

To the worm, 'my mother and my sister';

15Where now is my hope? And who 11"All around terrors frighten him, And regards my hope?

harry him at every step.

16"Will it go down with me to SheolNULL

12"His strength is famished, And

Shall we together go down into the

calamity is ready at his side.

dustNULL"

13"His skin is devoured by disease, The

18

firstborn of death devours his limbs.

Then

Bildad

the

Shuhite

14

responded,

"He is torn from the security of his tent, And they march him before the king of

2"How long will you hunt for words?

terrors.

Show understanding and then we can

15

talk.

"There dwells in his tent nothing of his; Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.

3"Why are we regarded as beasts, As 16

stupid in your eyes?

"His roots are dried below, And his branch is cut off above.

4"O you who tear yourself in your anger—

17

- For your sake is the earth to be

" Memory of him perishes from the

abandoned, Or the rock to be moved

earth, And he has no name abroad.

from its place?

18"He is driven from light into darkness, 5"Indeed, the light of the wicked goes And chased from the inhabited world.

out, And the flame of his fire gives no light.

19"He has no offspring or posterity

among his people, Nor any survivor

6"The light in his tent is darkened, And where he sojourned.

his lamp goes out above him.

20"Those in the west are appalled at his

7"His vigorous stride is shortened, And fate, And those in the east are seized his own scheme brings him down.

with horror.

8

21

"For he is thrown into the net by his

"Surely such are the dwellings of the own feet, And he steps on the webbing.

wicked, And this is the place of him who

does not know God."

9"A snare seizes him by the heel, And a

trap snaps shut on him.

19Then Job responded,

10"A noose for him is hidden in the ground, And a trap for him on the path.

2"How long will you torment me And

crush me with words?

3"These ten times you have insulted me; 15"Those who live in my house and my You are not ashamed to wrong me.

maids consider me a stranger. I am a

foreigner in their sight.

4"Even if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me.

16"I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my 5"If indeed you vaunt yourselves against

mouth.

me And prove my disgrace to me,

17"My breath is offensive to my wife, And 6Know then that God has wronged me

I am loathsome to my own brothers.

And has closed His net around me.

18"Even young children despise me; I 7"Behold, I cry, 'Violence!' but I get no rise up and they speak against me.

answer; I shout for help, but there is no

justice.

19"All my associates abhor me, And

those I love have turned against me.

8"He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has put darkness

20"My bone clings to my skin and my on my paths.

flesh, And I have escaped only by the

skin of my teeth.

9"He has stripped my honor from me

And removed the crown from my head.

21"Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me.

10"He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; And He has uprooted

22"Why do you persecute me as God

my hope like a tree.

does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

11"He has also kindled His anger against

23"Oh that my words were written! Oh me And considered me as His enemy.

that they were inscribed in a book!

12"His troops come together, And build 24"That with an iron stylus and lead They up their way against me And camp were engraved in the rock forever!

around my tent.

25"As for me, I know that my Redeemer

13"He has removed my brothers far from

lives, And at the last He will take His me,

And

my

acquaintances

are

stand on the earth.

completely estranged from me.

26"Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet 14"My relatives have failed, And my from my flesh I shall see God;

intimate friends have forgotten me.

27Whom I myself shall behold, And 8"He flies away like a dream, and they whom my eyes will see and not another.

cannot find him; Even like a vision of the

My heart faints within me!

night he is chased away.

28"If you say, 'How shall we persecute 9"The eye which saw him sees him no him?' And 'What pretext for a case longer, And his place no longer beholds

against him can we find?'

him.

29"Then be afraid of the sword for

10"His sons favor the poor, And his yourselves,

For

wrath

brings

the

hands give back his wealth.

punishment of the sword, So that you

may know there is judgment."

11"His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it lies down with him in the dust.

20Then Zophar the Naamathite 12"Though evil is sweet in his mouth And answered, he hides it under his tongue,

2

13

"Therefore my disquieting thoughts

Though he desires it and will not let it make me respond, Even because of my

go, But holds it in his mouth,

inward agitation.

14Yet his food in his stomach is changed

3"I listened to the reproof which insults To the venom of cobras within him.

me, And the spirit of my understanding

makes me answer.

15"He swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his

4"Do you know this from of old, From the

belly.

establishment of man on earth,

16"He sucks the poison of cobras; The 5That the triumphing of the wicked is

viper's tongue slays him.

short, And the joy of the godless

momentary?

17"He does not look at the streams, The

rivers flowing with honey and curds.

6"Though his loftiness reaches the

heavens, And his head touches the

18"He returns what he has attained And clouds,

cannot swallow it; As to the riches of his

trading, He cannot even enjoy them.

7He perishes forever like his refuse;

Those who have seen him will say,

19"For he has oppressed and forsaken

'Where is he?'

the poor; He has seized a house which

he has not built.

20"Because he knew no quiet within him, 2"Listen carefully to my speech, And let He does not retain anything he desires.

this be your way of consolation.

21"Nothing remains for him to devour, 3"Bear with me that I may speak; Then Therefore his prosperity does not after I have spoken, you may mock.

endure.

4"As for me, is my complaint to man?

22"In the fullness of his plenty he will be And why should I not be impatient?

cramped; The hand of everyone who

suffers will come against him.

5"Look at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.

23"When he fills his belly, God will send His fierce anger on him And will rain it 6"Even when I remember, I am disturbed, on him while he is eating.

And horror takes hold of my flesh.

24"He may flee from the iron weapon, 7"Why do the wicked still live, Continue But the bronze bow will pierce him.

on, also become very powerful?

25"It is drawn forth and comes out of his 8"Their descendants are established

back, Even the glittering point from his with them in their sight, And their

gall. Terrors come upon him,

offspring before their eyes,

26Complete darkness is held in reserve

9Their houses are safe from fear, And

for his treasures, And unfanned fire will the rod of God is not on them.

devour him; It will consume the survivor

in his tent.

10"His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort.

27"The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him.

11"They send forth their little ones like the flock, And their children skip about.

28"The increase of his house will depart; His possessions will flow away in the

12"They sing to the timbrel and harp And

day of His anger.

rejoice at the sound of the flute.

29"This is the wicked man's portion from

13"They spend their days in prosperity, God, Even the heritage decreed to him

And suddenly they go down to Sheol.

by God."

14"They say to God, ' Depart from us!

21

We do not even desire the knowledge of

Then Job answered,

Your ways.

15'Who is the Almighty, that we should 27"Behold, I know your thoughts, And the serve Him, And what would we gain if

plans by which you would wrong me.

we entreat Him?'

28"For you say, 'Where is the house of 16"Behold, their prosperity is not in their the nobleman, And where is the tent, the hand; The counsel of the wicked is far

dwelling places of the wicked?'

from me.

29"Have you not asked wayfaring men, 17"How often is the lamp of the wicked And do you not recognize their witness?

put out, Or does their calamity fall on them? Does God apportion destruction

30"For the wicked is reserved for the day in His anger?

of calamity; They will be led forth at the

day of fury.

18"Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries

31"Who will confront him with his actions, away?

And who will repay him for what he has

done?

19"You say, ' God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him

32"While he is carried to the grave, Men

so that he may know it.

will keep watch over his tomb.

20"Let his own eyes see his decay, And

33"The clods of the valley will gently let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. cover him; Moreover, all men will follow after him, While countless ones go 21"For what does he care for his

before him.

household after him, When the number

of his months is cut off?

34"How then will you vainly comfort me, For your answers remain full of

22"Can anyone teach God knowledge, In

falsehoodNULL"

that He judges those on high?

23"One dies in his full strength, Being 22Then Eliphaz the Temanite

wholly at ease and satisfied;

responded,

24His sides are filled out with fat, And the

2"Can a vigorous man be of use to God,

marrow of his bones is moist,

Or a wise man be useful to himself?

25While another dies with a bitter soul, 3"Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if Never even tasting anything good.

you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

26"Together they lie down in the dust, And worms cover them.

4"Is it because of your reverence that He 16Who were snatched away before their reproves you, That He enters into

time, Whose foundations were washed

judgment against you?

away by a river?

5"Is not your wickedness great, And your

17"They said to God, 'Depart from us!'

iniquities without end?

And 'What can the Almighty do to

them?'

6"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped

18"Yet He filled their houses with good men naked.

things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

7"To the weary you have given no water

to drink, And from the hungry you have

19"The righteous see and are glad, And withheld bread.

the innocent mock them,

8"But the earth belongs to the mighty 20Saying, 'Truly our adversaries are cut man, And the honorable man dwells in it. off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.'

9"You have sent widows away empty,

And the strength of the orphans has

21" Yield now and be at peace with Him;

been crushed.

Thereby good will come to you.

10"Therefore snares surround you, And 22"Please receive instruction from His sudden dread terrifies you, mouth And establish His words in your

heart.

11Or darkness, so that you cannot see,

And an abundance of water covers you.

23"If you return to the Almighty, you will be

restored;

If

you

remove

12"Is not God in the height of heaven?

unrighteousness far from your tent,

Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

24And place your gold in the dust, And

the gold of Ophir among the stones of

13"You say, ' What does God know? Can

the brooks,

He judge through the thick darkness?

25Then the Almighty will be your gold

14' Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so

And choice silver to you.

that He cannot see; And He walks on

the vault of heaven.'

26"For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God.

15"Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod,

27"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.

28"You will also decree a thing, and it will 9When He acts on the left, I cannot be established for you; And light will

behold Him; He turns on the right, I

shine on your ways.

cannot see Him.

29"When you are cast down, you will 10"But He knows the way I take; When speak with confidence, And the humble He has tried me, I shall come forth as person He will save.

gold.

30"He will deliver one who is not

11"My foot has held fast to His path; I innocent, And he will be delivered

have kept His way and not turned aside.

through the cleanness of your hands."

12"I have not departed from the

23

command of His lips; I have treasured

Then Job replied,

the words of His mouth more than my

necessary food.

2"Even today my complaint is rebellion; 13

His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

"But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He

3

does.

"Oh that I knew where I might find Him,

That I might come to His seat!

14"For He performs what is appointed for

4

me, And many such decrees are with

"I would present my case before Him Him.

And fill my mouth with arguments.

15

5

"Therefore, I would be dismayed at His

"I would learn the words which He

presence; When I consider, I am

would answer, And perceive what He

terrified of Him.

would say to me.

16

6

"It is God who has made my heart faint,

"Would He contend with me by the

And the Almighty who has dismayed me,

greatness of His power? No, surely He

would pay attention to me.

17But I am not silenced by the darkness,

7

Nor deep gloom which covers me.

"There the upright would reason with Him; And I would be delivered forever

from my Judge.

24" Why are times not stored up by 8"Behold, I go forward but He is not the Almighty, And why do those who there, And backward, but I cannot

know Him not see His days?

perceive Him;

2"Some remove the landmarks; They

seize and devour flocks.

3"They drive away the donkeys of the 14"The murderer arises at dawn; He kills orphans; They take the widow's ox for a

the poor and the needy, And at night he

pledge.

is as a thief.

4"They push the needy aside from the 15"The eye of the adulterer waits for the road; The poor of the land are made to twilight, Saying, 'No eye will see me.'

hide themselves altogether.

And he disguises his face.

5"Behold, as wild donkeys in the

16"In the dark they dig into houses, They wilderness They go forth seeking food in

shut themselves up by day; They do not

their activity, As bread for their children know the light.

in the desert.

17"For the morning is the same to him as

6"They harvest their fodder in the field thick darkness, For he is familiar with And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

the terrors of thick darkness.

7" They spend the night naked, without 18"They are insignificant on the surface clothing, And have no covering against of the water; Their portion is cursed on the cold.

the earth. They do not turn toward the

vineyards.

8"They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

19"Drought and heat consume the snow

waters, So does Sheol those who have

9"Others snatch the orphan from the

sinned.

breast, And against the poor they take a

pledge.

20"A mother will forget him; The worm feeds sweetly till he is no longer

10"They cause the poor to go about

remembered. And wickedness will be

naked without clothing, And they take

broken like a tree.

away the sheaves from the hungry.

21"He wrongs the barren woman And

11"Within the walls they produce oil; does no good for the widow.

They tread wine presses but thirst.

22"But He drags off the valiant by His 12"From the city men groan, And the power; He rises, but no one has souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God

assurance of life.

does not pay attention to folly.

23"He provides them with security, and 13"Others have been with those who

they are supported; And His eyes are on

rebel against the light; They do not want

their ways.

to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

24"They are exalted a little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are

brought

low

and

like

everything

5"The departed spirits tremble Under the

gathered up; Even like the heads of

waters and their inhabitants.

grain they are cut off.

6"Naked is Sheol before Him, And

25"Now if it is not so, who can prove me

Abaddon has no covering.

a

liar,

And

make

my

speech

worthlessNULL"

7"He stretches out the north over empty

space And hangs the earth on nothing.

25Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 8"He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under 2" Dominion and awe belong to Him

them.

Who establishes peace in His heights.

9"He obscures the face of the full moon

3"Is there any number to His troops?

And spreads His cloud over it.

And upon whom does His light not rise?

10"He has inscribed a circle on the 4

surface of the waters At the boundary of

"How then can a man be just with God?

Or how can he be clean who is born of light and darkness.

woman?

11"The pillars of heaven tremble And are

5

amazed at His rebuke.

"If even the moon has no brightness And the stars are not pure in His sight,

12"He quieted the sea with His power, 6How much less man, that maggot, And

And by His understanding He shattered

the son of man, that worm!"

Rahab.

13"By His breath the heavens are

26

cleared; His hand has pierced the

Then Job responded,

fleeing serpent.

2"What a help you are to the weak! How

14"Behold, these are the fringes of His you have saved the arm without

ways; And how faint a word we hear of

strength!

Him! But His mighty thunder, who can

understandNULL"

3"What counsel you have given to one without wisdom! What helpful insight

you have abundantly provided!

27Then Job continued his discourse

4

and said,

"To whom have you uttered words?

And whose spirit was expressed through

you?

2"As God lives, who has taken away my 14"Though his sons are many, they are right, And the Almighty, who has destined for the sword; And his

embittered my soul,

descendants will not be satisfied with

bread.

3For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils,

15"His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not 4My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, be able to weep.

Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.

16"Though he piles up silver like dust 5"Far be it from me that I should declare And prepares garments as plentiful as you right; Till I die I will not put away my

the clay,

integrity from me.

17He may prepare it, but the just will

6"I hold fast my righteousness and will wear it And the innocent will divide the not let it go. My heart does not reproach silver.

any of my days.

18"He has built his house like the

7"May my enemy be as the wicked And

spider's web, Or as a hut which the

my opponent as the unjust.

watchman has made.

8

19

"For what is the hope of the godless

"He lies down rich, but never again; He

when he is cut off, When God requires

opens his eyes, and it is no longer.

his life?

20" Terrors overtake him like a flood; A 9"Will God hear his cry When distress tempest steals him away in the night.

comes upon him?

21"The east wind carries him away, and 10"Will he take delight in the Almighty?

he is gone, For it whirls him away from Will he call on God at all times?

his place.

11

22

"I will instruct you in the power of God;

"For it will hurl at him without sparing; What is with the Almighty I will not He will surely try to flee from its power.

conceal.

23"Men will clap their hands at him And 12"Behold, all of you have seen it; Why will hiss him from his place.

then do you act foolishly?

13"This is the portion of a wicked man 28"Surely there is a mine for silver from God, And the inheritance which And a place where they refine gold.

tyrants receive from the Almighty.

2"Iron is taken from the dust, And copper 15" Pure gold cannot be given in is smelted from rock.

exchange for it, Nor can silver be

weighed as its price.

3"Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out The 16"It cannot be valued in the gold of rock in gloom and deep shadow.

Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire.

4"He sinks a shaft far from habitation, 17" Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor Forgotten by the foot; They hang and can it be exchanged for articles of fine swing to and fro far from men.

gold.

5"The earth, from it comes food, And 18"Coral and crystal are not to be

underneath it is turned up as fire.

mentioned; And the acquisition of

wisdom is above that of pearls.

6"Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold.

19"The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

7"The path no bird of prey knows, Nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it.

20" Where then does wisdom come from?

And where is the place of understanding?

8"The proud beasts have not trodden it,

Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

21"Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of 9"He puts his hand on the flint; He the sky.

overturns the mountains at the base.

22" Abaddon and Death say, 'With our 10"He hews out channels through the

ears we have heard a report of it.'

rocks, And his eye sees anything

precious.

23" God understands its way, And He knows its place.

11"He dams up the streams from flowing,

And what is hidden he brings out to the

24"For He looks to the ends of the earth

light.

And sees everything under the heavens.

12"But where can wisdom be found? And

25"When He imparted weight to the wind

where is the place of understanding?

And meted out the waters by measure,

13" Man does not know its value, Nor is it 26When He set a limit for the rain And a

found in the land of the living.

course for the thunderbolt,

14"The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And 27Then He saw it and declared it; He the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

established it and also searched it out.

28"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear 12Because I delivered the poor who of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to

cried for help, And the orphan who had

depart from evil is understanding.'"

no helper.

13

29

"The blessing of the one ready to

And Job again took up his

perish came upon me, And I made the

discourse and said,

widow's heart sing for joy.

14

2

"I put on righteousness, and it clothed

"Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; My justice was like a robe and a

me;

turban.

15

3

"I was eyes to the blind And feet to the

When His lamp shone over my head,

lame.

And by His light I walked through

darkness;

16"I was a father to the needy, And I 4As I was in the prime of my days, When

investigated the case which I did not

know.

the friendship of God was over my tent;

17

5When the Almighty was yet with me,

"I broke the jaws of the wicked And And my children were around me;

snatched the prey from his teeth.

18

6

"Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, When my steps were bathed in butter,

And the rock poured out for me streams

And I shall multiply my days as the sand.

of oil!

19'My root is spread out to the waters, 7

And dew lies all night on my branch.

"When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square,

20'My glory is ever new with me, And my

8The young men saw me and hid

bow is renewed in my hand.'

themselves, And the old men arose and

21

stood.

"To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.

9"The princes stopped talking And put 22

their hands on their mouths;

"After my words they did not speak

again, And my speech dropped on them.

10The voice of the nobles was hushed,

23

And their tongue stuck to their palate.

"They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the

11

spring rain.

"For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave

witness of me,

24"I smiled on them when they did not 10"They abhor me and stand aloof from believe, And the light of my face they did me, And they do not refrain from spitting

not cast down.

at my face.

25"I chose a way for them and sat as 11"Because He has loosed His bowstring

chief, And dwelt as a king among the

and afflicted me, They have cast off the

troops, As one who comforted the

bridle before me.

mourners.

12"On the right hand their brood arises; 30

They thrust aside my feet and build up

"But now those younger than I

against me their ways of destruction.

mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to

13

put with the dogs of my flock.

"They break up my path, They profit from my destruction; No one restrains

2"Indeed, what good was the strength of

them.

their hands to me? Vigor had perished

14

from them.

"As through a wide breach they come,

Amid the tempest they roll on.

3"From want and famine they are gaunt

15

Who gnaw the dry ground by night in

" Terrors are turned against me; They waste and desolation,

pursue my honor as the wind, And my

prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

4Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And

16

whose food is the root of the broom

"And now my soul is poured out within

shrub.

me; Days of affliction have seized me.

5

17

"They are driven from the community;

"At night it pierces my bones within me,

They shout against them as against a

And my gnawing pains take no rest.

thief,

18"By a great force my garment is

6So that they dwell in dreadful valleys, In

distorted; It binds me about as the collar

holes of the earth and of the rocks.

of my coat.

7

19

"Among the bushes they cry out; Under

"He has cast me into the mire, And I the nettles they are gathered together.

have become like dust and ashes.

8

20

"Fools, even those without a name,

"I cry out to You for help, but You do They were scourged from the land.

not answer me; I stand up, and You turn

Your attention against me.

9"And now I have become their taunt, I 21

have even become a byword to them.

"You have become cruel to me; With

the might of Your hand You persecute

me.

22"You lift me up to the wind and cause 2"And what is the portion of God from me to ride; And You dissolve me in a above Or the heritage of the Almighty

storm.

from on high?

23"For I know that You will bring me to 3"Is it not calamity to the unjust And death And to the house of meeting for disaster to those who work iniquity?

all living.

4"Does He not see my ways And

24"Yet does not one in a heap of ruins number all my steps?

stretch out his hand, Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?

5"If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit,

25"Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the

6Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,

needy?

And let God know my integrity.

26"When I expected good, then evil

7"If my step has turned from the way, Or

came; When I waited for light, then

my heart followed my eyes, Or if any

darkness came.

spot has stuck to my hands,

27"I am seething within and cannot relax; 8Let me sow and another eat, And let

Days of affliction confront me.

my crops be uprooted.

28"I go about mourning without comfort; I 9"If my heart has been enticed by a stand up in the assembly and cry out for woman, Or I have lurked at my

help.

neighbor's doorway,

29"I have become a brother to jackals 10May my wife grind for another, And let

And a companion of ostriches.

others kneel down over her.

30"My skin turns black on me, And my 11"For that would be a lustful crime; bones burn with fever.

Moreover, it would be an iniquity

punishable by judges.

31"Therefore my harp is turned to

mourning, And my flute to the sound of

12"For it would be fire that consumes to those who weep.

Abaddon, And would uproot all my

increase.

31"I have made a covenant with my 13"If I have despised the claim of my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?

male or female slaves When they filed a

complaint against me,

14What then could I do when God arises? 25If I have gloated because my wealth And when He calls me to account, what was great, And because my hand had

will I answer Him?

secured so much;

15"Did not He who made me in the

26If I have looked at the sun when it

womb make him, And the same one

shone Or the moon going in splendor,

fashion us in the womb?

27And my heart became secretly enticed,

16"If I have kept the poor from their And my hand threw a kiss from my

desire, Or have caused the eyes of the

mouth,

widow to fail,

28That too would have been an iniquity

17Or have eaten my morsel alone, And

calling for judgment, For I would have

the orphan has not shared it

denied God above.

18(But from my youth he grew up with

29"Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my me as with a father, And from infancy I enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him?

guided her),

30"No, I have not allowed my mouth to 19If I have seen anyone perish for lack of

sin By asking for his life in a curse.

clothing, Or that the needy had no

covering,

31"Have the men of my tent not said,

'Who can find one who has not been

20If his loins have not thanked me, And if

satisfied with his meat'?

he has not been warmed with the fleece

of my sheep,

32"The alien has not lodged outside, For

I have opened my doors to the traveler.

21If I have lifted up my hand against the

orphan, Because I saw I had support in

33"Have I covered my transgressions like

the gate,

Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my

bosom,

22Let my shoulder fall from the socket,

And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

34Because I feared the great multitude,

And the contempt of families terrified me,

23"For calamity from God is a terror to And kept silent and did not go out of me, And because of His majesty I can

doors?

do nothing.

35"Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold,

24"If I have put my confidence in gold, here is my signature; Let the Almighty And called fine gold my trust,

answer me! And the indictment which

my adversary has written,

36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, years and you are old; Therefore I was I would bind it to myself like a crown.

shy and afraid to tell you what I think.

37"I would declare to Him the number of

7"I thought age should speak, And

my steps; Like a prince I would

increased years should teach wisdom.

approach Him.

8"But it is a spirit in man, And the breath 38"If my land cries out against me, And of the

Almighty

gives

them

its furrows weep together;

understanding.

39If I have eaten its fruit without money,

9"The abundant in years may not be

Or have caused its owners to lose their wise, Nor may elders understand justice.

lives,

10"So I say, 'Listen to me, I too will tell 40Let briars grow instead of wheat, And what I think.'

stinkweed instead of barley." The words

of Job are ended.

11"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you

32

pondered what to say.

Then these three men ceased

12

answering

Job,

because

he

was

"I even paid close attention to you; righteous in his own eyes.

Indeed, there was no one who refuted

Job, Not one of you who answered his

2But the anger of Elihu the son of

words.

Barachel the Buzite, of the family of

13

Ram burned; against Job his anger

"Do not say, ' We have found wisdom;

burned because he justified himself

God will rout him, not man.'

before God.

14"For he has not arranged his words 3And his anger burned against his three

against me, Nor will I reply to him with friends because they had found no

your arguments.

answer, and yet had condemned Job.

15"They are dismayed, they no longer 4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job

answer; Words have failed them.

because they were years older than he.

16"Shall I wait, because they do not 5And when Elihu saw that there was no

speak, Because they stop and no longer

answer in the mouth of the three men

answer?

his anger burned.

17"I too will answer my share, I also will 6So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite

tell my opinion.

spoke out and said, "I am young in

18"For I am full of words; The spirit within 9'I am pure, without transgression; I am me constrains me.

innocent and there is no guilt in me.

19"Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, 10'Behold, He invents pretexts against

Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

me; He counts me as His enemy.

20"Let me speak that I may get relief; Let 11'He puts my feet in the stocks; He

me open my lips and answer.

watches all my paths.'

21"Let me now be partial to no one, Nor

12"Behold, let me tell you, you are not flatter any man.

right in this, For God is greater than man.

22"For I do not know how to flatter, Else 13"Why do you complain against Him

my Maker would soon take me away.

That He does not give an account of all

His doings?

33

14

"However now, Job, please hear

"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice,

yet no one notices it.

my speech, And listen to all my words.

15

2"Behold now, I open my mouth, My

"In a dream, a vision of the night, tongue in my mouth speaks.

When sound sleep falls on men, While

they slumber in their beds,

3"My words are from the uprightness of 16

my heart, And my lips speak knowledge

Then He opens the ears of men, And

sincerely.

seals their instruction,

17

4

That He may turn man aside from his

"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

conduct, And keep man from pride;

18

5" Refute me if you can; Array

He keeps back his soul from the pit,

And his life from passing over into Sheol.

yourselves before me, take your stand.

19

6"Behold, I belong to God like you; I too

"Man is also chastened with pain on have been formed out of the clay.

his bed, And with unceasing complaint

in his bones;

7"Behold, no fear of me should terrify 20

you, Nor should my pressure weigh

So that his life loathes bread, And his heavily on you.

soul favorite food.

21

8

"His flesh wastes away from sight, And

"Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

And I have heard the sound of your

his bones which were not seen stick out.

words:

22"Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death.

34Then Elihu continued and said,

23"If there is an angel as mediator for 2"Hear my words, you wise men, And him, One out of a thousand, To remind a

listen to me, you who know.

man what is right for him,

3

24

"For the ear tests words As the palate Then let him be gracious to him, and tastes food.

say, 'Deliver him from going down to the

pit, I have found a ransom';

4"Let us choose for ourselves what is 25

right; Let us know among ourselves

Let his flesh become fresher than in

what is good.

youth, Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;

5"For Job has said, ' I am righteous, But 26

God has taken away my right;

Then he will pray to God, and He will

accept him, That he may see His face

6

with joy, And He may restore His

Should I lie concerning my right? My

righteousness to man.

wound is incurable, though I am without

transgression.'

27"He will sing to men and say, 'I have 7

sinned and perverted what is right, And

"What man is like Job, Who drinks up it is not proper for me.

derision like water,

8

28'He has redeemed my soul from going

Who goes in company with the workers

to the pit, And my life shall see the light.'

of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?

9

29"Behold, God does all these oftentimes

"For he has said, ' It profits a man with men,

nothing When he is pleased with God.'

10

30To bring back his soul from the pit,

"Therefore, listen to me, you men of That he may be enlightened with the

understanding. Far be it from God to do

light of life.

wickedness, And from the Almighty to

do wrong.

31"Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; 11

Keep silent, and let me speak.

"For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to

32

his way.

"Then if you have anything to say,

answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify

12

you.

"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And

the Almighty will not pervert justice.

33"If not, listen to me; Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

13"Who gave Him authority over the 24"He breaks in pieces mighty men earth? And who has laid on Him the

without inquiry, And sets others in their whole world?

place.

14"If He should determine to do so, If He 25"Therefore He knows their works, And

should gather to Himself His spirit and

He overthrows them in the night, And

His breath,

they are crushed.

15All flesh would perish together, And

26"He strikes them like the wicked In a man would return to dust.

public place,

16"But if you have understanding, hear 27Because they turned aside from

this; Listen to the sound of my words.

following Him, And had no regard for

any of His ways;

17"Shall one who hates justice rule? And

will you condemn the righteous mighty

28So that they caused the cry of the poor

One,

to come to Him, And that He might hear

the cry of the afflicted--

18Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,'

To nobles, 'Wicked ones';

29When He keeps quiet, who then can

condemn? And when He hides His face,

19Who shows no partiality to princes Nor

who then can behold Him, That is, in

regards the rich above the poor, For

regard to both nation and man?--

they all are the work of His hands?

30So that godless men would not rule

20"In a moment they die, and at midnight

Nor be snares of the people.

People are shaken and pass away, And

the mighty are taken away without a

31"For has anyone said to God, 'I have hand.

borne chastisement; I will not offend

anymore;

21"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

32Teach me what I do not see; If I have

done iniquity, I will not do it again'?

22"There is no darkness or deep shadow

Where the workers of iniquity may hide

33"Shall He recompense on your terms, themselves.

because you have rejected it? For you

must choose, and not I; Therefore

23"For He does not need to consider a declare what you know.

man further, That he should go before

God in judgment.

34"Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,

35'Job speaks without knowledge, And 9"Because

of

the

multitude

of

his words are without wisdom.

oppressions they cry out; They cry for

help because of the arm of the mighty.

36'Job ought to be tried to the limit,

Because he answers like wicked men.

10"But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,

37'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And

11Who teaches us more than the beasts

multiplies his words against God.'"

of the earth And makes us wiser than

the birds of the heavens?'

35

12

Then Elihu continued and said,

"There they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil men.

2"Do you think this is according to justice? 13

Do you say, 'My righteousness is more

"Surely God will not listen to an empty

than God's'?

cry, Nor will the Almighty regard it.

14

3

"How much less when you say you do

"For you say, ' What advantage will it be to You? What profit will I have, more

not behold Him, The case is before Him,

than if I had sinned?'

and you must wait for Him!

15

4

"And now, because He has not visited

"I will answer you, And your friends with in His anger, Nor has He acknowledged

you.

transgression well,

5" Look at the heavens and see; And 16

behold the clouds--they are higher than

So Job opens his mouth emptily; He

multiplies words without knowledge."

you.

6"If you have sinned, what do you

36

accomplish against Him? And if your

Then Elihu continued and said,

transgressions are many, what do you

do to Him?

2"Wait for me a little, and I will show you That there is yet more to be said in

7"If you are righteous, what do you give God's behalf.

to Him, Or what does He receive from

your hand?

3"I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And I will ascribe righteousness to my 8"Your wickedness is for a man like Maker.

yourself, And your righteousness is for a

son of man.

4"For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5"Behold, God is mighty but does not place with no constraint; And that which despise any; He is mighty in strength of

was set on your table was full of fatness.

understanding.

17"But you were full of judgment on the 6"He does not keep the wicked alive, But wicked; Judgment and justice take hold

gives justice to the afflicted.

of you.

7"He does not withdraw His eyes from 18"Beware that wrath does not entice the righteous; But with kings on the you to scoffing; And do not let the

throne He has seated them forever, and

greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

they are exalted.

19"Will your riches keep you from

8"And if they are bound in fetters, And distress, Or all the forces of your

are caught in the cords of affliction,

strength?

9Then He declares to them their work

20"Do not long for the night, When

And their transgressions, that they have

people vanish in their place.

magnified themselves.

21"Be careful, do not turn to evil, For you 10" He opens their ear to instruction, And have preferred this to affliction.

commands that they return from evil.

22"Behold, God is exalted in His power; 11"If they hear and serve Him, They will Who is a teacher like Him?

end their days in prosperity And their

years in pleasures.

23"Who has appointed Him His way, And

who has said, ' You have done wrong'?

12"But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword And they will die 24"Remember that you should exalt His without knowledge.

work, Of which men have sung.

13"But the godless in heart lay up anger; 25"All men have seen it; Man beholds They do not cry for help when He binds from afar.

them.

26"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not

14"They die in youth, And their life know Him; The number of His years is

perishes among the cult prostitutes.

unsearchable.

15"He delivers the afflicted in their 27"For He draws up the drops of water, affliction, And opens their ear in time of They distill rain from the mist, oppression.

28Which the clouds pour down, They

16"Then indeed, He enticed you from the

drip upon man abundantly.

mouth of distress, Instead of it, a broad

29"Can

anyone

understand

the

6"For to the snow He says, 'Fall on the spreading of the clouds, The thundering

earth,' And to the downpour and the rain,

of His pavilion?

'Be strong.'

30"Behold, He spreads His lightning

7"He seals the hand of every man, That

about Him, And He covers the depths of

all men may know His work.

the sea.

8"Then the beast goes into its lair And 31"For by these He judges peoples; He remains in its den.

gives food in abundance.

9"Out of the south comes the storm, And

32"He covers His hands with the

out of the north the cold.

lightning, And commands it to strike the

mark.

10"From the breath of God ice is made, And the expanse of the waters is frozen.

33"Its noise declares His presence; The cattle also, concerning what is coming

11"Also with moisture He loads the thick

up.

cloud; He disperses the cloud of His

lightning.

37"At this also my heart trembles, 12"It changes direction, turning around And leaps from its place.

by His guidance, That it may do

whatever He commands it On the face

2"Listen closely to the thunder of His of the inhabited earth.

voice, And the rumbling that goes out

13

from His mouth.

"Whether for correction, or for His

world, Or for lovingkindness, He causes

3

it to happen.

"Under the whole heaven He lets it

loose, And His lightning to the ends of 14

the earth.

"Listen to this, O Job, Stand and

consider the wonders of God.

4"After it, a voice roars; He thunders with 15

His majestic voice, And He does not

"Do you know how God establishes

restrain the lightnings when His voice is

them, And makes the lightning of His

heard.

cloud to shine?

5

16

"God

thunders

with

His

voice

"Do you know about the layers of the wondrously, Doing great things which

thick clouds, The wonders of one perfect

we cannot comprehend.

in knowledge,

17You whose garments are hot, When

the land is still because of the south

wind?

18"Can you, with Him, spread out the 5Who set its measurements? Since you skies, Strong as a molten mirror?

know. Or who stretched the line on it?

19"Teach us what we shall say to Him; 6"On what were its bases sunk? Or who

We cannot arrange our case because of

laid its cornerstone,

darkness.

7When the morning stars sang together

20"Shall it be told Him that I would speak? And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or should a man say that he would be

swallowed up?

8"Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from

21"Now men do not see the light which is

the womb;

bright in the skies; But the wind has

passed and cleared them.

9When I made a cloud its garment And

thick darkness its swaddling band,

22"Out of the north comes golden

splendor; Around God is awesome

10And I placed boundaries on it And set

majesty.

a bolt and doors,

23"The Almighty-- we cannot find Him; 11And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, He is exalted in power And He will not but no farther; And here shall your proud do violence to justice and abundant

waves stop'?

righteousness.

12"Have you ever in your life

24"Therefore men fear Him; He does not

commanded the morning, And caused

regard any who are wise of heart."

the dawn to know its place,

13

38

That it might take hold of the ends of Then the LORD answered Job out

the earth, And the wicked be shaken out

of the whirlwind and said,

of it?

2

14

"Who is this that darkens counsel By

"It is changed like clay under the seal;

words without knowledge?

And they stand forth like a garment.

3

15

"Now gird up your loins like a man, And

" From the wicked their light is withheld, I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

And the uplifted arm is broken.

4

16

"Where were you when I laid the

"Have you entered into the springs of foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you the sea Or walked in the recesses of the have understanding,

deep?

17"Have the gates of death been 29"From whose womb has come the ice?

revealed to you, Or have you seen the

And the frost of heaven, who has given

gates of deep darkness?

it birth?

18"Have you understood the expanse of

30"Water becomes hard like stone, And the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

the surface of the deep is imprisoned.

19"Where is the way to the dwelling of 31"Can you bind the chains of the light? And darkness, where is its place,

Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion?

20That you may take it to its territory And

32"Can you lead forth a constellation in that you may discern the paths to its its season, And guide the Bear with her

home?

satellites?

21"You know, for you were born then, 33"Do you know the ordinances of the And the number of your days is great!

heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth?

22"Have you entered the storehouses of

34"Can you lift up your voice to the the snow, Or have you seen the

clouds, So that an abundance of water

storehouses of the hail,

will cover you?

23Which I have reserved for the time of 35"Can you send forth lightnings that distress, For the day of war and battle?

they may go And say to you, 'Here we

are'?

24"Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on 36"Who has put wisdom in the innermost

the earth?

being Or given understanding to the

mind?

25"Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt,

37"Who can count the clouds by wisdom,

Or tip the water jars of the heavens,

26To bring rain on a land without people,

On a desert without a man in it,

38When the dust hardens into a mass

And the clods stick together?

27To satisfy the waste and desolate land

And to make the seeds of grass to

39"Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or sprout?

satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

28"Has the rain a father? Or who has 40When they crouch in their dens And lie

begotten the drops of dew?

in wait in their lair?

41"Who prepares for the raven its 11"Will you trust him because his nourishment When its young cry to God

strength is great And leave your labor to

And wander about without foodNULL

him?

12

39

"Will you have faith in him that he will

"Do you know the time the

return your grain And gather it from your

mountain goats give birth? Do you

threshing floor?

observe the calving of the deer?

13"The ostriches' wings flap joyously 2"Can you count the months they fulfill, With the pinion and plumage of love, Or do you know the time they give birth?

14For she abandons her eggs to the

3

earth And warms them in the dust,

"They kneel down, they bring forth their

young, They get rid of their labor pains.

15And she forgets that a foot may crush

4"Their offspring become strong, they them, Or that a wild beast may trample

grow up in the open field; They leave

them.

and do not return to them.

16"She treats her young cruelly, as if 5"Who sent out the wild donkey free?

they were not hers; Though her labor be

And who loosed the bonds of the swift

in vain, she is unconcerned;

donkey,

17Because God has made her forget

6To whom I gave the wilderness for a

wisdom, And has not given her a share

home And the salt land for his dwelling of understanding.

place?

18"When she lifts herself on high, She 7

laughs at the horse and his rider.

"He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.

19"Do you give the horse his might? Do

8

you clothe his neck with a mane?

"He explores the mountains for his

pasture And searches after every green

20

thing.

"Do you make him leap like the locust?

His majestic snorting is terrible.

9"Will the wild ox consent to serve you, 21

Or will he spend the night at your

"He paws in the valley, and rejoices in

manger?

his strength; He goes out to meet the

weapons.

10"Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow 22

with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys

"He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

after you?

And he does not turn back from the

sword.

23"The quiver rattles against him, The 5"Once I have spoken, and I will not flashing spear and javelin.

answer; Even twice, and I will add

nothing more."

24"With shaking and rage he races over

the ground, And he does not stand still 6Then the LORD answered Job out of

at the voice of the trumpet.

the storm and said,

25"As often as the trumpet sounds he 7"Now gird up your loins like a man; I will says, 'Aha!' And he scents the battle ask you, and you instruct Me.

from afar, And the thunder of the

captains and the war cry.

8"Will you really annul My judgment?

Will you condemn Me that you may be

26"Is it by your understanding that the justified?

hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward

the south?

9"Or do you have an arm like God, And

can you thunder with a voice like His?

27"Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high?

10" Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor

28"On the cliff he dwells and lodges, and majesty.

Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible

place.

11"Pour out the overflowings of your anger, And look on everyone who is

29"From there he spies out food; His proud, and make him low.

eyes see it from afar.

12"Look on everyone who is proud, and 30"His young ones also suck up blood; humble him, And tread down the wicked And where the slain are, there is he."

where they stand.

13

40

" Hide them in the dust together; Bind Then the LORD said to Job,

them in the hidden place.

14

2"Will the faultfinder contend with the

"Then I will also confess to you, That Almighty? Let him who reproves God

your own right hand can save you.

answer it."

15"Behold now, Behemoth, which I made

3Then Job answered the LORD and said, as well as you; He eats grass like an ox.

16

4"Behold, I am insignificant; what can I

"Behold now, his strength in his loins And his power in the muscles of his

reply to You? I lay my hand on my

belly.

mouth.

17"He bends his tail like a cedar; The 6"Will the traders bargain over him? Will sinews of his thighs are knit together.

they divide him among the merchants?

18"His bones are tubes of bronze; His 7"Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or limbs are like bars of iron.

his head with fishing spears?

19"He is the first of the ways of God; Let 8"Lay your hand on him; Remember the

his maker bring near his sword.

battle; you will not do it again!

20"Surely the mountains bring him food, 9"Behold, your expectation is false; Will And all the beasts of the field play there.

you be laid low even at the sight of him?

21"Under the lotus plants he lies down, 10"No one is so fierce that he dares to In the covert of the reeds and the marsh. arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me?

22"The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him.

11"Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole

23"If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He heaven is Mine.

is confident, though the Jordan rushes

to his mouth.

12"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his

24"Can anyone capture him when he is orderly frame.

on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce

his noseNULL

13"Who can strip off his outer armor?

Who can come within his double mail?

41

14

"Can you draw out Leviathan with

"Who can open the doors of his face?

a fishhook? Or press down his tongue

Around his teeth there is terror.

with a cord?

15"His strong scales are his pride, Shut 2"Can you put a rope in his nose Or up as with a tight seal.

pierce his jaw with a hook?

16"One is so near to another That no air

3

can come between them.

"Will he make many supplications to

you, Or will he speak to you soft words?

17"They are joined one to another; They

4"Will he make a covenant with you?

clasp each other and cannot be

Will you take him for a servant forever?

separated.

18

5"Will you play with him as with a bird,

"His sneezes flash forth light, And his Or will you bind him for your maidens?

eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19"Out of his mouth go burning torches; 32"Behind him he makes a wake to shine; Sparks of fire leap forth.

One would think the deep to be gray-haired.

20"Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 33" Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear.

21"His breath kindles coals, And a flame

goes forth from his mouth.

34"He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride."

22"In his neck lodges strength, And

dismay leaps before him.

42Then Job answered the LORD

23"The folds of his flesh are joined and said,

together, Firm on him and immovable.

2"I know that You can do all things, And

24"His heart is as hard as a stone, Even

that no purpose of Yours can be

as hard as a lower millstone.

thwarted.

25"When he raises himself up, the

3'Who is this that hides counsel without mighty fear; Because of the crashing

knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared they are bewildered.

that which I did not understand, Things

too wonderful for me, which I did not

26"The sword that reaches him cannot know."

avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the

javelin.

4'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.'

27"He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

5"I have heard of You by the hearing of

the ear; But now my eye sees You;

28"The arrow cannot make him flee;

Slingstones are turned into stubble for

6Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust

him.

and ashes."

29"Clubs are regarded as stubble; He 7It came about after the LORD had

laughs at the rattling of the javelin.

spoken these words to Job, that the

LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My

30"His underparts are like sharp

wrath is kindled against you and against

potsherds; He spreads out like a

your two friends, because you have not

threshing sledge on the mire.

spoken of Me what is right as My

servant Job has.

31"He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

8"Now therefore, take for yourselves 12The LORD blessed the latter days of seven bulls and seven rams, and go to

Job more than his beginning; and he

My servant Job, and offer up a burnt

had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels

offering for yourselves, and My servant

and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000

Job will pray for you. For I will accept female donkeys.

him so that I may not do with you

according to your folly, because you

13He had seven sons and three

have not spoken of Me what is right, as

daughters.

My servant Job has."

14He named the first Jemimah, and the

9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the

second Keziah, and the third Keren—

Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite

happuch.

went and did as the LORD told them;

and the LORD accepted Job.

15In all the land no women were found

so fair as Job's daughters; and their

10The LORD restored the fortunes of

father gave them inheritance among

Job when he prayed for his friends, and

their brothers.

the LORD increased all that Job had

twofold.

16After this, Job lived 140 years, and

saw his sons and his grandsons, four

11Then all his brothers and all his sisters

generations.

and all who had known him before came

to him, and they ate bread with him in 17And Job died, an old man and full of his house; and they consoled him and days.

comforted him for all the adversities that

the LORD had brought on him. And

each one gave him one piece of money,

and each a ring of gold.

Psalms

4

PSALM 1

He who sits in the heavens laughs, The

Lord scoffs at them.

1How blessed is the man who does not

5

walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor

Then He will speak to them in His

stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in anger And terrify them in His fury,

the seat of scoffers!

saying,

2

6

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

"But as for Me, I have installed My King

And in His law he meditates day and

Upon Zion, My holy mountain."

night.

7"I will surely tell of the decree of the 3He will be like a tree firmly planted by LORD: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, streams of water, Which yields its fruit in

Today I have begotten You.

its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

8'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the

4The wicked are not so, But they are like

very ends of the earth as Your

chaff which the wind drives away.

possession.

5

9

Therefore the wicked will not stand in

'You shall break them with a rod of iron,

the judgment, Nor sinners in the

You

shall

shatter

them

like

assembly of the righteous.

earthenware.'"

6

10

For the LORD knows the way of the

Now

therefore,

O

kings,

show

righteous, But the way of the wicked will

discernment; Take warning, O judges of

perish.

the earth.

11

PSALM 2

Worship the LORD with reverence And

rejoice with trembling.

1Why are the nations in an uproar And 12Do homage to the Son, that He not the peoples devising a vain thing?

become angry, and you perish in the

2

way, For His wrath may soon be kindled.

The kings of the earth take their stand How blessed are all who take refuge in

And the rulers take counsel together

Him!

Against the LORD and against His

Anointed, saying,

PSALM 3

3"Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!"

1O LORD, how my adversaries have 3But know that the LORD has set apart increased! Many are rising up against

the godly man for Himself; The LORD

me.

hears when I call to Him.

2Many are saying of my soul, "There is 4Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in no deliverance for him in God." Selah.

your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

3But You, O LORD, are a shield about

me, My glory, and the One who lifts my

5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

head.

And trust in the LORD.

4I was crying to the LORD with my voice,

6Many are saying, " Who will show us And He answered me from His holy

any good?" Lift up the light of Your mountain. Selah.

countenance upon us, O LORD!

5I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the 7You have put gladness in my heart,

LORD sustains me.

More than when their grain and new

wine abound.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves

8In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

against me round about.

For You alone, O LORD, make me to

dwell in safety.

7Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!

For You have smitten all my enemies on

PSALM 5

the cheek; You have shattered the teeth

of the wicked.

1Give ear to my words, O LORD,

Consider my groaning.

8Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your

blessing be upon Your people! Selah.

2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my

King and my God, For to You I pray.

PSALM 4

3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear

1Answer me when I call, O God of my my voice; In the morning I will order my righteousness! You have relieved me in

prayer to You and eagerly watch.

my distress; Be gracious to me and hear

my prayer.

4For You are not a God who takes

pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells

2O sons of men, how long will my honor

with You.

become a reproach? How long will you

love what is worthless and aim at

5The boastful shall not stand before

deception? Selah.

Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.

6You destroy those who speak 4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save

falsehood; The LORD abhors the man

me because of Your lovingkindness.

of bloodshed and deceit.

5For there is no mention of You in death;

7But as for me, by Your abundant

In Sheol who will give You thanks?

lovingkindness I will enter Your house,

At Your holy temple I will bow in

6I am weary with my sighing; Every night

reverence for You.

I make my bed swim, I dissolve my

couch with my tears.

8O

LORD,

lead

me

in

Your

righteousness because of my foes;

7My eye has wasted away with grief; It

Make Your way straight before me.

has become old because of all my

adversaries.

9There is nothing reliable in what they

say; Their inward part is destruction

8Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,

itself. Their throat is an open grave;

For the LORD has heard the voice of my

They flatter with their tongue.

weeping.

10Hold them guilty, O God; By their own

9The LORD has heard my supplication,

devices let them fall! In the multitude of The LORD receives my prayer.

their transgressions thrust them out, For

they are rebellious against You.

10All my enemies will be ashamed and

greatly dismayed; They shall turn back,

11But let all who take refuge in You be they will suddenly be ashamed.

glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And

may You shelter them, That those who

PSALM 7

love Your name may exult in You.

1

12For it is You who blesses the righteous

O LORD my God, in You I have taken

man, O LORD, You surround him with

refuge; Save me from all those who

favor as with a shield.

pursue me, and deliver me,

2Or he will tear my soul like a lion,

PSALM 6

Dragging me away, while there is none

to deliver.

1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath.

3O LORD my God, if I have done this, If

there is injustice in my hands,

2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am

pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my

4If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or

bones are dismayed.

have plundered him who without cause

was my adversary,

3And my soul is greatly dismayed; But

You, O LORD-- how long?

5Let the enemy pursue my soul and 15He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, overtake it; And let him trample my life And has fallen into the hole which he down to the ground And lay my glory in

made.

the dust. Selah.

16His mischief will return upon his own

6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up

head, And his violence will descend

Yourself against the rage of my

upon his own pate.

adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me;

You have appointed judgment.

17I will give thanks to the LORD

according to His righteousness And will

7Let the assembly of the peoples

sing praise to the name of the LORD

encompass You, And over them return

Most High.

on high.

PSALM 8

8The LORD judges the peoples;

Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my

1O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is righteousness and my integrity that is in

Your name in all the earth, Who have

me.

displayed Your splendor above the

heavens!

9O let the evil of the wicked come to an

end, but establish the righteous; For the

2From the mouth of infants and nursing

righteous God tries the hearts and

babes You have established strength

minds.

Because of Your adversaries, To make

the enemy and the revengeful cease.

10My shield is with God, Who saves the

upright in heart.

3When I consider Your heavens, the

work of Your fingers, The moon and the

11God is a righteous judge, And a God

stars, which You have ordained;

who has indignation every day.

4What is man that You take thought of

12If a man does not repent, He will

him, And the son of man that You care

sharpen His sword; He has bent His

for him?

bow and made it ready.

5Yet You have made him a little lower

13He has also prepared for Himself

than God, And You crown him with glory

deadly weapons; He makes His arrows

and majesty!

fiery shafts.

6You make him to rule over the works of

14Behold, he travails with wickedness,

Your hands; You have put all things

And he conceives mischief and brings

under his feet,

forth falsehood.

7All sheep and oxen, And also the

beasts of the field,

8The birds of the heavens and the fish of 10And those who know Your name will the sea, Whatever passes through the

put their trust in You, For You, O LORD,

paths of the seas.

have not forsaken those who seek You.

9O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is

11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells

Your name in all the earth!

in Zion; Declare among the peoples His

deeds.

PSALM 9

12For He who requires blood remembers

1

them; He does not forget the cry of the I will give thanks to the LORD with all afflicted.

my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

13

2

Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my

I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing

affliction from those who hate me, You

praise to Your name, O Most High.

who lift me up from the gates of death,

3When my enemies turn back, They

14That I may tell of all Your praises, That

stumble and perish before You.

in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.

4For You have maintained my just cause;

You have sat on the throne judging

15The nations have sunk down in the pit

righteously.

which they have made; In the net which

they hid, their own foot has been caught.

5You have rebuked the nations, You

have destroyed the wicked; You have

16The LORD has made Himself known;

blotted out their name forever and ever.

He has executed judgment. In the work

of his own hands the wicked is snared.

6The enemy has come to an end in

Higgaion Selah.

perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted

the cities; The very memory of them has

17The wicked will return to Sheol, Even

perished.

all the nations who forget God.

7But the LORD abides forever; He has

18For the needy will not always be

established His throne for judgment,

forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.

8And He will judge the world in

righteousness; He will execute judgment

19Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail;

for the peoples with equity.

Let the nations be judged before You.

9The LORD also will be a stronghold for

20Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the

the oppressed, A stronghold in times of

nations know that they are but men.

trouble;

Selah.

11

PSALM 10

He says to himself, "God has forgotten;

He has hidden His face; He will never

1

see it."

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?

Why do You hide Yourself in times of

12

trouble?

Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your

hand. Do not forget the afflicted.

2In pride the wicked hotly pursue the

13

afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots

Why has the wicked spurned God? He

which they have devised.

has said to himself, "You will not require it."

3For the wicked boasts of his heart's

14

desire, And the greedy man curses and

You have seen it, for You have beheld

spurns the LORD.

mischief and vexation to take it into Your

hand. The unfortunate commits himself

4

to You; You have been the helper of the

The wicked, in the haughtiness of his

orphan.

countenance, does not seek Him. All his

thoughts are, " There is no God."

15Break the arm of the wicked and the

5

evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until

His ways prosper at all times; Your

You find none.

judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at 16

them.

The LORD is King forever and ever;

Nations have perished from His land.

6He says to himself, " I will not be 17

moved; Throughout all generations I will

O LORD, You have heard the desire of

not be in adversity."

the humble; You will strengthen their

heart, You will incline Your ear

7His mouth is full of curses and deceit 18

and oppression; Under his tongue is

To vindicate the orphan and the

mischief and wickedness.

oppressed, So that man who is of the

earth will no longer cause terror.

8He sits in the lurking places of the

villages; In the hiding places he kills the

PSALM 11

innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for

the unfortunate.

1In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to 9He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in your mountain; his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws 2For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,

him into his net.

They make ready their arrow upon the

string To shoot in darkness at the

10He crouches, he bows down, And the

upright in heart.

unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

3If the foundations are destroyed, What 6The words of the LORD are pure words; can the righteous do?"

As silver tried in a furnace on the earth,

refined seven times.

4The LORD is in His holy temple; the

LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes

7You, O LORD, will keep them; You will

behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.

preserve him from this generation

forever.

5The LORD tests the righteous and the

wicked, And the one who loves violence

8The wicked strut about on every side

His soul hates.

When vileness is exalted among the

sons of men.

6Upon the wicked He will rain snares;

Fire and brimstone and burning wind will

PSALM 13

be the portion of their cup.

1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me

7For the LORD is righteous, He loves

forever? How long will You hide Your

righteousness; The upright will behold

face from me?

His face.

2How long shall I take counsel in my

PSALM 12

soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be

1Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases

exalted over me?

to be, For the faithful disappear from

among the sons of men.

3Consider and answer me, O LORD my

God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep 2They speak falsehood to one another;

the sleep of death,

With flattering lips and with a double

heart they speak.

4And my enemy will say, "I have

overcome him," And my adversaries will

3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,

rejoice when I am shaken.

The tongue that speaks great things;

5But

I

have

trusted

in

Your

4Who have said, "With our tongue we lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in

will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is

Your salvation.

lord over us?"

6I will sing to the LORD, Because He

5"Because of the devastation of the

has dealt bountifully with me.

afflicted, because of the groaning of the

needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD;

PSALM 14

"I will set him in the safety for which he longs."

1The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is LORD; He swears to his own hurt and no one who does good.

does not change;

2The LORD has looked down from

5He does not put out his money at

heaven upon the sons of men To see if

interest, Nor does he take a bribe

there are any who understand, Who

against the innocent. He who does

seek after God.

these things will never be shaken.

3They have all turned aside, together

PSALM 16

they have become corrupt; There is no

one who does good, not even one.

1Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.

4Do all the workers of wickedness not

know, Who eat up my people as they

2I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I

eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? have no good besides You."

5There they are in great dread, For God

3As for the saints who are in the earth, is with the righteous generation.

They are the majestic ones in whom is

all my delight.

6You would put to shame the counsel of

the afflicted, But the LORD is his refuge.

4The sorrows of those who have

bartered for another god will be

7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would

multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink

come out of Zion! When the LORD

offerings of blood, Nor will I take their restores His captive people, Jacob will

names upon my lips.

rejoice, Israel will be glad.

5The LORD is the portion of my

PSALM 15

inheritance and my cup; You support my

lot.

1O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?

Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant

places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful

2He who walks with integrity, and works

to me.

righteousness, And speaks truth in his

heart.

7I will bless the LORD who has

counseled

me;

Indeed,

my

mind

3He does not slander with his tongue,

instructs me in the night.

Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes

up a reproach against his friend;

8I have set the LORD continually before

me; Because He is at my right hand, I

4In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,

will not be shaken.

But who honors those who fear the

9Therefore my heart is glad and my 8Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell me in the shadow of Your wings

securely.

9From the wicked who despoil me, My

10For You will not abandon my soul to

deadly enemies who surround me.

Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One

to undergo decay.

10They have closed their unfeeling heart,

With their mouth they speak proudly.

11You will make known to me the path of

life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; 11They have now surrounded us in our

In Your right hand there are pleasures

steps; They set their eyes to cast us

forever.

down to the ground.

PSALM 17

12He is like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion lurking in hiding 1Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed

places.

to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which

is not from deceitful lips.

13Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring

him low; Deliver my soul from the

2Let my judgment come forth from Your

wicked with Your sword,

presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. 14From men with Your hand, O LORD, 3You have tried my heart; You have From men of the world, whose portion is

visited me by night; You have tested me

in this life, And whose belly You fill with and You find nothing; I have purposed

Your treasure; They are satisfied with

that my mouth will not transgress.

children, And leave their abundance to

their babes.

4As for the deeds of men, by the word of

15

Your lips I have kept from the paths of As for me, I shall behold Your face in the violent.

righteousness; I will be satisfied with

Your likeness when I awake.

5My steps have held fast to Your paths.

My feet have not slipped.

PSALM 18

6I have called upon You, for You will

1"I love You, O LORD, my strength."

answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to

me, hear my speech.

2The LORD is my rock and my fortress

and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in

7Wondrously show Your lovingkindness,

whom I take refuge; My shield and the

O Savior of those who take refuge at

horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Your right hand From those who rise up

against them.

3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to 14He sent out His arrows, and scattered be praised, And I am saved from my

them,

And

lightning

flashes

in

enemies.

abundance, and routed them.

4The cords of death encompassed me,

15Then the channels of water appeared,

And the torrents of ungodliness terrified And the foundations of the world were

me.

laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At

the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

5The cords of Sheol surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.

16He sent from on high, He took me; He

drew me out of many waters.

6In my distress I called upon the LORD,

And cried to my God for help; He heard

17He delivered me from my strong

my voice out of His temple, And my cry

enemy, And from those who hated me,

for help before Him came into His ears.

for they were too mighty for me.

7Then the earth shook and quaked; And

18They confronted me in the day of my

the foundations of the mountains were

calamity, But the LORD was my stay.

trembling And were shaken, because

He was angry.

19He brought me forth also into a broad

place; He rescued me, because He

8Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And

delighted in me.

fire from His mouth devoured; Coals

were kindled by it.

20The LORD has rewarded me

according

to

my

righteousness;

9He bowed the heavens also, and came

According to the cleanness of my hands

down With thick darkness under His feet. He has recompensed me.

10He rode upon a cherub and flew; And

21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

He sped upon the wings of the wind.

And have not wickedly departed from

my God.

11He made darkness His hiding place,

His canopy around Him, Darkness of

22For all His ordinances were before me,

waters, thick clouds of the skies.

And I did not put away His statutes from

me.

12From the brightness before Him

passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and

23I was also blameless with Him, And I

coals of fire.

kept myself from my iniquity.

13The LORD also thundered in the

24Therefore

the

LORD

has

heavens, And the Most High uttered His

recompensed me according to my

voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

righteousness,

According

to

the

cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25With the kind You show Yourself kind; 37I pursued my enemies and overtook With the blameless You show Yourself

them, And I did not turn back until they blameless;

were consumed.

26With the pure You show Yourself pure,

38I shattered them, so that they were not

And with the crooked You show Yourself

able to rise; They fell under my feet.

astute.

39For You have girded me with strength

27For You save an afflicted people, But

for battle; You have subdued under me

haughty eyes You abase.

those who rose up against me.

28For You light my lamp; The LORD my

40You have also made my enemies turn

God illumines my darkness.

their backs to me, And I destroyed those

who hated me.

29For by You I can run upon a troop;

And by my God I can leap over a wall.

41They cried for help, but there was

none to save, Even to the LORD, but He

30As for God, His way is blameless; The

did not answer them.

word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield

to all who take refuge in Him.

42Then I beat them fine as the dust

before the wind; I emptied them out as

31For who is God, but the LORD? And

the mire of the streets.

who is a rock, except our God,

43You have delivered me from the

32The God who girds me with strength

contentions of the people; You have

And makes my way blameless?

placed me as head of the nations; A

people whom I have not known serve

33

me.

He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And

sets me upon my high places.

44As soon as they hear, they obey me;

34

Foreigners submit to me.

He trains my hands for battle, So that

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

45Foreigners fade away, And come

35

trembling out of their fortresses.

You have also given me the shield of

Your salvation, And Your right hand

46

upholds me; And Your gentleness

The LORD lives, and blessed be my

makes me great.

rock; And exalted be the God of my

salvation,

36You enlarge my steps under me, And

47

my feet have not slipped.

The God who executes vengeance for

me, And subdues peoples under me.

48He delivers me from my enemies; 8The precepts of the LORD are right, Surely You lift me above those who rise

rejoicing the heart; The commandment

up against me; You rescue me from the

of the LORD is pure, enlightening the

violent man.

eyes.

49Therefore I will give thanks to You

9The fear of the LORD is clean,

among the nations, O LORD, And I will

enduring forever; The judgments of the

sing praises to Your name.

LORD are true; they are righteous

altogether.

50He gives great deliverance to His king,

And shows lovingkindness to His

10They are more desirable than gold,

anointed, To David and his descendants

yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also

forever.

than honey and the drippings of the

honeycomb.

PSALM 19

11Moreover, by them Your servant is

1

warned; In keeping them there is great

The heavens are telling of the glory of reward.

God; And their expanse is declaring the

work of His hands.

12Who can discern his errors? Acquit me

2

of hidden faults.

Day to day pours forth speech, And

night to night reveals knowledge.

13Also keep back Your servant from

3

presumptuous sins; Let them not rule

There is no speech, nor are there

over me; Then I will be blameless, And I

words; Their voice is not heard.

shall be acquitted of great transgression.

4Their line has gone out through all the 14Let the words of my mouth and the

earth, And their utterances to the end of

meditation of my heart Be acceptable in

the world. In them He has placed a tent

Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my

for the sun,

Redeemer.

5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of

his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man

PSALM 20

to run his course.

1May the LORD answer you in the day 6Its rising is from one end of the

of trouble! May the name of the God of heavens, And its circuit to the other end

Jacob set you securely on high!

of them; And there is nothing hidden

from its heat.

2May He send you help from the

sanctuary And support you from Zion!

7The law of the LORD is perfect,

restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

3May He remember all your meal 4He asked life of You, You gave it to him, offerings And find your burnt offering

Length of days forever and ever.

acceptable! Selah.

5His glory is great through Your

4May He grant you your heart's desire

salvation, Splendor and majesty You

And fulfill all your counsel!

place upon him.

5We will sing for joy over your victory, 6For You make him most blessed

And in the name of our God we will set forever; You make him joyful with

up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all

gladness in Your presence.

your petitions.

7For the king trusts in the LORD, And

6Now I know that the LORD saves His

through the lovingkindness of the Most

anointed; He will answer him from His

High he will not be shaken.

holy heaven With the saving strength of

His right hand.

8Your hand will find out all your enemies;

Your right hand will find out those who 7Some boast in chariots and some in

hate you.

horses, But we will boast in the name of

the LORD, our God.

9You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The LORD will

8They have bowed down and fallen, But

swallow them up in His wrath, And fire

we have risen and stood upright.

will devour them.

9Save, O LORD; May the King answer

10Their offspring You will destroy from

us in the day we call.

the earth, And their descendants from

among the sons of men.

PSALM 21

11Though they intended evil against You

1

And devised a plot, They will not

O LORD, in Your strength the king will

succeed.

be glad, And in Your salvation how

greatly he will rejoice!

12For You will make them turn their back;

2

You will aim with Your bowstrings at

You have given him his heart's desire,

their faces.

And You have not withheld the request

of his lips. Selah.

13Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength;

3

We will sing and praise Your power.

For You meet him with the blessings of

good things; You set a crown of fine

gold on his head.

PSALM 22

1My God, my God, why have You 13They open wide their mouth at me, As forsaken me? Far from my deliverance

a ravening and a roaring lion.

are the words of my groaning.

14I am poured out like water, And all my

2O my God, I cry by day, but You do not

bones are out of joint; My heart is like answer; And by night, but I have no rest.

wax; It is melted within me.

3Yet You are holy, O You who are

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And

You lay me in the dust of death.

4In You our fathers trusted; They trusted

and You delivered them.

16For dogs have surrounded me; A band

of evildoers has encompassed me; They

5To You they cried out and were

pierced my hands and my feet.

delivered; In You they trusted and were

not disappointed.

17I can count all my bones. They look,

they stare at me;

6But I am a worm and not a man, A

reproach of men and despised by the

18They divide my garments among them,

people.

And for my clothing they cast lots.

7All who see me sneer at me; They

19But You, O LORD, be not far off; O

separate with the lip, they wag the head,

You my help, hasten to my assistance.

saying,

20Deliver my soul from the sword, My

8" Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him

only life from the power of the dog.

deliver him; Let Him rescue him,

because He delights in him."

21Save me from the lion's mouth; From

the horns of the wild oxen You answer

9Yet You are He who brought me forth

me.

from the womb; You made me trust

when upon my mother's breasts.

22I will tell of Your name to my brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will praise

10Upon You I was cast from birth; You

You.

have been my God from my mother's

womb.

23You who fear the LORD, praise Him;

All you descendants of Jacob, glorify

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near;

Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you

For there is none to help.

descendants of Israel.

12Many bulls have surrounded me;

24For He has not despised nor abhorred

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled

the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He

me.

hidden His face from him; But when he 3He restores my soul; He guides me in cried to Him for help, He heard.

the paths of righteousness For His

name's sake.

25From You comes my praise in the

great assembly; I shall pay my vows

4Even though I walk through the valley

before those who fear Him.

of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for

You are with me; Your rod and Your

26The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; staff, they comfort me.

Those who seek Him will praise the

LORD. Let your heart live forever!

5You prepare a table before me in the

presence of my enemies; You have

27All the ends of the earth will remember

anointed my head with oil; My cup

and turn to the LORD, And all the

overflows.

families of the nations will worship

before You.

6Surely goodness and lovingkindness

will follow me all the days of my life, And

28For the kingdom is the LORD'S And

I will dwell in the house of the LORD

He rules over the nations.

forever.

29All the prosperous of the earth will eat

PSALM 24

and worship, All those who go down to

the dust will bow before Him, Even he

1The earth is the LORD'S, and all it who cannot keep his soul alive.

contains, The world, and those who

dwell in it.

30Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.

2For He has founded it upon the seas

And established it upon the rivers.

31They will come and will declare His

righteousness To a people who will be

3Who may ascend into the hill of the

born, that He has performed it.

LORD? And who may stand in His holy

place?

PSALM 23

4He who has clean hands and a pure

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to want.

falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.

2

5

He makes me lie down in green

He shall receive a blessing from the

pastures; He leads me beside quiet

LORD And righteousness from the God

waters.

of his salvation.

6This is the generation of those who

seek Him, Who seek Your face--even

Jacob. Selah.

7Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lovingkindness remember me, For Your lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King

goodness' sake, O LORD.

of glory may come in!

8Good and upright is the LORD;

8Who is the King of glory? The LORD

Therefore He instructs sinners in the

strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in

way.

battle.

9He leads the humble in justice, And He

9Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift

teaches the humble His way.

them up, O ancient doors, That the King

of glory may come in!

10All the paths of the LORD are

lovingkindness and truth To those who

10Who is this King of gloryNULL The

keep His covenant and His testimonies.

LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.

Selah.

11For Your name's sake, O LORD,

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

PSALM 25

12Who is the man who fears the LORD?

1To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

He will instruct him in the way he should

choose.

2O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me

13

be ashamed; Do not let my enemies

His soul will abide in prosperity, And

exult over me.

his descendants will inherit the land.

3

14

Indeed, none of those who wait for You

The secret of the LORD is for those

will be ashamed; Those who deal

who fear Him, And He will make them

treacherously without cause will be

know His covenant.

ashamed.

15My eyes are continually toward the

4Make me know Your ways, O LORD;

LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of Teach me Your paths.

the net.

5

16

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

Turn to me and be gracious to me, For

For You are the God of my salvation;

I am lonely and afflicted.

For You I wait all the day.

17The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

6Remember, O LORD, Your compassion

Bring me out of my distresses.

and Your lovingkindnesses, For they

have been from of old.

18Look upon my affliction and my trouble,

And forgive all my sins.

7Do not remember the sins of my youth

or my transgressions; According to Your

19Look upon my enemies, for they are 9Do not take my soul away along with many, And they hate me with violent

sinners, Nor my life with men of

hatred.

bloodshed,

20Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not

10In whose hands is a wicked scheme,

let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in And whose right hand is full of bribes.

You.

11But as for me, I shall walk in my

21Let integrity and uprightness preserve

integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious

me, For I wait for You.

to me.

22Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his

12My foot stands on a level place; In the

troubles.

congregations I shall bless the LORD.

PSALM 26

PSALM 27

1Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have 1The LORD is my light and my salvation; walked in my integrity, And I have Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the

trusted in the LORD without wavering.

defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

2Examine me, O LORD, and try me;

2When evildoers came upon me to

Test my mind and my heart.

devour my flesh, My adversaries and my

enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3For Your lovingkindness is before my

eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.

3Though a host encamp against me, My

heart will not fear; Though war arise

4I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I

against me, In spite of this I shall be go with pretenders.

confident.

5

4

I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I One thing I have asked from the LORD,

will not sit with the wicked.

that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the

house of the LORD all the days of my

6

life, To behold the beauty of the LORD

I shall wash my hands in innocence,

And to meditate in His temple.

And I will go about Your altar, O LORD,

5

7

For in the day of trouble He will conceal

That I may proclaim with the voice of

me in His tabernacle; In the secret place

thanksgiving And declare all Your

of His tent He will hide me; He will lift wonders.

me up on a rock.

8O LORD, I love the habitation of Your

6And now my head will be lifted up

house And the place where Your glory

above my enemies around me, And I

dwells.

will offer in His tent sacrifices with

shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing 2Hear the voice of my supplications praises to the LORD.

when I cry to You for help, When I lift up

my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my

voice, And be gracious to me and

3Do not drag me away with the wicked

answer me.

And with those who work iniquity, Who

speak peace with their neighbors, While

8When You said, " Seek My face," my evil is in their hearts.

heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I

shall seek."

4Requite them according to their work

and according to the evil of their

9Do not hide Your face from me, Do not

practices; Requite them according to the

turn Your servant away in anger; You

deeds of their hands; Repay them their

have been my help; Do not abandon me

recompense.

nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!

5Because they do not regard the works

10For my father and my mother have

of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands,

forsaken me, But the LORD will take me

He will tear them down and not build

up.

them up.

11

6

Teach me Your way, O LORD, And

Blessed be the LORD, Because He has

lead me in a level path Because of my

heard the voice of my supplication.

foes.

7The LORD is my strength and my

12Do not deliver me over to the desire of

shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am

my adversaries, For false witnesses

helped; Therefore my heart exults, And

have risen against me, And such as

with my song I shall thank Him.

breathe out violence.

8The LORD is their strength, And He is a

13I would have despaired unless I had

saving defense to His anointed.

believed that I would see the goodness

of the LORD In the land of the living.

9Save Your people and bless Your

inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and

14Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let

carry them forever.

your heart take courage; Yes, wait for

the LORD.

PSALM 29

PSALM 28

1Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and

1To You, O LORD, I call; My rock, do not strength.

be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go

down to the pit.

2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to 2O LORD my God, I cried to You for His name; Worship the LORD in holy

help, and You healed me.

array.

3O LORD, You have brought up my soul

3The voice of the LORD is upon the

from Sheol; You have kept me alive,

waters; The God of glory thunders, The

that I would not go down to the pit.

LORD is over many waters.

4Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly

4The voice of the LORD is powerful, The

ones, And give thanks to His holy name.

voice of the LORD is majestic.

5For His anger is but for a moment, His

5The voice of the LORD breaks the

favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last

cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces

for the night, But a shout of joy comes in

the cedars of Lebanon.

the morning.

6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And

6Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,

Sirion like a young wild ox.

"I will never be moved."

7The voice of the LORD hews out

7O LORD, by Your favor You have made

flames of fire.

my mountain to stand strong; You hid

Your face, I was dismayed.

8The voice of the LORD shakes the

wilderness; The LORD shakes the

8To You, O LORD, I called, And to the

wilderness of Kadesh.

Lord I made supplication:

9The voice of the LORD makes the deer

9"What profit is there in my blood, if I go to calve And strips the forests bare; And

down to the pit? Will the dust praise You?

in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

Will it declare Your faithfulness?

10The LORD sat as King at the flood;

10" Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

me; O LORD, be my helper."

11The LORD will give strength to His

11You have turned for me my mourning

people; The LORD will bless His people

into dancing; You have loosed my

with peace.

sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

12

PSALM 30

That my soul may sing praise to You

and not be silent. O LORD my God, I

1

will give thanks to You forever.

I will extol You, O LORD, for You have

lifted me up, And have not let my

enemies rejoice over me.

PSALM 31

1In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; neighbors, And an object of dread to my Let me never be ashamed; In Your

acquaintances; Those who see me in

righteousness deliver me.

the street flee from me.

2Incline Your ear to me, rescue me

12I am forgotten as a dead man, out of quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A mind; I am like a broken vessel.

stronghold to save me.

13For I have heard the slander of many,

3For You are my rock and my fortress;

Terror is on every side; While they took For Your name's sake You will lead me

counsel together against me, They

and guide me.

schemed to take away my life.

4You will pull me out of the net which 14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,

they have secretly laid for me, For You I say, " You are my God."

are my strength.

15My times are in Your hand; Deliver me

5Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You

from the hand of my enemies and from

have ransomed me, O LORD, God of

those who persecute me.

truth.

16Make Your face to shine upon Your

6I hate those who regard vain idols, But I

servant;

Save

me

in

Your

trust in the LORD.

lovingkindness.

7I will rejoice and be glad in Your

17Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,

lovingkindness, Because You have seen

for I call upon You; Let the wicked be my affliction; You have known the

put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

troubles of my soul,

18Let the lying lips be mute, Which

8And You have not given me over into

speak arrogantly against the righteous

the hand of the enemy; You have set my

With pride and contempt.

feet in a large place.

19How great is Your goodness, Which

9Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in

You have stored up for those who fear

distress; My eye is wasted away from

You, Which You have wrought for those

grief, my soul and my body also.

who take refuge in You, Before the sons

of men!

10For my life is spent with sorrow And

my years with sighing; My strength has

20You hide them in the secret place of

failed because of my iniquity, And my

Your presence from the conspiracies of

body has wasted away.

man; You keep them secretly in a

shelter from the strife of tongues.

11Because of all my adversaries, I have

become a reproach, Especially to my

21Blessed be the LORD, For He has found; Surely in a flood of great waters made marvelous His lovingkindness to they will not reach him.

me in a besieged city.

7You are my hiding place; You preserve

22As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut me from trouble; You surround me with

off

from

before

Your

eyes";

songs of deliverance. Selah.

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my

supplications When I cried to You.

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel 23O love the LORD, all you His godly you with My eye upon you.

ones! The LORD preserves the faithful

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

9Do not be as the horse or as the mule

which have no understanding, Whose

24Be strong and let your heart take

trappings include bit and bridle to hold courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

them in check, Otherwise they will not

come near to you.

PSALM 32

10Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

1

But he who trusts in the LORD,

How blessed is he whose transgression

lovingkindness shall surround him.

is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!

11

2

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you

How blessed is the man to whom the

righteous ones; And shout for joy, all

LORD does not impute iniquity, And in

you who are upright in heart.

whose spirit there is no deceit!

3When I kept silent about my sin, my

PSALM 33

body

wasted

away

Through

my

groaning all day long.

1Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to

4For day and night Your hand was

the upright.

heavy upon me; My vitality was drained

away as with the fever heat of summer.

2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;

Selah.

Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

5I acknowledged my sin to You, And my

iniquity I did not hide; I said, " I will 3Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully confess my transgressions to the

with a shout of joy.

LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my

sin. Selah.

4For the word of the LORD is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

6Therefore, let everyone who is godly

pray to You in a time when You may be

5He loves righteousness and justice; 17A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor The earth is full of the lovingkindness of

does it deliver anyone by its great

the LORD.

strength.

6By the word of the LORD the heavens

18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on

were made, And by the breath of His

those who fear Him, On those who hope

mouth all their host.

for His lovingkindness,

7He gathers the waters of the sea

19To deliver their soul from death And to

together as a heap; He lays up the

keep them alive in famine.

deeps in storehouses.

20Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our

8Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all

help and our shield.

the inhabitants of the world stand in awe

of Him.

21For our heart rejoices in Him, Because

we trust in His holy name.

9For He spoke, and it was done; He

commanded, and it stood fast.

22Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be

upon us, According as we have hoped

10The LORD nullifies the counsel of the

in You.

nations; He frustrates the plans of the

peoples.

PSALM 34

11The counsel of the LORD stands

1I will bless the LORD at all times; His forever, The plans of His heart from praise shall continually be in my mouth.

generation to generation.

2

12

My soul will make its boast in the LORD;

Blessed is the nation whose God is the

The humble will hear it and rejoice.

LORD, The people whom He has

chosen for His own inheritance.

3O magnify the LORD with me, And let

13

us exalt His name together.

The LORD looks from heaven; He

sees all the sons of men;

4I sought the LORD, and He answered

14

me, And delivered me from all my fears.

From His dwelling place He looks out

On all the inhabitants of the earth,

5They looked to Him and were radiant,

15

And their faces will never be ashamed.

He who fashions the hearts of them all,

He who understands all their works.

6This poor man cried, and the LORD

16

heard him And saved him out of all his The king is not saved by a mighty

troubles.

army; A warrior is not delivered by great

strength.

7The angel of the LORD encamps 19Many are the afflictions of the

around those who fear Him, And

righteous, But the LORD delivers him

rescues them.

out of them all.

8O taste and see that the LORD is good;

20He keeps all his bones, Not one of

How blessed is the man who takes

them is broken.

refuge in Him!

21Evil shall slay the wicked, And those

9O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to

who

hate

the

righteous

will

be

those who fear Him there is no want.

condemned.

10The young lions do lack and suffer

22The LORD redeems the soul of His

hunger; But they who seek the LORD

servants, And none of those who take

shall not be in want of any good thing.

refuge in Him will be condemned.

11Come, you children, listen to me; I will

PSALM 35

teach you the fear of the LORD.

1Contend, O LORD, with those who

12Who is the man who desires life And

contend with me; Fight against those

loves length of days that he may see

who fight against me.

good?

2Take hold of buckler and shield And

13Keep your tongue from evil And your

rise up for my help.

lips from speaking deceit.

3Draw also the spear and the battle-axe

14Depart from evil and do good; Seek

to meet those who pursue me; Say to

peace and pursue it.

my soul, "I am your salvation."

15The eyes of the LORD are toward the

4Let those be ashamed and dishonored

righteous And His ears are open to their

who seek my life; Let those be turned

cry.

back and humiliated who devise evil

against me.

16The face of the LORD is against

evildoers, To cut off the memory of them

5Let them be like chaff before the wind,

from the earth.

With the angel of the LORD driving them

on.

17The righteous cry, and the LORD

hears And delivers them out of all their 6Let their way be dark and slippery, With

troubles.

the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

18The

LORD

is

near

to

the

brokenhearted And saves those who are

crushed in spirit.

7For without cause they hid their net for 17Lord, how long will You look on?

me; Without cause they dug a pit for my

Rescue my soul from their ravages, My

soul.

only life from the lions.

8Let destruction come upon him

18I will give You thanks in the great

unawares, And let the net which he hid

congregation; I will praise You among a

catch himself; Into that very destruction mighty throng.

let him fall.

19Do not let those who are wrongfully my

9And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;

enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those

It shall exult in His salvation.

who hate me without cause wink

maliciously.

10All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from

20For they do not speak peace, But they

him who is too strong for him, And the devise deceitful words against those

afflicted and the needy from him who

who are quiet in the land.

robs him?"

21They opened their mouth wide against

11Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask

me; They said, " Aha, aha, our eyes me of things that I do not know.

have seen it!"

12They repay me evil for good, To the

22You have seen it, O LORD, do not

bereavement of my soul.

keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me.

13But as for me, when they were sick,

my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled

23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right

my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept

And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

returning to my bosom.

24Judge me, O LORD my God,

14I went about as though it were my

according to Your righteousness, And

friend or brother; I bowed down

do not let them rejoice over me.

mourning, as one who sorrows for a

mother.

25Do not let them say in their heart, "

Aha, our desire!" Do not let them say, 15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and

"We have swallowed him up!"

gathered themselves together; The

smiters whom I did not know gathered

26Let those be ashamed and humiliated

together against me, They slandered me

altogether who rejoice at my distress;

without ceasing.

Let those be clothed with shame and

dishonor who magnify themselves over

16Like godless jesters at a feast, They

me.

gnashed at me with their teeth.

27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who 8They drink their fill of the abundance of favor my vindication; And let them say

Your house; And You give them to drink

continually, "The LORD be magnified,

of the river of Your delights.

Who delights in the prosperity of His

servant."

9For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

28And my tongue shall declare Your

righteousness And Your praise all day

10O continue Your lovingkindness to

long.

those who know You, And Your

righteousness to the upright in heart.

PSALM 36

11Let not the foot of pride come upon me,

1Transgression speaks to the ungodly And let not the hand of the wicked drive

within his heart; There is no fear of God

me away.

before his eyes.

12There the doers of iniquity have fallen;

2For it flatters him in his own eyes

They have been thrust down and cannot

Concerning the discovery of his iniquity

rise.

and the hatred of it.

PSALM 37

3The words of his mouth are wickedness

and deceit; He has ceased to be wise

1Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not and to do good.

envious toward wrongdoers.

4He plans wickedness upon his bed; He

2For they will wither quickly like the

sets himself on a path that is not good; grass And fade like the green herb.

He does not despise evil.

3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell

5Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends

in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

to the heavens, Your faithfulness

reaches to the skies.

4Delight yourself in the LORD; And He

will give you the desires of your heart.

6Your righteousness is like the

mountains of God; Your judgments are

5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust

like a great deep. O LORD, You

also in Him, and He will do it.

preserve man and beast.

6

7

He will bring forth your righteousness

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O

as the light And your judgment as the

God! And the children of men take

noonday.

refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

7Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for

Him; Do not fret because of him who

prospers in his way, Because of the 19They will not be ashamed in the time man who carries out wicked schemes.

of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

8Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

20But the wicked will perish; And the

enemies of the LORD will be like the

9For evildoers will be cut off, But those glory of the pastures, They vanish-- like who wait for the LORD, they will inherit smoke they vanish away.

the land.

21The wicked borrows and does not pay

10Yet a little while and the wicked man back, But the righteous is gracious and

will be no more; And you will look

gives.

carefully for his place and he will not be

there.

22For those blessed by Him will inherit

the land, But those cursed by Him will

11But the humble will inherit the land

be cut off.

And will delight themselves in abundant

prosperity.

23The steps of a man are established by

the LORD, And He delights in his way.

12The wicked plots against the righteous

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

24When he falls, he will not be hurled

headlong, Because the LORD is the

13The Lord laughs at him, For He sees

One who holds his hand.

his day is coming.

25I have been young and now I am old,

14The wicked have drawn the sword and

Yet I have not seen the righteous

bent their bow To cast down the afflicted

forsaken Or his descendants begging

and the needy, To slay those who are

bread.

upright in conduct.

26All day long he is gracious and lends,

15Their sword will enter their own heart,

And his descendants are a blessing.

And their bows will be broken.

27Depart from evil and do good, So you

16Better is the little of the righteous Than

will abide forever.

the abundance of many wicked.

28For the LORD loves justice And does

17For the arms of the wicked will be

not forsake His godly ones; They are

broken, But the LORD sustains the

preserved forever, But the descendants

righteous.

of the wicked will be cut off.

18

29

The LORD knows the days of the

The righteous will inherit the land And

blameless, And their inheritance will be

dwell in it forever.

forever.

30The mouth of the righteous utters PSALM 38

wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice.

1O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath,

31The law of his God is in his heart; His

And chasten me not in Your burning

steps do not slip.

anger.

32The wicked spies upon the righteous

2For Your arrows have sunk deep into

And seeks to kill him.

me, And Your hand has pressed down

on me.

33The LORD will not leave him in his

hand Or let him be condemned when he

3There is no soundness in my flesh

is judged.

because of Your indignation; There is no

health in my bones because of my sin.

34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

4For my iniquities are gone over my

When the wicked are cut off, you will

head; As a heavy burden they weigh too

see it.

much for me.

35I have seen a wicked, violent man

5My wounds grow foul and fester

Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in

Because of my folly.

its native soil.

6I am bent over and greatly bowed down;

36Then he passed away, and lo, he was

I go mourning all day long.

no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found.

7For my loins are filled with burning, And

there is no soundness in my flesh.

37Mark the blameless man, and behold

the upright; For the man of peace will

8I am benumbed and badly crushed; I

have a posterity.

groan because of the agitation of my

heart.

38But transgressors will be altogether

destroyed; The posterity of the wicked

9Lord, all my desire is before You; And will be cut off.

my sighing is not hidden from You.

39But the salvation of the righteous is

10My heart throbs, my strength fails me;

from the LORD; He is their strength in

And the light of my eyes, even that has time of trouble.

gone from me.

40The LORD helps them and delivers

11My loved ones and my friends stand

them; He delivers them from the wicked

aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen

and saves them, Because they take

stand afar off.

refuge in Him.

12Those who seek my life lay snares for 1I said, "I will guard my ways That I may me; And those who seek to injure me not sin with my tongue; I will guard my have threatened destruction, And they

mouth as with a muzzle While the

devise treachery all day long.

wicked are in my presence."

13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; 2I was mute and silent, I refrained even

And I am like a mute man who does not

from good, And my sorrow grew worse.

open his mouth.

3My heart was hot within me, While I

14Yes, I am like a man who does not

was musing the fire burned; Then I

hear, And in whose mouth are no

spoke with my tongue:

arguments.

4"LORD, make me to know my end And

15For I hope in You, O LORD; You will

what is the extent of my days; Let me

answer, O Lord my God.

know how transient I am.

16For I said, "May they not rejoice over 5"Behold, You have made my days as me, Who, when my foot slips, would

handbreadths, And my lifetime as

magnify themselves against me."

nothing in Your sight; Surely every man

at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

17For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow

is continually before me.

6"Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar

18For I confess my iniquity; I am full of for nothing; He amasses riches and

anxiety because of my sin.

does not know who will gather them.

19

7

But my enemies are vigorous and

"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My

strong, And many are those who hate

hope is in You.

me wrongfully.

8" Deliver me from all my transgressions; 20And those who repay evil for good,

Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

They oppose me, because I follow what

is good.

9"I have become mute, I do not open my

mouth, Because it is You who have

21Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my

done it.

God, do not be far from me!

10" Remove Your plague from me;

22Make haste to help me, O Lord, my

Because of the opposition of Your hand

salvation!

I am perishing.

11

PSALM 39

"With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is

precious to him; Surely every man is a 7Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the mere breath. Selah.

scroll of the book it is written of me.

12" Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give 8I delight to do Your will, O my God; ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my Your Law is within my heart."

tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner like all my fathers.

9I have proclaimed glad tidings of

righteousness in the great congregation;

13" Turn Your gaze away from me, that I

Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O

may smile again Before I depart and am

LORD, You know.

no more."

10I have not hidden Your righteousness

PSALM 40

within my heart; I have spoken of Your

faithfulness and Your salvation; I have

1

not concealed Your lovingkindness and

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He

Your truth from the great congregation.

inclined to me and heard my cry.

11

2

You, O LORD, will not withhold Your

He brought me up out of the pit of

compassion

from

me;

Your

destruction, out of the miry clay, And He

lovingkindness and Your truth will

set my feet upon a rock making my

continually preserve me.

footsteps firm.

12

3

For

evils

beyond

number

have

He put a new song in my mouth, a song

surrounded me; My iniquities have

of praise to our God; Many will see and

overtaken me, so that I am not able to fear And will trust in the LORD.

see; They are more numerous than the

hairs of my head, And my heart has

4How blessed is the man who has made

failed me.

the LORD his trust, And has not turned

to the proud, nor to those who lapse into

13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;

falsehood.

Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

5Many, O LORD my God, are the

14Let those be ashamed and humiliated

wonders which You have done, And

together Who seek my life to destroy it; Your thoughts toward us; There is none

Let

those

be

turned

back

and

to compare with You. If I would declare dishonored Who delight in my hurt.

and speak of them, They would be too

numerous to count.

15Let those be appalled because of their

6

shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha!"

Sacrifice and meal offering You have

not desired; My ears You have opened;

16

Burnt offering and sin offering You have

Let all who seek You rejoice and be

not required.

glad in You; Let those who love Your

salvation say continually, "The LORD be 9Even my close friend in whom I trusted, magnified!"

Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his

heel against me.

17Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the

Lord be mindful of me. You are my help

10But You, O LORD, be gracious to me

and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my

and raise me up, That I may repay them.

God.

11By this I know that You are pleased

PSALM 41

with me, Because my enemy does not

shout in triumph over me.

1How blessed is he who considers the 12

helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a

As for me, You uphold me in my

day of trouble.

integrity, And You set me in Your

presence forever.

2The LORD will protect him and keep

13

him alive, And he shall be called

Blessed be the LORD, the God of

blessed upon the earth; And do not give

Israel, From everlasting to everlasting.

him over to the desire of his enemies.

Amen and Amen.

3The LORD will sustain him upon his

PSALM 42

sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.

1As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.

4As for me, I said, "O LORD, be

gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have

2My soul thirsts for God, for the living sinned against You."

God; When shall I come and appear

before God?

5My enemies speak evil against me,

"When will he die, and his name

3My tears have been my food day and

perish?"

night, While they say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

6And when he comes to see me, he

speaks falsehood; His heart gathers

4These things I remember and I pour out

wickedness to itself; When he goes

my soul within me. For I used to go

outside, he tells it.

along with the throng and lead them in

procession to the house of God, With

7All who hate me whisper together

the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a

against me; Against me they devise my

multitude keeping festival.

hurt, saying,

5Why are you in despair, O my soul?

8"A wicked thing is poured out upon him,

And why have you become disturbed

That when he lies down, he will not rise

within me? Hope in God, for I shall

up again."

again praise Him For the help of His 3O send out Your light and Your truth, let presence.

them lead me; Let them bring me to

Your holy hill And to Your dwelling

6O my God, my soul is in despair within

places.

me; Therefore I remember You from the

land of the Jordan And the peaks of

4Then I will go to the altar of God, To Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

God my exceeding joy; And upon the

lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your

waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your

5Why are you in despair, O my

waves have rolled over me.

soulNULL And why are you disturbed

within meNULL Hope in God, for I shall

8The

LORD

will

command

His

again praise Him, The help of my

lovingkindness in the daytime; And His

countenance and my God.

song will be with me in the night, A

prayer to the God of my life.

PSALM 44

9I will say to God my rock, "Why have 1O God, we have heard with our ears, You forgotten me? Why do I go Our fathers have told us The work that

mourning because of the oppression of

You did in their days, In the days of old.

the enemy?"

2You with Your own hand drove out the

10As a shattering of my bones, my

nations; Then You planted them; You

adversaries revile me, While they say to

afflicted the peoples, Then You spread

me all day long, "Where is your God?"

them abroad.

11Why are you in despair, O my

3For by their own sword they did not

soulNULL And why have you become

possess the land, And their own arm did

disturbed within meNULL Hope in God,

not save them, But Your right hand and

for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my

Your arm and the light of Your presence,

countenance and my God.

For You favored them.

PSALM 43

4You are my King, O God; Command

victories for Jacob.

1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O

5Through You we will push back our

deliver me from the deceitful and unjust

adversaries; Through Your name we will

man!

trample down those who rise up against

us.

2For You are the God of my strength;

why have You rejected me? Why do I go

6For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will mourning because of the oppression of

my sword save me.

the enemy?

7But You have saved us from our 18Our heart has not turned back, And adversaries, And You have put to

our steps have not deviated from Your

shame those who hate us.

way,

8In God we have boasted all day long,

19Yet You have crushed us in a place of

And we will give thanks to Your name

jackals And covered us with the shadow

forever. Selah.

of death.

9Yet You have rejected us and brought

20If we had forgotten the name of our

us to dishonor, And do not go out with God Or extended our hands to a strange

our armies.

god,

10You cause us to turn back from the

21Would not God find this out? For He

adversary; And those who hate us have

knows the secrets of the heart.

taken spoil for themselves.

22But for Your sake we are killed all day

11You give us as sheep to be eaten And

long; We are considered as sheep to be

have scattered us among the nations.

slaughtered.

12You sell Your people cheaply, And

23Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O

have not profited by their sale.

Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever.

13You make us a reproach to our

24Why do You hide Your face And forget

neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to

our affliction and our oppression?

those around us.

25For our soul has sunk down into the

14You make us a byword among the

dust; Our body cleaves to the earth.

nations, A laughingstock among the

peoples.

26Rise up, be our help, And redeem us

for the sake of Your lovingkindness.

15All day long my dishonor is before me

And my humiliation has overwhelmed

PSALM 45

me,

1

16

My heart overflows with a good theme;

Because of the voice of him who

I address my verses to the King; My

reproaches and reviles, Because of the

tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

presence of the enemy and the avenger.

2

17

You are fairer than the sons of men;

All this has come upon us, but we

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

have not forgotten You, And we have

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

not dealt falsely with Your covenant.

3Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O

13The King's daughter is all glorious

Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your

within; Her clothing is interwoven with

majesty!

gold.

4And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,

14She will be led to the King in

For the cause of truth and meekness

embroidered work; The virgins, her

and righteousness; Let Your right hand

companions who follow her, Will be

teach You awesome things.

brought to You.

5Your arrows are sharp; The peoples fall

15They will be led forth with gladness

under You; Your arrows are in the heart

and rejoicing; They will enter into the

of the King's enemies.

King's palace.

6Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

16In place of your fathers will be your A scepter of uprightness is the scepter

sons; You shall make them princes in all

of Your kingdom.

the earth.

7You have loved righteousness and

17I will cause Your name to be

hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your

remembered

in

all

generations;

God, has anointed You With the oil of

Therefore the peoples will give You

joy above Your fellows.

thanks forever and ever.

8All Your garments are fragrant with

PSALM 46

myrrh and aloes and cassia; Out of ivory

palaces stringed instruments have made

1God is our refuge and strength, A very You glad.

present help in trouble.

9Kings' daughters are among Your noble

2Therefore we will not fear, though the

ladies; At Your right hand stands the

earth should change And though the

queen in gold from Ophir.

mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

10Listen, O daughter, give attention and

3Though its waters roar and foam,

incline your ear: Forget your people and

Though the mountains quake at its

your father's house;

swelling pride. Selah.

11Then the King will desire your beauty.

4There is a river whose streams make

Because He is your Lord, bow down to

glad the city of God, The holy dwelling Him.

places of the Most High.

12The daughter of Tyre will come with a

5God is in the midst of her, she will not

gift; The rich among the people will seek

be moved; God will help her when

your favor.

morning dawns.

6The nations made an uproar, the 7For God is the King of all the earth; kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, Sing praises with a skillful psalm.

the earth melted.

8God reigns over the nations, God sits

7The LORD of hosts is with us; The God

on His holy throne.

of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

9The princes of the people have

8Come, behold the works of the LORD,

assembled themselves as the people of

Who has wrought desolations in the

the God of Abraham, For the shields of

earth.

the earth belong to God; He is highly

exalted.

9He makes wars to cease to the end of

the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts

PSALM 48

the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy 10"Cease striving and know that I am mountain.

God; I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the

whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far

11The LORD of hosts is with us; The

north, The city of the great King.

God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

3God, in her palaces, Has made Himself

PSALM 47

known as a stronghold.

1O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout 4For,

lo,

the

kings

assembled

to God with the voice of joy.

themselves, They passed by together.

2For the LORD Most High is to be feared,

5They saw it, then they were amazed;

A great King over all the earth.

They were terrified, they fled in alarm.

3He subdues peoples under us And

6Panic seized them there, Anguish, as of

nations under our feet.

a woman in childbirth.

4He chooses our inheritance for us, The

7With the east wind You break the ships

glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.

of Tarshish.

5God has ascended with a shout, The

8As we have heard, so have we seen In

LORD, with the sound of a trumpet.

the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city

of our God; God will establish her

6Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing

forever. Selah.

praises to our King, sing praises.

9We

have

thought

on

Your

6Even those who trust in their wealth

lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of

And boast in the abundance of their

Your temple.

riches?

10As is Your name, O God, So is Your

7No man can by any means redeem his

praise to the ends of the earth; Your

brother Or give to God a ransom for

right hand is full of righteousness.

him--

11Let Mount Zion be glad, Let the

8For the redemption of his soul is costly,

daughters of Judah rejoice Because of

And he should cease trying forever--

Your judgments.

9That he should live on eternally, That

12Walk about Zion and go around her;

he should not undergo decay.

Count her towers;

10For he sees that even wise men die;

13Consider her ramparts; Go through her

The stupid and the senseless alike

palaces, That you may tell it to the next

perish And leave their wealth to others.

generation.

11Their inner thought is that their houses

14For such is God, Our God forever and

are forever And their dwelling places to ever; He will guide us until death.

all generations; They have called their

lands after their own names.

PSALM 49

12But man in his pomp will not endure;

1

He is like the beasts that perish.

Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all

inhabitants of the world,

13This is the way of those who are

2

foolish, And of those after them who

Both low and high, Rich and poor

approve their words. Selah.

together.

14

3

As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

My mouth will speak wisdom, And the

Death shall be their shepherd; And the

meditation

of

my

heart

will

be

upright shall rule over them in the

understanding.

morning, And their form shall be for

Sheol to consume So that they have no

4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will habitation.

express my riddle on the harp.

15But God will redeem my soul from the

5Why should I fear in days of adversity,

power of Sheol, For He will receive me.

When the iniquity of my foes surrounds

Selah.

me,

16Do not be afraid when a man becomes 6And

the

heavens

declare

His

rich, When the glory of his house is

righteousness, For God Himself is judge.

increased;

Selah.

17For when he dies he will carry nothing

7" Hear, O My people, and I will speak; away; His glory will not descend after O Israel, I will testify against you; I am him.

God, your God.

18Though

while

he

lives

he

8"I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, congratulates himself-- And though men

And your burnt offerings are continually

praise you when you do well for

before Me.

yourself--

9"I shall take no young bull out of your 19He shall go to the generation of his house Nor male goats out of your folds.

fathers; They will never see the light.

10"For every beast of the forest is Mine, 20Man in his pomp, yet without

The cattle on a thousand hills.

understanding, Is like the beasts that

perish.

11"I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is

PSALM 50

Mine.

1

12

The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has

"If I were hungry I would not tell you, spoken, And summoned the earth from

For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

the rising of the sun to its setting.

13"Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink 2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, the blood of male goats?

God has shone forth.

14"Offer to God a sacrifice of

3May our God come and not keep

thanksgiving And pay your vows to the

silence; Fire devours before Him, And it

Most High;

is very tempestuous around Him.

15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I 4He summons the heavens above, And

shall rescue you, and you will honor

the earth, to judge His people:

Me."

5

16

"Gather My godly ones to Me, Those

But to the wicked God says, "What

who have made a covenant with Me by

right have you to tell of My statutes And

sacrifice."

to take My covenant in your mouth?

17"For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you.

18"When you see a thief, you are 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, pleased with him, And you associate And in sin my mother conceived me.

with adulterers.

6Behold, You desire truth in the

19"You let your mouth loose in evil And innermost being, And in the hidden part your tongue frames deceit.

You will make me know wisdom.

20"You sit and speak against your

7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be

brother; You slander your own mother's

clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter

son.

than snow.

21"These things you have done and I 8Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let

kept silence; You thought that I was just

the bones which You have broken

like you; I will reprove you and state the

rejoice.

case in order before your eyes.

9Hide Your face from my sins And blot

22"Now consider this, you who forget out all my iniquities.

God, Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.

10Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

23"He who offers a sacrifice of

thanksgiving honors Me; And to him

11Do not cast me away from Your

who orders his way aright I shall show

presence And do not take Your Holy

the salvation of God."

Spirit from me.

PSALM 51

12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the

13Then I will teach transgressors Your

greatness of Your compassion blot out

ways, And sinners will be converted to

my transgressions.

You.

2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O

And cleanse me from my sin.

God, the God of my salvation; Then my

tongue will joyfully sing of Your

3For I know my transgressions, And my

righteousness.

sin is ever before me.

15O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth

4Against You, You only, I have sinned

may declare Your praise.

And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak

16For You do not delight in sacrifice,

And blameless when You judge.

otherwise I would give it; You are not

pleased with burnt offering.

17The sacrifices of God are a broken 8But as for me, I am like a green olive spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O

tree in the house of God; I trust in the God, You will not despise.

lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

18By Your favor do good to Zion; Build

9I will give You thanks forever, because

the walls of Jerusalem.

You have done it, And I will wait on Your

name, for it is good, in the presence of 19Then You will delight in righteous

Your godly ones.

sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole

burnt offering; Then young bulls will be PSALM 53

offered on Your altar.

1The fool has said in his heart, "There is PSALM 52

no God," They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There

1Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? is no one who does good.

The lovingkindness of God endures all

day long.

2God has looked down from heaven

upon the sons of men To see if there is

2Your tongue devises destruction, Like a

anyone who understands, Who seeks

sharp razor, O worker of deceit.

after God.

3

3

You love evil more than good,

Every one of them has turned aside;

Falsehood more than speaking what is

together they have become corrupt;

right. Selah.

There is no one who does good, not

even one.

4You love all words that devour, O

4

deceitful tongue.

Have the workers of wickedness no

knowledge, Who eat up My people as

5

though they ate bread And have not

But God will break you down forever;

called upon God?

He will snatch you up and tear you away

from your tent, And uproot you from the

5

land of the living. Selah.

There they were in great fear where no

fear had been; For God scattered the

6

bones of him who encamped against

The righteous will see and fear, And will

you; You put them to shame, because

laugh at him, saying,

God had rejected them.

7"Behold, the man who would not make

6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would

God his refuge, But trusted in the

come out of Zion! When God restores

abundance of his riches And was strong

His captive people, Let Jacob rejoice, let

in his evil desire."

Israel be glad

PSALM 54

1. Save me, O God, by Your name, And 5Fear and trembling come upon me, And vindicate me by Your power.

horror has overwhelmed me.

2Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the

6I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

words of my mouth.

I would fly away and be at rest.

3For strangers have risen against me

7"Behold, I would wander far away, I And violent men have sought my life;

would lodge in the wilderness. Selah.

They have not set God before them.

Selah.

8"I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy wind and tempest."

4Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is

the sustainer of my soul.

9Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues,

For I have seen violence and strife in

5He will recompense the evil to my foes;

the city.

Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

10Day and night they go around her

6Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give upon her walls, And iniquity and

thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is mischief are in her midst.

good.

11Destruction is in her midst; Oppression

7For He has delivered me from all

and deceit do not depart from her

trouble, And my eye has looked with

streets.

satisfaction upon my enemies.

12For it is not an enemy who reproaches

PSALM 55

me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself

1

against me, Then I could hide myself

Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do

from him.

not hide Yourself from my supplication.

13

2

But it is you, a man my equal, My

Give heed to me and answer me; I am

companion and my familiar friend;

restless in my complaint and am surely

distracted,

14We who had sweet fellowship together

3

Walked in the house of God in the

Because of the voice of the enemy,

throng.

Because of the pressure of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble upon me

15

And in anger they bear a grudge against

Let death come deceitfully upon them;

me.

Let them go down alive to Sheol, For

evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

4My heart is in anguish within me, And

16

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

As for me, I shall call upon God, And

the LORD will save me.

17Evening and morning and at noon, I 4In God, whose word I praise, In God I will complain and murmur, And He will have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.

hear my voice.

What can mere man do to me?

18He will redeem my soul in peace from

5All day long they distort my words; All the battle which is against me, For they their thoughts are against me for evil.

are many who strive with me.

6They attack, they lurk, They watch my

19God will hear and answer them-- Even

steps, As they have waited to take my

the one who sits enthroned from of old--

life.

Selah. With whom there is no change,

And who do not fear God.

7Because of wickedness, cast them forth,

In anger put down the peoples, O God!

20He has put forth his hands against

those who were at peace with him; He

8You have taken account of my

has violated his covenant.

wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle.

Are they not in Your book?

21His speech was smoother than butter,

But his heart was war; His words were

9Then my enemies will turn back in the

softer than oil, Yet they were drawn

day when I call; This I know, that God is

swords.

for me.

22Cast your burden upon the LORD and

10In God, whose word I praise, In the

He will sustain you; He will never allow LORD, whose word I praise,

the righteous to be shaken.

11In God I have put my trust, I shall not

23But You, O God, will bring them down

be afraid. What can man do to me?

to the pit of destruction; Men of

bloodshed and deceit will not live out

12Your vows are binding upon me, O

half their days. But I will trust in You.

God; I will render thank offerings to You.

PSALM 56

13For You have delivered my soul from

death, Indeed my feet from stumbling,

1Be gracious to me, O God, for man has

So that I may walk before God In the

trampled upon me; Fighting all day long

light of the living.

he oppresses me.

PSALM 57

2My foes have trampled upon me all day

long, For they are many who fight

1Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious

proudly against me.

to me, For my soul takes refuge in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will 3When I am afraid, I will put my trust in

take refuge Until destruction passes by.

You.

2I will cry to God Most High, To God who 1Do you indeed speak righteousness, O

accomplishes all things for me.

gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of

men?

3He will send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches him who tramples upon

2No, in heart you work unrighteousness;

me. Selah. God will send forth His

On earth you weigh out the violence of

lovingkindness and His truth.

your hands.

4My soul is among lions; I must lie

3The wicked are estranged from the

among those who breathe forth fire,

womb; These who speak lies go astray

Even the sons of men, whose teeth are

from birth.

spears and arrows And their tongue a

sharp sword.

4They have venom like the venom of a

serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up

5Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

its ear,

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

5So that it does not hear the voice of 6They have prepared a net for my steps;

charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

My soul is bowed down; They dug a pit

before me; They themselves have fallen

6O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;

into the midst of it. Selah.

Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD.

7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart

is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing 7Let them flow away like water that runs

praises!

off; When he aims his arrows, let them

be as headless shafts.

8Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

8Let them be as a snail which melts

away as it goes along, Like the

9I will give thanks to You, O Lord,

miscarriages of a woman which never

among the peoples; I will sing praises to

see the sun.

You among the nations.

9Before your pots can feel the fire of

10For Your lovingkindness is great to the

thorns He will sweep them away with a

heavens And Your truth to the clouds.

whirlwind, the green and the burning

alike.

11Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

10The righteous will rejoice when he

sees the vengeance; He will wash his

PSALM 58

feet in the blood of the wicked.

11And men will say, "Surely there is a 10My God in His lovingkindness will reward for the righteous; Surely there is

meet me; God will let me look

a God who judges on earth!"

triumphantly upon my foes.

11

PSALM 59

Do not slay them, or my people will

forget; Scatter them by Your power, and

1

bring them down, O Lord, our shield.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my

God; Set me securely on high away

12

from those who rise up against me.

On account of the sin of their mouth

and the words of their lips, Let them

2

even be caught in their pride, And on

Deliver me from those who do iniquity

account of curses and lies which they

And save me from men of bloodshed.

utter.

3For behold, they have set an ambush

13Destroy them in wrath, destroy them

for my life; Fierce men launch an attack

that they may be no more; That men

against me, Not for my transgression

may know that God rules in Jacob To

nor for my sin, O LORD,

the ends of the earth. Selah.

4For no guilt of mine, they run and set 14They return at evening, they howl like

themselves against me. Arouse Yourself

a dog, And go around the city.

to help me, and see!

15

5

They wander about for food And growl

You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of

if they are not satisfied.

Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are

16

treacherous in iniquity. Selah.

But as for me, I shall sing of Your

strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of

6

Your lovingkindness in the morning, For

They return at evening, they howl like a

You have been my stronghold And a

dog, And go around the city.

refuge in the day of my distress.

7Behold, they belch forth with their

17O my strength, I will sing praises to mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they

You; For God is my stronghold, the God

say, " Who hears?"

who shows me lovingkindness.

8But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You

scoff at all the nations.

PSALM 60

9

1

Because of his strength I will watch for O God, You have rejected us. You

You, For God is my stronghold.

have broken us; You have been angry;

O, restore us.

2You have made the land quake, You PSALM 61

have split it open; Heal its breaches, for

it totters.

1Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my

prayer.

3You

have

made

Your

people

experience hardship; You have given us

2From the end of the earth I call to You

wine to drink that makes us stagger.

when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

4You have given a banner to those who

fear You, That it may be displayed

3For You have been a refuge for me, A

because of the truth. Selah.

tower of strength against the enemy.

5That Your beloved may be delivered,

4Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let Save with Your right hand, and answer

me take refuge in the shelter of Your

us!

wings. Selah.

6God has spoken in His holiness: "I will

5For You have heard my vows, O God;

exult, I will portion out Shechem and

You have given me the inheritance of

measure out the valley of Succoth.

those who fear Your name.

7" Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

6You will prolong the king's life; His

Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;

years will be as many generations.

Judah is My scepter.

7

8

He will abide before God forever;

" Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I Appoint lovingkindness and truth that

shall throw My shoe; Shout loud, O

they may preserve him.

Philistia, because of Me!"

8

9

So I will sing praise to Your name

Who will bring me into the besieged city?

forever, That I may pay my vows day by

Who will lead me to Edom?

day.

10Have not You Yourself, O God,

PSALM 62

rejected us? And will You not go forth

with our armies, O God?

1My soul waits in silence for God only; 11O give us help against the adversary, From Him is my salvation.

For deliverance by man is in vain.

2He only is my rock and my salvation,

12Through God we shall do valiantly,

My stronghold; I shall not be greatly

And it is He who will tread down our

shaken.

adversaries.

3How long will you assail a man, That 1O God, You are my God; I shall seek you may murder him, all of you, Like a You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and

weary land where there is no water.

4They have counseled only to thrust him

down from his high position; They

2Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

delight in falsehood; They bless with

To see Your power and Your glory.

their mouth, But inwardly they curse.

Selah.

3Because Your lovingkindness is better

than life, My lips will praise You.

5My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

4So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

6He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

5My soul is satisfied as with marrow and

fatness, And my mouth offers praises

7On God my salvation and my glory rest;

with joyful lips.

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in

God.

6When I remember You on my bed, I

meditate on You in the night watches,

8Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him; God is

7For You have been my help, And in the

a refuge for us. Selah.

shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.

9Men of low degree are only vanity and

8My soul clings to You; Your right hand

men of rank are a lie; In the balances upholds me.

they go up; They are together lighter

than breath.

9But those who seek my life to destroy it,

Will go into the depths of the earth.

10Do not trust in oppression And do not

vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase,

10They will be delivered over to the

do not set your heart upon them.

power of the sword; They will be a prey

for foxes.

11Once God has spoken; Twice I have

heard this: That power belongs to God;

11But the king will rejoice in God;

Everyone who swears by Him will glory,

12And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,

For the mouths of those who speak lies

For You recompense a man according

will be stopped.

to his work.

PSALM 64

PSALM 63

1Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; 1There will be silence before You, and Preserve my life from dread of the praise in Zion, O God, And to You the

enemy.

vow will be performed.

2Hide me from the secret counsel of

2O You who hear prayer, To You all men

evildoers, From the tumult of those who

come.

do iniquity,

3Iniquities prevail against me; As for our

3Who have sharpened their tongue like

transgressions, You forgive them.

a sword. They aimed bitter speech as

their arrow,

4How blessed is the one whom You

choose and bring near to You To dwell

4To shoot from concealment at the

in Your courts. We will be satisfied with blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him,

the goodness of Your house, Your holy

and do not fear.

temple.

5They hold fast to themselves an evil

5By awesome deeds You answer us in

purpose; They talk of laying snares

righteousness, O God of our salvation,

secretly; They say, " Who can see

You who are the trust of all the ends of them?"

the earth and of the farthest sea;

6They devise injustices, saying, "We are

6Who establishes the mountains by His

ready with a well-conceived plot"; For strength, Being girded with might;

the inward thought and the heart of a

man are deep.

7Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of

7But God will shoot at them with an

the peoples.

arrow; Suddenly they will be wounded.

8They who dwell in the ends of the earth

8So they will make him stumble; Their

stand in awe of Your signs; You make

own tongue is against them; All who see

the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

them will shake the head.

9You visit the earth and cause it to

9Then all men will fear, And they will

overflow; You greatly enrich it; The

declare the work of God, And will

stream of God is full of water; You

consider what He has done.

prepare their grain, for thus You prepare

the earth.

10The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him; And

10You water its furrows abundantly, You

all the upright in heart will glory.

settle its ridges, You soften it with

showers, You bless its growth.

PSALM 65

11You have crowned the year with Your 9Who keeps us in life And does not bounty, And Your paths drip with fatness. allow our feet to slip.

12The pastures of the wilderness drip,

10For You have tried us, O God; You

And the hills gird themselves with

have refined us as silver is refined.

rejoicing.

11You brought us into the net; You laid 13The meadows are clothed with flocks

an oppressive burden upon our loins.

And the valleys are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, yes, they sing.

12You made men ride over our heads;

We went through fire and through water,

PSALM 66

Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

1Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;

13I shall come into Your house with burnt

2

offerings; I shall pay You my vows,

Sing the glory of His name; Make His

praise glorious.

14Which my lips uttered And my mouth

3

spoke when I was in distress.

Say to God, "How awesome are Your

works! Because of the greatness of

15

Your power Your enemies will give

I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat

feigned obedience to You.

beasts, With the smoke of rams; I shall make an offering of bulls with male

4

goats. Selah.

" All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing

16

praises to Your name." Selah.

Come and hear, all who fear God, And

I will tell of what He has done for my 5

soul.

Come and see the works of God, Who

is awesome in His deeds toward the

17

sons of men.

I cried to Him with my mouth, And He

was extolled with my tongue.

6He turned the sea into dry land; They

18

passed through the river on foot; There

If I regard wickedness in my heart, The

let us rejoice in Him!

Lord will not hear;

7

19

He rules by His might forever; His eyes

But certainly God has heard; He has

keep watch on the nations; Let not the

given heed to the voice of my prayer.

rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

20Blessed be God, Who has not turned

8Bless our God, O peoples, And sound

away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness

His praise abroad,

from me.

PSALM 67

the deserts, Whose name is the LORD,

and exult before Him.

1God be gracious to us and bless us, 5

And cause His face to shine upon us--

A father of the fatherless and a judge

Selah.

for the widows, Is God in His holy

habitation.

2That Your way may be known on the

6

earth, Your salvation among all nations.

God makes a home for the lonely; He

leads out the prisoners into prosperity,

3

Only the rebellious dwell in a parched

Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let

land.

all the peoples praise You.

7

4

O God, when You went forth before

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy;

Your people, When You marched

For You will judge the peoples with

through the wilderness, Selah.

uprightness And guide the nations on

the earth. Selah.

8The earth quaked; The heavens also

5

dropped rain at the presence of God;

Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let

Sinai itself quaked at the presence of

all the peoples praise You.

God, the God of Israel.

6The earth has yielded its produce; God,

9You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;

our God, blesses us.

You confirmed Your inheritance when it

was parched.

7God blesses us, That all the ends of the

earth may fear Him.

10Your creatures settled in it; You

provided in Your goodness for the poor,

PSALM 68

O God.

1Let God arise, let His enemies be 11The Lord gives the command; The

scattered, And let those who hate Him

women who proclaim the good tidings

flee before Him.

are a great host:

2As smoke is driven away, so drive them

12" Kings of armies flee, they flee, And away; As wax melts before the fire, So she who remains at home will divide the

let the wicked perish before God.

spoil!"

3But let the righteous be glad; let them 13When you lie down among the

exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice

sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a with gladness.

dove covered with silver, And its pinions

with glistening gold.

4Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Lift up a song for Him who rides through

14When the Almighty scattered the kings 24They have seen Your procession, O

there, It was snowing in Zalmon.

God, The procession of my God, my

King, into the sanctuary.

15A mountain of God is the mountain of

Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is

25The singers went on, the musicians

the mountain of Bashan.

after them, In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines.

16Why do you look with envy, O

mountains with many peaks, At the

26Bless God in the congregations, Even

mountain which God has desired for His

the LORD, you who are of the fountain

abode? Surely the LORD will dwell there

of Israel.

forever.

27There is Benjamin, the youngest,

17The chariots of God are myriads,

ruling them, The princes of Judah in

thousands upon thousands; The Lord is

their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the

among them as at Sinai, in holiness.

princes of Naphtali.

18You have ascended on high, You have

28Your God has commanded your

led captive Your captives; You have

strength; Show Yourself strong, O God,

received gifts among men, Even among

who have acted on our behalf.

the rebellious also, that the LORD God

may dwell there.

29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem

Kings will bring gifts to You.

19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears

our burden, The God who is our

30Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, The

salvation. Selah.

herd of bulls with the calves of the

peoples, Trampling under foot the

20God is to us a God of deliverances;

pieces of silver; He has scattered the

And to GOD the Lord belong escapes

peoples who delight in war.

from death.

31Envoys will come out of Egypt;

21Surely God will shatter the head of His

Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her

enemies, The hairy crown of him who

hands to God.

goes on in his guilty deeds.

32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,

22The Lord said, " I will bring them back Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.

from Bashan. I will bring them back from

the depths of the sea;

33To Him who rides upon the highest

heavens, which are from ancient times;

23That your foot may shatter them in

Behold, He speaks forth with His voice,

blood, The tongue of your dogs may

a mighty voice.

have its portion from your enemies."

34Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is 8I have become estranged from my over Israel And His strength is in the

brothers And an alien to my mother's

skies.

sons.

35O God, You are awesome from Your

9For zeal for Your house has consumed

sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself

me, And the reproaches of those who

gives strength and power to the people.

reproach You have fallen on me.

Blessed be God!

10When I wept in my soul with fasting, It

PSALM 69

became my reproach.

1

11

Save me, O God, For the waters have

When I made sackcloth my clothing, I

threatened my life.

became a byword to them.

2

12

I have sunk in deep mire, and there is Those who sit in the gate talk about

no foothold; I have come into deep

me, And I am the song of the drunkards.

waters, and a flood overflows me.

13But as for me, my prayer is to You, O

3I am weary with my crying; my throat is

LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in

parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my

the greatness of Your lovingkindness,

God.

Answer me with Your saving truth.

4

14

Those who hate me without a cause

Deliver me from the mire and do not

are more than the hairs of my head;

let me sink; May I be delivered from my

Those who would destroy me are

foes and from the deep waters.

powerful, being wrongfully my enemies;

What I did not steal, I then have to

15May the flood of water not overflow me

restore.

Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit

shut its mouth on me.

5O God, it is You who knows my folly,

And my wrongs are not hidden from You. 16Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the 6May those who wait for You not be

greatness of Your compassion, turn to

ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of

me,

hosts; May those who seek You not be

dishonored through me, O God of Israel,

17And do not hide Your face from Your

servant, For I am in distress; answer me

7Because for Your sake I have borne

quickly.

reproach; Dishonor has covered my

face.

18Oh draw near to my soul and redeem

it; Ransom me because of my enemies!

19You know my reproach and my shame 30I will praise the name of God with song and my dishonor; All my adversaries are

And magnify Him with thanksgiving.

before You.

31And it will please the LORD better than

20Reproach has broken my heart and I

an ox Or a young bull with horns and

am so sick. And I looked for sympathy,

hoofs.

but there was none, And for comforters,

but I found none.

32The humble have seen it and are glad;

You who seek God, let your heart revive.

21They also gave me gall for my food

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar

33For the LORD hears the needy And

to drink.

does not despise His who are prisoners.

22May their table before them become a

34Let heaven and earth praise Him, The

snare; And when they are in peace, may

seas and everything that moves in them.

it become a trap.

35For God will save Zion and build the

23May their eyes grow dim so that they

cities of Judah, That they may dwell

cannot see, And make their loins shake

there and possess it.

continually.

36The descendants of His servants will

24Pour out Your indignation on them,

inherit it, And those who love His name And may Your burning anger overtake

will dwell in it.

them.

PSALM 70

25May their camp be desolate; May none

dwell in their tents.

1O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD,

26

hasten to my help!

For they have persecuted him whom

You Yourself have smitten, And they tell

2

of the pain of those whom You have

Let those be ashamed and humiliated

wounded.

Who seek my life; Let those be turned

back and dishonored Who delight in my

27

hurt.

Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may

they not come into Your righteousness.

3Let those be turned back because of

28

their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!"

May they be blotted out of the book of

life And may they not be recorded with

4

the righteous.

Let all who seek You rejoice and be

glad in You; And let those who love

29

Your salvation say continually, "Let God

But I am afflicted and in pain; May

be magnified."

Your salvation, O God, set me securely

on high.

5But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to 10For my enemies have spoken against me, O God! You are my help and my

me; And those who watch for my life

deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

have consulted together,

11

PSALM 71

Saying, " God has forsaken him;

Pursue and seize him, for there is no

1

one to deliver."

In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;

Let me never be ashamed.

12O God, do not be far from me; O my

2

God, hasten to my help!

In Your righteousness deliver me and

rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and

13

save me.

Let those who are adversaries of my

soul be ashamed and consumed; Let

3

them be covered with reproach and

Be to me a rock of habitation to which I

dishonor, who seek to injure me.

may continually come; You have given

commandment to save me, For You are

14

my rock and my fortress.

But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

4Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand

15

of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the My

mouth

shall

tell

of

Your

wrongdoer and ruthless man,

righteousness And of Your salvation all

day long; For I do not know the sum of 5

them.

For You are my hope; O Lord GOD,

You are my confidence from my youth.

16I will come with the mighty deeds of

6

the Lord GOD; I will make mention of

By You I have been sustained from my

Your righteousness, Yours alone.

birth; You are He who took me from my

mother's womb; My praise is continually

17

of You.

O God, You have taught me from my

youth, And I still declare Your wondrous

7

deeds.

I have become a marvel to many, For

You are my strong refuge.

18And even when I am old and gray, O

8

God, do not forsake me, Until I declare My mouth is filled with Your praise And

Your strength to this generation, Your

with Your glory all day long.

power to all who are to come.

9Do not cast me off in the time of old 19For Your righteousness, O God,

age; Do not forsake me when my

reaches to the heavens, You who have

strength fails.

done great things; O God, who is like

You?

20You who have shown me many 6May he come down like rain upon the troubles and distresses Will revive me

mown grass, Like showers that water

again, And will bring me up again from

the earth.

the depths of the earth.

7In his days may the righteous flourish, 21May You increase my greatness And

And abundance of peace till the moon is

turn to comfort me.

no more.

22I will also praise You with a harp, Even

8May he also rule from sea to sea And

Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing

from the River to the ends of the earth.

praises with the lyre, O Holy One of

Israel.

9Let the nomads of the desert bow

before him, And his enemies lick the

23My lips will shout for joy when I sing dust.

praises to You; And my soul, which You

have redeemed.

10Let the kings of Tarshish and of the

islands bring presents; The kings of

24My tongue also will utter Your

Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

righteousness all day long; For they are

ashamed, for they are humiliated who

11And let all kings bow down before him,

seek my hurt.

All nations serve him.

PSALM 72

12For he will deliver the needy when he

cries for help, The afflicted also, and him

1Give the king Your judgments, O God, who has no helper.

And Your righteousness to the king's

son.

13He will have compassion on the poor

and needy, And the lives of the needy

2May he judge Your people with

he will save.

righteousness And Your afflicted with

justice.

14He will rescue their life from

oppression and violence, And their

3Let the mountains bring peace to the

blood will be precious in his sight;

people, And the hills, in righteousness.

15So may he live, and may the gold of

4May he vindicate the afflicted of the

Sheba be given to him; And let them

people, Save the children of the needy

pray for him continually; Let them bless And crush the oppressor.

him all day long.

5

16

Let them fear You while the sun

May there be abundance of grain in

endures, And as long as the moon,

the earth on top of the mountains; Its

throughout all generations.

fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;

And may those from the city flourish like 8They mock and wickedly speak of vegetation of the earth.

oppression; They speak from on high.

17May his name endure forever; May his

9They have set their mouth against the

name increase as long as the sun

heavens, And their tongue parades

shines; And let men bless themselves

through the earth.

by him; Let all nations call him blessed.

10Therefore his people return to this

18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of

place, And waters of abundance are

Israel, Who alone works wonders.

drunk by them.

19And blessed be His glorious name

11They say, " How does God know? And

forever; And may the whole earth be

is there knowledge with the Most High?"

filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.

12Behold, these are the wicked; And

20The prayers of David the son of Jesse

always at ease, they have increased in

are ended.

wealth.

13

PSALM 73

Surely in vain I have kept my heart

pure And

washed my hands in

1

innocence;

Surely God is good to Israel, To those

who are pure in heart!

14For I have been stricken all day long 2

And chastened every morning.

But as for me, my feet came close to

stumbling, My steps had almost slipped.

15If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, 3

I would have betrayed the generation of

For I was envious of the arrogant As I Your children.

saw the prosperity of the wicked.

16

4

When I pondered to understand this, It

For there are no pains in their death,

was troublesome in my sight

And their body is fat.

17

5

Until I came into the sanctuary of God;

They are not in trouble as other men,

Then I perceived their end.

Nor are they plagued like mankind.

18

6

Surely You set them in slippery places;

Therefore pride is their necklace; The

You cast them down to destruction.

garment of violence covers them.

19

7

How they are destroyed in a moment!

Their eye bulges from fatness; The

They are utterly swept away by sudden

imaginations of their heart run riot.

terrors!

20Like a dream when one awakes, O

inheritance; And this Mount Zion, where

Lord, when aroused, You will despise

You have dwelt.

their form.

3Turn Your footsteps toward the

21When my heart was embittered And I

perpetual

ruins;

The

enemy

has

was pierced within,

damaged

everything

within

the

sanctuary.

22Then I was senseless and ignorant; I

was like a beast before You.

4Your adversaries have roared in the

midst of Your meeting place; They have

23Nevertheless I am continually with You;

set up their own standards for signs.

You have taken hold of my right hand.

5It seems as if one had lifted up His axe

24With Your counsel You will guide me,

in a forest of trees.

And afterward receive me to glory.

6And now all its carved work They

25Whom have I in heaven but You? And

smash with hatchet and hammers.

besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

7They have burned Your sanctuary to

26My flesh and my heart may fail, But

the ground; They have defiled the

God is the strength of my heart and my

dwelling place of Your name.

portion forever.

8They said in their heart, "Let us

27For, behold, those who are far from

completely subdue them." They have

You will perish; You have destroyed all

burned all the meeting places of God in

those who are unfaithful to You.

the land.

28

9

But as for me, the nearness of God is

We do not see our signs; There is no

my good; I have made the Lord GOD

longer any prophet, Nor is there any

my refuge, That I may tell of all Your among us who knows how long.

works.

10How long, O God, will the adversary

PSALM 74

revile, And the enemy spurn Your name

forever?

1O God, why have You rejected us

11Why do You withdraw Your hand,

forever? Why does Your anger smoke

even Your right hand? From within Your

against the sheep of Your pasture?

bosom, destroy them!

2Remember Your congregation, which

12Yet God is my king from of old, Who

You have purchased of old, Which You

works deeds of deliverance in the midst

have redeemed to be the tribe of Your

of the earth.

13You divided the sea by Your strength; PSALM 75

You broke the heads of the sea

monsters in the waters.

1We give thanks to You, O God, we give

thanks, For Your name is near; Men

14You crushed the heads of Leviathan;

declare Your wondrous works.

You gave him as food for the creatures

of the wilderness.

2"When I select an appointed time, It is I who judge with equity.

15You broke open springs and torrents;

You dried up ever-flowing streams.

3"The earth and all who dwell in it melt; It is I who have firmly set its pillars.

16Yours is the day, Yours also is the

Selah.

night; You have prepared the light and

the sun.

4"I said to the boastful, 'Do not boast,'

And to the wicked, ' Do not lift up the 17You

have

established

all

the

horn;

boundaries of the earth; You have made

summer and winter.

5Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not

speak with insolent pride.'"

18Remember this, O LORD, that the

enemy has reviled, And a foolish people

6For not from the east, nor from the west,

has spurned Your name.

Nor from the desert comes exaltation;

19Do not deliver the soul of Your

7But God is the Judge; He puts down

turtledove to the wild beast; Do not

one and exalts another.

forget the life of Your afflicted forever.

8

20

For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, Consider the covenant; For the dark

and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and

places of the land are full of the

He pours out of this; Surely all the

habitations of violence.

wicked of the earth must drain and drink

down its dregs.

21Let

not

the

oppressed

return

dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy

9But as for me, I will declare it forever; I

praise Your name.

will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

22Arise, O God, and plead Your own

10And all the horns of the wicked He will

cause; Remember how the foolish man

cut off, But the horns of the righteous reproaches You all day long.

will be lifted up.

23Do not forget the voice of Your

PSALM 76

adversaries, The uproar of those who

rise

against

You

which

ascends

continually.

1God is known in Judah; His name is PSALM 77

great in Israel.

1My voice rises to God, and I will cry 2His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling aloud; My voice rises to God, and He

place also is in Zion.

will hear me.

3There He broke the flaming arrows,

2In the day of my trouble I sought the The shield and the sword and the

Lord; In the night my hand was

weapons of war. Selah.

stretched out without weariness; My

soul refused to be comforted.

4You are resplendent, More majestic

than the mountains of prey.

3When I remember God, then I am

disturbed; When I sigh, then my spirit

5The stouthearted were plundered, They

grows faint. Selah.

sank into sleep; And none of the

warriors could use his hands.

4You have held my eyelids open; I am

so troubled that I cannot speak.

6At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both

rider and horse were cast into a dead

5I have considered the days of old, The

sleep.

years of long ago.

7You, even You, are to be feared; And

6I will remember my song in the night; I

who may stand in Your presence when

will meditate with my heart, And my

once You are angry?

spirit ponders:

8You caused judgment to be heard from

7Will the Lord reject forever? And will He

heaven; The earth feared and was still

never be favorable again?

9When God arose to judgment, To save

8Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?

all the humble of the earth. Selah.

Has His promise come to an end forever?

10For the wrath of man shall praise You;

9Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or

With a remnant of wrath You will gird

has He in anger withdrawn His

Yourself.

compassion? Selah.

11Make vows to the LORD your God and

10Then I said, " It is my grief, That the fulfill them; Let all who are around Him right hand of the Most High has bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.

changed."

12He will cut off the spirit of princes; He

11I shall remember the deeds of the

is feared by the kings of the earth.

LORD; Surely I will remember Your

wonders of old.

12I will meditate on all Your work And 3Which we have heard and known, And muse on Your deeds.

our fathers have told us.

13Your way, O God, is holy; What god is

4We will not conceal them from their

great like our God?

children, But tell to the generation to

come the praises of the LORD, And His

14You are the God who works wonders;

strength and His wondrous works that

You have made known Your strength

He has done.

among the peoples.

5For He established a testimony in

15You have by Your power redeemed

Jacob And appointed a law in Israel,

Your people, The sons of Jacob and

Which He commanded our fathers That

Joseph. Selah.

they should teach them to their children,

16

6

The waters saw You, O God; The

That the generation to come might

waters saw You, they were in anguish;

know, even the children yet to be born, The deeps also trembled.

That they may arise and tell them to

their children,

17The clouds poured out water; The

7

skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows

That they should put their confidence in

flashed here and there.

God And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments,

18The sound of Your thunder was in the

8

whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world;

And not be like their fathers, A stubborn

The earth trembled and shook.

and rebellious generation, A generation

that did not prepare its heart And whose

19

spirit was not faithful to God.

Your way was in the sea And Your

paths in the mighty waters, And Your

9

footprints may not be known.

The sons of Ephraim were archers

equipped with bows, Yet they turned

20

back in the day of battle.

You led Your people like a flock By the

hand of Moses and Aaron.

10They did not keep the covenant of God

And refused to walk in His law;

PSALM 78

11They forgot His deeds And His

1Listen, O my people, to my instruction; miracles that He had shown them.

Incline your ears to the words of my

mouth.

12He wrought wonders before their

fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field 2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will

of Zoan.

utter dark sayings of old,

13He divided the sea and caused them 24He rained down manna upon them to to pass through, And He made the

eat And gave them food from heaven.

waters stand up like a heap.

25Man did eat the bread of angels; He

14Then He led them with the cloud by

sent them food in abundance.

day And all the night with a light of fire.

26He caused the east wind to blow in the

15He split the rocks in the wilderness

heavens And by His power He directed

And gave them abundant drink like the

the south wind.

ocean depths.

27When He rained meat upon them like

16He brought forth streams also from the

the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand

rock And caused waters to run down like

of the seas,

rivers.

28Then He let them fall in the midst of 17Yet they still continued to sin against their camp, Round about their dwellings.

Him, To rebel against the Most High in

the desert.

29So they ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.

18And in their heart they put God to the

test By asking food according to their

30Before they had satisfied their desire, desire.

While their food was in their mouths,

19Then they spoke against God; They

31The anger of God rose against them

said, " Can God prepare a table in the And killed some of their stoutest ones, wilderness?

And subdued the choice men of Israel.

20"Behold, He struck the rock so that 32In spite of all this they still sinned And

waters gushed out, And streams were

did not believe in His wonderful works.

overflowing; Can He give bread also?

Will He provide meat for His people?"

33So He brought their days to an end in

futility And their years in sudden terror.

21Therefore the LORD heard and was

full of wrath; And a fire was kindled

34When He killed them, then they sought

against Jacob And anger also mounted

Him, And returned and searched

against Israel,

diligently for God;

22Because they did not believe in God

35And they remembered that God was

And did not trust in His salvation.

their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

23Yet He commanded the clouds above

And opened the doors of heaven;

36But they deceived Him with their 47He destroyed their vines with

mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

hailstones And their sycamore trees with

frost.

37For their heart was not steadfast

toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His

48He gave over their cattle also to the covenant.

hailstones And their herds to bolts of

lightning.

38But He, being compassionate, forgave

their iniquity and did not destroy them; 49He sent upon them His burning anger,

And often He restrained His anger And

Fury and indignation and trouble, A

did not arouse all His wrath.

band of destroying angels.

39Thus He remembered that they were

50He leveled a path for His anger; He did

but flesh, A wind that passes and does

not spare their soul from death, But

not return.

gave over their life to the plague,

40How often they rebelled against Him in

51And smote all the firstborn in Egypt,

the wilderness And grieved Him in the

The first issue of their virility in the tents desert!

of Ham.

41Again and again they tempted God,

52But He led forth His own people like

And pained the Holy One of Israel.

sheep

And

guided

them

in

the

wilderness like a flock;

42They did not remember His power,

The day when He redeemed them from

53He led them safely, so that they did

the adversary,

not fear; But the sea engulfed their

enemies.

43When He performed His signs in Egypt

And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

54So He brought them to His holy land,

To this hill country which His right hand 44And turned their rivers to blood, And had gained.

their streams, they could not drink.

55He also drove out the nations before

45He sent among them swarms of flies

them And apportioned them for an

which devoured them, And frogs which

inheritance by measurement, And made

destroyed them.

the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

46

56

He gave also their crops to the

Yet they tempted and rebelled against

grasshopper And the product of their

the Most High God And did not keep His

labor to the locust.

testimonies,

57But

turned

back

and

acted

69And He built His sanctuary like the

treacherously like their fathers; They

heights, Like the earth which He has

turned aside like a treacherous bow.

founded forever.

58For they provoked Him with their high

70He also chose David His servant And

places And aroused His jealousy with

took him from the sheepfolds;

their graven images.

71From the care of the ewes with

59When God heard, He was filled with

suckling lambs He brought him To

wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;

shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel

His inheritance.

60So that He abandoned the dwelling

place at Shiloh, The tent which He had

72So he shepherded them according to

pitched among men,

the integrity of his heart, And guided

them with his skillful hands.

61And gave up His strength to captivity

And His glory into the hand of the

PSALM 79

adversary.

1O God, the nations have invaded Your

62He also delivered His people to the

inheritance; They have defiled Your holy

sword, And was filled with wrath at His temple; They have laid Jerusalem in

inheritance.

ruins.

63Fire devoured His young men, And His

2They have given the dead bodies of

virgins had no wedding songs.

Your servants for food to the birds of the

heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones

64His priests fell by the sword, And His to the beasts of the earth.

widows could not weep.

3They have poured out their blood like

65Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep,

water round about Jerusalem; And there

Like a warrior overcome by wine.

was no one to bury them.

66He drove His adversaries backward;

4We have become a reproach to our

He put on them an everlasting reproach.

neighbors, A scoffing and derision to

those around us.

67He also rejected the tent of Joseph,

And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

5How long, O LORD? Will You be angry

forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount

Zion which He loved.

6Pour out Your wrath upon the nations

which do not know You, And upon the

kingdoms which do not call upon Your

name.

7For they have devoured Jacob And laid 3O God, restore us And cause Your face waste his habitation.

to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

8Do not remember the iniquities of our

4O LORD God of hosts, How long will

forefathers

against

us;

Let

Your

You be angry with the prayer of Your

compassion come quickly to meet us,

people?

For we are brought very low.

5You have fed them with the bread of

9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the

tears, And You have made them to drink

glory of Your name; And deliver us and

tears in large measure.

forgive our sins for Your name's sake.

6You make us an object of contention to

10Why should the nations say, "Where is

our neighbors, And our enemies laugh

their God?" Let there be known among among themselves.

the nations in our sight, Vengeance for

the blood of Your servants which has

7O God of hosts, restore us And cause

been shed.

Your face to shine upon us, and we will

be saved.

11Let the groaning of the prisoner come

before You; According to the greatness

8You removed a vine from Egypt; You

of Your power preserve those who are

drove out the nations and planted it.

doomed to die.

9You cleared the ground before it, And it

12And return to our neighbors sevenfold

took deep root and filled the land.

into their bosom The reproach with

which they have reproached You, O

10The mountains were covered with its

Lord.

shadow, And the cedars of God with its

boughs.

13So we Your people and the sheep of

Your pasture Will give thanks to You

11It was sending out its branches to the

forever; To all generations we will tell of

sea And its shoots to the River.

Your praise.

12Why have You broken down its

PSALM 80

hedges, So that all who pass that way

pick its fruit?

1Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who 13A boar from the forest eats it away

are enthroned above the cherubim,

And whatever moves in the field feeds

shine forth!

on it.

2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and

14O God of hosts, turn again now, we

Manasseh, stir up Your power And

beseech You; Look down from heaven

come to save us!

and see, and take care of this vine,

15Even the shoot which Your right hand 7"You called in trouble and I rescued has planted, And on the son whom You you; I answered you in the hiding place have strengthened for Yourself.

of thunder; I proved you at the waters of

Meribah. Selah.

16It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your

8" Hear, O My people, and I will

countenance.

admonish you; O Israel, if you would

listen to Me!

17Let Your hand be upon the man of

Your right hand, Upon the son of man

9"Let there be no strange god among whom You made strong for Yourself.

you; Nor shall you worship any foreign

god.

18Then we shall not turn back from You;

Revive us, and we will call upon Your

10" I, the LORD, am your God, Who

name.

brought you up from the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

19O LORD God of hosts, restore us;

Cause Your face to shine upon us, and

11"But My people did not listen to My we will be saved.

voice, And Israel did not obey Me.

12

PSALM 81

"So I gave them over to the

stubbornness of their heart, To walk in

1

their own devices.

Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout

joyfully to the God of Jacob.

13"Oh that My people would listen to Me,

2

That Israel would walk in My ways!

Raise a song, strike the timbrel, The

sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

14"I would quickly subdue their enemies 3

And turn My hand against their

Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At

adversaries.

the full moon, on our feast day.

15

4

" Those who hate the LORD would

For it is a statute for Israel, An

pretend obedience to Him, And their

ordinance of the God of Jacob.

time of punishment would be forever.

5He established it for a testimony in

16"But I would feed you with the finest of Joseph When he went throughout the

the wheat, And with honey from the rock

land of Egypt. I heard a language that I I would satisfy you."

did not know:

6"I relieved his shoulder of the burden, PSALM 82

His hands were freed from the basket.

1God takes His stand in His own 4They have said, "Come, and let us wipe congregation; He judges in the midst of

them out as a nation, That the name of the rulers.

Israel be remembered no more."

2How long will you judge unjustly And

5For they have conspired together with

show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

one mind; Against You they make a

covenant:

3Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do

justice to the afflicted and destitute.

6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

Moab and the Hagrites;

4Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver

them out of the hand of the wicked.

7Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,

Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

5They do not know nor do they

understand;

They

walk

about

in

8Assyria also has joined with them; They

darkness; All the foundations of the

have become a help to the children of

earth are shaken.

Lot. Selah.

6I said, "You are gods, And all of you are 9Deal with them as with Midian, As with

sons of the Most High.

Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,

7"Nevertheless you will die like men And

10Who were destroyed at En-dor, Who

fall like any one of the princes."

became as dung for the ground.

8Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is

11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb

You who possesses all the nations.

And all their princes like Zebah and

Zalmunna,

PSALM 83

12Who said, " Let us possess for

1

ourselves The pastures of God."

O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be

silent and, O God, do not be still.

13O my God, make them like the whirling

2

dust, Like chaff before the wind.

For behold, Your enemies make an

uproar, And those who hate You have

14

exalted themselves.

Like fire that burns the forest And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,

3They make shrewd plans against Your

15

people, And conspire together against

So pursue them with Your tempest

Your treasured ones.

And terrify them with Your storm.

16Fill their faces with dishonor, That they

may seek Your name, O LORD.

17Let them be ashamed and dismayed 9Behold our shield, O God, And look forever, And let them be humiliated and

upon the face of Your anointed.

perish,

10For a day in Your courts is better than

18That they may know that You alone,

a thousand outside. I would rather stand

whose name is the LORD, Are the Most

at the threshold of the house of my God

High over all the earth.

Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11

PSALM 84

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD gives grace and glory; No

1

good thing does He withhold from those

How lovely are Your dwelling places, O

who walk uprightly.

LORD of hosts!

12

2

O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the

My soul longed and even yearned for

man who trusts in You!

the courts of the LORD; My heart and

my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

PSALM 85

3The bird also has found a house, And

the swallow a nest for herself, where

1O LORD, You showed favor to Your she may lay her young, Even Your

land; You restored the captivity of Jacob.

altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and

my God.

2You forgave the iniquity of Your people;

You covered all their sin. Selah.

4How blessed are those who dwell in

Your house! They are ever praising You.

3You withdrew all Your fury; You turned

Selah.

away from Your burning anger.

5How blessed is the man whose

4Restore us, O God of our salvation,

strength is in You, In whose heart are

And cause Your indignation toward us to

the highways to Zion!

cease.

6Passing through the valley of Baca they

5Will You be angry with us forever? Will

make it a spring; The early rain also

You

prolong

Your

anger

to

all

covers it with blessings.

generations?

7They go from strength to strength,

6Will You not Yourself revive us again,

Every one of them appears before God

That Your people may rejoice in You?

in Zion.

7Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD,

8O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

And grant us Your salvation.

Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.

8I will hear what God the LORD will say; 6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And For He will speak peace to His people,

give heed to

the

voice of

my

to His godly ones; But let them not turn

supplications!

back to folly.

7In the day of my trouble I shall call upon

9Surely His salvation is near to those

You, For You will answer me.

who fear Him, That glory may dwell in

our land.

8There is no one like You among the

gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works

10Lovingkindness and truth have met

like Yours.

together; Righteousness and peace

have kissed each other.

9All nations whom You have made shall

come and worship before You, O Lord,

11Truth springs from the earth, And

And they shall glorify Your name.

righteousness looks down from heaven.

10For You are great and do wondrous

12Indeed, the LORD will give what is

deeds; You alone are God.

good, And our land will yield its produce.

11Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will

13Righteousness will go before Him And

walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear

will make His footsteps into a way.

Your name.

12

PSALM 86

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my

God, with all my heart, And will glorify 1

Your name forever.

Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer

me; For I am afflicted and needy.

13For Your lovingkindness toward me is

2

great, And You have delivered my soul

Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;

from the depths of Sheol.

O You my God, save Your servant who

trusts in You.

14O God, arrogant men have risen up

3

against me, And a band of violent men

Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I

have sought my life, And they have not

cry all day long.

set You before them.

4Make glad the soul of Your servant, For

15But You, O Lord, are a God merciful

to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

and gracious, Slow to anger and

abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

5For You, Lord, are good, and ready to

forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness

16Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh

to all who call upon You.

grant Your strength to Your servant, And

save the son of Your handmaid.

17Show me a sign for good, That those 3For my soul has had enough troubles, who hate me may see it and be

And my life has drawn near to Sheol.

ashamed, Because You, O LORD, have

helped me and comforted me.

4I am reckoned among those who go

down to the pit; I have become like a

PSALM 87

man without strength,

1

5

His foundation is in the holy mountains.

Forsaken among the dead, Like the

slain who lie in the grave, Whom You

2

remember no more, And they are cut off

The LORD loves the gates of Zion

from Your hand.

More than all the other dwelling places

of Jacob.

6You have put me in the lowest pit, In 3

dark places, in the depths.

Glorious things are spoken of you, O

city of God. Selah.

7Your wrath has rested upon me, And

4

You have afflicted me with all Your

"I shall mention Rahab and Babylon

waves. Selah.

among those who know Me; Behold,

Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This

8

one was born there.'"

You have removed my acquaintances

far from me; You have made me an

5

object of loathing to them; I am shut up But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and cannot go out.

and that one were born in her"; And the

Most High Himself will establish her.

9My eye has wasted away because of

6

affliction; I have called upon You every The LORD will count when He registers

day, O LORD; I have spread out my

the peoples, "This one was born there."

hands to You.

Selah.

10

7

Will You perform wonders for the dead?

Then those who sing as well as those

Will the departed spirits rise and praise who play the flutes shall say, "All my You? Selah.

springs of joy are in you."

11Will Your lovingkindness be declared

PSALM 88

in the grave, Your faithfulness in

Abaddon?

1O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night 12Will Your wonders be made known in before You.

the darkness? And Your righteousness

in the land of forgetfulness?

2Let my prayer come before You; Incline

Your ear to my cry!

13But I, O LORD, have cried out to You 5The heavens will praise Your wonders, for help, And in the morning my prayer

O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the

comes before You.

assembly of the holy ones.

14O LORD, why do You reject my soul?

6For who in the skies is comparable to

Why do You hide Your face from me?

the LORD? Who among the sons of the

mighty is like the LORD,

15I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am 7A God greatly feared in the council of overcome.

the holy ones, And awesome above all

those who are around Him?

16Your burning anger has passed over

me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

8O LORD God of hosts, who is like You,

O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also

17They have surrounded me like water

surrounds You.

all day long; They have encompassed

me altogether.

9You rule the swelling of the sea; When

its waves rise, You still them.

18You have removed lover and friend far

from me; My acquaintances are in

10You Yourself crushed Rahab like one

darkness.

who is slain; You scattered Your

enemies with Your mighty arm.

PSALM 89

11The heavens are Yours, the earth also

1

is Yours; The world and all it contains, I will sing of the lovingkindness of the You have founded them.

LORD forever; To all generations I will

make known Your faithfulness with my

12

mouth.

The north and the south, You have

created them; Tabor and Hermon shout

2

for joy at Your name.

For I have said, " Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You 13

will establish Your faithfulness."

You have a strong arm; Your hand is

mighty, Your right hand is exalted.

3"I have made a covenant with My

14

chosen; I have sworn to David My

Righteousness and justice are the

servant,

foundation

of

Your

throne;

Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

4I will establish your seed forever And

15

build up your throne to all generations."

How blessed are the people who know

Selah.

the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in

the light of Your countenance.

16In Your name they rejoice all the day, 28"My lovingkindness I will keep for him And by Your righteousness they are forever, And My covenant shall be

exalted.

confirmed to him.

17For You are the glory of their strength,

29"So I will establish his descendants And by Your favor our horn is exalted.

forever And his throne as the days of

heaven.

18For our shield belongs to the LORD,

And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

30"If his sons forsake My law And do not

walk in My judgments,

19Once You spoke in vision to Your

godly ones, And said, "I have given help

31If they violate My statutes And do not to one who is mighty; I have exalted one

keep My commandments,

chosen from the people.

32Then I will punish their transgression

20"I have found David My servant; With with the rod And their iniquity with

My holy oil I have anointed him,

stripes.

21With whom My hand will be

33"But I will not break off My

established; My arm also will strengthen

lovingkindness from him, Nor deal

him.

falsely in My faithfulness.

22"The enemy will not deceive him, Nor 34"My covenant I will not violate, Nor will the son of wickedness afflict him.

I alter the utterance of My lips.

23"But I shall crush his adversaries 35" Once I have sworn by My holiness; I

before him, And strike those who hate

will not lie to David.

him.

36"His descendants shall endure forever

24"My

faithfulness

and

My

And his throne as the sun before Me.

lovingkindness will be with him, And in

My name his horn will be exalted.

37"It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is

25"I shall also set his hand on the sea faithful." Selah.

And his right hand on the rivers.

38But You have cast off and rejected,

26"He will cry to Me, 'You are my Father, You have been full of wrath against

My God, and the rock of my salvation.'

Your anointed.

27"I also shall make him My firstborn, 39You have spurned the covenant of

The highest of the kings of the earth.

Your servant; You have profaned his

crown in the dust.

40You have broken down all his walls; 51With which Your enemies have You have brought his strongholds to ruin. reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your 41All who pass along the way plunder

anointed.

him; He has become a reproach to his

neighbors.

52Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen

and Amen.

42You have exalted the right hand of his

adversaries; You have made all his

PSALM 90

enemies rejoice.

1Lord, You have been our dwelling place 43You also turn back the edge of his

in all generations.

sword And have not made him stand in

battle.

2Before the mountains were born Or

You gave birth to the earth and the

44You have made his splendor to cease

world,

Even

from

everlasting

to

And cast his throne to the ground.

everlasting, You are God.

45You have shortened the days of his

3You turn man back into dust And say,

youth; You have covered him with

"Return, O children of men."

shame. Selah.

4For a thousand years in Your sight Are

46How long, O LORD? Will You hide

like yesterday when it passes by, Or as Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn

a watch in the night.

like fire?

5You have swept them away like a flood,

47Remember what my span of life is; For

they fall asleep; In the morning they are

what vanity You have created all the

like grass which sprouts anew.

sons of men!

6In the morning it flourishes and sprouts

48What man can live and not see death?

anew; Toward evening it fades and

Can he deliver his soul from the power

withers away.

of Sheol? Selah.

7For we have been consumed by Your

49Where

are

Your

former

anger And by Your wrath we have been

lovingkindnesses, O Lord, Which You

dismayed.

swore to David in Your faithfulness?

8You have placed our iniquities before

50Remember, O Lord, the reproach of

You, Our secret sins in the light of Your

Your servants; How I bear in my bosom

presence.

the reproach of all the many peoples,

9For all our days have declined in Your 2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and fury; We have finished our years like a my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"

sigh.

3For it is He who delivers you from the 10As for the days of our life, they contain

snare of the trapper And from the deadly

seventy years, Or if due to strength,

pestilence.

eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we 4He will cover you with His pinions, And fly away.

under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

11Who understands the power of Your

anger And Your fury, according to the

5You will not be afraid of the terror by fear that is due You?

night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;

12So teach us to number our days, That

6Of the pestilence that stalks in

we may present to You a heart of

darkness, Or of the destruction that lays

wisdom.

waste at noon.

13Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? 7A thousand may fall at your side And And be sorry for Your servants.

ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

14O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy

8You will only look on with your eyes

and be glad all our days.

And see the recompense of the wicked.

15Make us glad according to the days

9For you have made the LORD, my

You have afflicted us, And the years we

refuge, Even the Most High, your

have seen evil.

dwelling place.

16Let Your work appear to Your servants

10No evil will befall you, Nor will any And Your majesty to their children.

plague come near your tent.

17Let the favor of the Lord our God be 11For He will give His angels charge

upon us; And confirm for us the work of

concerning you, To guard you in all your

our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our

ways.

hands.

12They will bear you up in their hands, PSALM 91

That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of 13You will tread upon the lion and cobra,

the Almighty.

The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14" Because he has loved Me, therefore I 9For, behold, Your enemies, O LORD, will deliver him; I will set him securely on

For, behold, Your enemies will perish;

high, because he has known My name.

All who do iniquity will be scattered.

15"He will call upon Me, and I will answer 10But You have exalted my horn like that

him; I will be with him in trouble; I will of the wild ox; I have been anointed with

rescue him and honor him.

fresh oil.

16"With a long life I will satisfy him And 11And my eye has looked exultantly let him see My salvation."

upon my foes, My ears hear of the

evildoers who rise up against me.

PSALM 92

12The righteous man will flourish like the

1

palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in It is good to give thanks to the LORD

Lebanon.

And to sing praises to Your name, O

Most High;

13Planted in the house of the LORD,

2

They will flourish in the courts of our To declare Your lovingkindness in the

God.

morning And Your faithfulness by night,

14

3

They will still yield fruit in old age; With the ten-stringed lute and with the

They shall be full of sap and very green,

harp, With resounding music upon the

lyre.

15To declare that the LORD is upright;

4

He is my rock, and there is no

For You, O LORD, have made me glad

unrighteousness in Him.

by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

PSALM 93

5How great are Your works, O LORD!

Your thoughts are very deep.

1The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and

6A senseless man has no knowledge,

girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the

Nor does a stupid man understand this:

world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

7That when the wicked sprouted up like

2

grass And all who did iniquity flourished,

Your throne is established from of old;

It was only that they might be destroyed

You are from everlasting.

forevermore.

3The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The

8But You, O LORD, are on high forever.

floods have lifted up their voice, The

floods lift up their pounding waves.

4More than the sounds of many waters, 10He who chastens the nations, will He Than the mighty breakers of the sea,

not rebuke, Even He who teaches man

The LORD on high is mighty.

knowledge?

5Your testimonies are fully confirmed;

11The LORD knows the thoughts of man,

Holiness befits Your house, O LORD,

That they are a mere breath.

forevermore.

12Blessed is the man whom You chasten,

PSALM 94

O LORD, And whom You teach out of

Your law;

1O LORD, God of vengeance, God of 13

vengeance, shine forth!

That You may grant him relief from the

days of adversity, Until a pit is dug for 2

the wicked.

Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render

recompense to the proud.

14For the LORD will not abandon His

3

people, Nor will He forsake His

How long shall the wicked, O LORD,

inheritance.

How long shall the wicked exult?

15

4

For judgment will again be righteous,

They pour forth words, they speak

And all the upright in heart will follow it.

arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt

themselves.

16Who will stand up for me against

5

evildoers? Who will take his stand for

They crush Your people, O LORD, And

me against those who do wickedness?

afflict Your heritage.

17

6

If the LORD had not been my help, My

They slay the widow and the stranger

soul would soon have dwelt in the

And murder the orphans.

abode of silence.

7They have said, "The LORD does not 18If I should say, " My foot has slipped,"

see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay

Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold

heed."

me up.

8Pay heed, you senseless among the

19When my anxious thoughts multiply

people; And when will you understand,

within me, Your consolations delight my

stupid ones?

soul.

9He who planted the ear, does He not

20Can a throne of destruction be allied

hear? He who formed the eye, does He

with You, One which devises mischief

not see?

by decree?

21They band themselves together 8Do not harden your hearts, as at

against the life of the righteous And

Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the

condemn the innocent to death.

wilderness,

22But the LORD has been my stronghold,

9"When your fathers tested Me, They

And my God the rock of my refuge.

tried Me, though they had seen My work.

23He has brought back their wickedness

10"For forty years I loathed that

upon them And will destroy them in their

generation, And said they are a people

evil; The LORD our God will destroy

who err in their heart, And they do not them.

know My ways.

11

PSALM 95

"Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

1O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our PSALM 96

salvation.

1Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to

2Let us come before His presence with

the LORD, all the earth.

thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to

Him with psalms.

2Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation

3For the LORD is a great God And a

from day to day.

great King above all gods,

3Tell of His glory among the nations, His

4In whose hand are the depths of the

wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

earth, The peaks of the mountains are

His also.

4For great is the LORD and greatly to be

praised; He is to be feared above all

5The sea is His, for it was He who made

gods.

it, And His hands formed the dry land.

5For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

6Come, let us worship and bow down,

But the LORD made the heavens.

Let us kneel before the LORD our

Maker.

6Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and beauty are in His

7For He is our God, And we are the

sanctuary.

people of His pasture and the sheep of

His hand. Today, if you would hear His

7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the

voice,

peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and

strength.

8Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His 5The mountains melted like wax at the name; Bring an offering and come into

presence of the LORD, At the presence

His courts.

of the Lord of the whole earth.

9Worship the LORD in holy attire;

6The heavens declare His righteousness,

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

And all the peoples have seen His glory.

10Say among the nations, " The LORD

7Let all those be ashamed who serve

reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly

graven images, Who boast themselves

established, it will not be moved; He will

of idols; Worship Him, all you gods.

judge the peoples with equity."

8Zion heard this and was glad, And the

11Let the heavens be glad, and let the

daughters of Judah have rejoiced

earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it

Because of Your judgments, O LORD.

contains;

9For You are the LORD Most High over

12Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

all the earth; You are exalted far above Then all the trees of the forest will sing all gods.

for joy

10Hate evil, you who love the LORD,

13Before the LORD, for He is coming,

Who preserves the souls of His godly

For He is coming to judge the earth. He

ones; He delivers them from the hand of

will judge the world in righteousness

the wicked.

And the peoples in His faithfulness.

11Light is sown like seed for the

PSALM 97

righteous And gladness for the upright in

heart.

1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; 12

Let the many islands be glad.

Be glad in the LORD, you righteous

ones, And give thanks to His holy name.

2Clouds and thick darkness surround

Him; Righteousness and justice are the

PSALM 98

foundation of His throne.

1O sing to the LORD a new song, For 3Fire goes before Him And burns up His

He has done wonderful things, His right

adversaries round about.

hand and His holy arm have gained the

victory for Him.

4His lightnings lit up the world; The earth

saw and trembled.

2The LORD has made known His

salvation;

He

has

revealed

His

righteousness in the sight of the nations.

3He

has

remembered

His

executed justice and righteousness in

lovingkindness and His faithfulness to

Jacob.

the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our

5Exalt the LORD our God And worship

God.

at His footstool; Holy is He.

4Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;

6Moses and Aaron were among His

Break forth and sing for joy and sing

priests, And Samuel was among those

praises.

who called on His name; They called

upon the LORD and He answered them.

5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

With the lyre and the sound of melody.

7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;

They kept His testimonies And the

6With trumpets and the sound of the

statute that He gave them.

horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.

8O LORD our God, You answered them;

You were a forgiving God to them, And

7Let the sea roar and all it contains, The

yet an avenger of their evil deeds.

world and those who dwell in it.

9Exalt the LORD our God And worship

8Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the at His holy hill, For holy is the LORD our

mountains sing together for joy

God.

9Before the LORD, for He is coming to

PSALM 100

judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with

1Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

equity.

2Serve the LORD with gladness; Come

PSALM 99

before Him with joyful singing.

1The LORD reigns, let the peoples

3Know that the LORD Himself is God; It

tremble; He is enthroned above the

is He who has made us, and not we

cherubim, let the earth shake!

ourselves; We are His people and the

sheep of His pasture.

2The LORD is great in Zion, And He is

exalted above all the peoples.

4Enter His gates with thanksgiving And

His courts with praise. Give thanks to

3Let them praise Your great and

Him, bless His name.

awesome name; Holy is He.

5For

the

LORD

is

good;

His

4The strength of the King loves justice; lovingkindness is everlasting And His

You have established equity; You have

faithfulness to all generations.

2

PSALM 101

Do not hide Your face from me in the

day of my distress; Incline Your ear to 1

me; In the day when I call answer me

I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,

quickly.

To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.

3

2

For my days have been consumed in

I will give heed to the blameless way.

smoke, And my bones have been

When will You come to me? I will walk

scorched like a hearth.

within my house in the integrity of my

heart.

4My heart has been smitten like grass

3

and has withered away, Indeed, I forget

I will set no worthless thing before my to eat my bread.

eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.

5Because of the loudness of my

4

groaning My bones cling to my flesh.

A perverse heart shall depart from me; I

will know no evil.

6I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I

5

have become like an owl of the waste

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,

places.

him I will destroy; No one who has a

haughty look and an arrogant heart will I

7

endure.

I lie awake, I have become like a lonely

bird on a housetop.

6My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the

8

land, that they may dwell with me; He

My enemies have reproached me all

who walks in a blameless way is the one

day long; Those who deride me have

who will minister to me.

used my name as a curse.

7

9

He who practices deceit shall not dwell

For I have eaten ashes like bread And

within my house; He who speaks

mingled my drink with weeping

falsehood shall not maintain his position

before me.

10Because of Your indignation and Your

wrath, For You have lifted me up and

8Every morning I will destroy all the

cast me away.

wicked of the land, So as to cut off from

the city of the LORD all those who do

11My days are like a lengthened shadow,

iniquity.

And I wither away like grass.

12

PSALM 102

But You, O LORD, abide forever, And

Your name to all generations.

1Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my 13

cry for help come to You.

You will arise and have compassion

on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.

14Surely Your servants find pleasure in 26"Even they will perish, but You endure; her stones And feel pity for her dust.

And all of them will wear out like a

garment; Like clothing You will change

15So the nations will fear the name of

them and they will be changed.

the LORD And all the kings of the earth

Your glory.

27"But You are the same, And Your

years will not come to an end.

16For the LORD has built up Zion; He

has appeared in His glory.

28"The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be

17He has regarded the prayer of the

established before You."

destitute And has not despised their

prayer.

PSALM 103

18This will be written for the generation 1Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all to come, That a people yet to be created that is within me, bless His holy name.

may praise the LORD.

2Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget

19For He looked down from His holy

none of His benefits;

height; From heaven the LORD gazed

upon the earth,

3Who pardons all your iniquities, Who

heals all your diseases;

20To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To set free those who were doomed to

4Who redeems your life from the pit,

death,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness

and compassion;

21That men may tell of the name of the

LORD in Zion And His praise in

5Who satisfies your years with good

Jerusalem,

things, So that your youth is renewed

like the eagle.

22When the peoples are gathered

together, And the kingdoms, to serve

6The LORD performs righteous deeds

the LORD.

And

judgments

for

all

who

are

oppressed.

23He has weakened my strength in the

way; He has shortened my days.

7He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the sons of Israel.

24I say, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your

8The LORD is compassionate and

years are throughout all generations.

gracious, Slow to anger and abounding

in lovingkindness.

25"Of old You founded the earth, And the

heavens are the work of Your hands.

9He will not always strive with us, Nor 20Bless the LORD, you His angels, will He keep His anger forever.

Mighty in strength, who perform His

word, Obeying the voice of His word!

10He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to

21Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

our iniquities.

You who serve Him, doing His will.

11For as high as the heavens are above

22Bless the LORD, all you works of His,

the earth, So great is His lovingkindness

In all places of His dominion; Bless the toward those who fear Him.

LORD, O my soul!

12As far as the east is from the west, So

PSALM 104

far has He removed our transgressions

from us.

1Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD

my God, You are very great; You are

13Just as a father has compassion on

clothed with splendor and majesty,

his children, So the LORD has

compassion on those who fear Him.

2Covering Yourself with light as with a

cloak, Stretching out heaven like a tent 14For He Himself knows our frame; He is

curtain.

mindful that we are but dust.

3He lays the beams of His upper

15As for man, his days are like grass; As

chambers in the waters; He makes the

a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

clouds His chariot; He walks upon the

wings of the wind;

16When the wind has passed over it, it is

no more, And its place acknowledges it

4He makes the winds His messengers,

no longer.

Flaming fire His ministers.

17But the lovingkindness of the LORD is

5He established the earth upon its

from everlasting to everlasting on those

foundations, So that it will not totter

who fear Him, And His righteousness to

forever and ever.

children's children,

6You covered it with the deep as with a

18To those who keep His covenant And

garment; The waters were standing

remember His precepts to do them.

above the mountains.

19The LORD has established His throne

7At Your rebuke they fled, At the sound

in the heavens, And His sovereignty

of Your thunder they hurried away.

rules over all.

8The mountains rose; the valleys sank 19He made the moon for the seasons; down

To

the

place

which

You

The sun knows the place of its setting.

established for them.

20You appoint darkness and it becomes

9You set a boundary that they may not

night, In which all the beasts of the

pass over, So that they will not return to

forest prowl about.

cover the earth.

21The young lions roar after their prey

10He sends forth springs in the valleys; And seek their food from God.

They flow between the mountains;

22When the sun rises they withdraw And

11They give drink to every beast of the lie down in their dens.

field; The wild donkeys quench their

thirst.

23Man goes forth to his work And to his

labor until evening.

12Beside them the birds of the heavens

dwell; They lift up their voices among

24O LORD, how many are Your works!

the branches.

In wisdom You have made them all; The

earth is full of Your possessions.

13He waters the mountains from His

upper chambers; The earth is satisfied

25There is the sea, great and broad, In with the fruit of His works.

which are swarms without number,

Animals both small and great.

14He causes the grass to grow for the

cattle, And vegetation for the labor of

26There the ships move along, And

man, So that he may bring forth food

Leviathan, which You have formed to

from the earth,

sport in it.

15And wine which makes man's heart

27They all wait for You To give them

glad, So that he may make his face

their food in due season.

glisten with oil, And food which sustains

man's heart.

28You give to them, they gather it up;

You open Your hand, they are satisfied

16The trees of the LORD drink their fill, with good.

The cedars of Lebanon which He

planted,

29You hide Your face, they are dismayed;

You take away their spirit, they expire

17Where the birds build their nests, And

And return to their dust.

the stork, whose home is the fir trees.

30You send forth Your Spirit, they are

18The high mountains are for the wild

created; And You renew the face of the

goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the

ground.

shephanim.

31Let the glory of the LORD endure 7He is the LORD our God; His

forever; Let the LORD be glad in His

judgments are in all the earth.

works;

8He has remembered His covenant

32He looks at the earth, and it trembles;

forever,

The

word

which

He

He touches the mountains, and they

commanded to a thousand generations,

smoke.

9The covenant which He made with

33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;

Abraham, And His oath to Isaac.

I will sing praise to my God while I have

my being.

10Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a

statute, To Israel as an everlasting

34Let my meditation be pleasing to Him;

covenant,

As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.

11Saying, " To you I will give the land of 35Let sinners be consumed from the

Canaan

As

the

portion

of

your

earth And let the wicked be no more.

inheritance,"

Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the

LORD!

12When they were only a few men in

number, Very few, and strangers in it.

PSALM 105

13And they wandered about from nation

1Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon

to nation, From one kingdom to another

His name; Make known His deeds

people.

among the peoples.

14He permitted no man to oppress them,

2Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak

And He reproved kings for their sakes:

of all His wonders.

15" Do not touch My anointed ones, And

3Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of

do My prophets no harm."

those who seek the LORD be glad.

16And He called for a famine upon the

4Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek

land; He broke the whole staff of bread.

His face continually.

17He sent a man before them, Joseph,

5Remember His wonders which He has

who was sold as a slave.

done, His marvels and the judgments

uttered by His mouth,

18They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons;

6O seed of Abraham, His servant, O

sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

19Until the time that his word came to

pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

20The king sent and released him, The 33He struck down their vines also and ruler of peoples, and set him free.

their fig trees, And shattered the trees of

their territory.

21He made him lord of his house And

ruler over all his possessions,

34He spoke, and locusts came, And

young locusts, even without number,

22To imprison his princes at will, That he

might teach his elders wisdom.

35And ate up all vegetation in their land,

And ate up the fruit of their ground.

23Israel also came into Egypt; Thus

Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

36He also struck down all the firstborn in

their land, The first fruits of all their vigor.

24And He caused His people to be very

fruitful, And made them stronger than

37Then He brought them out with silver

their adversaries.

and gold, And among His tribes there

was not one who stumbled.

25He turned their heart to hate His

people, To deal craftily with His servants. 38Egypt was glad when they departed, For the dread of them had fallen upon 26He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron,

them.

whom He had chosen.

39He spread a cloud for a covering, And

27They performed His wondrous acts

fire to illumine by night.

among them, And miracles in the land of

Ham.

40They asked, and He brought quail,

And satisfied them with the bread of

28He sent darkness and made it dark;

heaven.

And they did not rebel against His words. 41He opened the rock and water flowed 29He turned their waters into blood And out; It ran in the dry places like a river.

caused their fish to die.

42For He remembered His holy word

30Their land swarmed with frogs Even in

With Abraham His servant;

the chambers of their kings.

43And He brought forth His people with

31He spoke, and there came a swarm of

joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout.

flies And gnats in all their territory.

44He gave them also the lands of the

32He gave them hail for rain, And

nations,

That

they

might

take

flaming fire in their land.

possession of the fruit of the peoples'

labor,

45So that they might keep His statutes 10So He saved them from the hand of And observe His laws, Praise the LORD! the one who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

PSALM 106

11The waters covered their adversaries;

1

Not one of them was left.

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the

LORD, for He is good; For His

12

lovingkindness is everlasting.

Then they believed His words; They

sang His praise.

2Who can speak of the mighty deeds of

13

the LORD, Or can show forth all His

They quickly forgot His works; They

praise?

did not wait for His counsel,

3

14

How blessed are those who keep

But craved intensely in the wilderness,

justice, Who practice righteousness at

And tempted God in the desert.

all times!

15So He gave them their request, But

4Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor

sent a wasting disease among them.

toward Your people; Visit me with Your

salvation,

16When they became envious of Moses

in the camp, And of Aaron, the holy one

5That I may see the prosperity of Your

of the LORD,

chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the

gladness of Your nation, That I may

17The earth opened and swallowed up

glory with Your inheritance.

Dathan, And engulfed the company of

Abiram.

6We have sinned like our fathers, We

have committed iniquity, we have

18And a fire blazed up in their company;

behaved wickedly.

The flame consumed the wicked.

7Our fathers in Egypt did not understand

19They made a calf in Horeb And

Your wonders; They did not remember

worshiped a molten image.

Your abundant kindnesses, But rebelled

by the sea, at the Red Sea.

20Thus they exchanged their glory For

the image of an ox that eats grass.

8Nevertheless He saved them for the

sake of His name, That He might make

21They forgot God their Savior, Who had

His power known.

done great things in Egypt,

9Thus He rebuked the Red Sea and it

22Wonders in the land of Ham And

dried up, And He led them through the

awesome things by the Red Sea.

deeps, as through the wilderness.

23Therefore He said that He would 34They did not destroy the peoples, As destroy them, Had not Moses His

the LORD commanded them,

chosen one stood in the breach before

Him, To turn away His wrath from

35But they mingled with the nations And

destroying them.

learned their practices,

24Then they despised the pleasant land;

36And served their idols, Which became

They did not believe in His word,

a snare to them.

25But grumbled in their tents; They did

37They even sacrificed their sons and

not listen to the voice of the LORD.

their daughters to the demons,

26Therefore He swore to them That He

38And shed innocent blood, The blood of

would cast them down in the wilderness,

their sons and their daughters, Whom

they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

27And that He would cast their seed

And the land was polluted with the blood.

among the nations And scatter them in

the lands.

39Thus they became unclean in their

practices, And played the harlot in their 28They joined themselves also to Baal-deeds.

peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the

dead.

40Therefore the anger of the LORD was

kindled against His people And He

29Thus they provoked Him to anger with

abhorred His inheritance.

their deeds, And the plague broke out

among them.

41Then He gave them into the hand of

the nations, And those who hated them

30Then Phinehas stood up and

ruled over them.

interposed, And so the plague was

stayed.

42Their enemies also oppressed them,

And they were subdued under their

31And it was reckoned to him for

power.

righteousness,

To

all

generations

forever.

43Many times He would deliver them;

They, however, were rebellious in their

32They also provoked Him to wrath at

counsel, And so sank down in their

the waters of Meribah, So that it went

iniquity.

hard with Moses on their account;

44Nevertheless He looked upon their

33Because they were rebellious against

distress When He heard their cry;

His Spirit, He spoke rashly with his lips.

45And He remembered His covenant for 7He led them also by a straight way, To

their sake, And relented according to the

go to an inhabited city.

greatness of His lovingkindness.

8Let them give thanks to the LORD for

46He also made them objects of

His lovingkindness, And for His wonders

compassion In the presence of all their

to the sons of men!

captors.

9For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,

47Save us, O LORD our God, And

And the hungry soul He has filled with

gather us from among the nations, To

what is good.

give thanks to Your holy name And glory

in Your praise.

10There were those who dwelt in

darkness and in the shadow of death,

48Blessed be the LORD, the God of

Prisoners in misery and chains,

Israel,

From

everlasting

even

to

everlasting. And let all the people say, 11Because they had rebelled against the

"Amen." Praise the LORD!

words of God And spurned the counsel

of the Most High.

PSALM 107

12Therefore He humbled their heart with

1Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is labor; They stumbled and there was

good,

For

His

lovingkindness

is

none to help.

everlasting.

13Then they cried out to the LORD in

2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

their trouble; He saved them out of their

Whom He has redeemed from the hand

distresses.

of the adversary

14He brought them out of darkness and

3And gathered from the lands, From the

the shadow of death And broke their

east and from the west, From the north

bands apart.

and from the south.

15Let them give thanks to the LORD for

4They wandered in the wilderness in a

His lovingkindness, And for His wonders

desert region; They did not find a way to

to the sons of men!

an inhabited city.

16For He has shattered gates of bronze

5They were hungry and thirsty; Their

And cut bars of iron asunder.

soul fainted within them.

17Fools, because of their rebellious way,

6Then they cried out to the LORD in

And because of their iniquities, were

their trouble; He delivered them out of

afflicted.

their distresses.

18Their soul abhorred all kinds of food, 29He caused the storm to be still, So that And they drew near to the gates of

the waves of the sea were hushed.

death.

30Then they were glad because they

19Then they cried out to the LORD in

were quiet, So He guided them to their

their trouble; He saved them out of their

desired haven.

distresses.

31Let them give thanks to the LORD for

20He sent His word and healed them,

His lovingkindness, And for His wonders

And

delivered

them

from

their

to the sons of men!

destructions.

32Let them extol Him also in the

21Let them give thanks to the LORD for

congregation of the people, And praise

His lovingkindness, And for His wonders

Him at the seat of the elders.

to the sons of men!

33He changes rivers into a wilderness

22Let them also offer sacrifices of

And springs of water into a thirsty

thanksgiving, And tell of His works with ground;

joyful singing.

34A fruitful land into a salt waste,

23Those who go down to the sea in

Because of the wickedness of those

ships, Who do business on great waters; who dwell in it.

24They have seen the works of the

35He changes a wilderness into a pool of

LORD, And His wonders in the deep.

water And a dry land into springs of

water;

25For He spoke and raised up a stormy

wind, Which lifted up the waves of the

36And there He makes the hungry to

sea.

dwell, So that they may establish an

inhabited city,

26They rose up to the heavens, they

went down to the depths; Their soul

37And sow fields and plant vineyards,

melted away in their misery.

And gather a fruitful harvest.

27They reeled and staggered like a

38Also He blesses them and they

drunken man, And were at their wits'

multiply greatly, And He does not let

end.

their cattle decrease.

28Then they cried to the LORD in their

39When they are diminished and bowed

trouble, And He brought them out of

down Through oppression, misery and

their distresses.

sorrow,

40He pours contempt upon princes And 8"Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; makes them wander in a pathless waste. Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.

41But He sets the needy securely on

high away from affliction, And makes his

9"Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I

families like a flock.

shall throw My shoe; Over Philistia I will

shout aloud."

42The upright see it and are glad; But all

unrighteousness shuts its mouth.

10Who will bring me into the besieged

city? Who will lead me to Edom?

43Who is wiseNULL Let him give heed to

these

things,

And

consider

the

11Have not You Yourself, O God,

lovingkindnesses of the LORD.

rejected us? And will You not go forth

with our armies, O God?

PSALM 108

12Oh give us help against the adversary,

1

For deliverance by man is in vain.

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing,

I will sing praises, even with my soul.

13Through God we will do valiantly, And

2

it is He who shall tread down our

Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the

adversaries.

dawn!

3I will give thanks to You, O LORD,

PSALM 109

among the peoples, And I will sing

praises to You among the nations.

1O God of my praise, Do not be silent!

4For Your lovingkindness is great above

2For they have opened the wicked and

the heavens, And Your truth reaches to

deceitful mouth against me; They have

the skies.

spoken against me with a lying tongue.

5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

3They have also surrounded me with

And Your glory above all the earth.

words of hatred, And fought against me

without cause.

6That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and answer

4In return for my love they act as my

me!

accusers; But I am in prayer.

7God has spoken in His holiness: "I will

5Thus they have repaid me evil for good

exult, I will portion out Shechem And

And hatred for my love.

measure out the valley of Succoth.

6Appoint a wicked man over him, And let

an accuser stand at his right hand.

7When he is judged, let him come forth 18But he clothed himself with cursing as guilty, And let his prayer become sin.

with his garment, And it entered into his

body like water And like oil into his

8Let his days be few; Let another take

bones.

his office.

19Let it be to him as a garment with

9Let his children be fatherless And his

which he covers himself, And for a belt wife a widow.

with which he constantly girds himself.

10

20

Let his children wander about and beg;

Let this be the reward of my accusers

And let them seek sustenance far from

from the LORD, And of those who speak

their ruined homes.

evil against my soul.

11

21

Let the creditor seize all that he has, But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly

And let strangers plunder the product of

with me for Your name's sake; Because

his labor.

Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

12

22

Let

there

be

none

to

extend

For I am afflicted and needy, And my

lovingkindness to him, Nor any to be

heart is wounded within me.

gracious to his fatherless children.

23I am passing like a shadow when it

13Let his posterity be cut off; In a

lengthens; I am shaken off like the

following generation let their name be

locust.

blotted out.

24My knees are weak from fasting, And

14Let the iniquity of his fathers be

my flesh has grown lean, without

remembered before the LORD, And do

fatness.

not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

25I also have become a reproach to

them; When they see me, they wag their

15Let them be before the LORD

head.

continually, That He may cut off their

memory from the earth;

26Help me, O LORD my God; Save me

according to Your lovingkindness.

16Because he did not remember to show

lovingkindness, But persecuted the

27And let them know that this is Your

afflicted and needy man, And the

hand; You, LORD, have done it.

despondent in heart, to put them to

death.

28Let them curse, but You bless; When

they arise, they shall be ashamed, But

17He also loved cursing, so it came to

Your servant shall be glad.

him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

29Let my accusers be clothed with PSALM 111

dishonor,

And

let

them

cover

themselves with their own shame as

1Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to with a robe.

the LORD with all my heart, In the

company of the upright and in the

30With my mouth I will give thanks

assembly.

abundantly to the LORD; And in the

midst of many I will praise Him.

2Great are the works of the LORD; They

are studied by all who delight in them.

31For He stands at the right hand of the

needy, To save him from those who

3Splendid and majestic is His work, And

judge his soul.

His righteousness endures forever.

PSALM 110

4He has made His wonders to be

remembered; The LORD is gracious

1The LORD says to my Lord: " Sit at My and compassionate.

right hand Until I make Your enemies a

footstool for Your feet."

5He has given food to those who fear

Him; He will remember His covenant

2The LORD will stretch forth Your strong

forever.

scepter from Zion, saying, " Rule in the midst of Your enemies."

6He has made known to His people the

power of His works, In giving them the

3Your people will volunteer freely in the heritage of the nations.

day of Your power; In holy array, from

the womb of the dawn, Your youth are

7The works of His hands are truth and

to You as the dew.

justice; All His precepts are sure.

4The LORD has sworn and will not

8They are upheld forever and ever; They

change His mind, "You are a priest

are performed in truth and uprightness.

forever According to the order of

Melchizedek."

9He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

5The Lord is at Your right hand; He will

Holy and awesome is His name.

shatter kings in the day of His wrath.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning

6He will judge among the nations, He

of wisdom; A good understanding have

will fill them with corpses, He will shatter

all those who do His commandments;

the chief men over a broad country.

His praise endures forever.

7He will drink from the brook by the

PSALM 112

wayside; Therefore He will lift up His

head.

1Praise the LORD! How blessed is the 2Blessed be the name of the LORD

man who fears the LORD, Who greatly

From this time forth and forever.

delights in His commandments.

3From the rising of the sun to its setting

2His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The name of the LORD is to be praised.

The generation of the upright will be

blessed.

4The LORD is high above all nations;

His glory is above the heavens.

3Wealth and riches are in his house,

And his righteousness endures forever.

5Who is like the LORD our God, Who is

enthroned on high,

4Light arises in the darkness for the

upright;

He

is

gracious

and

6Who humbles Himself to behold The

compassionate and righteous.

things that are in heaven and in the

earth?

5It is well with the man who is gracious

and lends; He will maintain his cause in

7He raises the poor from the dust And

judgment.

lifts the needy from the ash heap,

6For he will never be shaken; The

8To make them sit with princes, With the

righteous will be remembered forever.

princes of His people.

7He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is

9He makes the barren woman abide in

steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

the house As a joyful mother of children.

Praise the LORD!

8His heart is upheld, he will not fear, Until he looks with satisfaction on his

PSALM 114

adversaries.

1

9

When Israel went forth from Egypt, The

He has given freely to the poor, His

house of Jacob from a people of strange

righteousness endures forever; His horn

language,

will be exalted in honor.

2

10

Judah became His sanctuary, Israel,

The wicked will see it and be vexed,

His dominion.

He will gnash his teeth and melt away;

The desire of the wicked will perish.

3The sea looked and fled; The Jordan

turned back.

PSALM 113

4The mountains skipped like rams, The

1Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of hills, like lambs.

the LORD, Praise the name of the

LORD.

5What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O

9O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their

Jordan, that you turn back?

help and their shield.

6O mountains, that you skip like rams?

10O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD;

O hills, like lambs?

He is their help and their shield.

7Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,

11You who fear the LORD, trust in the

Before the God of Jacob,

LORD; He is their help and their shield.

8Who turned the rock into a pool of

12The LORD has been mindful of us; He

water, The flint into a fountain of water.

will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.

PSALM 115

13He will bless those who fear the LORD,

1

The small together with the great.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to

Your name give glory Because of Your

14

lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

May the LORD give you increase, You

and your children.

2Why should the nations say, " Where, 15

now, is their God?"

May you be blessed of the LORD,

Maker of heaven and earth.

3But our God is in the heavens; He does

16

whatever He pleases.

The heavens are the heavens of the

LORD, But the earth He has given to the

4

sons of men.

Their idols are silver and gold, The

work of man's hands.

17The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor

5

do any who go down into silence;

They have mouths, but they cannot

speak; They have eyes, but they cannot

18

see;

But as for us, we will bless the LORD

From this time forth and forever. Praise 6

the LORD!

They have ears, but they cannot hear;

They have noses, but they cannot smell;

PSALM 116

7They have hands, but they cannot feel;

They have feet, but they cannot walk;

1I love the LORD, because He hears My

They cannot make a sound with their

voice and my supplications.

throat.

2Because He has inclined His ear to me,

8Those who make them will become like

Therefore I shall call upon Him as long them, Everyone who trusts in them.

as I live.

3The cords of death encompassed me 16O LORD, surely I am Your servant, I And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;

am Your servant, the son of Your

I found distress and sorrow.

handmaid, You have loosed my bonds.

4Then I called upon the name of the

17To You I shall offer a sacrifice of

LORD: "O LORD, I beseech You, save

thanksgiving, And call upon the name of

my life!"

the LORD.

5Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;

18I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh

Yes, our God is compassionate.

may it be in the presence of all His

people,

6The LORD preserves the simple; I was

brought low, and He saved me.

19In the courts of the LORD'S house, In

the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise

7Return to your rest, O my soul, For the

the LORD!

LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

PSALM 117

8For You have rescued my soul from

death, My eyes from tears, My feet from

1Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, stumbling.

all peoples!

9I shall walk before the LORD In the

2For His lovingkindness is great toward

land of the living.

us, And the truth of the LORD is

everlasting. Praise the LORD!

10I believed when I said, "I am greatly afflicted."

PSALM 118

11I said in my alarm, " All men are liars."

1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For

His

lovingkindness

is

12What shall I render to the LORD For

everlasting.

all His benefits toward me?

2Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness is 13I shall lift up the cup of salvation And everlasting."

call upon the name of the LORD.

3Oh let the house of Aaron say, "His 14I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh

lovingkindness is everlasting."

may it be in the presence of all His

people.

4Oh let those who fear the LORD say,

"His lovingkindness is everlasting."

15Precious in the sight of the LORD Is

the death of His godly ones.

5From my distress I called upon the 16The right hand of the LORD is exalted; LORD; The LORD answered me and set

The right hand of the LORD does

me in a large place.

valiantly.

6The LORD is for me; I will not fear;

17I will not die, but live, And tell of the What can man do to me?

works of the LORD.

7The LORD is for me among those who

18The LORD has disciplined me

help me; Therefore I will look with

severely, But He has not given me over

satisfaction on those who hate me.

to death.

8It is better to take refuge in the LORD

19Open to me the gates of righteousness;

Than to trust in man.

I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD.

9It is better to take refuge in the LORD

Than to trust in princes.

20This is the gate of the LORD; The

righteous will enter through it.

10All nations surrounded me; In the

name of the LORD I will surely cut them

21I shall give thanks to You, for You

off.

have answered me, And You have

become my salvation.

11They surrounded me, yes, they

surrounded me; In the name of the

22The stone which the builders rejected

LORD I will surely cut them off.

Has become the chief corner stone.

12They surrounded me like bees; They

23This is the LORD'S doing; It is

were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In

marvelous in our eyes.

the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

24This is the day which the LORD has

made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

13You pushed me violently so that I was

falling, But the LORD helped me.

25O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O

LORD, we beseech You, do send

14The LORD is my strength and song,

prosperity!

And He has become my salvation.

26Blessed is the one who comes in the

15The sound of joyful shouting and

name of the LORD; We have blessed

salvation is in the tents of the righteous;

you from the house of the LORD.

The right hand of the LORD does

valiantly.

27The LORD is God, and He has given

us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

28You are my God, and I give thanks to 10With all my heart I have sought You; You; You are my God, I extol You.

Do not let me wander from Your

commandments.

29Give thanks to the LORD, for He is

good;

For

His

lovingkindness

is

11Your word I have treasured in my

everlasting.

heart, That I may not sin against You.

12

PSALM 119

Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me

Your statutes.

1How blessed are those whose way is 13

blameless, Who walk in the law of the

With my lips I have told of All the

LORD.

ordinances of Your mouth.

2

14

How blessed are those who observe

I have rejoiced in the way of Your

His testimonies, Who seek Him with all

testimonies, As much as in all riches.

their heart.

15I will meditate on Your precepts And

3They also do no unrighteousness; They

regard Your ways.

walk in His ways.

16I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall 4You have ordained Your precepts, That

not forget Your word.

we should keep them diligently.

17Deal bountifully with Your servant,

5Oh that my ways may be established

That I may live and keep Your word.

To keep Your statutes!

18Open my eyes, that I may behold

6Then I shall not be ashamed When I

Wonderful things from Your law.

look upon all Your commandments.

19I am a stranger in the earth; Do not 7I shall give thanks to You with

hide Your commandments from me.

uprightness of heart, When I learn Your

righteous judgments.

20My soul is crushed with longing After

Your ordinances at all times.

8I shall keep Your statutes; Do not

forsake me utterly!

21You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed,

Who wander from Your commandments.

9How can a young man keep his way

pure? By keeping it according to Your

22Take away reproach and contempt

word.

from me, For I observe Your testimonies.

23Even though princes sit and talk 35Make me walk in the path of Your against me, Your servant meditates on

commandments, For I delight in it.

Your statutes.

36Incline my heart to Your testimonies

24Your testimonies also are my delight;

And not to dishonest gain.

They are my counselors.

37Turn away my eyes from looking at

25My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive

vanity, And revive me in Your ways.

me according to Your word.

38Establish Your word to Your servant,

26I have told of my ways, and You have

As that which produces reverence for

answered me; Teach me Your statutes.

You.

27Make me understand the way of Your

39Turn away my reproach which I dread,

precepts, So I will meditate on Your

For Your ordinances are good.

wonders.

40Behold, I long for Your precepts;

28My soul weeps because of grief;

Revive me through Your righteousness.

Strengthen me according to Your word.

41May Your lovingkindnesses also come

29Remove the false way from me, And

to me, O LORD, Your salvation

graciously grant me Your law.

according to Your word;

30I have chosen the faithful way; I have

42So I will have an answer for him who placed Your ordinances before me.

reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.

31I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD,

43And do not take the word of truth

do not put me to shame!

utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.

32I shall run the way of Your

commandments, For You will enlarge

44So I will keep Your law continually,

my heart.

Forever and ever.

33Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your

45And I will walk at liberty, For I seek statutes, And I shall observe it to the Your precepts.

end.

46I will also speak of Your testimonies

34Give me understanding, that I may

before kings And shall not be ashamed.

observe Your law And keep it with all my

heart.

47I shall delight in Your commandments,

Which I love.

48And I shall lift up my hands to Your 61The cords of the wicked have commandments, Which I love; And I will

encircled me, But I have not forgotten

meditate on Your statutes.

Your law.

49Remember the word to Your servant,

62At midnight I shall rise to give thanks In which You have made me hope.

to You Because of Your righteous

ordinances.

50This is my comfort in my affliction,

That Your word has revived me.

63I am a companion of all those who fear

You, And of those who keep Your

51The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I

precepts.

do not turn aside from Your law.

64The earth is full of Your lovingkindness,

52I have remembered Your ordinances

O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.

from of old, O LORD, And comfort

myself.

65You have dealt well with Your servant,

O LORD, according to Your word.

53Burning indignation has seized me

because of the wicked, Who forsake

66Teach me good discernment and

Your law.

knowledge, For I believe in Your

commandments.

54Your statutes are my songs In the

house of my pilgrimage.

67Before I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep Your word.

55O LORD, I remember Your name in

the night, And keep Your law.

68You are good and do good; Teach me

Your statutes.

56This has become mine, That I observe

Your precepts.

69The arrogant have forged a lie against

me; With all my heart I will observe Your

57The LORD is my portion; I have

precepts.

promised to keep Your words.

70Their heart is covered with fat, But I 58I sought Your favor with all my heart; delight in Your law.

Be gracious to me according to Your

word.

71It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

59I considered my ways And turned my

feet to Your testimonies.

72The law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of gold and silver

60I hastened and did not delay To keep

pieces.

Your commandments.

73Your hands made me and fashioned 85The arrogant have dug pits for me, me; Give me understanding, that I may

Men who are not in accord with Your

learn Your commandments.

law.

74May those who fear You see me and

86All Your commandments are faithful;

be glad, Because I wait for Your word.

They have persecuted me with a lie;

help me!

75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments

are righteous, And that in faithfulness

87They almost destroyed me on earth,

You have afflicted me.

But as for me, I did not forsake Your

precepts.

76O may Your lovingkindness comfort

me, According to Your word to Your

88Revive me according to Your

servant.

lovingkindness, So that I may keep the

testimony of Your mouth.

77May Your compassion come to me

that I may live, For Your law is my

89Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled

delight.

in heaven.

78May the arrogant be ashamed, for they

90Your faithfulness continues throughout

subvert me with a lie; But I shall

all generations; You established the

meditate on Your precepts.

earth, and it stands.

79May those who fear You turn to me,

91They stand this day according to Your

Even those who know Your testimonies.

ordinances, For all things are Your

servants.

80May my heart be blameless in Your

statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.

92If Your law had not been my delight,

Then I would have perished in my

81My soul languishes for Your salvation;

affliction.

I wait for Your word.

93I will never forget Your precepts, For 82My eyes fail with longing for Your word,

by them You have revived me.

While I say, "When will You comfort me?"

94I am Yours, save me; For I have

sought Your precepts.

83Though I have become like a wineskin

in the smoke, I do not forget Your

95The wicked wait for me to destroy me;

statutes.

I

shall

diligently

consider

Your

testimonies.

84How many are the days of Your

servant? When

will

You

execute

judgment on those who persecute me?

96I have seen a limit to all perfection; 108O accept the freewill offerings of my Your commandment is exceedingly mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your

broad.

ordinances.

97O how I love Your law! It is my

109My life is continually in my hand, Yet I

meditation all the day.

do not forget Your law.

98Your commandments make me wiser

110The wicked have laid a snare for me,

than my enemies, For they are ever

Yet I have not gone astray from Your

mine.

precepts.

99I have more insight than all my

111I have inherited Your testimonies

teachers, For Your testimonies are my

forever, For they are the joy of my heart.

meditation.

112I have inclined my heart to perform

100I understand more than the aged,

Your statutes Forever, even to the end.

Because I have observed Your precepts.

113I hate those who are double-minded,

101I have restrained my feet from every

But I love Your law.

evil way, That I may keep Your word.

114You are my hiding place and my

102I have not turned aside from Your

shield; I wait for Your word.

ordinances, For You Yourself have

taught me.

115Depart from me, evildoers, That I may

observe the commandments of my God.

103How sweet are Your words to my

taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my

116Sustain me according to Your word,

mouth!

that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

104From

Your

precepts

I

get

understanding; Therefore I hate every

117Uphold me that I may be safe, That I

false way.

may have regard for Your statutes

continually.

105Your word is a lamp to my feet And a

light to my path.

118You have rejected all those who

wander from Your statutes, For their

106I have sworn and I will confirm it, That

deceitfulness is useless.

I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

119You have removed all the wicked of

107I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me,

the earth like dross; Therefore I love

O LORD, according to Your word.

Your testimonies.

120My flesh trembles for fear of You, And 132Turn to me and be gracious to me, I am afraid of Your judgments.

After Your manner with those who love

Your name.

121I have done justice and righteousness;

Do not leave me to my oppressors.

133Establish my footsteps in Your word,

And do not let any iniquity have

122Be surety for Your servant for good;

dominion over me.

Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

134Redeem me from the oppression of

123My eyes fail with longing for Your

man, That I may keep Your precepts.

salvation And for Your righteous word.

135Make Your face shine upon Your

124Deal with Your servant according to

servant, And teach me Your statutes.

Your lovingkindness And teach me Your

statutes.

136My eyes shed streams of water,

Because they do not keep Your law.

125I am Your servant; give me

understanding, That I may know Your

137Righteous are You, O LORD, And

testimonies.

upright are Your judgments.

126It is time for the LORD to act, For they

138You

have

commanded

Your

have broken Your law.

testimonies

in

righteousness

And

exceeding faithfulness.

127Therefore I love Your commandments

Above gold, yes, above fine gold.

139My zeal has consumed me, Because

my adversaries have forgotten Your

128Therefore I esteem right all Your

words.

precepts concerning everything, I hate

every false way.

140Your word is very pure, Therefore

Your servant loves it.

129Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul observes them.

141I am small and despised, Yet I do not

forget Your precepts.

130The unfolding of Your words gives

light; It gives understanding to the

142Your righteousness is an everlasting

simple.

righteousness, And Your law is truth.

131I opened my mouth wide and panted,

143Trouble and anguish have come upon

For I longed for Your commandments.

me, Yet Your commandments are my

delight.

144Your testimonies are righteous 157Many are my persecutors and my

forever; Give me understanding that I

adversaries, Yet I do not turn aside from

may live.

Your testimonies.

145I cried with all my heart; answer me, 158I behold the treacherous and loathe

O LORD! I will observe Your statutes.

them, Because they do not keep Your

word.

146I cried to You; save me And I shall keep Your testimonies.

159Consider how I love Your precepts;

Revive me, O LORD, according to Your

147I rise before dawn and cry for help; I lovingkindness.

wait for Your words.

160The sum of Your word is truth, And

148My eyes anticipate the night watches,

every one of Your righteous ordinances

That I may meditate on Your word.

is everlasting.

149

161

Hear my voice according to Your

Princes persecute me without cause,

lovingkindness; Revive me, O LORD,

But my heart stands in awe of Your

according to Your ordinances.

words.

150

162

Those who follow after wickedness

I rejoice at Your word, As one who

draw near; They are far from Your law.

finds great spoil.

151

163

You are near, O LORD, And all Your

I hate and despise falsehood, But I

commandments are truth.

love Your law.

152

164

Of old I have known from Your

Seven times a day I praise You,

testimonies That You have founded

Because of Your righteous ordinances.

them forever.

165Those who love Your law have great

153Look upon my affliction and rescue

peace, And nothing causes them to

me, For I do not forget Your law.

stumble.

154

166

Plead my cause and redeem me;

I hope for Your salvation, O LORD,

Revive me according to Your word.

And do Your commandments.

155

167

Salvation is far from the wicked, For

My soul keeps Your testimonies, And

they do not seek Your statutes.

I love them exceedingly.

156

168

Great are Your mercies, O LORD;

I keep Your precepts and Your

Revive

me

according

to

Your

testimonies, For all my ways are before

ordinances.

You.

169Let my cry come before You, O LORD; 5Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, Give me understanding according to

For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Your word.

6Too long has my soul had its dwelling

170Let my supplication come before You;

With those who hate peace.

Deliver me according to Your word.

7I am for peace, but when I speak, They

171Let my lips utter praise, For You teach

are for war.

me Your statutes.

PSALM 121

172Let my tongue sing of Your word, For

all

Your

commandments

are

1I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; righteousness.

From where shall my help come?

173Let Your hand be ready to help me,

2My help comes from the LORD, Who

For I have chosen Your precepts.

made heaven and earth.

174I long for Your salvation, O LORD,

3He will not allow your foot to slip; He And Your law is my delight.

who keeps you will not slumber.

175Let my soul live that it may praise You,

4Behold, He who keeps Israel Will

And let Your ordinances help me.

neither slumber nor sleep.

176I have gone astray like a lost sheep; 5The LORD is your keeper; The LORD

seek Your servant, For I do not forget

is your shade on your right hand.

Your commandments.

6The sun will not smite you by day, Nor

PSALM 120

the moon by night.

1In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And 7The LORD will protect you from all evil;

He answered me.

He will keep your soul.

2Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying

8The LORD will guard your going out

lips, From a deceitful tongue.

and your coming in From this time forth and forever.

3What shall be given to you, and what

more shall be done to you, You deceitful

PSALM 122

tongue?

1

4

I was glad when they said to me, "Let Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the us go to the house of the LORD."

burning coals of the broom tree.

2Our feet are standing Within your gates, 4Our soul is greatly filled With the O Jerusalem,

scoffing of those who are at ease, And

with the contempt of the proud.

3Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is

compact together;

PSALM 124

4To which the tribes go up, even the

1" Had it not been the LORD who was tribes of the LORD-- An ordinance for on our side," Let Israel now say,

Israel-- To give thanks to the name of

the LORD.

2"Had it not been the LORD who was on

our side When men rose up against us,

5For there thrones were set for judgment,

The thrones of the house of David.

3Then they would have swallowed us

alive, When their anger was kindled

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May

against us;

they prosper who love you.

4Then the waters would have engulfed

7"May peace be within your walls, And us, The stream would have swept over

prosperity within your palaces."

our soul;

8For the sake of my brothers and my

5Then the raging waters would have

friends, I will now say, " May peace be swept over our soul."

within you."

6Blessed be the LORD, Who has not

9For the sake of the house of the LORD

given us to be torn by their teeth.

our God, I will seek your good.

7Our soul has escaped as a bird out of PSALM 123

the snare of the trapper; The snare is

broken and we have escaped.

1To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

8Our help is in the name of the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to

the hand of their master, As the eyes of

PSALM 125

a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God,

1Those who trust in the LORD Are as Until He is gracious to us.

Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but

abides forever.

3Be gracious to us, O LORD, be

gracious to us, For we are greatly filled 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

with contempt.

So the LORD surrounds His people

From this time forth and forever.

3For the scepter of wickedness shall not 1Unless the LORD builds the house, rest upon the land of the righteous, So They labor in vain who build it; Unless that the righteous will not put forth their the LORD guards the city, The hands to do wrong.

watchman keeps awake in vain.

4Do good, O LORD, to those who are

2It is vain for you to rise up early, To good And to those who are upright in

retire late, To eat the bread of painful their hearts.

labors; For He gives to His beloved

even in his sleep.

5But as for those who turn aside to their

crooked ways, The LORD will lead them

3Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,

away with the doers of iniquity. Peace

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

be upon Israel.

4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So

PSALM 126

are the children of one's youth.

1

5

When the LORD brought back the

How blessed is the man whose quiver

captive ones of Zion, We were like those

is full of them; They will not be ashamed

who dream.

When they speak with their enemies in

the gate.

2Then our mouth was filled with laughter

And our tongue with joyful shouting;

PSALM 128

Then they said among the nations, "The

LORD has done great things for them."

1How blessed is everyone who fears the

LORD, Who walks in His ways.

3The LORD has done great things for us;

We are glad.

2When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be 4Restore our captivity, O LORD, As the well with you.

streams in the South.

3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine 5Those who sow in tears shall reap with

Within your house, Your children like

joyful shouting.

olive plants Around your table.

6He who goes to and fro weeping,

4Behold, for thus shall the man be

carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed

blessed Who fears the LORD.

come again with a shout of joy, bringing

his sheaves with him.

5The LORD bless you from Zion, And

may

you

see

the

prosperity

of

PSALM 127

Jerusalem all the days of your life.

6Indeed, may you see your children's 3If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O

children. Peace be upon Israel!

Lord, who could stand?

4

PSALM 129

But there is forgiveness with You, That

You may be feared.

1"Many times they have persecuted me 5

from my youth up," Let Israel now say,

I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait,

And in His word do I hope.

2"Many times they have persecuted me 6

from my youth up; Yet they have not

My soul waits for the Lord More than

prevailed against me.

the watchmen for the morning; Indeed,

more than the watchmen for the

3

morning.

"The plowers plowed upon my back;

They lengthened their furrows."

7O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with

4

the LORD there is lovingkindness, And

The LORD is righteous; He has cut in

with Him is abundant redemption.

two the cords of the wicked.

8

5

And He will redeem Israel From all his

May all who hate Zion Be put to shame

iniquities.

and turned backward;

6Let them be like grass upon the

PSALM 131

housetops, Which withers before it

grows up;

1O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my

eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in

7With which the reaper does not fill his great matters, Or in things too difficult hand, Or the binder of sheaves his for me.

bosom;

2Surely I have composed and quieted

8Nor do those who pass by say, "The my soul; Like a weaned child rests

blessing of the LORD be upon you; We

against his mother, My soul is like a

bless you in the name of the LORD."

weaned child within me.

3

PSALM 130

O Israel, hope in the LORD From this

time forth and forever.

1Out of the depths I have cried to You, O

LORD.

PSALM 132

2

1

Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be

Remember, O LORD, on David's behalf,

attentive

To

the

voice

of

my

All his affliction;

supplications.

2How he swore to the LORD And vowed 14"This is My resting place forever; Here to the Mighty One of Jacob, I will dwell, for I have desired it.

3"Surely I will not enter my house, Nor 15"I will abundantly bless her provision; I lie on my bed; will satisfy her needy with bread.

4I will not give sleep to my eyes Or

16"Her priests also I will clothe with slumber to my eyelids,

salvation, And her godly ones will sing

aloud for joy.

5Until I find a place for the LORD, A

dwelling place for the Mighty One of

17"There I will cause the horn of David to Jacob."

spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.

6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah,

We found it in the field of Jaar.

18"His enemies I will clothe with shame,

But upon himself his crown shall shine."

7Let us go into His dwelling place; Let us

worship at His footstool.

PSALM 133

8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,

1Behold, how good and how pleasant it You and the ark of Your strength.

is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

9Let Your priests be clothed with

2It is like the precious oil upon the head,

righteousness, And let Your godly ones

Coming down upon the beard, Even

sing for joy.

Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the

edge of his robes.

10For the sake of David Your servant,

Do not turn away the face of Your

3It is like the dew of Hermon Coming

anointed.

down upon the mountains of Zion; For

there the LORD commanded the

11The LORD has sworn to David A truth

blessing-- life forever.

from which He will not turn back: " Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your PSALM 134

throne.

1

12

Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of

"If your sons will keep My covenant the LORD, Who serve by night in the

And My testimony which I will teach

house of the LORD!

them, Their sons also shall sit upon your

throne forever."

2Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And

13

bless the LORD.

For the LORD has chosen Zion; He

has desired it for His habitation.

3May the LORD bless you from Zion, He 11Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, who made heaven and earth.

king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of

Canaan;

PSALM 135

12And He gave their land as a heritage,

1

A heritage to Israel His people.

Praise the LORD! Praise the name of

the LORD; Praise Him, O servants of

13

the LORD,

Your name, O LORD, is everlasting,

Your

remembrance,

O

LORD,

2

throughout all generations.

You who stand in the house of the

LORD, In the courts of the house of our

14

God!

For the LORD will judge His people

And will have compassion on His

3

servants.

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.

15The idols of the nations are but silver 4

and gold, The work of man's hands.

For the LORD has chosen Jacob for

Himself, Israel for His own possession.

16They have mouths, but they do not

5

speak; They have eyes, but they do not

For I know that the LORD is great And

see;

that our Lord is above all gods.

17

6

They have ears, but they do not hear,

Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,

Nor is there any breath at all in their In heaven and in earth, in the seas and

mouths.

in all deeps.

18

7

Those who make them will be like

He causes the vapors to ascend from

them, Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

the ends of the earth; Who makes

lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth 19

the wind from His treasuries.

O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O

house of Aaron, bless the LORD;

8He smote the firstborn of Egypt, Both of

20

man and beast.

O house of Levi, bless the LORD; You

who revere the LORD, bless the LORD.

9He sent signs and wonders into your

21

midst, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all

Blessed be the LORD from Zion, Who

his servants.

dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

10He smote many nations And slew

PSALM 136

mighty kings,

1Give thanks to the LORD, for He is 13To Him who divided the Red Sea good,

For

His

lovingkindness

is

asunder, For His lovingkindness is

everlasting.

everlasting,

2Give thanks to the God of gods, For His

14And made Israel pass through the

lovingkindness is everlasting.

midst of it, For His lovingkindness is

everlasting;

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For

His lovingkindness is everlasting.

15But He overthrew Pharaoh and his

army in the Red Sea, For His

4To Him who alone does great wonders,

lovingkindness is everlasting.

For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

16To Him who led His people through

5To Him who made the heavens with

the wilderness, For His lovingkindness

skill,

For

His

lovingkindness

is

is everlasting;

everlasting;

17To Him who smote great kings, For

6To Him who spread out the earth above

His lovingkindness is everlasting,

the waters, For His lovingkindness is

everlasting;

18And slew mighty kings, For His

lovingkindness is everlasting:

7To Him who made the great lights, For

His lovingkindness is everlasting:

19Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His

lovingkindness is everlasting,

8The sun to rule by day, For His

lovingkindness is everlasting,

20And Og, king of Bashan, For His

lovingkindness is everlasting,

9The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

21And gave their land as a heritage, For

His lovingkindness is everlasting,

10To Him who smote the Egyptians in

their firstborn, For His lovingkindness is 22Even a heritage to Israel His servant, everlasting, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

11And brought Israel out from their midst,

23Who remembered us in our low estate,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

12With a strong hand and an

24And has rescued us from our

outstretched

arm,

For

His

adversaries, For His lovingkindness is

lovingkindness is everlasting.

everlasting;

25Who gives food to all flesh, For His PSALM 138

lovingkindness is everlasting.

1I will give You thanks with all my heart; 26Give thanks to the God of heaven, For

I will sing praises to You before the gods.

His lovingkindness is everlasting.

2I will bow down toward Your holy

PSALM 137

temple And give thanks to Your name

for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

1By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat For You have magnified Your word

down and wept, When we remembered

according to all Your name.

Zion.

3On the day I called, You answered me;

2Upon the willows in the midst of it We You made me bold with strength in my

hung our harps.

soul.

3

4

For there our captors demanded of us

All the kings of the earth will give

songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying,

thanks to You, O LORD, When they

"Sing us one of the songs of Zion."

have heard the words of Your mouth.

4

5

How can we sing the LORD'S song In a

And they will sing of the ways of the

foreign land?

LORD, For great is the glory of the

LORD.

5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my

6

right hand forget her skill.

For though the LORD is exalted, Yet

He regards the lowly, But the haughty

6

He knows from afar.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my

mouth If I do not remember you, If I do 7

not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

You will revive me; You will stretch forth

7

Your hand against the wrath of my

Remember, O LORD, against the sons

enemies, And Your right hand will save

of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who

me.

said, "Raze it, raze it To its very foundation."

8The LORD will accomplish what

8

concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O

O daughter of Babylon, you devastated

LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the

one, How blessed will be the one who

works of Your hands.

repays you With the recompense with

which you have repaid us.

PSALM 139

9How blessed will be the one who seizes

and dashes your little ones Against the

1O LORD, You have searched me and rock.

known me.

2You know when I sit down and when I 14I will give thanks to You, for I am rise up; You understand my thought

fearfully

and

wonderfully

made;

from afar.

Wonderful are Your works, And my soul

knows it very well.

3You scrutinize my path and my lying

down, And are intimately acquainted

15My frame was not hidden from You,

with all my ways.

When I was made in secret, And

skillfully wrought in the depths of the

4Even before there is a word on my

earth;

tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it

all.

16Your eyes have seen my unformed

substance; And in Your book were all

5You have enclosed me behind and

written The days that were ordained for

before, And laid Your hand upon me.

me, When as yet there was not one of

them.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for

17

me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

How precious also are Your thoughts

to me, O God! How vast is the sum of

7

them!

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or

where can I flee from Your presence?

18If I should count them, they would

8

outnumber the sand. When I awake, I

If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I

am still with You.

make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are

there.

19O that You would slay the wicked, O

9

God; Depart from me, therefore, men of

If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell

bloodshed.

in the remotest part of the sea,

20

10

For they speak against You wickedly,

Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your enemies take Your name in

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

vain.

11If I say, "Surely the darkness will 21Do I not hate those who hate You, O

overwhelm me, And the light around me

LORD? And do I not loathe those who

will be night,"

rise up against You?

12Even the darkness is not dark to You,

22I hate them with the utmost hatred;

And the night is as bright as the day.

They have become my enemies.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

23

13

Search me, O God, and know my

For You formed my inward parts; You

heart; Try me and know my anxious

wove me in my mother's womb.

thoughts;

24And see if there be any hurtful way in 10"May burning coals fall upon them; me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

May they be cast into the fire, Into deep

pits from which they cannot rise.

PSALM 140

11"May a slanderer not be established in

1

the earth; May evil hunt the violent man

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men;

speedily."

Preserve me from violent men

12

2

I know that the LORD will maintain the

Who devise evil things in their hearts;

cause of the afflicted And justice for the

They continually stir up wars.

poor.

3They sharpen their tongues as a

13Surely the righteous will give thanks to

serpent; Poison of a viper is under their

Your name; The upright will dwell in

lips. Selah.

Your presence.

4Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of

the wicked; Preserve me from violent

PSALM 141

men Who have purposed to trip up my

feet.

1O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to You!

5The proud have hidden a trap for me,

and cords; They have spread a net by

2May my prayer be counted as incense

the wayside; They have set snares for

before You; The lifting up of my hands

me. Selah.

as the evening offering.

6I said to the LORD, "You are my God; 3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;

Give ear, O LORD, to the voice of my

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

supplications.

4Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,

7"O GOD the Lord, the strength of my To practice deeds of wickedness With

salvation, You have covered my head in

men who do iniquity; And do not let me

the day of battle.

eat of their delicacies.

8"Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of 5Let the righteous smite me in kindness

the wicked; Do not promote his evil

and reprove me; It is oil upon the head;

device, that they not be exalted. Selah.

Do not let my head refuse it, For still my

prayer is against their wicked deeds.

9"As for the head of those who surround

me, May the mischief of their lips cover 6Their judges are thrown down by the

them.

sides of the rock, And they hear my

words, for they are pleasant.

7As when one plows and breaks open 7" Bring my soul out of prison, So that I the earth, Our bones have been may give thanks to Your name; The

scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

righteous will surround me, For You will

deal bountifully with me."

8For my eyes are toward You, O GOD,

the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not PSALM 143

leave me defenseless.

1Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to 9Keep me from the jaws of the trap

my supplications! Answer me in Your

which they have set for me, And from

faithfulness, in Your righteousness!

the snares of those who do iniquity.

2And do not enter into judgment with

10Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

Your servant, For in Your sight no man

While I pass by safely.

living is righteous.

PSALM 142

3For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

1I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I He has made me dwell in dark places,

make supplication with my voice to the

like those who have long been dead.

LORD.

4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed

2I pour out my complaint before Him; I

within me; My heart is appalled within

declare my trouble before Him.

me.

3

5

When my spirit was overwhelmed

I remember the days of old; I meditate

within me, You knew my path. In the

on all Your doings; I muse on the work way where I walk They have hidden a

of Your hands.

trap for me.

6I stretch out my hands to You; My soul

4Look to the right and see; For there is longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.

no one who regards me; There is no

escape for me; No one cares for my

7Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit

soul.

fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or

I will become like those who go down to

5I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You the pit.

are my refuge, My portion in the land of

the living.

8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the

morning; For I trust in You; Teach me

6" Give heed to my cry, For I am brought

the way in which I should walk; For to very

low;

Deliver

me

from

my

You I lift up my soul.

persecutors, For they are too strong for me.

9Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;

I take refuge in You.

10Teach me to do Your will, For You are 8Whose mouths speak deceit, And

my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me

whose right hand is a right hand of

on level ground.

falsehood.

11For the sake of Your name, O LORD,

9I will sing a new song to You, O God; revive me. In Your righteousness bring

Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing my soul out of trouble.

praises to You,

12And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my

10Who gives salvation to kings, Who

enemies And destroy all those who

rescues David His servant from the evil

afflict my soul, For I am Your servant.

sword.

11

PSALM 144

Rescue me and deliver me out of the

hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaks

1

deceit And whose right hand is a right

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who

hand of falsehood.

trains my hands for war, And my fingers

for battle;

12Let our sons in their youth be as

2

grown-up plants, And our daughters as

My lovingkindness and my fortress, My

corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;

stronghold and my deliverer, My shield

and He in whom I take refuge, Who

13

subdues my people under me.

Let our garners be full, furnishing

every kind of produce, And our flocks

3

bring forth thousands and ten thousands

O LORD, what is man, that You take

in our fields;

knowledge of him? Or the son of man,

that You think of him?

14Let our cattle bear Without mishap and

4

without loss, Let there be no outcry in Man is like a mere breath; His days are

our streets!

like a passing shadow.

15

5

How blessed are the people who are

Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and

so situated; How blessed are the people

come down; Touch the mountains, that

whose God is the LORD!

they may smoke.

6Flash forth lightning and scatter them;

PSALM 145

Send out Your arrows and confuse them. 1I will extol You, my God, O King, And I 7Stretch forth Your hand from on high; will bless Your name forever and ever.

Rescue me and deliver me out of great

waters, Out of the hand of aliens

2Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3Great is the LORD, and highly to be 14The LORD sustains all who fall And praised,

And

His

greatness

is

raises up all who are bowed down.

unsearchable.

15The eyes of all look to You, And You 4One generation shall praise Your works

give them their food in due time.

to another, And shall declare Your

mighty acts.

16You open Your hand And satisfy the

desire of every living thing.

5On the glorious splendor of Your

majesty And on Your wonderful works, I

17The LORD is righteous in all His ways

will meditate.

And kind in all His deeds.

6Men shall speak of the power of Your

18The LORD is near to all who call upon

awesome acts, And I will tell of Your

Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

greatness.

19He will fulfill the desire of those who 7They shall eagerly utter the memory of

fear Him; He will also hear their cry and

Your abundant goodness And will shout

will save them.

joyfully of Your righteousness.

20The LORD keeps all who love Him,

8The LORD is gracious and merciful;

But all the wicked He will destroy.

Slow

to

anger

and

great

in

lovingkindness.

21My mouth will speak the praise of the

LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy 9The LORD is good to all, And His

name forever and ever.

mercies are over all His works.

PSALM 146

10All Your works shall give thanks to You,

O LORD, And Your godly ones shall

1

bless You.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O

my soul!

11They shall speak of the glory of Your 2

kingdom And talk of Your power;

I will praise the LORD while I live; I will

sing praises to my God while I have my

12

being.

To make known to the sons of men

Your mighty acts And the glory of the

3

majesty of Your kingdom.

Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting

4

kingdom, And Your dominion endures

His spirit departs, he returns to the

throughout all generations.

earth; In that very day his thoughts

perish.

5How blessed is he whose help is the 6The LORD supports the afflicted; He God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the

brings down the wicked to the ground.

LORD his God,

7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

6Who made heaven and earth, The sea

Sing praises to our God on the lyre,

and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;

8Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who provides rain for the earth, Who

7Who executes justice for the oppressed;

makes grass to grow on the mountains.

Who gives food to the hungry. The

LORD sets the prisoners free.

9He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens which cry.

8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;

The LORD raises up those who are

10He does not delight in the strength of bowed down; The LORD loves the

the horse; He does not take pleasure in

righteous;

the legs of a man.

9The LORD protects the strangers; He

11The LORD favors those who fear Him,

supports the fatherless and the widow,

Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

12Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise

10The LORD will reign forever, Your God,

your God, O Zion!

O Zion, to all generations. Praise the

LORD!

13For He has strengthened the bars of

your gates; He has blessed your sons

PSALM 147

within you.

1Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing 14He makes peace in your borders; He

praises to our God; For it is pleasant

satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.

and praise is becoming.

15He sends forth His command to the

2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He

earth; His word runs very swiftly.

gathers the outcasts of Israel.

16He gives snow like wool; He scatters

3He heals the brokenhearted And binds

the frost like ashes.

up their wounds.

17He casts forth His ice as fragments;

4He counts the number of the stars; He

Who can stand before His cold?

gives names to all of them.

18He sends forth His word and melts

5Great is our Lord and abundant in

them; He causes His wind to blow and

strength; His understanding is infinite.

the waters to flow.

19He declares His words to Jacob, His 11Kings of the earth and all peoples; statutes and His ordinances to Israel.

Princes and all judges of the earth;

20He has not dealt thus with any nation;

12Both young men and virgins; Old men

And as for His ordinances, they have

and children.

not known them. Praise the LORD!

13Let them praise the name of the LORD,

PSALM 148

For His name alone is exalted; His glory

is above earth and heaven.

1Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD

14

from the heavens; Praise Him in the

And He has lifted up a horn for His

heights!

people, Praise for all His godly ones;

Even for the sons of Israel, a people

2

near to Him. Praise the LORD!

Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him,

all His hosts!

PSALM 149

3Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him,

all stars of light!

1Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the

4Praise Him, highest heavens, And the

congregation of the godly ones.

waters that are above the heavens!

2Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the

5Let them praise the name of the LORD,

sons of Zion rejoice in their King.

For He commanded and they were

created.

3Let them praise His name with dancing;

Let them sing praises to Him with

6He has also established them forever

timbrel and lyre.

and ever; He has made a decree which

will not pass away.

4For the LORD takes pleasure in His

people; He will beautify the afflicted

7Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea

ones with salvation.

monsters and all deeps;

5Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let 8Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy

them sing for joy on their beds.

wind, fulfilling His word;

6Let the high praises of God be in their

9Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and mouth, And a two-edged sword in their

all cedars;

hand,

10

7

Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things

To execute vengeance on the nations

and winged fowl;

And punishment on the peoples,

8To bind their kings with chains And 3Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise their nobles with fetters of iron,

Him with harp and lyre.

9To execute on them the judgment

4Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

written; This is an honor for all His godly

Praise Him with stringed instruments

ones. Praise the LORD!

and pipe.

5

PSALM 150

Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise

Him with resounding cymbals.

1Praise the LORD! Praise God in His 6

sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty

Let everything that has breath praise

expanse.

the LORD. Praise the LORD!

2Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent

greatness.

Proverbs

12Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,

Even whole, as those who go down to

1The proverbs of Solomon the son of the pit; David, king of Israel:

13We will find all kinds of precious

2

wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil;

To know wisdom and instruction, To

discern the sayings of understanding,

14Throw in your lot with us, We shall all

3

have one purse,"

To receive instruction in wise behavior,

Righteousness, justice and equity;

15My son, do not walk in the way with

4

them. Keep your feet from their path,

To give prudence to the naive, To the

youth knowledge and discretion,

16For their feet run to evil And they

5

hasten to shed blood.

A wise man will hear and increase in

learning, And a man of understanding

17Indeed, it is useless to spread the

will acquire wise counsel,

baited net In the sight of any bird;

6To understand a proverb and a figure,

18

The words of the wise and their riddles.

But they lie in wait for their own blood;

They ambush their own lives.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning

19

of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom

So are the ways of everyone who

and instruction.

gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.

8Hear, my son, your father's instruction

20

And do not forsake your mother's

Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts

teaching;

her voice in the square;

21

9

At the head of the noisy streets she

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to

cries out; At the entrance of the gates in

your head And ornaments about your

neck.

the city she utters her sayings:

22

10My son, if sinners entice you, Do not

"How long, O naive ones, will you love

being simple-minded? And scoffers

consent.

delight themselves in scoffing And fools

11

hate knowledge?

If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the

innocent without cause;

23"Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my 2My son, if you will receive my words

words known to you.

And treasure my commandments within

you,

24"Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid 2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,

attention;

Incline your heart to understanding;

25And you neglected all my counsel And

3For if you cry for discernment, Lift your

did not want my reproof;

voice for understanding;

26I will also laugh at your calamity; I will

4If you seek her as silver And search for

mock when your dread comes,

her as for hidden treasures;

27When your dread comes like a storm

5Then you will discern the fear of the

And your calamity comes like a

LORD And discover the knowledge of

whirlwind, When distress and anguish

God.

come upon you.

6

28

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His

"Then they will call on me, but I will not mouth

come

knowledge

and

answer; They will seek me diligently but

understanding.

they will not find me,

7

29

He stores up sound wisdom for the

Because they hated knowledge And

upright; He is a shield to those who walk

did not choose the fear of the LORD.

in integrity,

30"They would not accept my counsel, 8Guarding the paths of justice, And He

They spurned all my reproof.

preserves the way of His godly ones.

31"So they shall eat of the fruit of their 9Then you will discern righteousness own way And be satiated with their own

and justice And equity and every good

devices.

course.

32"For the waywardness of the naive will

10For wisdom will enter your heart And

kill them, And the complacency of fools

knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

will destroy them.

11

33

Discretion

will

guard

you,

"But he who listens to me shall live Understanding will watch over you,

securely And will be at ease from the

dread of evil."

12To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse

things;

13From those who leave the paths of 3Do not let kindness and truth leave you; uprightness To walk in the ways of

Bind them around your neck, Write them

darkness;

on the tablet of your heart.

14Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in

4So you will find favor and good repute the perversity of evil;

In the sight of God and man.

15Whose paths are crooked, And who

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart

are devious in their ways;

And do not lean on your own

understanding.

16To deliver you from the strange

woman, From the adulteress who

6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And

flatters with her words;

He will make your paths straight.

17That leaves the companion of her

7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear

youth And forgets the covenant of her

the LORD and turn away from evil.

God;

8It will be healing to your body And

18For her house sinks down to death

refreshment to your bones.

And her tracks lead to the dead;

9Honor the LORD from your wealth And

19None who go to her return again, Nor

from the first of all your produce;

do they reach the paths of life.

10So your barns will be filled with plenty

20So you will walk in the way of good

And your vats will overflow with new

men And keep to the paths of the

wine.

righteous.

11My son, do not reject the discipline of

21For the upright will live in the land And

the LORD Or loathe His reproof,

the blameless will remain in it;

12For whom the LORD loves He

22But the wicked will be cut off from the

reproves, Even as a father corrects the

land And the treacherous will be

son in whom he delights.

uprooted from it.

13How blessed is the man who finds

3

wisdom And the man who gains

My son, do not forget my teaching,

understanding.

But

let

your

heart

keep

my

14

commandments;

For her profit is better than the profit of

silver And her gain better than fine gold.

2For length of days and years of life And

peace they will add to you.

15She is more precious than jewels; And 27Do not withhold good from those to nothing you desire compares with her.

whom it is due, When it is in your power

to do it.

16Long life is in her right hand; In her left

hand are riches and honor.

28Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and

come back, And tomorrow I will give it,"

17Her ways are pleasant ways And all

When you have it with you.

her paths are peace.

29Do not devise harm against your

18She is a tree of life to those who take

neighbor, While he lives securely beside

hold of her, And happy are all who hold

you.

her fast.

30Do not contend with a man without

19The LORD by wisdom founded the

cause, If he has done you no harm.

earth, By understanding He established

the heavens.

31Do not envy a man of violence And do

not choose any of his ways.

20By His knowledge the deeps were

broken up And the skies drip with dew.

32For the devious are an abomination to

the LORD; But He is intimate with the

21My son, let them not vanish from your

upright.

sight;

Keep

sound

wisdom

and

discretion,

33The curse of the LORD is on the

house of the wicked, But He blesses the

22So they will be life to your soul And dwelling of the righteous.

adornment to your neck.

34Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet

23Then you will walk in your way

He gives grace to the afflicted.

securely And your foot will not stumble.

35The wise will inherit honor, But fools 24When you lie down, you will not be

display dishonor.

afraid; When you lie down, your sleep

will be sweet.

4Hear, O sons, the instruction of a 25Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of

father, And give attention that you may

the onslaught of the wicked when it

gain understanding,

comes;

2For I give you sound teaching; Do not

26For the LORD will be your confidence

abandon my instruction.

And will keep your foot from being

caught.

3When I was a son to my father, Tender 15Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away and the only son in the sight of my

from it and pass on.

mother,

16For they cannot sleep unless they do

4Then he taught me and said to me, "Let

evil; And they are robbed of sleep

your heart hold fast my words; Keep my

unless they make someone stumble.

commandments and live;

17For they eat the bread of wickedness

5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!

And drink the wine of violence.

Do not forget nor turn away from the

words of my mouth.

18But the path of the righteous is like the

light of dawn, That shines brighter and

6"Do not forsake her, and she will guard

brighter until the full day.

you; Love her, and she will watch over

you.

19The way of the wicked is like darkness;

They do not know over what they

7" The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire stumble.

wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get

understanding.

20My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

8" Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her.

21Do not let them depart from your sight;

Keep them in the midst of your heart.

9"She will place on your head a garland

of grace; She will present you with a

22For they are life to those who find

crown of beauty."

them And health to all their body.

10Hear, my son, and accept my sayings

23Watch over your heart with all

And the years of your life will be many.

diligence, For from it flow the springs of

life.

11I have directed you in the way of

wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.

24Put away from you a deceitful mouth

And put devious speech far from you.

12When you walk, your steps will not be

impeded; And if you run, you will not

25Let your eyes look directly ahead And

stumble.

let your gaze be fixed straight in front of

you.

13Take hold of instruction; do not let go.

Guard her, for she is your life.

26Watch the path of your feet And all

your ways will be established.

14Do not enter the path of the wicked

And do not proceed in the way of evil

men.

27Do not turn to the right nor to the left; 12And you say, "How I have hated Turn your foot from evil.

instruction! And my heart spurned

reproof!

5

13

My son, give attention to my wisdom,

"I have not listened to the voice of my Incline your ear to my understanding;

teachers, Nor inclined my ear to my

instructors!

2That you may observe discretion And

14"I was almost in utter ruin In the midst your lips may reserve knowledge.

of the assembly and congregation."

3For the lips of an adulteress drip honey

15

And smoother than oil is her speech;

Drink water from your own cistern And

fresh water from your own well.

4But in the end she is bitter as

16

wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged

Should your springs be dispersed

sword.

abroad, Streams of water in the streets?

17

5

Let them be yours alone And not for

Her feet go down to death, Her steps

take hold of Sheol.

strangers with you.

18

6She does not ponder the path of life;

Let your fountain be blessed, And

rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Her ways are unstable, she does not

know it.

19As a loving hind and a graceful doe,

7Now then, my sons, listen to me And do

Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; not depart from the words of my mouth.

Be exhilarated always with her love.

20

8Keep your way far from her And do not

For why should you, my son, be

go near the door of her house,

exhilarated with an adulteress And

embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

9Or you will give your vigor to others

21

And your years to the cruel one;

For the ways of a man are before the

eyes of the LORD, And He watches all

10

his paths.

And strangers will be filled with your

strength And your hard-earned goods

22His own iniquities will capture the

will go to the house of an alien;

wicked, And he will be held with the

11

cords of his sin.

And you groan at your final end, When

your flesh and your body are consumed;

23He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

13

6

Who winks with his eyes, who signals

My son, if you have become surety

with his feet, Who points with his fingers;

for your neighbor, Have given a pledge

14

for a stranger,

Who with perversity in his heart

continually devises evil, Who spreads

2If you have been snared with the words

strife.

of your mouth, Have been caught with

15

the words of your mouth,

Therefore his calamity will come

suddenly; Instantly he will be broken

3Do this then, my son, and deliver

and there will be no healing.

yourself; Since you have come into the

16

hand of your neighbor, Go, humble

There are six things which the LORD

yourself, and importune your neighbor.

hates, Yes, seven which are an

abomination to Him:

4Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor

17

slumber to your eyelids;

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And

hands that shed innocent blood,

5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the

18

hunter's hand And like a bird from the

A heart that devises wicked plans,

hand of the fowler.

Feet that run rapidly to evil,

6

19

Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her

A false witness who utters lies, And

ways and be wise,

one who spreads strife among brothers.

7

20

Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler,

My son, observe the commandment of

your father And do not forsake the

8

teaching of your mother;

Prepares her food in the summer And

gathers her provision in the harvest.

21Bind them continually on your heart;

9How long will you lie down, O sluggard? Tie them around your neck.

When will you arise from your sleep?

22When you walk about, they will guide

10" A little sleep, a little slumber, A little you; When you sleep, they will watch folding of the hands to rest"--

over you; And when you awake, they

will talk to you.

11Your poverty will come in like a

23

vagabond And your need like an armed

For the commandment is a lamp and

man.

the teaching is light; And reproofs for

discipline are the way of life

12A worthless person, a wicked man, Is

24To keep you from the evil woman,

the one who walks with a perverse

mouth,

From the smooth tongue of the

adulteress.

25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, 2Keep my commandments and live, And Nor let her capture you with her eyelids.

my teaching as the apple of your eye.

26For on account of a harlot one is

3Bind them on your fingers; Write them

reduced to a loaf of bread, And an

on the tablet of your heart.

adulteress hunts for the precious life.

4Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

27Can a man take fire in his bosom And

And call understanding your intimate

his clothes not be burned?

friend;

28Or can a man walk on hot coals And

5That they may keep you from an

his feet not be scorched?

adulteress, From the foreigner who

flatters with her words.

29So is the one who goes in to his

neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her

6For at the window of my house I looked

will not go unpunished.

out through my lattice,

30Men do not despise a thief if he steals

7And I saw among the naive, And

To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

discerned among the youths A young

man lacking sense,

31But when he is found, he must repay

sevenfold; He must give all the

8Passing through the street near her

substance of his house.

corner; And he takes the way to her

house,

32The one who commits adultery with a

woman is lacking sense; He who would

9In the twilight, in the evening, In the destroy himself does it.

middle of the night and in the darkness.

33Wounds and disgrace he will find, And

10And behold, a woman comes to meet

his reproach will not be blotted out.

him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of

heart.

34For jealousy enrages a man, And he

will not spare in the day of vengeance.

11She is boisterous and rebellious, Her

feet do not remain at home;

35He will not accept any ransom, Nor will

he be satisfied though you give many

12She is now in the streets, now in the gifts.

squares, And lurks by every corner.

13

7

So she seizes him and kisses him And

My son, keep my words And treasure

with a brazen face she says to him:

my commandments within you.

14"I was due to offer peace offerings; 26For many are the victims she has cast Today I have paid my vows.

down, And numerous are all her slain.

15"Therefore I have come out to meet 27Her house is the way to Sheol,

you, To seek your presence earnestly,

Descending to the chambers of death.

and I have found you.

16"I have spread my couch with

8Does not wisdom call, And

coverings, With colored linens of Egypt.

understanding lift up her voice?

17"I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, 2On top of the heights beside the way, aloes and cinnamon.

Where the paths meet, she takes her

stand;

18"Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with

3Beside the gates, at the opening to the

caresses.

city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

19"For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;

4"To you, O men, I call, And my voice is

to the sons of men.

20He has taken a bag of money with him,

At the full moon he will come home."

5"O naive ones, understand prudence;

And, O fools, understand wisdom.

21With her many persuasions she

entices him; With her flattering lips she 6"Listen, for I will speak noble things; seduces him.

And the opening of my lips will reveal

right things.

22Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes

to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to 7"For my mouth will utter truth; And the discipline of a fool, wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

23Until an arrow pierces through his liver;

8"All the utterances of my mouth are in As a bird hastens to the snare, So he righteousness; There is nothing crooked

does not know that it will cost him his life. or perverted in them.

24Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,

9"They are all straightforward to him who And pay attention to the words of my

understands, And right to those who find

mouth.

knowledge.

25Do not let your heart turn aside to her

10"Take my instruction and not silver, ways, Do not stray into her paths.

And knowledge rather than choicest

gold.

11"For wisdom is better than jewels; And 23"From everlasting I was established, all desirable things cannot compare with From the beginning, from the earliest

her.

times of the earth.

12"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I

24"When there were no depths I was

find knowledge and discretion.

brought forth, When there were no

springs abounding with water.

13"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way 25" Before the mountains were settled, And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Before the hills I was brought forth;

14" Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I

26While He had not yet made the earth

am understanding, power is mine.

and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

15"By me kings reign, And rulers decree

justice.

27"When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle

16"By me princes rule, and nobles, All on the face of the deep,

who judge rightly.

28When He made firm the skies above,

17"I love those who love me; And those When the springs of the deep became

who diligently seek me will find me.

fixed,

18

29

" Riches and honor are with me,

When He set for the sea its boundary

Enduring wealth and righteousness.

So that the water would not transgress

His command, When He marked out the

19

foundations of the earth;

"My fruit is better than gold, even pure

gold, And my yield better than choicest

30

silver.

Then I was beside Him, as a master

workman; And I was daily His delight,

20

Rejoicing always before Him,

"I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And 21

having my delight in the sons of men.

To endow those who love me with

wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

32"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, 22

For blessed are they who keep my ways.

"The LORD possessed me at the

beginning of His way, Before His works

33

of old.

" Heed instruction and be wise, And do

not neglect it.

34" Blessed is the man who listens to me, 9Give instruction to a wise man and he Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at

will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man

my doorposts.

and he will increase his learning.

35"For he who finds me finds life And 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning

obtains favor from the LORD.

of wisdom, And the knowledge of the

Holy One is understanding.

36"But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love

11For by me your days will be multiplied,

death."

And years of life will be added to you.

12

9

If you are wise, you are wise for

Wisdom has built her house, She has

yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will

bear it.

hewn out her seven pillars;

13

2She has prepared her food, she has

The woman of folly is boisterous, She

mixed her wine; She has also set her

is naive and knows nothing.

table;

14She sits at the doorway of her house,

3She has sent out her maidens, she

On a seat by the high places of the city,

calls From the tops of the heights of the

15

city:

Calling to those who pass by, Who are

making their paths straight:

4" Whoever is naive, let him turn in 16

here!" To him who lacks understanding

" Whoever is naive, let him turn in she says,

here,"

And

to

him

who

lacks

understanding she says,

5"Come, eat of my food And drink of the

17

wine I have mixed.

"Stolen water is sweet; And bread

eaten in secret is pleasant."

6"Forsake your folly and live, And

18

proceed in the way of understanding."

But he does not know that the dead

are there, That her guests are in the

7He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor

depths of Sheol.

for himself, And he who reproves a

wicked man gets insults for himself.

10The proverbs of Solomon. A wise

8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate

son makes a father glad, But a foolish

you, Reprove a wise man and he will

son is a grief to his mother.

love you.

2Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But

righteousness delivers from death.

3The LORD will not allow the righteous 14Wise men store up knowledge, But to hunger, But He will reject the craving

with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at of the wicked.

hand.

4Poor is he who works with a negligent

15The rich man's wealth is his fortress, hand, But the hand of the diligent makes

The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

rich.

16The wages of the righteous is life, The

5He who gathers in summer is a son

income of the wicked, punishment.

who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in

harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

17He is on the path of life who heeds

instruction, But he who ignores reproof

6Blessings are on the head of the

goes astray.

righteous, But the mouth of the wicked

conceals violence.

18He who conceals hatred has lying lips,

And he who spreads slander is a fool.

7The memory of the righteous is blessed,

But the name of the wicked will rot.

19When there are many words,

transgression is unavoidable, But he

8The wise of heart will receive

who restrains his lips is wise.

commands, But a babbling fool will be

ruined.

20The tongue of the righteous is as

choice silver, The heart of the wicked is

9He who walks in integrity walks

worth little.

securely, But he who perverts his ways

will be found out.

21The lips of the righteous feed many,

But fools die for lack of understanding.

10He who winks the eye causes trouble,

And a babbling fool will be ruined.

22It is the blessing of the LORD that

makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.

11The mouth of the righteous is a

fountain of life, But the mouth of the

23Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,

wicked conceals violence.

And so is wisdom to a man of

understanding.

12Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.

24What the wicked fears will come upon

him, But the desire of the righteous will 13On the lips of the discerning, wisdom be granted.

is found, But a rod is for the back of him

who lacks understanding.

25When the whirlwind passes, the

wicked is no more, But the righteous

has an everlasting foundation.

26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to 5The righteousness of the blameless will the eyes, So is the lazy one to those

smooth his way, But the wicked will fall who send him.

by his own wickedness.

27The fear of the LORD prolongs life,

6The righteousness of the upright will

But the years of the wicked will be

deliver them, But the treacherous will be

shortened.

caught by their own greed.

28The hope of the righteous is gladness,

7When a wicked man dies, his

But the expectation of the wicked

expectation will perish, And the hope of perishes.

strong men perishes.

29The way of the LORD is a stronghold

8The righteous is delivered from trouble,

to the upright, But ruin to the workers of

But the wicked takes his place.

iniquity.

9With his mouth the godless man

30The righteous will never be shaken,

destroys his neighbor, But through

But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

knowledge

the

righteous

will

be

delivered.

31The mouth of the righteous flows with

wisdom, But the perverted tongue will

10When it goes well with the righteous,

be cut out.

the city rejoices, And when the wicked

perish, there is joyful shouting.

32The lips of the righteous bring forth

what is acceptable, But the mouth of the

11By the blessing of the upright a city is

wicked what is perverted.

exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked

it is torn down.

11

12

A false balance is an abomination

He who despises his neighbor lacks

to the LORD, But a just weight is His

sense, But a man of understanding

delight.

keeps silent.

13

2When pride comes, then comes

He who goes about as a talebearer

dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

3The integrity of the upright will guide 14Where there is no guidance the people

them, But the crookedness of the

treacherous will destroy them.

fall, But in abundance of counselors

there is victory.

4Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,

15He who is guarantor for a stranger will

But righteousness delivers from death.

surely suffer for it, But he who hates

being a guarantor is secure.

16A gracious woman attains honor, And 27He who diligently seeks good seeks ruthless men attain riches.

favor, But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

17The merciful man does himself good,

But the cruel man does himself harm.

28He who trusts in his riches will fall, But

the righteous will flourish like the green 18The wicked earns deceptive wages,

leaf.

But he who sows righteousness gets a

true reward.

29He who troubles his own house will

inherit wind, And the foolish will be

19He who is steadfast in righteousness

servant to the wisehearted.

will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.

20The perverse in heart are an

abomination to the LORD, But the

31If the righteous will be rewarded in the

blameless in their walk are His delight.

earth, How much more the wicked and

the sinner!

21Assuredly, the evil man will not go

unpunished, But the descendants of the

righteous will be delivered.

12Whoever loves discipline loves

knowledge, But he who hates reproof is

22As a ring of gold in a swine's snout So

stupid.

is a beautiful woman who lacks

discretion.

2A good man will obtain favor from the

LORD, But He will condemn a man who

23The desire of the righteous is only

devises evil.

good, But the expectation of the wicked

is wrath.

3A man will not be established by

wickedness, But the root of the

24There is one who scatters, and yet

righteous will not be moved.

increases all the more, And there is one

who withholds what is justly due, and

4An excellent wife is the crown of her

yet it results only in want.

husband, But she who shames him is

like rottenness in his bones.

25The generous man will be prosperous,

And he who waters will himself be

5The thoughts of the righteous are just, watered.

But the counsels of the wicked are

deceitful.

26He who withholds grain, the people will

curse him, But blessing will be on the

head of him who sells it.

6The words of the wicked lie in wait for 17He who speaks truth tells what is right, blood, But the mouth of the upright will But a false witness, deceit.

deliver them.

18There is one who speaks rashly like

7The wicked are overthrown and are no

the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of

more, But the house of the righteous will

the wise brings healing.

stand.

19Truthful lips will be established forever,

8A man will be praised according to his

But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

insight, But one of perverse mind will be

despised.

20Deceit is in the heart of those who

devise evil, But counselors of peace

9Better is he who is lightly esteemed and

have joy.

has a servant Than he who honors

himself and lacks bread.

21No harm befalls the righteous, But the

wicked are filled with trouble.

10A righteous man has regard for the life

of his animal, But even the compassion

22Lying lips are an abomination to the

of the wicked is cruel.

LORD, But those who deal faithfully are

His delight.

11He who tills his land will have plenty of

bread, But he who pursues worthless

23A prudent man conceals knowledge,

things lacks sense.

But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

12The wicked man desires the booty of

24The hand of the diligent will rule, But evil men, But the root of the righteous the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

yields fruit.

25Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it

13An evil man is ensnared by the

down, But a good word makes it glad.

transgression of his lips, But the

righteous will escape from trouble.

26The righteous is a guide to his

neighbor, But the way of the wicked

14A man will be satisfied with good by

leads them astray.

the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a

man's hands will return to him.

27A lazy man does not roast his prey,

But the precious possession of a man is

15The way of a fool is right in his own diligence.

eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

28In the way of righteousness is life, And

in its pathway there is no death.

16A fool's anger is known at once, But a

prudent man conceals dishonor.

12

13

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

A wise son accepts his father's

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

discipline, But a scoffer does not listen 13

to rebuke.

The one who despises the word will be

in debt to it, But the one who fears the 2From the fruit of a man's mouth he

commandment will be rewarded.

enjoys good, But the desire of the

14

treacherous is violence.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain

of life, To turn aside from the snares of 3The one who guards his mouth

death.

preserves his life; The one who opens

15

wide his lips comes to ruin.

Good understanding produces favor,

But the way of the treacherous is hard.

4The soul of the sluggard craves and

16

gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent

Every

prudent

man

acts

with

is made fat.

knowledge, But a fool displays folly.

5

17

A righteous man hates falsehood, But a

A

wicked

messenger

falls

into

wicked man acts disgustingly and

adversity, But a faithful envoy brings

shamefully.

healing.

6

18

Righteousness guards the one whose

Poverty and shame will come to him

way is blameless, But wickedness

who neglects discipline, But he who

subverts the sinner.

regards reproof will be honored.

7

19

There is one who pretends to be rich,

Desire realized is sweet to the soul,

but has nothing; Another pretends to be

But it is an abomination to fools to turn poor, but has great wealth.

away from evil.

8

20

The ransom of a man's life is his wealth,

He who walks with wise men will be

But the poor hears no rebuke.

wise, But the companion of fools will

suffer harm.

9The light of the righteous rejoices, But 21

the lamp of the wicked goes out.

Adversity pursues sinners, But the

righteous

will

be

rewarded

with

10

prosperity.

Through insolence comes nothing but

strife, But wisdom is with those who

22

receive counsel.

A good man leaves an inheritance to

his children's children, And the wealth of

11Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,

the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

But the one who gathers by labor

increases it.

23Abundant food is in the fallow ground 9Fools mock at sin, But among the of the poor, But it is swept away by

upright there is good will.

injustice.

10The heart knows its own bitterness,

24He who withholds his rod hates his

And a stranger does not share its joy.

son, But he who loves him disciplines

him diligently.

11The house of the wicked will be

destroyed, But the tent of the upright will

25The righteous has enough to satisfy

flourish.

his appetite, But the stomach of the

wicked is in need.

12There is a way which seems right to a

man, But its end is the way of death.

14The wise woman builds her house, 13Even in laughter the heart may be in But the foolish tears it down with her pain, And the end of joy may be grief.

own hands.

14The backslider in heart will have his fill

2He who walks in his uprightness fears

of his own ways, But a good man will be

the LORD, But he who is devious in his

satisfied with his.

ways despises Him.

15The naive believes everything, But the

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for sensible man considers his steps.

his back, But the lips of the wise will protect them.

16A wise man is cautious and turns away

from evil, But a fool is arrogant and

4Where no oxen are, the manger is

careless.

clean, But much revenue comes by the

strength of the ox.

17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

And a man of evil devices is hated.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a

false witness utters lies.

18The naive inherit foolishness, But the

sensible are crowned with knowledge.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy to one who has

19The evil will bow down before the good,

understanding.

And the wicked at the gates of the

righteous.

7Leave the presence of a fool, Or you

will not discern words of knowledge.

20The poor is hated even by his

neighbor, But those who love the rich

8The wisdom of the sensible is to

are many.

understand his way, But the foolishness

of fools is deceit.

21He who despises his neighbor sins, 33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who But happy is he who is gracious to the has understanding, But in the hearts of

poor.

fools it is made known.

22Will they not go astray who devise evil? 34Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin But kindness and truth will be to those is a disgrace to any people.

who devise good.

35The king's favor is toward a servant

23In all labor there is profit, But mere talk

who acts wisely, But his anger is toward

leads only to poverty.

him who acts shamefully.

24The crown of the wise is their riches, But the folly of fools is foolishness.

15A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.

25A truthful witness saves lives, But he who utters lies is treacherous.

2The tongue of the wise makes

knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of

26In the fear of the LORD there is strong

fools spouts folly.

confidence, And his children will have

refuge.

3The eyes of the LORD are in every

place, Watching the evil and the good.

27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of

life, That one may avoid the snares of

4A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But death.

perversion in it crushes the spirit.

28In a multitude of people is a king's

5A fool rejects his father's discipline, But

glory, But in the dearth of people is a he who regards reproof is sensible.

prince's ruin.

6

29

Great wealth is in the house of the

He who is slow to anger has great

righteous, But trouble is in the income of

understanding, But he who is quick—

the wicked.

tempered exalts folly.

7

30

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,

A tranquil heart is life to the body, But

But the hearts of fools are not so.

passion is rottenness to the bones.

8

31

The sacrifice of the wicked is an

He who oppresses the poor taunts his

abomination to the LORD, But the

Maker, But he who is gracious to the

prayer of the upright is His delight.

needy honors Him.

9

32

The way of the wicked is an

The wicked is thrust down by his

abomination to the LORD, But He loves

wrongdoing, But the righteous has a

one who pursues righteousness.

refuge when he dies.

10Grievous punishment is for him who 21Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, forsakes the way; He who hates reproof

But a man of understanding walks

will die.

straight.

11Sheol and Abaddon lie open before

22Without

consultation,

plans

are

the LORD, How much more the hearts

frustrated, But with many counselors

of men!

they succeed.

12A scoffer does not love one who

23A man has joy in an apt answer, And

reproves him, He will not go to the wise.

how delightful is a timely word!

13A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,

24The path of life leads upward for the But when the heart is sad, the spirit is wise That he may keep away from broken.

Sheol below.

14The mind of the intelligent seeks

25The LORD will tear down the house of

knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds

the proud, But He will establish the

on folly.

boundary of the widow.

15All the days of the afflicted are bad, 26Evil plans are an abomination to the

But a cheerful heart has a continual

LORD, But pleasant words are pure.

feast.

27He who profits illicitly troubles his own

16Better is a little with the fear of the house, But he who hates bribes will live.

LORD Than great treasure and turmoil

with it.

28The heart of the righteous ponders

how to answer, But the mouth of the

17Better is a dish of vegetables where

wicked pours out evil things.

love is Than a fattened ox served with

hatred.

29The LORD is far from the wicked, But

He hears the prayer of the righteous.

18A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But

the slow to anger calms a dispute.

30Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good

news puts fat on the bones.

19The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a 31He whose ear listens to the life-giving highway.

reproof Will dwell among the wise.

20A wise son makes a father glad, But a

32He who neglects discipline despises

foolish man despises his mother.

himself, But he who listens to reproof

acquires understanding.

33The fear of the LORD is the instruction 11A just balance and scales belong to for wisdom, And before honor comes

the LORD; All the weights of the bag are

humility.

His concern.

12

16

It is an abomination for kings to

The plans of the heart belong to

commit wicked acts, For a throne is

man, But the answer of the tongue is

established on righteousness.

from the LORD.

13Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

2All the ways of a man are clean in his And he who speaks right is loved.

own sight, But the LORD weighs the

14

motives.

The fury of a king is like messengers

of death, But a wise man will appease it.

3Commit your works to the LORD And

15

your plans will be established.

In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring 4The LORD has made everything for its rain.

own purpose, Even the wicked for the

16

day of evil.

How much better it is to get wisdom

than gold! And to get understanding is to

5Everyone who is proud in heart is an

be chosen above silver.

abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he

17

will not be unpunished.

The highway of the upright is to depart

from evil; He who watches his way

6By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is

preserves his life.

atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD

18

one keeps away from evil.

Pride goes before destruction, And a

haughty spirit before stumbling.

7When a man's ways are pleasing to the

19

LORD, He makes even his enemies to

It is better to be humble in spirit with be at peace with him.

the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

8Better is a little with righteousness

20

Than great income with injustice.

He who gives attention to the word will

find good, And blessed is he who trusts

9

in the LORD.

The mind of man plans his way, But the

LORD directs his steps.

21The wise in heart will be called

10A divine decision is in the lips of the understanding,

And

sweetness

of

king; His mouth should not err in

speech increases persuasiveness.

judgment.

22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of 17Better is a dry morsel and

fools is folly.

quietness with it Than a house full of

feasting with strife.

23The heart of the wise instructs his

mouth And adds persuasiveness to his

2A servant who acts wisely will rule over

lips.

a son who acts shamefully, And will

share in the inheritance among brothers.

24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the

3The refining pot is for silver and the bones.

furnace for gold, But the LORD tests

hearts.

25There is a way which seems right to a

man, But its end is the way of death.

4An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar

pays attention to a destructive tongue.

26A worker's appetite works for him, For

his hunger urges him on.

5He who mocks the poor taunts his

Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will

27A worthless man digs up evil, While

not go unpunished.

his words are like scorching fire.

6Grandchildren are the crown of old men,

28A perverse man spreads strife, And a

And the glory of sons is their fathers.

slanderer separates intimate friends.

7Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,

29A man of violence entices his neighbor

Much less are lying lips to a prince.

And leads him in a way that is not good.

8A bribe is a charm in the sight of its 30He who winks his eyes does so to

owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

devise

perverse

things;

He

who

compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

9He who conceals a transgression seeks

love, But he who repeats a matter

31A gray head is a crown of glory; It is separates intimate friends.

found in the way of righteousness.

10A rebuke goes deeper into one who

32He who is slow to anger is better than

has understanding Than a hundred

the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, blows into a fool.

than he who captures a city.

11A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a

33The lot is cast into the lap, But its cruel messenger will be sent against

every decision is from the LORD.

him.

12Let a man meet a bear robbed of her 24Wisdom is in the presence of the one cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.

who has understanding, But the eyes of

a fool are on the ends of the earth.

13He who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

25A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him.

14The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel

26It is also not good to fine the righteous,

before it breaks out.

Nor to strike the noble for their

uprightness.

15He who justifies the wicked and he

who condemns the righteous, Both of

27He who restrains his words has

them alike are an abomination to the

knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit

LORD.

is a man of understanding.

16Why is there a price in the hand of a 28Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is fool to buy wisdom, When he has no considered wise; When he closes his

sense?

lips, he is considered prudent.

17A friend loves at all times, And a

brother is born for adversity.

18He who separates himself seeks

his own desire, He quarrels against all

18A man lacking in sense pledges And

sound wisdom.

becomes guarantor in the presence of

his neighbor.

2A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only in revealing his own mind.

19He who loves transgression loves

strife; He who raises his door seeks

3When a wicked man comes, contempt

destruction.

also comes, And with dishonor comes

scorn.

20He who has a crooked mind finds no

good, And he who is perverted in his

4The words of a man's mouth are deep

language falls into evil.

waters; The fountain of wisdom is a

bubbling brook.

21He who sires a fool does so to his

sorrow, And the father of a fool has no 5To show partiality to the wicked is not joy.

good, Nor to thrust aside the righteous

in judgment.

22A joyful heart is good medicine, But a

broken spirit dries up the bones.

6A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth

calls for blows.

23A wicked man receives a bribe from

the bosom To pervert the ways of justice.

7A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips 19A brother offended is harder to be won are the snare of his soul.

than a strong city, And contentions are

like the bars of a citadel.

8The words of a whisperer are like

dainty morsels, And they go down into

20With the fruit of a man's mouth his

the innermost parts of the body.

stomach will be satisfied; He will be

satisfied with the product of his lips.

9He also who is slack in his work Is

brother to him who destroys.

21Death and life are in the power of the

tongue, And those who love it will eat its

10The name of the LORD is a strong

fruit.

tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

22He who finds a wife finds a good thing

And obtains favor from the LORD.

11A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own

23The poor man utters supplications, But

imagination.

the rich man answers roughly.

12Before destruction the heart of man is

24A man of too many friends comes to

haughty, But humility goes before honor.

ruin, But there is a friend who sticks

closer than a brother.

13He who gives an answer before he

hears, It is folly and shame to him.

19Better is a poor man who walks in

14The spirit of a man can endure his

his integrity Than he who is perverse in sickness, But as for a broken spirit who speech and is a fool.

can bear it?

2Also it is not good for a person to be 15The mind of the prudent acquires

without knowledge, And he who hurries

knowledge, And the ear of the wise

his footsteps errs.

seeks knowledge.

3The foolishness of man ruins his way,

16A man's gift makes room for him And

And his heart rages against the LORD.

brings him before great men.

4Wealth adds many friends, But a poor

17The first to plead his case seems right,

man is separated from his friend.

Until another comes and examines him.

5A false witness will not go unpunished,

18The cast lot puts an end to strife And

And he who tells lies will not escape.

decides between the mighty ones.

6Many will seek the favor of a generous 17One who is gracious to a poor man man, And every man is a friend to him

lends to the LORD, And He will repay

who gives gifts.

him for his good deed.

7All the brothers of a poor man hate him;

18Discipline your son while there is hope,

How much more do his friends abandon

And do not desire his death.

him! He pursues them with words, but

they are gone.

19A man of great anger will bear the

penalty, For if you rescue him, you will 8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;

only have to do it again.

He who keeps understanding will find

good.

20Listen to counsel and accept discipline,

That you may be wise the rest of your

9A false witness will not go unpunished,

days.

And he who tells lies will perish.

21Many plans are in a man's heart, But

10Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much the counsel of the LORD will stand.

less for a slave to rule over princes.

22What is desirable in a man is his

11A man's discretion makes him slow to

kindness, And it is better to be a poor anger, And it is his glory to overlook a man than a liar.

transgression.

23The fear of the LORD leads to life, So

12The king's wrath is like the roaring of a

that one may sleep satisfied, untouched

lion, But his favor is like dew on the by evil.

grass.

24The sluggard buries his hand in the

13A foolish son is destruction to his

dish, But will not even bring it back to father, And the contentions of a wife are

his mouth.

a constant dripping.

25Strike a scoffer and the naive may

14House and wealth are an inheritance

become shrewd, But reprove one who

from fathers, But a prudent wife is from has understanding and he will gain

the LORD.

knowledge.

15Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And

26He who assaults his father and drives

an idle man will suffer hunger.

his mother away Is a shameful and

disgraceful son.

16He who keeps the commandment

keeps his soul, But he who is careless

27Cease listening, my son, to discipline,

of conduct will die.

And you will stray from the words of

knowledge.

28A rascally witness makes a mockery of 10Differing

weights

and

differing

justice, And the mouth of the wicked

measures, Both of them are abominable

spreads iniquity.

to the LORD.

29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

11It is by his deeds that a lad

And blows for the back of fools.

distinguishes himself If his conduct is

pure and right.

20

12

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a

The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it

The LORD has made both of them.

is not wise.

13Do not love sleep, or you will become

2

poor; Open your eyes, and you will be

The terror of a king is like the growling satisfied with food.

of a lion; He who provokes him to anger

forfeits his own life.

14"Bad, bad," says the buyer, But when 3Keeping away from strife is an honor he goes his way, then he boasts.

for a man, But any fool will quarrel.

15There is gold, and an abundance of

4The sluggard does not plow after the

jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a autumn, So he begs during the harvest

more precious thing.

and has nothing.

16Take his garment when he becomes

5A plan in the heart of a man is like deep

surety for a stranger; And for foreigners,

water, But a man of understanding

hold him in pledge.

draws it out.

17Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet

6

to a man, But afterward his mouth will

Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,

But who can find a trustworthy man?

be filled with gravel.

18

7

Prepare plans by consultation, And

A righteous man who walks in his

make war by wise guidance.

integrity-- How blessed are his sons

after him.

19He who goes about as a slanderer

8A king who sits on the throne of justice

reveals secrets, Therefore do not

associate with a gossip.

Disperses all evil with his eyes.

20

9Who can say, "I have cleansed my

He who curses his father or his mother,

heart, I am pure from my sin"?

His lamp will go out in time of darkness.

21An inheritance gained hurriedly at the

beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

22Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for 3To do righteousness and justice Is the LORD, and He will save you.

desired by the LORD more than

sacrifice.

23Differing weights are an abomination

to the LORD, And a false scale is not

4Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The

good.

lamp of the wicked, is sin.

24Man's steps are ordained by the LORD,

5The plans of the diligent lead surely to

How then can man understand his way?

advantage, But everyone who is hasty

comes surely to poverty.

25It is a trap for a man to say rashly, "It is holy!" And after the vows to make 6The acquisition of treasures by a lying inquiry.

tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of

death.

26A wise king winnows the wicked, And

drives the threshing wheel over them.

7The violence of the wicked will drag

them away, Because they refuse to act

27The spirit of man is the lamp of the with justice.

LORD, Searching all the innermost parts

of his being.

8The way of a guilty man is crooked, But

as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

28Loyalty and truth preserve the king,

And

he

upholds

his

throne

by

9It is better to live in a corner of a roof righteousness.

Than in a house shared with a

contentious woman.

29The glory of young men is their

strength, And the honor of old men is

10The soul of the wicked desires evil; His

their gray hair.

neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

30Stripes that wound scour away evil,

11When the scoffer is punished, the

And strokes reach the innermost parts.

naive becomes wise; But when the wise

is instructed, he receives knowledge.

21

12

The king's heart is like channels of

The righteous one considers the

water in the hand of the LORD; He turns

house of the wicked, Turning the wicked

to ruin.

it wherever He wishes.

13

2Every man's way is right in his own

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the

eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.

poor Will also cry himself and not be

answered.

14A gift in secret subdues anger, And a

bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

15The exercise of justice is joy for the 27The sacrifice of the wicked is an righteous, But is terror to the workers of

abomination, How much more when he

iniquity.

brings it with evil intent!

16A man who wanders from the way of

28A false witness will perish, But the

understanding Will rest in the assembly

man who listens to the truth will speak of the dead.

forever.

17He who loves pleasure will become a

29A wicked man displays a bold face,

poor man; He who loves wine and oil

But as for the upright, he makes his way

will not become rich.

sure.

18The wicked is a ransom for the

30There is no wisdom and no

righteous, And the treacherous is in the understanding And no counsel against

place of the upright.

the LORD.

19It is better to live in a desert land Than

31The horse is prepared for the day of

with a contentious and vexing woman.

battle, But victory belongs to the LORD.

20There is precious treasure and oil in

the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish 22A good name is to be more

man swallows it up.

desired than great wealth, Favor is

better than silver and gold.

21He who pursues righteousness and

loyalty Finds life, righteousness and

2The rich and the poor have a common

honor.

bond, The LORD is the maker of them

all.

22A wise man scales the city of the

mighty And brings down the stronghold

3The prudent sees the evil and hides

in which they trust.

himself, But the naive go on, and are

punished for it.

23He who guards his mouth and his

tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

4The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

24"Proud," "Haughty," " Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.

5Thorns and snares are in the way of the

perverse; He who guards himself will be

25The desire of the sluggard puts him to

far from them.

death, For his hands refuse to work;

6Train up a child in the way he should go,

26All day long he is craving, While the Even when he is old he will not depart righteous gives and does not hold back.

from it.

7The rich rules over the poor, And the 18For it will be pleasant if you keep them borrower becomes the lender's slave.

within you, That they may be ready on

your lips.

8He who sows iniquity will reap vanity,

And the rod of his fury will perish.

19So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I have taught you today, even you.

9He who is generous will be blessed,

For he gives some of his food to the

20Have I not written to you excellent

poor.

things Of counsels and knowledge,

10Drive out the scoffer, and contention

21To make you know the certainty of the

will go out, Even strife and dishonor will

words of truth That you may correctly

cease.

answer him who sent you?

11He who loves purity of heart And

22Do not rob the poor because he is

whose speech is gracious, the king is

poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate;

his friend.

23For the LORD will plead their case

12The eyes of the LORD preserve

And take the life of those who rob them.

knowledge, But He overthrows the

words of the treacherous man.

24Do not associate with a man given to

anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man,

13The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!"

25Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.

14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep

pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will 26Do not be among those who give

fall into it.

pledges, Among those who become

guarantors for debts.

15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of

a child; The rod of discipline will remove

27If you have nothing with which to pay,

it far from him.

Why should he take your bed from

under you?

16He who oppresses the poor to make

more for himself Or who gives to the rich,

28Do not move the ancient boundary

will only come to poverty.

Which your fathers have set.

17Incline your ear and hear the words of

29Do you see a man skilled in his

the wise, And apply your mind to my

workNULL He will stand before kings;

knowledge;

He will not stand before obscure men.

13

23

Do not hold back discipline from the

When you sit down to dine with a

child, Although you strike him with the

ruler, Consider carefully what is before

rod, he will not die.

you,

14You shall strike him with the rod And 2And put a knife to your throat If you are

rescue his soul from Sheol.

a man of great appetite.

15My son, if your heart is wise, My own 3

heart also will be glad;

Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.

16And my inmost being will rejoice When

4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,

your lips speak what is right.

Cease from your consideration of it.

17Do not let your heart envy sinners, But

5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.

live in the fear of the LORD always.

For wealth certainly makes itself wings

18

Like an eagle that flies toward the

Surely there is a future, And your hope

heavens.

will not be cut off.

6

19

Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Listen, my son, and be wise, And

Or desire his delicacies;

direct your heart in the way.

7

20

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine,

He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

heart is not with you.

21For the heavy drinker and the glutton

8You will vomit up the morsel you have

will come to poverty, And drowsiness

eaten, And waste your compliments.

will clothe one with rags.

9

22

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, Listen to your father who begot you,

For he will despise the wisdom of your

And do not despise your mother when

words.

she is old.

10

23

Do not move the ancient boundary Or

Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get

go into the fields of the fatherless,

wisdom

and

instruction

and

understanding.

11For their Redeemer is strong; He will

24

plead their case against you.

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will

12

be glad in him.

Apply your heart to discipline And your

ears to words of knowledge.

25Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth 24Do not be envious of evil men, to you.

Nor desire to be with them;

26Give me your heart, my son, And let

2For their minds devise violence, And

your eyes delight in my ways.

their lips talk of trouble.

27For a harlot is a deep pit And an

3By wisdom a house is built, And by

adulterous woman is a narrow well.

understanding it is established;

28Surely she lurks as a robber, And

4And by knowledge the rooms are filled

increases the faithless among men.

With all precious and pleasant riches.

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who

5A wise man is strong, And a man of

has contentions? Who has complaining?

knowledge increases power.

Who has wounds without cause? Who

has redness of eyes?

6For by wise guidance you will wage war,

30

And in abundance of counselors there is

Those who linger long over wine,

victory.

Those who go to taste mixed wine.

7

31

Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He

Do not look on the wine when it is red,

does not open his mouth in the gate.

When it sparkles in the cup, When it

goes down smoothly;

8One who plans to do evil, Men will call

32

a schemer.

At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

9The devising of folly is sin, And the

33

scoffer is an abomination to men.

Your eyes will see strange things And

your mind will utter perverse things.

10If you are slack in the day of distress,

34

Your strength is limited.

And you will be like one who lies down

in the middle of the sea, Or like one who

11

lies down on the top of a mast.

Deliver those who are being taken

away to death, And those who are

35

staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them

"They struck me, but I did not become

back.

ill; They beat me, but I did not know it.

When shall I awakeNULL I will seek

12

another drink."

If you say, "See, we did not know this,"

Does He not consider it who weighs the

hearts? And does He not know it who

keeps your soul? And will He not render

to man according to his work?

13My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, 24He who says to the wicked, "You are the honey from the comb is sweet to righteous," Peoples will curse him,

your taste;

nations will abhor him;

14Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;

25But to those who rebuke the wicked

If you find it, then there will be a future, will be delight, And a good blessing will And your hope will not be cut off.

come upon them.

15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man,

26He kisses the lips Who gives a right

against the dwelling of the righteous; Do

answer.

not destroy his resting place;

27Prepare your work outside And make it

16For a righteous man falls seven times,

ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards,

and rises again, But the wicked stumble

then, build your house.

in time of calamity.

28Do not be a witness against your

17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,

neighbor without cause, And do not

And do not let your heart be glad when deceive with your lips.

he stumbles;

29Do not say, "Thus I shall do to him as

18Or the LORD will see it and be

he has done to me; I will render to the displeased, And turn His anger away

man according to his work."

from him.

30I passed by the field of the sluggard 19Do not fret because of evildoers Or be

And by the vineyard of the man lacking

envious of the wicked;

sense,

20For there will be no future for the evil 31And behold, it was completely

man; The lamp of the wicked will be put

overgrown with thistles; Its surface was

out.

covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down.

21My son, fear the LORD and the king;

Do not associate with those who are

32When I saw, I reflected upon it; I

given to change,

looked, and received instruction.

22For their calamity will rise suddenly,

33" A little sleep, a little slumber, A little And who knows the ruin that comes folding of the hands to rest,"

from both of them?

34Then your poverty will come as a

23These also are sayings of the wise. To

robber And your want like an armed

show partiality in judgment is not good.

man.

11

25

Like apples of gold in settings of silver

These also are proverbs of

Is a word spoken in right circumstances.

Solomon which the men of Hezekiah,

12

king of Judah, transcribed.

Like an earring of gold and an

ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover

2It is the glory of God to conceal a

to a listening ear.

matter, But the glory of kings is to

13

search out a matter.

Like the cold of snow in the time of

harvest Is a faithful messenger to those

3As the heavens for height and the earth

who send him, For he refreshes the soul

for depth, So the heart of kings is

of his masters.

unsearchable.

14Like clouds and wind without rain Is a

4

man who boasts of his gifts falsely.

Take away the dross from the silver,

And there comes out a vessel for the

15

smith;

By forbearance a ruler may be

persuaded, And a soft tongue breaks

5

the bone.

Take away the wicked before the king,

And his throne will be established in

16

righteousness.

Have you found honey? Eat only what

you need, That you not have it in excess

6Do not claim honor in the presence of

and vomit it.

the king, And do not stand in the place 17

of great men;

Let your foot rarely be in your

neighbor's house, Or he will become

7For it is better that it be said to you, weary of you and hate you.

"Come up here," Than for you to be 18

placed lower in the presence of the

Like a club and a sword and a sharp

prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

arrow Is a man who bears false witness

against his neighbor.

8Do not go out hastily to argue your

19

case; Otherwise, what will you do in the

Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot

end, When your neighbor humiliates you? Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

9Argue your case with your neighbor,

20

And do not reveal the secret of another,

Like one who takes off a garment on a

cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he 10Or he who hears it will reproach you, who sings songs to a troubled heart.

And the evil report about you will not

21

pass away.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food

to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water

to drink;

22For you will heap burning coals on his 6He cuts off his own feet and drinks head, And the LORD will reward you.

violence Who sends a message by the

hand of a fool.

23The north wind brings forth rain, And a

backbiting

tongue,

an

angry

7Like the legs which are useless to the countenance.

lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of

fools.

24It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a

8Like one who binds a stone in a sling, contentious woman.

So is he who gives honor to a fool.

25Like cold water to a weary soul, So is

9Like a thorn which falls into the hand of

good news from a distant land.

a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth

of fools.

26Like a trampled spring and a polluted

well Is a righteous man who gives way

10Like an archer who wounds everyone,

before the wicked.

So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.

27It is not good to eat much honey, Nor

is it glory to search out one's own glory.

11Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a

fool who repeats his folly.

28Like a city that is broken into and

without walls Is a man who has no

12Do you see a man wise in his own

control over his spirit.

eyes? There is more hope for a fool

than for him.

26

13

Like snow in summer and like rain

The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!"

in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.

14As the door turns on its hinges, So

2

does the sluggard on his bed.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a

swallow in its flying, So a curse without 15

cause does not alight.

The sluggard buries his hand in the

dish; He is weary of bringing it to his 3A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the

mouth again.

donkey, And a rod for the back of fools.

16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

4Do not answer a fool according to his

Than seven men who can give a

folly, Or you will also be like him.

discreet answer.

17

5

Like one who takes a dog by the ears

Answer a fool as his folly deserves,

That he not be wise in his own eyes.

Is he who passes by and meddles with

strife not belonging to him.

18Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death,

27Do not boast about tomorrow, For

you do not know what a day may bring

19So is the man who deceives his

forth.

neighbor, And says, " Was I not joking?"

2Let another praise you, and not your

20For lack of wood the fire goes out, And

own mouth; A stranger, and not your

where there is no whisperer, contention

own lips.

quiets down.

3A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,

21Like charcoal to hot embers and wood

But the provocation of a fool is heavier to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle

than both of them.

strife.

4Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But

22The words of a whisperer are like

who can stand before jealousy?

dainty morsels, And they go down into

the innermost parts of the body.

5Better is open rebuke Than love that is

concealed.

23Like an earthen vessel overlaid with

silver dross Are burning lips and a

6Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But

wicked heart.

deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

24He who hates disguises it with his lips,

7A sated man loathes honey, But to a

But he lays up deceit in his heart.

famished man any bitter thing is sweet.

25When he speaks graciously, do not

8Like a bird that wanders from her nest,

believe him, For there are seven

So is a man who wanders from his

abominations in his heart.

home.

26Though his hatred covers itself with

9Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

guile, His wickedness will be revealed

So a man's counsel is sweet to his

before the assembly.

friend.

27He who digs a pit will fall into it, And 10Do not forsake your own friend or your

he who rolls a stone, it will come back father's friend, And do not go to your

on him.

brother's house in the day of your

calamity; Better is a neighbor who is

28A lying tongue hates those it crushes,

near than a brother far away.

And a flattering mouth works ruin.

11Be wise, my son, and make my heart

glad, That I may reply to him who

reproaches me.

12A prudent man sees evil and hides 24For riches are not forever, Nor does a himself, The naive proceed and pay the

crown endure to all generations.

penalty.

25When the grass disappears, the new

13Take his garment when he becomes

growth is seen, And the herbs of the

surety for a stranger; And for an

mountains are gathered in,

adulterous woman hold him in pledge.

26The lambs will be for your clothing,

14He who blesses his friend with a loud

And the goats will bring the price of a voice early in the morning, It will be

field,

reckoned a curse to him.

27And there will be goats' milk enough

15A constant dripping on a day of steady

for your food, For the food of your

rain And a contentious woman are alike;

household, And sustenance for your

maidens.

16He who would restrain her restrains

the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

28The wicked flee when no one is

pursuing, But the righteous are bold as

17Iron sharpens iron, So one man

a lion.

sharpens another.

2By the transgression of a land many

18He who tends the fig tree will eat its are its princes, But by a man of

fruit, And he who cares for his master

understanding and knowledge, so it

will be honored.

endures.

19As in water face reflects face, So the 3A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is

heart of man reflects man.

like a driving rain which leaves no food.

20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

4Those who forsake the law praise the

Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

wicked, But those who keep the law

strive with them.

21The crucible is for silver and the

furnace for gold, And each is tested by 5Evil men do not understand justice, But

the praise accorded him.

those who seek the LORD understand

all things.

22Though you pound a fool in a mortar

with a pestle along with crushed grain,

6Better is the poor who walks in his

Yet his foolishness will not depart from integrity Than he who is crooked though

him.

he be rich.

23Know well the condition of your flocks,

And pay attention to your herds;

7He who keeps the law is a discerning 18He who walks blamelessly will be son, But he who is a companion of

delivered, But he who is crooked will fall

gluttons humiliates his father.

all at once.

8He who increases his wealth by interest

19He who tills his land will have plenty of

and usury Gathers it for him who is

food, But he who follows empty pursuits

gracious to the poor.

will have poverty in plenty.

9He who turns away his ear from

20A faithful man will abound with

listening to the law, Even his prayer is blessings, But he who makes haste to

an abomination.

be rich will not go unpunished.

10He who leads the upright astray in an

21To show partiality is not good,

evil way Will himself fall into his own pit,

Because for a piece of bread a man will

But the blameless will inherit good.

transgress.

11The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

22A man with an evil eye hastens after

But the poor who has understanding

wealth And does not know that want will

sees through him.

come upon him.

12When the righteous triumph, there is

23He who rebukes a man will afterward

great glory, But when the wicked rise,

find more favor Than he who flatters

men hide themselves.

with the tongue.

13He who conceals his transgressions

24He who robs his father or his mother

will not prosper, But he who confesses

And says, "It is not a transgression," Is and forsakes them will find compassion.

the companion of a man who destroys.

14How blessed is the man who fears

25An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he

always, But he who hardens his heart

who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

will fall into calamity.

26He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

15Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear

But he who walks wisely will be

Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

delivered.

16A leader who is a great oppressor

27He who gives to the poor will never

lacks understanding, But he who hates

want, But he who shuts his eyes will

unjust gain will prolong his days.

have many curses.

17A man who is laden with the guilt of 28When the wicked rise, men hide

human blood Will be a fugitive until

themselves; But when they perish, the

death; let no one support him.

righteous increase.

12

29

If a ruler pays attention to falsehood,

A man who hardens his neck after

All his ministers become wicked.

much reproof Will suddenly be broken

13

beyond remedy.

The poor man and the oppressor have

this in common: The LORD gives light to

2When the righteous increase, the

the eyes of both.

people rejoice, But when a wicked man

14

rules, people groan.

If a king judges the poor with truth, His

throne will be established forever.

3A man who loves wisdom makes his

15

father glad, But he who keeps company

The rod and reproof give wisdom, But

with harlots wastes his wealth.

a child who gets his own way brings

shame to his mother.

4The king gives stability to the land by 16

justice, But a man who takes bribes

When

the

wicked

increase,

overthrows it.

transgression

increases;

But

the

righteous will see their fall.

5A man who flatters his neighbor Is

17

spreading a net for his steps.

Correct your son, and he will give you

comfort; He will also delight your soul.

6By transgression an evil man is

18

ensnared, But the righteous sings and

Where there is no vision, the people

rejoices.

are unrestrained, But happy is he who

keeps the law.

7The righteous is concerned for the

19

rights of the poor, The wicked does not A slave will not be instructed by words

understand such concern.

alone; For though he understands, there

will be no response.

8Scorners set a city aflame, But wise

20

men turn away anger.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his

words? There is more hope for a fool

9

than for him.

When a wise man has a controversy

with a foolish man, The foolish man

21

either rages or laughs, and there is no He who pampers his slave from

rest.

childhood Will in the end find him to be a

son.

10Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,

22

But the upright are concerned for his life.

An angry man stirs up strife, And a

hot-tempered

man

abounds

in

11A fool always loses his temper, But a transgression.

wise man holds it back.

23A man's pride will bring him low, But a

humble spirit will obtain honor.

24He who is a partner with a thief hates 7Two things I asked of You, Do not his own life; He hears the oath but tells refuse me before I die:

nothing.

8Keep deception and lies far from me,

25The fear of man brings a snare, But he

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

26Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice

9That I not be full and deny You and say,

for man comes from the LORD.

"Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name 27An unjust man is abominable to the

of my God.

righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

10Do not slander a slave to his master, Or he will curse you and you will be

found guilty.

30The words of Agur the son of 11

Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to

There is a kind of man who curses his

father And does not bless his mother.

Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

12

2Surely I am more stupid than any man,

There is a kind who is pure in his own

And I do not have the understanding of

eyes, Yet is not washed from his

a man.

filthiness.

13

3Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I

There is a kind--oh how lofty are his

have the knowledge of the Holy One.

eyes! And his eyelids are raised in

arrogance.

4Who has ascended into heaven and

14There is a kind of man whose teeth

descended? Who has gathered the wind

in His fists? Who has wrapped the

are like swords And his jaw teeth like

waters in His garment? Who has

knives, To devour the afflicted from the established all the ends of the earth?

earth And the needy from among men.

What is His name or His son's name?

15

Surely you know!

The leech has two daughters, "Give,"

"Give." There are three things that will 5Every word of God is tested; He is a not be satisfied, Four that will not say, shield to those who take refuge in Him.

"Enough":

16

6Do not add to His words Or He will

Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth

reprove you, and you will be proved a

that is never satisfied with water, And

liar.

fire that never says, "Enough."

17The eye that mocks a father And

scorns a mother, The ravens of the

valley will pick it out, And the young 29There are three things which are eagles will eat it.

stately in their march, Even four which

are stately when they walk:

18There are three things which are too

wonderful for me, Four which I do not

30The lion which is mighty among beasts

understand:

And does not retreat before any,

19The way of an eagle in the sky, The

31The strutting rooster, the male goat

way of a serpent on a rock, The way of also, And a king when his army is with a ship in the middle of the sea, And the him.

way of a man with a maid.

32If you have been foolish in exalting

20This is the way of an adulterous

yourself Or if you have plotted evil, put woman: She eats and wipes her mouth,

your hand on your mouth.

And says, "I have done no wrong."

33For the churning of milk produces

21Under three things the earth quakes,

butter, And pressing the nose brings

And under four, it cannot bear up:

forth blood; So the churning of anger

produces strife.

22Under a slave when he becomes king,

And a fool when he is satisfied with food, 31The words of King Lemuel, the 23Under an unloved woman when she oracle which his mother taught him:

gets a husband, And a maidservant

when she supplants her mistress.

2What, O my son? And what, O son of

my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

24Four things are small on the earth, But

they are exceedingly wise:

3Do not give your strength to women, Or

your ways to that which destroys kings.

25The ants are not a strong people, But

they prepare their food in the summer;

4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for

kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to

26The shephanim are not mighty people,

desire strong drink,

Yet they make their houses in the rocks;

5For they will drink and forget what is 27The locusts have no king, Yet all of

decreed, And pervert the rights of all the

them go out in ranks;

afflicted.

28The lizard you may grasp with the

6Give strong drink to him who is

hands, Yet it is in kings' palaces.

perishing, And wine to him whose life is

bitter.

7Let him drink and forget his poverty 20She extends her hand to the poor, And And remember his trouble no more.

she stretches out her hands to the

needy.

8Open your mouth for the mute, For the

rights of all the unfortunate.

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are

9Open your mouth, judge righteously,

clothed with scarlet.

And defend the rights of the afflicted and

needy.

22She makes coverings for herself; Her

clothing is fine linen and purple.

10An excellent wife, who can find? For

her worth is far above jewels.

23Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the

11The heart of her husband trusts in her,

land.

And he will have no lack of gain.

24She makes linen garments and sells

12She does him good and not evil All the

them, And supplies belts to the

days of her life.

tradesmen.

13

25

She looks for wool and flax And works

Strength and dignity are her clothing,

with her hands in delight.

And she smiles at the future.

14

26

She is like merchant ships; She brings

She opens her mouth in wisdom, And

her food from afar.

the teaching of kindness is on her

tongue.

15She rises also while it is still night And

27

gives food to her household And

She looks well to the ways of her

portions to her maidens.

household, And does not eat the bread

of idleness.

16She considers a field and buys it;

28

From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Her children rise up and bless her; Her

husband also, and he praises her,

17

saying:

She girds herself with strength And

makes her arms strong.

29"Many daughters have done nobly, But

18

you excel them all."

She senses that her gain is good; Her

lamp does not go out at night.

30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

19

But a woman who fears the LORD, she

She stretches out her hands to the

shall be praised.

distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

31Give her the product of her hands, And

let her works praise her in the gates.

Ecclesiastes

10Is there anything of which one might

say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has 1The words of the Preacher, the son existed for ages Which were before us.

of David, king in Jerusalem.

11There is no remembrance of earlier

2

things; And also of the later things which

" Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, will occur, There will be for them no "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."

remembrance Among those who will

come later still.

3What advantage does man have in all

his work Which he does under the sun?

12I, the Preacher, have been king over

Israel in Jerusalem.

4A generation goes and a generation

comes, But the earth remains forever.

13And I set my mind to seek and explore

by wisdom concerning all that has been

5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;

done under heaven. It is a grievous task

And hastening to its place it rises there which God has given to the sons of men

again.

to be afflicted with.

6Blowing toward the south, Then turning

14I have seen all the works which have

toward the north, The wind continues

been done under the sun, and behold,

swirling along; And on its circular

all is vanity and striving after wind.

courses the wind returns.

15What

is

crooked

cannot

be

7All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the

straightened and what is lacking cannot

sea is not full. To the place where the be counted.

rivers flow, There they flow again.

16I said to myself, "Behold, I have 8All things are wearisome; Man is not

magnified and increased wisdom more

able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied than all who were over Jerusalem

with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with before me; and my mind has observed a

hearing.

wealth of wisdom and knowledge."

9That which has been is that which will 17And I set my mind to know wisdom

be, And that which has been done is

and to know madness and folly; I

that which will be done. So there is

realized that this also is striving after nothing new under the sun.

wind.

18Because in much wisdom there is Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by much grief, and increasing knowledge

me.

results in increasing pain.

10All that my eyes desired I did not

2

refuse them. I did not withhold my heart

I said to myself, "Come now, I will from any pleasure, for my heart was

test you with pleasure. So enjoy

pleased because of all my labor and this

yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

was my reward for all my labor.

11

2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and Thus I considered all my activities of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

which my hands had done and the labor

which I had exerted, and behold all was

3

vanity and striving after wind and there I explored with my mind how to

was no profit under the sun.

stimulate my body with wine while my

mind was guiding me wisely, and how to

12

take hold of folly, until I could see what So I turned to consider wisdom,

good there is for the sons of men to do madness and folly; for what will the man

under heaven the few years of their lives. do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

4I enlarged my works: I built houses for

13

myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

And I saw that wisdom excels folly as

light excels darkness.

5I made gardens and parks for myself

14The wise man's eyes are in his head,

and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I

know that one fate befalls them both.

6I made ponds of water for myself from

15Then I said to myself, " As is the fate which to irrigate a forest of growing

trees.

of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I 7

said to myself, "This too is vanity."

I bought male and female slaves and I

had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed

16For there is no lasting remembrance of

flocks and herds larger than all who

preceded me in Jerusalem.

the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch

as in the coming days all will be

8

forgotten. And how the wise man and

Also, I collected for myself silver and

the fool alike die!

gold and the treasure of kings and

provinces. I provided for myself male

17

and female singers and the pleasures of

So I hated life, for the work which had

men--many concubines.

been done under the sun was grievous

to me; because everything is futility and

9

striving after wind.

Then I became great and increased

more than all who preceded me in

18Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for who is good in God's sight. This too is which I had labored under the sun, for I vanity and striving after wind.

must leave it to the man who will come after me.

3There is an appointed time for

19And who knows whether he will be a

everything. And there is a time for every

wise man or a fool? Yet he will have

event under heaven--

control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely 2

under the sun. This too is vanity.

A time to give birth and a time to die; A

time to plant and a time to uproot what 20

is planted.

Therefore I completely despaired of all

the fruit of my labor for which I had

3

labored under the sun.

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time

to tear down and a time to build up.

21When there is a man who has labored

4

with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A he gives his legacy to one who has not time to mourn and a time to dance.

labored with them. This too is vanity and

5

a great evil.

A time to throw stones and a time to

gather stones; A time to embrace and a

22For what does a man get in all his

time to shun embracing.

labor and in his striving with which he 6

labors under the sun?

A time to search and a time to give up

as lost; A time to keep and a time to 23Because all his days his task is painful

throw away.

and grievous; even at night his mind

7

does not rest. This too is vanity.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time 24There is nothing better for a man than to speak.

to eat and drink and tell himself that his

8

labor is good. This also I have seen that

A time to love and a time to hate; A

it is from the hand of God.

time for war and a time for peace.

25

9

For who can eat and who can have

What profit is there to the worker from enjoyment without Him?

that in which he toils?

26

10

For to a person who is good in His

I have seen the task which God has

sight He has given wisdom and

given the sons of men with which to

knowledge and joy, while to the sinner

occupy themselves.

He has given the task of gathering and

collecting so that he may give to one

11He has made everything appropriate in

its time. He has also set eternity in their

heart, yet so that man will not find out 20All go to the same place. All came the work which God has done from the

from the dust and all return to the dust.

beginning even to the end.

21Who knows that the breath of man

12I know that there is nothing better for ascends upward and the breath of the

them than to rejoice and to do good in beast descends downward to the earth?

one's lifetime;

22I have seen that nothing is better than

13moreover, that every man who eats

that man should be happy in his

and drinks sees good in all his labor--it activities, for that is his lot. For who will is the gift of God.

bring him to see what will occur after

himNULL

14I know that everything God does will

remain forever; there is nothing to add

to it and there is nothing to take from it,

4Then I looked again at all the acts of for God has so worked that men should

oppression which were being done

fear Him.

under the sun. And behold I saw the

tears of the oppressed and that they had

15That which is has been already and

no one to comfort them; and on the side

that which will be has already been, for of their oppressors was power, but they

God seeks what has passed by.

had no one to comfort them.

16Furthermore, I have seen under the

2So I congratulated the dead who are

sun that in the place of justice there is already dead more than the living who

wickedness and in the place of

are still living.

righteousness there is wickedness.

3But better off than both of them is the 17I said to myself, " God will judge both one who has never existed, who has the righteous man and the wicked man,"

never seen the evil activity that is done for a time for every matter and for every

under the sun.

deed is there.

4I have seen that every labor and every

18I said to myself concerning the sons of

skill which is done is the result of rivalry

men, "God has surely tested them in between a man and his neighbor. This

order for them to see that they are but too is vanity and striving after wind.

beasts."

5The fool folds his hands and consumes

19For the fate of the sons of men and the

his own flesh.

fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have 6One hand full of rest is better than two the same breath and there is no

fists full of labor and striving after wind.

advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

7Then I looked again at vanity under the happy with him, for this too is vanity and sun.

striving after wind.

8There was a certain man without a

dependent, having neither a son nor a

5Guard your steps as you go to the brother, yet there was no end to all his house of God and draw near to listen labor. Indeed, his eyes were not

rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools;

satisfied with riches and he never asked,

for they do not know they are doing evil.

"And for whom am I laboring and

depriving myself of pleasure?" This too 2

is vanity and it is a grievous task.

Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in

thought to bring up a matter in the

9

presence of God. For God is in heaven

Two are better than one because they

and you are on the earth; therefore let have a good return for their labor.

your words be few.

10For if either of them falls, the one will 3For the dream comes through much

lift up his companion. But woe to the

effort and the voice of a fool through

one who falls when there is not another

many words.

to lift him up.

4

11

When you make a vow to God, do not

Furthermore, if two lie down together

be late in paying it; for He takes no

they keep warm, but how can one be

delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

warm alone?

5

12

It is better that you should not vow than

And if one can overpower him who is

that you should vow and not pay.

alone, two can resist him. A cord of

three strands is not quickly torn apart.

6Do not let your speech cause you to sin

13

and do not say in the presence of the

A poor yet wise lad is better than an

messenger of God that it was a mistake.

old and foolish king who no longer

Why should God be angry on account of

knows how to receive instruction.

your voice and destroy the work of your

hands?

14For he has come out of prison to

become king, even though he was born

7For in many dreams and in many words

poor in his kingdom.

there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

15I have seen all the living under the sun

8If you see oppression of the poor and

throng to the side of the second lad who

denial of justice and righteousness in

replaces him.

the province, do not be shocked at the

sight; for one official watches over

16There is no end to all the people, to all

another official, and there are higher

who were before them, and even the

officials over them.

ones who will come later will not be

9After all, a king who cultivates the field oneself in all one's labor in which he is an advantage to the land.

toils under the sun during the few years

of his life which God has given him; for 10He who loves money will not be

this is his reward.

satisfied with money, nor he who loves

abundance with its income. This too is

19Furthermore, as for every man to

vanity.

whom God has given riches and wealth,

He has also empowered him to eat from

11When good things increase, those who

them and to receive his reward and

consume them increase. So what is the

rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

advantage to their owners except to look

on?

20For he will not often consider the years

of his life, because God keeps him

12The sleep of the working man is

occupied with the gladness of his heart.

pleasant, whether he eats little or much;

but the full stomach of the rich man

does not allow him to sleep.

6There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among

13There is a grievous evil which I have men--

seen under the sun: riches being

hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

2a man to whom God has given riches

and wealth and honor so that his soul

14When those riches were lost through a

lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet bad investment and he had fathered a

God has not empowered him to eat from

son, then there was nothing to support

them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This

him.

is vanity and a severe affliction.

15As he had come naked from his

3If a man fathers a hundred children and

mother's womb, so will he return as he

lives many years, however many they

came. He will take nothing from the fruit

be, but his soul is not satisfied with good

of his labor that he can carry in his hand. things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the 16This also is a grievous evil--exactly as miscarriage than he,

a man is born, thus will he die. So what

is the advantage to him who toils for the

4for it comes in futility and goes into wind?

obscurity; and its name is covered in

obscurity.

17Throughout his life he also eats in

darkness with great vexation, sickness

5"It never sees the sun and it never and anger.

knows anything; it is better off than he.

18Here is what I have seen to be good

and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy

6"Even if the other man lives a thousand 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For years twice and does not enjoy good

when a face is sad a heart may be

things-- do not all go to one place?"

happy.

7All a man's labor is for his mouth and 4The mind of the wise is in the house of

yet the appetite is not satisfied.

mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

8For what advantage does the wise man

have over the fool? What advantage

5It is better to listen to the rebuke of a does the poor man have, knowing how

wise man Than for one to listen to the to walk before the living?

song of fools.

9What the eyes see is better than what

6For as the crackling of thorn bushes

the soul desires. This too is futility and a

under a pot, So is the laughter of the striving after wind.

fool; And this too is futility.

10Whatever exists has already been

7For oppression makes a wise man mad,

named, and it is known what man is; for

And a bribe corrupts the heart.

he cannot dispute with him who is

stronger than he is.

8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better

11For there are many words which

than haughtiness of spirit.

increase futility. What then is the

advantage to a man?

9Do not be eager in your heart to be

angry, For anger resides in the bosom

12For who knows what is good for a man

of fools.

during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile lifeNULL He will spend them

10Do not say, "Why is it that the former like a shadow. For who can tell a man days were better than these?" For it is what will be after him under the

not from wisdom that you ask about this.

sunNULL

11Wisdom along with an inheritance is

7

good And an advantage to those who

A good name is better than a good

see the sun.

ointment, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

12For wisdom is protection just as

money is protection, But the advantage

2It is better to go to a house of mourning

of knowledge is that wisdom preserves

Than to go to a house of feasting,

the lives of its possessors.

Because that is the end of every man,

And the living takes it to heart.

13Consider the work of God, For who is

able to straighten what He has bent?

14In the day of prosperity be happy, But 24What has been is remote and

in the day of adversity consider-- God

exceedingly

mysterious.

Who

can

has made the one as well as the other

discover it?

So that man will not discover anything

that will be after him.

25I directed my mind to know, to

investigate and to seek wisdom and an

15I have seen everything during my

explanation, and to know the evil of folly

lifetime of futility; there is a righteous and the foolishness of madness.

man who perishes in his righteousness

and there is a wicked man who prolongs

26And I discovered more bitter than

his life in his wickedness.

death the woman whose heart is snares

and nets, whose hands are chains. One

16Do not be excessively righteous and

who is pleasing to God will escape from

do not be overly wise. Why should you

her, but the sinner will be captured by ruin yourself?

her.

17Do not be excessively wicked and do

27"Behold, I have discovered this," says not be a fool. Why should you die before the Preacher, "adding one thing to

your time?

another to find an explanation,

18It is good that you grasp one thing and

28which I am still seeking but have not also not let go of the other; for the one found. I have found one man among a who fears God comes forth with both of

thousand, but I have not found a woman

them.

among all these.

19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more

29"Behold, I have found only this, that than ten rulers who are in a city.

God made men upright, but they have

sought out many devices."

20Indeed, there is not a righteous man

on earth who continually does good and

who never sins.

8Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A

21Also, do not take seriously all words

man's wisdom illumines him and causes

which are spoken, so that you will not

his stern face to beam.

hear your servant cursing you.

2I say, "Keep the command of the king 22For you also have realized that you

because of the oath before God.

likewise have many times cursed others.

3"Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do

23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said,

not join in an evil matter, for he will do

"I will be wise," but it was far from me.

whatever he pleases."

4Since the word of the king is 13But it will not be well for the evil man authoritative, who will say to him, "What and he will not lengthen his days like a are you doing?"

shadow, because he does not fear God.

5He who keeps a royal command

14There is futility which is done on the experiences no trouble, for a wise heart

earth, that is, there are righteous men to

knows the proper time and procedure.

whom it happens according to the deeds

of the wicked. On the other hand, there 6For there is a proper time and

are evil men to whom it happens

procedure for every delight, though a

according to the deeds of the righteous.

man's trouble is heavy upon him.

I say that this too is futility.

7

15

If no one knows what will happen, who

So I commended pleasure, for there is

can tell him when it will happen?

nothing good for a man under the sun

except to eat and to drink and to be

8

merry, and this will stand by him in his No man has authority to restrain the

toils throughout the days of his life which

wind with the wind, or authority over the

God has given him under the sun.

day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not

16

deliver those who practice it.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom

and to see the task which has been

9

done on the earth (even though one

All this I have seen and applied my

should never sleep day or night),

mind to every deed that has been done

under the sun wherein a man has

17

exercised authority over another man to

and I saw every work of God, I

his hurt.

concluded that man cannot discover the

work which has been done under the

10

sun. Even though man should seek

So then, I have seen the wicked buried,

laboriously, he will not discover; and

those who used to go in and out from

though the wise man should say, "I

the holy place, and they are soon

know," he cannot discover.

forgotten in the city where they did thus.

This too is futility.

11

9

Because the sentence against an evil

For I have taken all this to my heart

deed is not executed quickly, therefore

and explain it that righteous men, wise

the hearts of the sons of men among

men, and their deeds are in the hand of

them are given fully to do evil.

God. Man does not know whether it will

be love or hatred; anything awaits him.

12Although a sinner does evil a hundred

times and may lengthen his life, still I 2It is the same for all. There is one fate

know that it will be well for those who for the righteous and for the wicked; for fear God, who fear Him openly.

the good, for the clean and for the

unclean; for the man who offers a

sacrifice and for the one who does not activity or planning or knowledge or sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear.

11I again saw under the sun that the

race is not to the swift and the battle is 3This is an evil in all that is done under not to the warriors, and neither is bread

the sun, that there is one fate for all men.

to the wise nor wealth to the discerning Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of

nor favor to men of ability; for time and men are full of evil and insanity is in chance overtake them all.

their hearts throughout their lives.

Afterwards they go to the dead.

12Moreover, man does not know his time:

like fish caught in a treacherous net and

4For whoever is joined with all the living,

birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of

there is hope; surely a live dog is better

men are ensnared at an evil time when

than a dead lion.

it suddenly falls on them.

5For the living know they will die; but the

13Also this I came to see as wisdom

dead do not know anything, nor have

under the sun, and it impressed me.

they any longer a reward, for their

memory is forgotten.

14There was a small city with few men in

it and a great king came to it,

6Indeed their love, their hate and their surrounded it and constructed large

zeal have already perished, and they

siegeworks against it.

will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

15But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his

7Go then, eat your bread in happiness

wisdom. Yet no one remembered that

and drink your wine with a cheerful heart;

poor man.

for God has already approved your

works.

16So I said, " Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor 8Let your clothes be white all the time, man is despised and his words are not and let not oil be lacking on your head.

heeded.

9Enjoy life with the woman whom you

17The words of the wise heard in

love all the days of your fleeting life quietness are better than the shouting of

which He has given to you under the

a ruler among fools.

sun; for this is your reward in life and in

your toil in which you have labored

18Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

under the sun.

but one sinner destroys much good.

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no

11

10

If the serpent bites before being

Dead flies make a perfumer's oil

charmed, there is no profit for the

stink, so a little foolishness is weightier charmer.

than wisdom and honor.

12Words from the mouth of a wise man

2A wise man's heart directs him toward

are gracious, while the lips of a fool

the right, but the foolish man's heart

consume him;

directs him toward the left.

13the beginning of his talking is folly and

3Even when the fool walks along the

the end of it is wicked madness.

road, his sense is lacking and he

14

demonstrates to everyone that he is a

Yet the fool multiplies words. No man

fool.

knows what will happen, and who can

tell him what will come after him?

4If the ruler's temper rises against you, 15

do not abandon your position, because

The toil of a fool so wearies him that composure allays great offenses.

he does not even know how to go to a

city.

5There is an evil I have seen under the

16

sun, like an error which goes forth from Woe to you, O land, whose king is a

the ruler--

lad and whose princes feast in the

morning.

6folly is set in many exalted places while

17

rich men sit in humble places.

Blessed are you, O land, whose king is

of nobility and whose princes eat at the 7I have seen slaves riding on horses and

appropriate time--for strength and not

princes walking like slaves on the land.

for drunkenness.

18

8He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a

Through indolence the rafters sag, and

serpent may bite him who breaks

through slackness the house leaks.

through a wall.

19Men prepare a meal for enjoyment,

9He who quarries stones may be hurt by

and wine makes life merry, and money

them, and he who splits logs may be

is the answer to everything.

endangered by them.

20Furthermore, in your bedchamber do

10

not curse a king, and in your sleeping

If the axe is dull and he does not

sharpen its edge, then he must exert

rooms do not curse a rich man, for a

more

strength.

Wisdom

has

the

bird of the heavens will carry the sound advantage of giving success.

and the winged creature will make the

matter known.

11

your heart and the desires of your eyes.

Cast your bread on the surface of

Yet know that God will bring you to

the waters, for you will find it after many

judgment for all these things.

days.

10So, remove grief and anger from your

2Divide your portion to seven, or even to

heart and put away pain from your body,

eight, for you do not know what

because childhood and the prime of life

misfortune may occur on the earth.

are fleeting.

3If the clouds are full, they pour out rain

12

upon the earth; and whether a tree falls

Remember also your Creator in

toward the south or toward the north,

the days of your youth, before the evil wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

days come and the years draw near

when you will say, "I have no delight in 4He who watches the wind will not sow them";

and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

2before the sun and the light, the moon

and the stars are darkened, and clouds

5Just as you do not know the path of the

return after the rain;

wind and how bones are formed in the

womb of the pregnant woman, so you

3in the day that the watchmen of the

do not know the activity of God who

house tremble, and mighty men stoop,

makes all things.

the grinding ones stand idle because

they are few, and those who look

6Sow your seed in the morning and do

through windows grow dim;

not be idle in the evening, for you do not

know whether morning or evening

4and the doors on the street are shut as

sowing will succeed, or whether both of

the sound of the grinding mill is low, and

them alike will be good.

one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing 7The light is pleasant, and it is good for softly.

the eyes to see the sun.

5Furthermore, men are afraid of a high

8Indeed, if a man should live many years,

place and of terrors on the road; the

let him rejoice in them all, and let him almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper

remember the days of darkness, for they

drags himself along, and the caperberry

will be many. Everything that is to come

is ineffective. For man goes to his

will be futility.

eternal home while mourners go about

in the street.

9Rejoice, young man, during your

6

childhood, and let your heart be

Remember Him before the silver cord is

pleasant during the days of young

broken and the golden bowl is crushed,

manhood. And follow the impulses of

the pitcher by the well is shattered and 11The words of wise men are like goads, the wheel at the cistern is crushed;

and masters of these collections are like

well-driven nails; they are given by one 7then the dust will return to the earth as

Shepherd.

it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

12But beyond this, my son, be warned:

the writing of many books is endless,

8" Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, and excessive devotion to books is

"all is vanity!"

wearying to the body.

9

13

In addition to being a wise man, the

The conclusion, when all has been

Preacher

also

taught

the

people

heard, is: fear God and keep His

knowledge; and he pondered, searched

commandments, because this applies to

out and arranged many proverbs.

every person.

10

14

The Preacher sought to find delightful

For God will bring every act to

words and to write words of truth

judgment, everything which is hidden,

correctly.

whether it is good or evil.

Song of Solomon

trail of the flock And pasture your young

goats By the tents of the shepherds.

1The Song of Songs, which is 9"To me, my darling, you are like My Solomon's.

mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

2" May he kiss me with the kisses of his

10

mouth! For your love is better than wine.

"Your

cheeks

are

lovely

with

ornaments, Your neck with strings of

3

beads."

"Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; Therefore 11

the maidens love you.

" We will make for you ornaments of gold With beads of silver."

4"Draw me after you and let us run 12

together! The king has brought me into

" While the king was at his table, My his chambers." " We will rejoice in you perfume gave forth its fragrance.

and be glad; We will extol your love

13

more than wine. Rightly do they love

"My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh

you."

Which lies all night between my breasts.

5

14

" I am black but lovely, O daughters of

"My beloved is to me a cluster of

Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like

henna blossoms In the vineyards of

the curtains of Solomon.

Engedi."

6

15

"Do not stare at me because I am

" How beautiful you are, my darling, swarthy, For the sun has burned me. My

How beautiful you are! Your eyes are

mother's sons were angry with me; They

like doves."

made me caretaker of the vineyards,

But I have not taken care of my own

16" How handsome you are, my beloved,

vineyard.

And so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is

luxuriant!

7"Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, Where do you pasture your flock, Where

17"The beams of our houses are cedars,

do you make it lie down at noon? For

Our rafters, cypresses.

why should I be like one who veils

herself Beside the flocks of your

companions?"

2" I am the rose of Sharon, The lily of 8

the valleys."

" If you yourself do not know, Most beautiful among women, Go forth on the

2" Like a lily among the thorns, So is my pruning the vines, And the voice of the darling among the maidens."

turtledove has been heard in our land.

3" Like an apple tree among the trees of

13'The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the forest, So is my beloved among the the vines in blossom have given forth

young men. In his shade I took great

their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my

delight and sat down, And his fruit was beautiful one, And come along!'"

sweet to my taste.

14"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In 4"He has brought me to his banquet hall, the secret place of the steep pathway,

And his banner over me is love.

Let me see your form, Let me hear your

voice; For your voice is sweet, And your

5"Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh

form is lovely."

me with apples, Because I am lovesick.

15" Catch the foxes for us, The little 6"Let his left hand be under my head foxes that are ruining the vineyards, And his right hand embrace me."

While our vineyards are in blossom."

7

16

" I adjure you, O daughters of

" My beloved is mine, and I am his; He

Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the

pastures his flock among the lilies.

hinds of the field, That you do not

arouse or awaken my love Until she

17" Until the cool of the day when the pleases."

shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved,

and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on

8" Listen! My beloved! Behold, he is the mountains of Bether."

coming, Climbing on the mountains,

Leaping on the hills!

3" On my bed night after night I sought 9"My beloved is like a gazelle or a young him Whom my soul loves; I sought him stag. Behold, he is standing behind our

but did not find him.

wall, He is looking through the windows,

He is peering through the lattice.

2'I must arise now and go about the city;

In the streets and in the squares I must

10"My beloved responded and said to

seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought

me, ' Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

him but did not find him.

And come along.

3" The watchmen who make the rounds

11'For behold, the winter is past, The rain

in the city found me, And I said, 'Have is over and gone.

you seen him whom my soul loves?'

12'The flowers have already appeared in

4" Scarcely had I left them When I found

the land; The time has arrived for

him whom my soul loves; I held on to

him and would not let him go Until I had

brought him to my mother's house, And like a flock of goats That have into the room of her who conceived me."

descended from Mount Gilead.

5" I adjure you, O daughters of

2"Your teeth are like a flock of newly Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the

shorn ewes Which have come up from

hinds of the field, That you will not

their washing, All of which bear twins,

arouse or awaken my love Until she

And not one among them has lost her

pleases."

young.

6" What is this coming up from the 3"Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And wilderness Like columns of smoke, your mouth is lovely. Your temples are

Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,

like a slice of a pomegranate Behind

With all scented powders of the

your veil.

merchant?

4"Your neck is like the tower of David, 7"Behold, it is the traveling couch of Built with rows of stones On which are Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of

hung a thousand shields, All the round

the mighty men of Israel.

shields of the mighty men.

8"All of them are wielders of the sword, 5"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Expert in war; Each man has his sword Twins of a gazelle Which feed among

at his side, Guarding against the terrors

the lilies.

of the night.

6" Until the cool of the day When the 9"King Solomon has made for himself a

shadows flee away, I will go my way to sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon. the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.

10"He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold And its seat of purple fabric, With 7" You are altogether beautiful, my its interior lovingly fitted out By the

darling, And there is no blemish in you.

daughters of Jerusalem.

8"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,

11"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And May you come with me from Lebanon.

gaze on King Solomon with the crown

Journey down from the summit of

With which his mother has crowned him

Amana, From the summit of Senir and

On the day of his wedding, And on the

Hermon, From the dens of lions, From

day of his gladness of heart."

the mountains of leopards.

9

4

"You have made my heart beat faster,

" How beautiful you are, my darling, my sister, my bride; You have made my

How beautiful you are! Your eyes are

heart beat faster with a single glance of

like doves behind your veil; Your hair is your eyes, With a single strand of your necklace.

10" How beautiful is your love, my sister, 2" I was asleep but my heart was awake.

my bride! How much better is your love

A voice! My beloved was knocking:

than wine, And the fragrance of your oils

'Open to me, my sister, my darling, My

Than all kinds of spices!

dove, my perfect one! For my head is

drenched with dew, My locks with the

11"Your lips, my bride, drip honey;

damp of the night.'

Honey and milk are under your tongue,

And the fragrance of your garments is

3"I have taken off my dress, How can I like the fragrance of Lebanon.

put it on again? I have washed my feet,

How can I dirty them again?

12"A garden locked is my sister, my bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed

4"My beloved extended his hand through

up.

the opening, And my feelings were

aroused for him.

13"Your shoots are an orchard of

pomegranates With choice fruits, henna

5"I arose to open to my beloved; And my

with nard plants,

hands dripped with myrrh, And my

fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles

14Nard and saffron, calamus and

of the bolt.

cinnamon, With all the trees of

frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along

6"I opened to my beloved, But my

with all the finest spices.

beloved had turned away and had gone!

My heart went out to him as he spoke. I

15"You are a garden spring, A well of searched for him but I did not find him; I

fresh water, And streams flowing from

called him but he did not answer me.

Lebanon."

7"The watchmen who make the rounds

16" Awake, O north wind, And come,

in the city found me, They struck me

wind of the south; Make my garden

and wounded me; The guardsmen of

breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be the walls took away my shawl from me.

wafted abroad. May my beloved come

into his garden And eat its choice fruits!"

8"I adjure you, O daughters of

Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to

what you will tell him: For I am lovesick."

5" I have come into my garden, my 9

sister, my bride; I have gathered my

" What kind of beloved is your beloved,

myrrh along with my balsam. I have

O most beautiful among women? What

kind of beloved is your beloved, That

eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I

thus you adjure us?"

have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat,

friends; Drink and imbibe deeply, O

10

lovers."

" My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand.

11"His head is like gold, pure gold; His 5"Turn your eyes away from me, For locks are like clusters of dates And

they have confused me; Your hair is like

black as a raven.

a flock of goats That have descended

from Gilead.

12"His eyes are like doves Beside

streams of water, Bathed in milk, And

6" Your teeth are like a flock of ewes reposed in their setting.

Which have come up from their washing,

All of which bear twins, And not one

13"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, among them has lost her young.

Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips

are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh.

7" Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil.

14"His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is carved ivory Inlaid

8"There are sixty queens and eighty

with sapphires.

concubines,

And

maidens

without

number;

15"His legs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance

9But my dove, my perfect one, is unique:

is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars.

She is her mother's only daughter; She

is the pure child of the one who bore her.

16"His mouth is full of sweetness. And he The maidens saw her and called her

is wholly desirable. This is my beloved

blessed,

The

queens

and

the

and this is my friend, O daughters of

concubines also, and they praised her,

Jerusalem."

saying,

10'Who is this that grows like the dawn, 6" Where has your beloved gone, O As beautiful as the full moon, As pure as the sun, As awesome as an army with most beautiful among women? Where

banners?'

has your beloved turned, That we may

seek him with you?"

11"I went down to the orchard of nut 2

trees To see the blossoms of the valley,

" My beloved has gone down to his

To see whether the vine had budded Or

garden, To the beds of balsam, To

the pomegranates had bloomed.

pasture his flock in the gardens And

gather lilies.

12"Before I was aware, my soul set me 3

Over the chariots of my noble people."

" I am my beloved's and my beloved is

mine, He who pastures his flock among

13

the lilies."

"

Come

back,

come

back,

O

Shulammite; Come back, come back,

4

that we may gaze at you!" " Why should

" You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my you gaze at the Shulammite, As at the

darling, As lovely as Jerusalem, As

dance of the two companiesNULL

awesome as an army with banners.

11

7

"Come, my beloved, let us go out into

"How beautiful are your feet in

the country, Let us spend the night in

sandals, O prince's daughter! The

the villages.

curves of your hips are like jewels, The 12

work of the hands of an artist.

"Let us rise early and go to the

vineyards; Let us see whether the vine

2"Your navel is like a round goblet has budded And its blossoms have

Which never lacks mixed wine; Your

opened, And whether the pomegranates

have bloomed. There I will give you my

belly is like a heap of wheat Fenced

love.

about with lilies.

13

3"Your two breasts are like two fawns,

"The mandrakes have given forth

Twins of a gazelle.

fragrance; And over our doors are all

choice fruits, Both new and old, Which I

4

have saved up for you, my beloved.

"Your neck is like a tower of ivory, Your eyes like the pools in Heshbon By the

gate of Bath-rabbim; Your nose is like

8

the tower of Lebanon, Which faces

"Oh that you were like a brother to toward Damascus.

me Who nursed at my mother's breasts.

If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;

5"Your head crowns you like Carmel,

No one would despise me, either.

And the flowing locks of your head are

like purple threads; The king is

2"I would lead you and bring you Into the captivated by your tresses.

house of my mother, who used to

instruct me; I would give you spiced

6"How beautiful and how delightful you wine to drink from the juice of my

are, My love, with all your charms!

pomegranates.

7

3

"Your stature is like a palm tree, And

"Let his left hand be under my head your breasts are like its clusters.

And his right hand embrace me."

8

4

"I said, 'I will climb the palm tree, I will

" I want you to swear, O daughters of take hold of its fruit stalks.' Oh, may your Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken my

breasts be like clusters of the vine, And

love Until she pleases."

the fragrance of your breath like apples,

5" Who is this coming up from the

9And your mouth like the best wine!" " It wilderness Leaning on her beloved?" "

goes down smoothly for my beloved,

Beneath the apple tree I awakened you;

Flowing gently through the lips of those There your mother was in labor with you,

who fall asleep.

There she was in labor and gave you

birth.

10" I am my beloved's, And his desire is

for me.

6"Put me like a seal over your heart, 10" I was a wall, and my breasts were Like a seal on your arm. For love is as like towers; Then I became in his eyes strong as death, Jealousy is as severe

as one who finds peace.

as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.

11"Solomon had a vineyard at Baal—

hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to

7"Many waters cannot quench love, Nor

caretakers. Each one was to bring a

will rivers overflow it; If a man were to thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised."

12"My very own vineyard is at my

disposal; The thousand shekels are for

8" We have a little sister, And she has you, Solomon, And two hundred are for no breasts; What shall we do for our

those who take care of its fruit."

sister On the day when she is spoken

for?

13" O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice-9"If she is a wall, We will build on her a - Let me hear it!"

battlement of silver; But if she is a door,

We will barricade her with planks of

14" Hurry, my beloved, And be like a cedar."

gazelle or a young stag On the

mountains of spices."

Isaiah

8The daughter of Zion is left like a

shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman's

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.

concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which

he saw during the reigns of Uzziah,

9

Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of

Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a

Judah.

few survivors, We would be like Sodom,

We would be like Gomorrah.

2Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;

10

For the LORD speaks, " Sons I have Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers

reared and brought up, But they have

of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of revolted against Me.

our God, You people of Gomorrah.

11

3

" What are your multiplied sacrifices to

"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not

Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had know, My people do not understand."

enough of burnt offerings of rams And

the fat of fed cattle; And I take no

4

pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or Alas, sinful nation, People weighed

goats.

down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers,

Sons who act corruptly! They have

12

abandoned the LORD, They have

"When you come to appear before Me,

despised the Holy One of Israel, They

Who requires of you this trampling of My

have turned away from Him.

courts?

13

5Where will you be stricken again, As

"Bring your worthless offerings no

you continue in your rebellion? The

longer, Incense is an abomination to Me.

whole head is sick And the whole heart

New moon and sabbath, the calling of

assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity

is faint.

and the solemn assembly.

6From the sole of the foot even to the 14

head There is nothing sound in it, Only

"I hate your new moon festivals and bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not

your appointed feasts, They have

become a burden to Me; I am weary of

pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened

bearing them.

with oil.

15

7Your land is desolate, Your cities are

"So when you spread out your hands

burned with fire, Your fields--strangers

in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I

are devouring them in your presence; It

will not listen. Your hands are covered

is

desolation,

as

overthrown

by

strangers.

with blood.

16" Wash yourselves, make yourselves 26"Then I will restore your judges as at clean; Remove the evil of your deeds the first, And your counselors as at the from My sight. Cease to do evil,

beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city."

17Learn to do good; Seek justice,

Reprove the ruthless, Defend the

27Zion will be redeemed with justice And

orphan, Plead for the widow.

her repentant ones with righteousness.

18"Come now, and let us reason

28But transgressors and sinners will be

together," Says the LORD, " Though crushed together, And those who

your sins are as scarlet, They will be as

forsake the LORD will come to an end.

white as snow; Though they are red like

crimson, They will be like wool.

29Surely you will be ashamed of the

oaks which you have desired, And you

19" If you consent and obey, You will eat will be embarrassed at the gardens

the best of the land;

which you have chosen.

20"But if you refuse and rebel, You will 30For you will be like an oak whose leaf

be devoured by the sword." Truly, the fades away Or as a garden that has no mouth of the LORD has spoken.

water.

21How the faithful city has become a

31The strong man will become tinder,

harlot, She who was full of justice!

His work also a spark. Thus they shall

Righteousness once lodged in her, But

both burn together And there will be

now murderers.

none to quench them.

22Your silver has become dross, Your

drink diluted with water.

2The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and

23Your

rulers

are

rebels

And

Jerusalem.

companions of thieves; Everyone loves

a bribe And chases after rewards. They

2Now it will come about that In the last do not defend the orphan, Nor does the

days The mountain of the house of the

widow's plea come before them.

LORD Will be established as the chief of

the mountains, And will be raised above

24Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The

the hills; And all the nations will stream Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will to it.

be relieved of My adversaries And

avenge Myself on My foes.

3And many peoples will come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of 25"I will also turn My hand against you, the LORD, To the house of the God of And will smelt away your dross as with

Jacob;

That

He

may

teach

us

lye And will remove all your alloy.

concerning His ways And that we may

walk in His paths." For the law will go 11The proud look of man will be abased forth from Zion And the word of the

And the loftiness of man will be humbled,

LORD from Jerusalem.

And the LORD alone will be exalted in

that day.

4And He will judge between the nations,

And will render decisions for many

12For the LORD of hosts will have a day

peoples; And they will hammer their

of reckoning Against everyone who is

swords into plowshares and their spears

proud and lofty And against everyone

into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up

who is lifted up, That he may be abased.

sword against nation, And never again

will they learn war.

13And it will be against all the cedars of

Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,

5Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk

Against all the oaks of Bashan,

in the light of the LORD.

14Against all the lofty mountains, Against

6For You have abandoned Your people,

all the hills that are lifted up,

the house of Jacob, Because they are

filled with influences from the east, And 15Against every high tower, Against

they are soothsayers like the Philistines,

every fortified wall,

And they strike bargains with the

children of foreigners.

16Against all the ships of Tarshish And

against all the beautiful craft.

7Their land has also been filled with

silver and gold And there is no end to 17The pride of man will be humbled And

their treasures; Their land has also been

the loftiness of men will be abased; And

filled with horses And there is no end to

the LORD alone will be exalted in that

their chariots.

day,

8Their land has also been filled with

18But the idols will completely vanish.

idols; They worship the work of their

hands, That which their fingers have

19

made.

Men will go into caves of the rocks

And into holes of the ground Before the

9

terror of the LORD And the splendor of

So the common man has been

His majesty, When He arises to make

humbled And the man of importance

the earth tremble.

has been abased, But do not forgive

them.

20In that day men will cast away to the 10

moles and the bats Their idols of silver Enter the rock and hide in the dust

and their idols of gold, Which they made

From the terror of the LORD and from

for themselves to worship,

the splendor of His majesty.

21In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor 8For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah of His majesty, When He arises to make

has fallen, Because their speech and

the earth tremble.

their actions are against the LORD, To

rebel against His glorious presence.

22Stop regarding man, whose breath of

life is in his nostrils; For why should he 9The expression of their faces bears

be esteemedNULL

witness against them, And they display

their sin like Sodom; They do not even

conceal it. Woe to them! For they have

3For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is brought evil on themselves.

going to remove from Jerusalem and

10

Judah Both supply and support, the

Say to the righteous that it will go well

whole supply of bread And the whole

with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions.

supply of water;

11

2The mighty man and the warrior, The

Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with

judge and the prophet, The diviner and

him, For what he deserves will be done

the elder,

to him.

12

3The captain of fifty and the honorable

O My people! Their oppressors are

man, The counselor and the expert

children, And women rule over them. O

artisan, And the skillful enchanter.

My people! Those who guide you lead

you astray And confuse the direction of

your paths.

4And I will make mere lads their princes,

And capricious children will rule over

13

them,

The LORD arises to contend, And

stands to judge the people.

5And the people will be oppressed, Each

14

one by another, and each one by his

The LORD enters into judgment with

neighbor; The youth will storm against

the elders and princes of His people, "It the elder And the inferior against the

is you who have devoured the vineyard;

honorable.

The plunder of the poor is in your

houses.

6When a man lays hold of his brother in

15

his father's house, saying, "You have a

"What do you mean by crushing My

cloak, you shall be our ruler, And these people And grinding the face of the

ruins will be under your charge,"

poor?" Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

16

7He will protest on that day, saying, "I Moreover, the LORD said, "Because will not be your healer, For in my house

the daughters of Zion are proud And

there is neither bread nor cloak; You

walk with heads held high and seductive

should not appoint me ruler of the

eyes, And go along with mincing steps

And tinkle the bangles on their feet,

people."

17Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp 2In that day the Branch of the LORD will of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And

be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of

the LORD will make their foreheads

the earth will be the pride and the

bare."

adornment of the survivors of Israel.

18In that day the Lord will take away the

3It will come about that he who is left in

beauty of their anklets, headbands,

Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be

crescent ornaments,

called holy--everyone who is recorded

for life in Jerusalem.

19dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,

4When the Lord has washed away the

20headdresses, ankle chains, sashes,

filth of the daughters of Zion and purged

perfume boxes, amulets,

the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her

midst, by the spirit of judgment and the 21

spirit of burning,

finger rings, nose rings,

5

22

then the LORD will create over the

festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks,

whole area of Mount Zion and over her

money purses,

assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke,

and the brightness of a flaming fire by 23hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans

night; for over all the glory will be a and veils.

canopy.

24Now it will come about that instead of

6There will be a shelter to give shade

sweet perfume there will be putrefaction;

from the heat by day, and refuge and

Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well—

protection from the storm and the rain.

set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And

branding instead of beauty.

5Let me sing now for my well-beloved

25Your men will fall by the sword And

A song of my beloved concerning His

your mighty ones in battle.

vineyard.

My

well-beloved

had

a

vineyard on a fertile hill.

26And her gates will lament and mourn,

2

And deserted she will sit on the ground.

He dug it all around, removed its stones,

And planted it with the choicest vine.

And He built a tower in the middle of it 4

And also hewed out a wine vat in it;

For seven women will take hold of

Then He expected it to produce good

one man in that day, saying, "We will eat grapes, But it produced only worthless

our own bread and wear our own

ones.

clothes, only let us be called by your

name; take away our reproach!"

3"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem drink, Who stay up late in the evening and men of Judah, Judge between Me

that wine may inflame them!

and My vineyard.

12Their banquets are accompanied by

4" What more was there to do for My lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, vineyard that I have not done in it? Why,

and by wine; But they do not pay

when I expected it to produce good

attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor

grapes did it produce worthless ones?

do they consider the work of His hands.

5"So now let Me tell you what I am going

13Therefore My people go into exile for

to do to My vineyard: I will remove its their lack of knowledge; And their

hedge and it will be consumed; I will

honorable men are famished, And their

break down its wall and it will become

multitude is parched with thirst.

trampled ground.

14Therefore Sheol has enlarged its

6"I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned throat and opened its mouth without

or hoed, But briars and thorns will come

measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her

up. I will also charge the clouds to rain multitude, her din of revelry and the

no rain on it."

jubilant within her, descend into it.

7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts

15So the common man will be humbled

is the house of Israel And the men of

and the man of importance abased, The

Judah His delightful plant. Thus He

eyes of the proud also will be abased.

looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;

For righteousness, but behold, a cry of

16But the LORD of hosts will be exalted

distress.

in judgment, And the holy God will show

Himself holy in righteousness.

8Woe to those who add house to house

and join field to field, Until there is no 17Then the lambs will graze as in their more room, So that you have to live pasture, And strangers will eat in the

alone in the midst of the land!

waste places of the wealthy.

9In my ears the LORD of hosts has

18Woe to those who drag iniquity with

sworn, "Surely, many houses shall

the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with

become desolate, Even great and fine

cart ropes;

ones, without occupants.

19Who say, "Let Him make speed, let 10"For ten acres of vineyard will yield Him hasten His work, that we may see it; only one bath of wine, And a homer of

And let the purpose of the Holy One of seed will yield but an ephah of grain."

Israel draw near And come to pass, that

we may know it!"

11Woe to those who rise early in the

morning that they may pursue strong

20Woe to those who call evil good, and at its waist undone, Nor its sandal strap good evil; Who substitute darkness for

broken.

light and light for darkness; Who

substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for 28Its arrows are sharp and all its bows bitter!

are bent; The hoofs of its horses seem

like flint and its chariot wheels like a 21Woe to those who are wise in their

whirlwind.

own eyes And clever in their own sight!

29Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars

22Woe to those who are heroes in

like young lions; It growls as it seizes drinking wine And valiant men in mixing

the prey And carries it off with no one to

strong drink,

deliver it.

23Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And

30And it will growl over it in that day like

take away the rights of the ones who are

the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the

in the right!

land, behold, there is darkness and

distress; Even the light is darkened by

24Therefore, as a tongue of fire

its clouds.

consumes stubble And dry grass

collapses into the flame, So their root

will become like rot and their blossom

6In the year of King Uzziah's death I

blow away as dust; For they have

saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty rejected the law of the LORD of hosts

and exalted, with the train of His robe And despised the word of the Holy One

filling the temple.

of Israel.

2

25

Seraphim stood above Him, each

On this account the anger of the

having six wings: with two he covered

LORD has burned against His people,

his face, and with two he covered his

And He has stretched out His hand

feet, and with two he flew.

against them and struck them down.

And the mountains quaked, and their

3

corpses lay like refuse in the middle of And one called out to another and said,

the streets. For all this His anger is not

" Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, spent, But His hand is still stretched out.

The whole earth is full of His glory."

4

26He will also lift up a standard to the And the foundations of the thresholds

distant nation, And will whistle for it from

trembled at the voice of him who called the ends of the earth; And behold, it will

out, while the temple was filling with

come with speed swiftly.

smoke.

5

27No one in it is weary or stumbles,

Then I said, " Woe is me, for I am None slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the belt

ruined! Because I am a man of unclean

lips, And I live among a people of

unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

7Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of

6Then one of the seraphim flew to me

Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the

with a burning coal in his hand, which he

king of Aram and Pekah the son of

had taken from the altar with tongs.

Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to

Jerusalem to wage war against it, but

7He touched my mouth with it and said,

could not conquer it.

"Behold, this has touched your lips; and

your iniquity is taken away and your sin

2When it was reported to the house of

is forgiven."

David, saying, "The Arameans have

camped in Ephraim," his heart and the 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord,

hearts of his people shook as the trees saying, "Whom shall I send, and who of the forest shake with the wind.

will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I.

Send me!"

3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out

now to meet Ahaz, you and your son

9He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit

on listening, but do not perceive; Keep

of the upper pool, on the highway to the

on looking, but do not understand.'

fuller's field,

10

4

" Render the hearts of this people

and say to him, 'Take care and be calm,

insensitive, Their ears dull, And their

have no fear and do not be fainthearted

eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with

because

of

these

two

stubs

of

their eyes, Hear with their ears,

smoldering firebrands, on account of the

Understand with their hearts, And return

fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the

and be healed."

son of Remaliah.

11Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He 5'Because Aram, with Ephraim and the

answered, "Until cities are devastated son of Remaliah, has planned evil

and without inhabitant, Houses are

against you, saying,

without people And the land is utterly

desolate,

6"Let us go up against Judah and

terrorize it, and make for ourselves a

12"The LORD has removed men far

breach in its walls and set up the son of

away, And the forsaken places are

Tabeel as king in the midst of it,"

many in the midst of the land.

7thus says the Lord GOD: " It shall not 13"Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, stand nor shall it come to pass.

And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump

8"For the head of Aram is Damascus

remains when it is felled. The holy seed

and the head of Damascus is Rezin

is its stump."

(now within another 65 years Ephraim

will be shattered, so that it is no longer a 18In that day the LORD will whistle for people), the fly that is in the remotest part of the

rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in

9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria

the land of Assyria.

and the head of Samaria is the son of

Remaliah. If you will not believe, you

19They will all come and settle on the

surely shall not last."'"

steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs,

on all the thorn bushes and on all the 10Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz,

watering places.

saying,

20In that day the Lord will shave with a 11"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD

razor, hired from regions beyond the

your God; make it deep as Sheol or high

Euphrates (that is, with the king of

as heaven."

Assyria), the head and the hair of the

legs; and it will also remove the beard.

12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I 21

test the LORD!"

Now in that day a man may keep alive

a heifer and a pair of sheep;

13Then he said, "Listen now, O house of

22

David! Is it too slight a thing for you to and because of the abundance of the

try the patience of men, that you will try

milk produced he will eat curds, for

the patience of my God as well?

everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

14"Therefore the Lord Himself will give 23

you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with And it will come about in that day, that

child and bear a son, and she will call every place where there used to be a

His name Immanuel.

thousand vines, valued at a thousand

shekels of silver, will become briars and

15

thorns.

"He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil

24

and choose good.

People will come there with bows and

arrows because all the land will be

16

briars and thorns.

" For before the boy will know enough

to refuse evil and choose good, the land

25

whose two kings you dread will be

As for all the hills which used to be

forsaken.

cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but 17

they will become a place for pasturing

"The LORD will bring on you, on your oxen and for sheep to trample.

people, and on your father's house such

days as have never come since the day

that Ephraim separated from Judah, the

king of Assyria."

8Then the LORD said to me, "Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be speedy is the prey.

shattered.

2"And I will take to Myself faithful 10" Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest State a proposal, but it will not stand, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah."

For God is with us."

3So I approached the prophetess, and

11For thus the LORD spoke to me with

she conceived and gave birth to a son.

mighty power and instructed me not to

Then the LORD said to me, "Name him walk in the way of this people, saying,

Maher-shalal-hash-baz;

12"You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!'

4for before the boy knows how to cry out

In regard to all that this people call a

'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of conspiracy, And you are not to fear what

Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will

they fear or be in dread of it.

be carried away before the king of

Assyria."

13"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be

5Again the LORD spoke to me further,

your fear, And He shall be your dread.

saying,

14"Then He shall become a sanctuary; 6"Inasmuch as these people have

But to both the houses of Israel, a stone

rejected the gently flowing waters of

to strike and a rock to stumble over, And

Shiloah And rejoice in Rezin and the

a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of

son of Remaliah;

Jerusalem.

7"Now therefore, behold, the Lord is 15"Many will stumble over them, Then about to bring on them the strong and they will fall and be broken; They will abundant waters of the Euphrates, Even

even be snared and caught."

the king of Assyria and all his glory; And

it will rise up over all its channels and go

16Bind up the testimony, seal the law

over all its banks.

among my disciples.

8"Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will 17And I will wait for the LORD who is overflow and pass through, It will reach hiding His face from the house of Jacob;

even to the neck; And the spread of its I will even look eagerly for Him.

wings will fill the breadth of your land, O

Immanuel.

18Behold, I and the children whom the

LORD has given me are for signs and

9" Be broken, O peoples, and be

wonders in Israel from the LORD of

shattered; And give ear, all remote

hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet

19When they say to you, " Consult the The rod of their oppressor, as at the mediums and the spiritists who whisper

battle of Midian.

and mutter," should not a people consult

their God? Should they consult the dead

5For every boot of the booted warrior in

on behalf of the living?

the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in

blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

20To the law and to the testimony! If they

do not speak according to this word, it is

6For a child will be born to us, a son will

because they have no dawn.

be given to us; And the government will

rest on His shoulders; And His name will

21They will pass through the land hard—

be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty

pressed and famished, and it will turn

God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and

7There will be no end to the increase of

their God as they face upward.

His government or of peace, On the

throne of David and over his kingdom,

22Then they will look to the earth, and To establish it and to uphold it with

behold, distress and darkness, the

justice and righteousness From then on

gloom of anguish; and they will be

and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD

driven away into darkness.

of hosts will accomplish this.

8

9

The Lord sends a message against

But there will be no more gloom for

Jacob, And it falls on Israel.

her who was in anguish; in earlier times

9

He treated the land of Zebulun and the

And all the people know it, That is,

land of Naphtali with contempt, but later

Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,

on He shall make it glorious, by the way

Asserting in pride and in arrogance of

of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, heart:

Galilee of the Gentiles.

10"The bricks have fallen down, But we 2The people who walk in darkness Will

will rebuild with smooth stones; The

see a great light; Those who live in a sycamores have been cut down, But we

dark land, The light will shine on them.

will replace them with cedars."

3

11

You shall multiply the nation, You shall

Therefore the LORD raises against

increase their gladness; They will be

them adversaries from Rezin And spurs

glad in Your presence As with the

their enemies on,

gladness of harvest, As men rejoice

when they divide the spoil.

12The Arameans on the east and the

Philistines on the west; And they devour

4For You shall break the yoke of their

Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all burden and the staff on their shoulders, this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

13Yet the people do not turn back to Him 21Manasseh devours Ephraim, and

who struck them, Nor do they seek the

Ephraim Manasseh, And together they

LORD of hosts.

are against Judah. In spite of all this, His

anger does not turn away And His hand

14So the LORD cuts off head and tail

is still stretched out.

from Israel, Both palm branch and

bulrush in a single day.

10Woe to those who enact evil

15The head is the elder and honorable

statutes And to those who constantly

man, And the prophet who teaches

record unjust decisions,

falsehood is the tail.

2So as to deprive the needy of justice

16For those who guide this people are

And rob the poor of My people of their leading them astray; And those who are

rights, So that widows may be their spoil

guided by them are brought to confusion. And that they may plunder the orphans.

17Therefore the Lord does not take

3Now what will you do in the day of

pleasure in their young men, Nor does

punishment, And in the devastation

He have pity on their orphans or their

which will come from afar? To whom will

widows; For every one of them is

you flee for help? And where will you

godless and an evildoer, And every

leave your wealth?

mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite

of all this, His anger does not turn away

4Nothing remains but to crouch among

And His hand is still stretched out.

the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn

18For wickedness burns like a fire; It

away And His hand is still stretched out.

consumes briars and thorns; It even

sets the thickets of the forest aflame

5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger

And they roll upward in a column of

And the staff in whose hands is My

smoke.

indignation,

19By the fury of the LORD of hosts the 6I send it against a godless nation And land is burned up, And the people are commission it against the people of My

like fuel for the fire; No man spares his fury To capture booty and to seize

brother.

plunder, And to trample them down like

mud in the streets.

20They slice off what is on the right hand

but still are hungry, And they eat what is

7Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it on the left hand but they are not

plan so in its heart, But rather it is its satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of

purpose to destroy And to cut off many

his own arm.

nations.

8For it says, "Are not my princes all lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not kings?

wood.

9"Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or

16Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts,

Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like

will send a wasting disease among his

Damascus?

stout warriors; And under his glory a fire

will be kindled like a burning flame.

10"As my hand has reached to the

kingdoms of the idols, Whose graven

17And the light of Israel will become a images were greater than those of

fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will

Jerusalem and Samaria,

burn and devour his thorns and his

briars in a single day.

11Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her

images Just as I have done to Samaria

18And He will destroy the glory of his

and her idols?"

forest and of his fruitful garden, both

soul and body, And it will be as when a

12So it will be that when the Lord has sick man wastes away.

completed all His work on Mount Zion

and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will 19And the rest of the trees of his forest punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of will be so small in number That a child the king of Assyria and the pomp of his could write them down.

haughtiness."

20Now in that day the remnant of Israel,

13For he has said, "By the power of my and those of the house of Jacob who

hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I

have escaped, will never again rely on

have understanding; And I removed the

the one who struck them, but will truly boundaries

of

the

peoples

And

rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

plundered their treasures, And like a

mighty man I brought down their

21A remnant will return, the remnant of

inhabitants,

Jacob, to the mighty God.

14And my hand reached to the riches of

22For though your people, O Israel, may

the peoples like a nest, And as one

be like the sand of the sea, Only a

gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all

remnant within them will return; A

the earth; And there was not one that

destruction is determined, overflowing

flapped its wing or opened its beak or

with righteousness.

chirped."

23For a complete destruction, one that is

15Is the axe to boast itself over the one decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will

who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt execute in the midst of the whole land.

itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of

hosts, "O My people who dwell in Zion,

do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you will be cut down And those who are lofty with the rod and lifts up his staff against

will be abased.

you, the way Egypt did.

34He will cut down the thickets of the

25"For in a very little while My indignation forest with an iron axe, And Lebanon will

against you will be spent and My anger

fall by the Mighty One.

will be directed to their destruction."

26The LORD of hosts will arouse a

11Then a shoot will spring from the

scourge against him like the slaughter of

stem of Jesse, And a branch from his

Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff

roots will bear fruit.

will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt.

2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,

27

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

So it will be in that day, that his burden

The spirit of counsel and strength, The

will be removed from your shoulders

spirit of knowledge and the fear of the and his yoke from your neck, and the

LORD.

yoke will be broken because of fatness.

3

28

And He will delight in the fear of the He has come against Aiath, He has

LORD, And He will not judge by what

passed through Migron; At Michmash he

His eyes see, Nor make a decision by

deposited his baggage.

what His ears hear;

29They have gone through the pass,

4But with righteousness He will judge

saying, " Geba will be our lodging

the poor, And decide with fairness for

place." Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of the afflicted of the earth; And He will Saul has fled away.

strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He will 30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter

slay the wicked.

of Gallim! Pay attention, Laishah and

wretched Anathoth!

5Also righteousness will be the belt

about His loins, And faithfulness the belt

31Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants

about His waist.

of Gebim have sought refuge.

6And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, 32Yet today he will halt at Nob; He

And the leopard will lie down with the

shakes his fist at the mountain of the

young goat, And the calf and the young

daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.

33Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts,

will lop off the boughs with a terrible 7Also the cow and the bear will graze,

crash; Those also who are tall in stature

Their young will lie down together, And

the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8The nursing child will play by the hole scorching wind; And He will strike it into of the cobra, And the weaned child will seven streams And make men walk

put his hand on the viper's den.

over dry-shod.

9They will not hurt or destroy in all My 16And there will be a highway from

holy mountain, For the earth will be full Assyria For the remnant of His people

of the knowledge of the LORD As the

who will be left, Just as there was for waters cover the sea.

Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

10Then in that day The nations will resort

to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a

signal for the peoples; And His resting

12Then you will say on that day, " I place will be glorious.

will give thanks to You, O LORD; For

although You were angry with me, Your

11Then it will happen on that day that the

anger is turned away, And You comfort

Lord Will again recover the second time

me.

with His hand The remnant of His

people, who will remain, From Assyria,

2"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar,

and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is

Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. my strength and song, And He has become my salvation."

12And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished

3Therefore you will joyously draw water

ones of Israel, And will gather the

From the springs of salvation.

dispersed of Judah From the four

corners of the earth.

4And in that day you will say, " Give 13

thanks to the LORD, call on His name.

Then the jealousy of Ephraim will

Make known His deeds among the

depart, And those who harass Judah will

peoples; Make them remember that His

be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of

name is exalted."

Judah, And Judah will not harass

Ephraim.

5Praise the LORD in song, for He has

14

done excellent things; Let this be known

They will swoop down on the slopes of

throughout the earth.

the Philistines on the west; Together

they will plunder the sons of the east; 6

They will possess Edom and Moab, And

Cry aloud and shout for joy, O

the sons of Ammon will be subject to

inhabitant of Zion, For great in your

them.

midst is the Holy One of Israel.

15And the LORD will utterly destroy The

13

tongue of the Sea of Egypt; And He will

The oracle concerning Babylon

wave His hand over the River With His

which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2Lift up a standard on the bare hill, 11Thus I will punish the world for its evil Raise your voice to them, Wave the

And the wicked for their iniquity; I will hand that they may enter the doors of

also put an end to the arrogance of the the nobles.

proud And abase the haughtiness of the

ruthless.

3I have commanded My consecrated

ones, I have even called My mighty

12I will make mortal man scarcer than

warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To

pure gold And mankind than the gold of

execute My anger.

Ophir.

4A sound of tumult on the mountains,

13Therefore I will make the heavens

Like that of many people! A sound of the

tremble, And the earth will be shaken

uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered

from its place At the fury of the LORD of

together! The LORD of hosts is

hosts In the day of His burning anger.

mustering the army for battle.

14And it will be that like a hunted gazelle,

5They are coming from a far country,

Or like sheep with none to gather them,

From the farthest horizons, The LORD

They will each turn to his own people,

and His instruments of indignation, To

And each one flee to his own land.

destroy the whole land.

15Anyone who is found will be thrust

6Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It

through, And anyone who is captured

will come as destruction from the

will fall by the sword.

Almighty.

16Their little ones also will be dashed to

7Therefore all hands will fall limp, And pieces Before their eyes; Their houses

every man's heart will melt.

will be plundered And their wives

ravished.

8They will be terrified, Pains and

anguish will take hold of them; They will

17Behold, I am going to stir up the

writhe like a woman in labor, They will Medes against them, Who will not value

look at one another in astonishment,

silver or take pleasure in gold.

Their faces aflame.

18And their bows will mow down the

9Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,

young men, They will not even have

Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To

compassion on the fruit of the womb,

make the land a desolation; And He will

Nor will their eye pity children.

exterminate its sinners from it.

19And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms,

10For the stars of heaven and their

the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be

constellations Will not flash forth their as when God overthrew Sodom and

light; The sun will be dark when it rises Gomorrah.

And the moon will not shed its light.

20It will never be inhabited or lived in 5"The LORD has broken the staff of the from generation to generation; Nor will

wicked, The scepter of rulers

the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down

6Which used to strike the peoples in fury

there.

with unceasing strokes, Which subdued

the nations in anger with unrestrained

21But desert creatures will lie down there,

persecution.

And their houses will be full of owls;

Ostriches also will live there, and

7"The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; shaggy goats will frolic there.

They break forth into shouts of joy.

22Hyenas will howl in their fortified

8"Even the cypress trees rejoice over towers And jackals in their luxurious

you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

palaces. Her fateful time also will soon

'Since you were laid low, no tree cutter come And her days will not be

comes up against us.'

prolonged.

9" Sheol from beneath is excited over 14

you to meet you when you come; It

When

the

LORD

will

have

arouses for you the spirits of the dead, compassion on Jacob and again choose

all the leaders of the earth; It raises all Israel, and settle them in their own land, the kings of the nations from their

then strangers will join them and attach thrones.

themselves to the house of Jacob.

10" They will all respond and say to you, 2The peoples will take them along and

'Even you have been made weak as we,

bring them to their place, and the house

You have become like us.

of Israel will possess them as an

inheritance in the land of the LORD as

11'Your pomp and the music of your

male servants and female servants; and

harps Have been brought down to Sheol;

they will take their captors captive and Maggots are spread out as your bed

will rule over their oppressors.

beneath you And worms are your

covering.'

3And it will be in the day when the LORD

gives you rest from your pain and

12"How you have fallen from heaven, O

turmoil and harsh service in which you

star of the morning, son of the dawn!

have been enslaved,

You have been cut down to the earth,

You who have weakened the nations!

4that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the 13"But you said in your heart, 'I will oppressor has ceased, And how fury ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne

has ceased!

above the stars of God, And I will sit on

the mount of assembly In the recesses

of the north.

14'I will ascend above the heights of the 23"I will also make it a possession for the clouds; I will make myself like the Most hedgehog and swamps of water, and I High.'

will sweep it with the broom of

destruction," declares the LORD of

15"Nevertheless you will be thrust down hosts.

to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

24The LORD of hosts has sworn saying,

16"Those who see you will gaze at you,

"Surely, just as I have intended so it has They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is

happened, and just as I have planned

this the man who made the earth

so it will stand,

tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

25to break Assyria in My land, and I will

17Who made the world like a wilderness

trample him on My mountains. Then his

And overthrew its cities, Who did not

yoke will be removed from them and his

allow his prisoners to go home?'

burden removed from their shoulder.

18

26

"All the kings of the nations lie in glory,

"This is the plan devised against the Each in his own tomb.

whole earth; and this is the hand that is

stretched out against all the nations.

19"But you have been cast out of your 27

tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed

"For the LORD of hosts has planned, with the slain who are pierced with a

and who can frustrate it? And as for His

sword, Who go down to the stones of

stretched-out hand, who can turn it

the pit Like a trampled corpse.

back?"

20

28

"You will not be united with them in In the year that King Ahaz died this

burial, Because you have ruined your

oracle came:

country, You have slain your people.

May the offspring of evildoers not be

29"Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, mentioned forever.

Because the rod that struck you is

broken; For from the serpent's root a

21"Prepare for his sons a place of

viper will come out, And its fruit will be a

slaughter Because of the iniquity of their

flying serpent.

fathers. They must not arise and take

possession of the earth And fill the face

30"Those who are most helpless will eat,

of the world with cities."

And the needy will lie down in security; I

will destroy your root with famine, And it

22"I will rise up against them," declares will kill off your survivors.

the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring

31"Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away, O

and posterity," declares the LORD.

Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes

from the north, And there is no straggler

in his ranks.

32"How then will one answer the 8For the cry of distress has gone around messengers of the nationNULL That the

the territory of Moab, Its wail goes as far

LORD has founded Zion, And the

as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer—

afflicted of His people will seek refuge in

elim.

it."

9For the waters of Dimon are full of

15

blood; Surely I will bring added woes

The oracle concerning Moab.

upon Dimon, A lion upon the fugitives of

Moab and upon the remnant of the land.

Surely in a night Ar of Moab is

devastated and ruined; Surely in a night

Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

16Send the tribute lamb to the ruler

2They have gone up to the temple and

of the land, From Sela by way of the

to Dibon, even to the high places to

wilderness to the mountain of the

weep. Moab wails over Nebo and

daughter of Zion.

Medeba; Everyone's head is bald and

every beard is cut off.

2Then, like fleeing birds or scattered

nestlings, The daughters of Moab will be

3In their streets they have girded

at the fords of the Arnon.

themselves with sackcloth; On their

housetops

and

in

their

squares

3"Give us advice, make a decision; Cast

Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

your shadow like night at high noon;

Hide the outcasts, do not betray the

4Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,

fugitive.

Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;

Therefore the armed men of Moab cry

4"Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; aloud; His soul trembles within him.

Be a hiding place to them from the

destroyer." For the extortioner has come

5My heart cries out for Moab; His

to an end, destruction has ceased,

fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-Oppressors

have

completely

shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of

disappeared from the land.

Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to

Horonaim they raise a cry of distress

5A throne will even be established in

over their ruin.

lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it

in faithfulness in the tent of David;

6For the waters of Nimrim are desolate.

Moreover, he will seek justice And be

Surely the grass is withered, the tender prompt in righteousness.

grass died out, There is no green thing.

6We have heard of the pride of Moab, an

7Therefore the abundance which they

excessive pride; Even of his arrogance,

have acquired and stored up They carry

pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false.

off over the brook of Arabim.

7Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of population, and his remnant will be very Moab will wail. You will moan for the

small and impotent."

raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth As those

who are utterly stricken.

17The oracle concerning Damascus.

8For the fields of Heshbon have

"Behold, Damascus is about to be

withered, the vines of Sibmah as well;

removed from being a city And will

The lords of the nations have trampled

become a fallen ruin.

down its choice clusters Which reached

as far as Jazer and wandered to the

2

deserts; Its tendrils spread themselves

"The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They out and passed over the sea.

will be for flocks to lie down in, And there will be no one to frighten them.

9Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer, 3

for the vine of Sibmah; I will drench you

"The fortified city will disappear from with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh;

Ephraim,

And

sovereignty

from

For the shouting over your summer

Damascus And the remnant of Aram;

fruits and your harvest has fallen away.

They will be like the glory of the sons of

Israel," Declares the LORD of hosts.

10Gladness and joy are taken away from

4

the fruitful field; In the vineyards also Now in that day the glory of Jacob will there will be no cries of joy or jubilant fade, And the fatness of his flesh will shouting, No treader treads out wine in become lean.

the presses, For I have made the

5

shouting to cease.

It will be even like the reaper gathering

the standing grain, As his arm harvests

11Therefore my heart intones like a harp

the ears, Or it will be like one gleaning for Moab And my inward feelings for Kir-ears of grain In the valley of Rephaim.

hareseth.

6Yet gleanings will be left in it like the 12So it will come about when Moab

shaking of an olive tree, Two or three

presents himself, When he wearies

olives on the topmost bough, Four or

himself upon his high place And comes

five on the branches of a fruitful tree, to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not

Declares the LORD, the God of Israel.

prevail.

7In that day man will have regard for his

13This is the word which the LORD

Maker And his eyes will look to the Holy

spoke earlier concerning Moab.

One of Israel.

8

14But now the LORD speaks, saying,

He will not have regard for the altars,

"Within three years, as a hired man the work of his hands, Nor will he look to

would count them, the glory of Moab will

that which his fingers have made, Even

be degraded along with all his great

the Asherim and incense stands.

9In that day their strong cities will be like feared far and wide, A powerful and forsaken places in the forest, Or like

oppressive nation Whose land the rivers

branches which they abandoned before

divide.

the sons of Israel; And the land will be a

desolation.

3All you inhabitants of the world and

dwellers on earth, As soon as a

10For you have forgotten the God of your

standard is raised on the mountains,

salvation And have not remembered the

you will see it, And as soon as the

rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant

trumpet is blown, you will hear it.

delightful plants And set them with vine slips of a strange god.

4For thus the LORD has told me, "I will look from My dwelling place quietly Like

11In the day that you plant it you

dazzling heat in the sunshine, Like a

carefully fence it in, And in the morning cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."

you bring your seed to blossom; But the

harvest will be a heap In a day of

5For before the harvest, as soon as the

sickliness and incurable pain.

bud blossoms And the flower becomes

a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the

12Alas, the uproar of many peoples Who

sprigs with pruning knives And remove

roar like the roaring of the seas, And the

and cut away the spreading branches.

rumbling of nations Who rush on like the

rumbling of mighty waters!

6They will be left together for mountain birds of prey, And for the beasts of the 13The nations rumble on like the earth; And the birds of prey will spend rumbling of many waters, But He will

the summer feeding on them, And all

rebuke them and they will flee far away,

the beasts of the earth will spend

And be chased like chaff in the

harvest time on them.

mountains before the wind, Or like

whirling dust before a gale.

7At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts From a

14At evening time, behold, there is terror!

people tall and smooth, Even from a

Before morning they are no more. Such

people feared far and wide, A powerful

will be the portion of those who plunder and oppressive nation, Whose land the

us And the lot of those who pillage us.

rivers divide-- To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, even Mount Zion.

18Alas, oh land of whirring wings 19

Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush,

The oracle concerning Egypt.

Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift

2Which sends envoys by the sea, Even

cloud and is about to come to Egypt;

in papyrus vessels on the surface of the

The idols of Egypt will tremble at His

waters. Go, swift messengers, to a

presence, And the heart of the

nation tall and smooth, To a people

Egyptians will melt within them.

2"So I will incite Egyptians against 11The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Egyptians; And they will each fight

The advice of Pharaoh's wisest advisers

against his brother and each against his

has become stupid. How can you men

neighbor, City against city and kingdom

say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise,

against kingdom.

a son of ancient kings"?

3"Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be 12Well then, where are your wise men?

demoralized within them; And I will

Please let them tell you, And let them

confound their strategy, So that they will

understand what the LORD of hosts Has

resort to idols and ghosts of the dead

purposed against Egypt.

And to mediums and spiritists.

13The princes of Zoan have acted

4"Moreover, I will deliver the Egyptians foolishly, The princes of Memphis are

into the hand of a cruel master, And a deluded; Those who are the cornerstone

mighty king will rule over them,"

of her tribes Have led Egypt astray.

declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

14The LORD has mixed within her a

5The waters from the sea will dry up,

spirit of distortion; They have led Egypt And the river will be parched and dry.

astray in all that it does, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

6The canals will emit a stench, The

streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up;

15There will be no work for Egypt Which

The reeds and rushes will rot away.

its head or tail, its palm branch or

bulrush, may do.

7The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge

of the Nile And all the sown fields by the

16In that day the Egyptians will become

Nile Will become dry, be driven away,

like women, and they will tremble and

and be no more.

be in dread because of the waving of

the hand of the LORD of hosts, which

8And the fishermen will lament, And all

He is going to wave over them.

those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, And those who spread nets on

17The land of Judah will become a terror

the waters will pine away.

to Egypt; everyone to whom it is

mentioned will be in dread of it, because

9Moreover, the manufacturers of linen

of the purpose of the LORD of hosts

made from combed flax And the

which He is purposing against them.

weavers of white cloth will be utterly

dejected.

18In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of

10And the pillars of Egypt will be crushed;

Canaan and swearing allegiance to the

All the hired laborers will be grieved in LORD of hosts; one will be called the

soul.

City of Destruction.

19In that day there will be an altar to the of Assyria sent him and he fought LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt,

against Ashdod and captured it,

and a pillar to the LORD near its border.

2at that time the LORD spoke through

20It will become a sign and a witness to

Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and

the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt;

loosen the sackcloth from your hips and

for they will cry to the LORD because of

take your shoes off your feet." And he oppressors, and He will send them a

did so, going naked and barefoot.

Savior and a Champion, and He will

deliver them.

3And the LORD said, "Even as My

servant Isaiah has gone naked and

21Thus the LORD will make Himself

barefoot three years as a sign and token

known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will

against Egypt and Cush,

know the LORD in that day. They will

even worship with sacrifice and offering,

4so the king of Assyria will lead away the

and will make a vow to the LORD and

captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush,

perform it.

young and old, naked and barefoot with

buttocks uncovered, to the shame of

22The LORD will strike Egypt, striking

Egypt.

but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and

5"Then they will be dismayed and

will heal them.

ashamed because of Cush their hope

and Egypt their boast.

23In that day there will be a highway

from

Egypt to

Assyria,

and the

6"So the inhabitants of this coastland will Assyrians will come into Egypt and the

say in that day, 'Behold, such is our

Egyptians

into

Assyria,

and

the

hope, where we fled for help to be

Egyptians

will

worship

with

the

delivered from the king of Assyria; and

Assyrians.

we, how shall we escape?'"

24In that day Israel will be the third party

with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the

21The oracle concerning the

midst of the earth,

wilderness of the sea. As windstorms in

25

the Negev sweep on, It comes from the

whom the LORD of hosts has blessed,

wilderness, from a terrifying land.

saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and

2

Israel My inheritance."

A harsh vision has been shown to me;

The

treacherous

one

still

deals

treacherously, and the destroyer still

20

destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;

In the year that the commander

I have made an end of all the groaning came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king

she has caused.

3For this reason my loins are full of 12The watchman says, "Morning comes anguish; Pains have seized me like the

but also night. If you would inquire,

pains of a woman in labor. I am so

inquire; Come back again."

bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.

13The oracle about Arabia. In the

thickets of Arabia you must spend the

4My mind reels, horror overwhelms me;

night, O caravans of Dedanites.

The twilight I longed for has been turned

for me into trembling.

14Bring water for the thirsty, O

inhabitants of the land of Tema, Meet

5They set the table, they spread out the

the fugitive with bread.

cloth, they eat, they drink; "Rise up, captains, oil the shields,"

15For they have fled from the swords,

From the drawn sword, and from the

6For thus the Lord says to me, "Go, bent bow And from the press of battle.

station the lookout, let him report what he sees.

16For thus the Lord said to me, "In a year, as a hired man would count it, all 7"When he sees riders, horsemen in the splendor of Kedar will terminate;

pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of

camels, Let him pay close attention,

17and the remainder of the number of

very close attention."

bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of

Kedar, will be few; for the LORD God of

8Then the lookout called, " O Lord, I Israel has spoken."

stand continually by day on the

watchtower, And I am stationed every

night at my guard post.

22The oracle concerning the valley

9

of vision. What is the matter with you

"Now behold, here comes a troop of

now, that you have all gone up to the

riders, horsemen in pairs." And one said, housetops?

" Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the images of her gods are shattered on the

2

ground."

You who were full of noise, You

boisterous town, you exultant city; Your

10

slain were not slain with the sword, Nor

O my threshed people, and my

did they die in battle.

afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of hosts,

3

The God of Israel, I make known to you.

All your rulers have fled together, And

have been captured without the bow; All

11

of you who were found were taken

The oracle concerning Edom. One

captive together, Though they had fled

keeps

calling

to

me

from

Seir,

far away.

"Watchman, how far gone is the night?

Watchman, how far gone is the night?"

4Therefore I say, "Turn your eyes away 13Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not

Killing of cattle and slaughtering of

try to comfort me concerning the

sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of

destruction of the daughter of my

wine: " Let us eat and drink, for

people."

tomorrow we may die."

5For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day of

14But the LORD of hosts revealed

panic, subjugation and confusion In the

Himself to me, "Surely this iniquity shall valley of vision, A breaking down of not be forgiven you Until you die," says walls And a crying to the mountain.

the Lord GOD of hosts.

6Elam took up the quiver With the

15Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts,

chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir

"Come, go to this steward, To Shebna, uncovered the shield.

who is in charge of the royal household,

7Then your choicest valleys were full of

16'What right do you have here, And

chariots, And the horsemen took up

whom do you have here, That you have

fixed positions at the gate.

hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who

hew a tomb on the height, You who

8And He removed the defense of Judah.

carve a resting place for yourself in the In that day you depended on the

rock?

weapons of the house of the forest,

17'Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you

9And you saw that the breaches In the

headlong, O man. And He is about to

wall of the city of David were many; And

grasp you firmly

you collected the waters of the lower

pool.

18And roll you tightly like a ball, To be cast into a vast country; There you will 10Then you counted the houses of die And there your splendid chariots will

Jerusalem And tore down houses to

be, You shame of your master's house.'

fortify the wall.

19"I will depose you from your office, And 11And you made a reservoir between the

I will pull you down from your station.

two walls For the waters of the old pool.

But you did not depend on Him who

20"Then it will come about in that day, made it, Nor did you take into

That I will summon My servant Eliakim

consideration Him who planned it long

the son of Hilkiah,

ago.

21And I will clothe him with your tunic 12Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of

And tie your sash securely about him. I hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, will entrust him with your authority, And To shaving the head and to wearing he will become a father to the

sackcloth.

inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the given birth, I have neither brought up house of Judah.

young men nor reared virgins."

22"Then I will set the key of the house of 5When the report reaches Egypt, They

David on his shoulder, When he opens

will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

no one will shut, When he shuts no one

will open.

6Pass over to Tarshish; Wail, O

inhabitants of the coastland.

23"I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of 7Is this your jubilant city, Whose origin is

glory to his father's house.

from antiquity, Whose feet used to carry

her to colonize distant places?

24"So they will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, offspring and issue,

8Who has planned this against Tyre, the

all the least of vessels, from bowls to all

bestower of crowns, Whose merchants

the jars.

were princes, whose traders were the

honored of the earth?

25"In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the peg driven in a firm place will 9The LORD of hosts has planned it, to give way; it will even break off and fall, defile the pride of all beauty, To despise

and the load hanging on it will be cut off,

all the honored of the earth.

for the LORD has spoken."

10Overflow your land like the Nile, O

23

daughter of Tarshish, There is no more

The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail,

restraint.

O ships of Tarshish, For Tyre is

destroyed, without house or harbor; It is

11He has stretched His hand out over

reported to them from the land of

the sea, He has made the kingdoms

Cyprus.

tremble; The LORD has given a

command

concerning

Canaan

to

2Be silent, you inhabitants of the

demolish its strongholds.

coastland, You merchants of Sidon;

Your messengers crossed the sea

12He has said, " You shall exult no more, O crushed virgin daughter of Sidon.

3And were on many waters. The grain of

Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there

the Nile, the harvest of the River was

you will find no rest."

her revenue; And she was the market of

nations.

13Behold, the land of the Chaldeans--

this is the people which was not; Assyria

4Be ashamed, O Sidon; For the sea

appointed it for desert creatures--they

speaks, the stronghold of the sea,

erected their siege towers, they stripped

saying, "I have neither travailed nor its palaces, they made it a ruin.

14Wail, O ships of Tarshish, For your 4The earth mourns and withers, the stronghold is destroyed.

world fades and withers, the exalted of

the people of the earth fade away.

15Now in that day Tyre will be forgotten

for seventy years like the days of one

5The earth is also polluted by its

king. At the end of seventy years it will inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, happen to Tyre as in the song of the

violated statutes, broke the everlasting

harlot:

covenant.

16Take your harp, walk about the city, O

6Therefore, a curse devours the earth,

forgotten harlot; Pluck the strings

and those who live in it are held guilty.

skillfully, sing many songs, That you

Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth

may be remembered.

are burned, and few men are left.

17It will come about at the end of

7The new wine mourns, The vine decays,

seventy years that the LORD will visit

All the merry-hearted sigh.

Tyre. Then she will go back to her

harlot's wages and will play the harlot

8The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The

with all the kingdoms on the face of the

noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of

earth.

the harp ceases.

18Her gain and her harlot's wages will be

9They do not drink wine with song;

set apart to the LORD; it will not be

Strong drink is bitter to those who drink stored up or hoarded, but her gain will it.

become sufficient food and choice attire

for those who dwell in the presence of

10The city of chaos is broken down;

the LORD.

Every house is shut up so that none

may enter.

24Behold, the LORD lays the earth 11There is an outcry in the streets waste, devastates it, distorts its surface concerning the wine; All joy turns to and scatters its inhabitants.

gloom. The gaiety of the earth is

banished.

2And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like

12Desolation is left in the city And the her mistress, the buyer like the seller, gate is battered to ruins.

the lender like the borrower, the creditor

like the debtor.

13For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, As the

3The earth will be completely laid waste

shaking of an olive tree, As the

and completely despoiled, for the LORD

gleanings when the grape harvest is

has spoken this word.

over.

14They raise their voices, they shout for 23Then the moon will be abashed and joy; They cry out from the west

the sun ashamed, For the LORD of

concerning the majesty of the LORD.

hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in

Jerusalem, And His glory will be before

15Therefore glorify the LORD in the east,

His elders.

The name of the LORD, the God of

Israel, In the coastlands of the sea.

25O LORD, You are my God; I will

16From the ends of the earth we hear

exalt You, I will give thanks to Your

songs, " Glory to the Righteous One,"

name; For You have worked wonders,

But I say, " Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas

Plans formed long ago, with perfect

for

me!

The

treacherous

deal

faithfulness.

treacherously, And the treacherous deal

very treacherously."

2For You have made a city into a heap,

A fortified city into a ruin; A palace of 17Terror and pit and snare Confront you,

strangers is a city no more, It will never

O inhabitant of the earth.

be rebuilt.

18Then it will be that he who flees the 3Therefore a strong people will glorify

report of disaster will fall into the pit, And You; Cities of ruthless nations will

he who climbs out of the pit will be

revere You.

caught in the snare; For the windows

above are opened, and the foundations

4For You have been a defense for the

of the earth shake.

helpless, A defense for the needy in his

distress, A refuge from the storm, a

19The earth is broken asunder, The

shade from the heat; For the breath of

earth is split through, The earth is

the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a

shaken violently.

wall.

20The earth reels to and fro like a

5Like heat in drought, You subdue the

drunkard And it totters like a shack, For

uproar of aliens; Like heat by the

its transgression is heavy upon it, And it

shadow of a cloud, the song of the

will fall, never to rise again.

ruthless is silenced.

21So it will happen in that day, That the

6The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish

LORD will punish the host of heaven on

banquet for all peoples on this mountain;

high, And the kings of the earth on earth. A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.

22They will be gathered together Like

prisoners in the dungeon, And will be

7And on this mountain He will swallow

confined in prison; And after many days

up the covering which is over all peoples,

they will be punished.

Even the veil which is stretched over all

nations.

8He will swallow up death for all time, 5"For He has brought low those who And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away

dwell on high, the unassailable city; He from all faces, And He will remove the

lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, reproach of His people from all the earth;

He casts it to the dust.

For the LORD has spoken.

6" The foot will trample it, The feet of the 9And it will be said in that day, "Behold, afflicted, the steps of the helpless."

this is our God for whom we have

waited that He might save us. This is the

7The way of the righteous is smooth; O

LORD for whom we have waited; Let us

Upright One, make the path of the

rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

righteous level.

10For the hand of the LORD will rest on

8Indeed, while following the way of Your

this mountain, And Moab will be trodden

judgments, O LORD, We have waited

down in his place As straw is trodden

for You eagerly; Your name, even Your

down in the water of a manure pile.

memory, is the desire of our souls.

11And he will spread out his hands in the

9At night my soul longs for You, Indeed,

middle of it As a swimmer spreads out

my spirit within me seeks You diligently;

his hands to swim, But the Lord will lay For when the earth experiences Your

low his pride together with the trickery of

judgments The inhabitants of the world

his hands.

learn righteousness.

12The unassailable fortifications of your

10Though the wicked is shown favor, He

walls He will bring down, Lay low and

does not learn righteousness; He deals

cast to the ground, even to the dust.

unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the

26

LORD.

In that day this song will be sung

11

in the land of Judah: "We have a strong

O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet

city; He sets up walls and ramparts for they do not see it. They see Your zeal security.

for the people and are put to shame;

Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.

2"Open the gates, that the righteous 12

nation may enter, The one that remains

LORD, You will establish peace for us,

faithful.

Since You have also performed for us

all our works.

3"The steadfast of mind You will keep in

13

perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

O LORD our God, other masters

besides You have ruled us; But through

4" Trust in the LORD forever, For in You alone we confess Your name.

GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting

Rock.

14The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have 27In that day the LORD will punish punished and destroyed them, And You

Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His

have wiped out all remembrance of

fierce and great and mighty sword, Even

them.

Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He

will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.

15You have increased the nation, O

LORD, You have increased the nation,

2In that day, "A vineyard of wine, sing of You are glorified; You have extended all

it!

the borders of the land.

3

16

"I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it O LORD, they sought You in distress; every moment. So that no one will

They could only whisper a prayer, Your

damage it, I guard it night and day.

chastening was upon them.

4

17

"I have no wrath. Should someone give

As the pregnant woman approaches

Me briars and thorns in battle, Then I

the time to give birth, She writhes and would step on them, I would burn them

cries out in her labor pains, Thus were completely.

we before You, O LORD.

5

18

"Or let him rely on My protection, Let We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,

him make peace with Me, Let him make

We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.

peace with Me."

We could not accomplish deliverance for

the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the

6

world born.

In the days to come Jacob will take root,

Israel will blossom and sprout, And they

19

will fill the whole world with fruit.

Your dead will live; Their corpses will

rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and

7

shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew

Like the striking of Him who has struck

of the dawn, And the earth will give birth

them, has He struck them? Or like the

to the departed spirits.

slaughter of His slain, have they been

slain?

20Come, my people, enter into your

8

rooms And close your doors behind you;

You contended with them by banishing

Hide for a little while Until indignation them, by driving them away. With His

runs its course.

fierce wind He has expelled them on the

day of the east wind.

21For behold, the LORD is about to

9

come out from His place To punish the

Therefore through this Jacob's iniquity

inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; will be forgiven; And this will be the full And the earth will reveal her bloodshed price of the pardoning of his sin: When And will no longer cover her slain.

he makes all the altar stones like

pulverized chalk stones; When Asherim

and incense altars will not stand.

10For the fortified city is isolated, A 4And the fading flower of its glorious homestead forlorn and forsaken like the

beauty, Which is at the head of the

desert; There the calf will graze, And

fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig there it will lie down and feed on its prior to summer, Which one sees, And branches.

as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows

it.

11When its limbs are dry, they are

broken off; Women come and make a

5In that day the LORD of hosts will

fire with them, For they are not a people

become a beautiful crown And a

of discernment, Therefore their Maker

glorious diadem to the remnant of His

will not have compassion on them. And

people;

their Creator will not be gracious to them.

6A spirit of justice for him who sits in 12In that day the LORD will start His

judgment, A strength to those who repel

threshing from the flowing stream of the

the onslaught at the gate.

Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and

you will be gathered up one by one, O

7And these also reel with wine and

sons of Israel.

stagger from strong drink: The priest

and the prophet reel with strong drink,

13It will come about also in that day that

They are confused by wine, they

a great trumpet will be blown, and those

stagger from strong drink; They reel

who were perishing in the land of

while having visions, They totter when

Assyria and who were scattered in the

rendering judgment.

land of Egypt will come and worship the

LORD

in

the

holy

mountain

at

8For all the tables are full of filthy vomit,

Jerusalem.

without a single clean place.

9

28

"To whom would He teach knowledge,

Woe to the proud crown of the

And to whom would He interpret the

drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading

message? Those just weaned from milk?

flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at

Those just taken from the breast?

the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!

10"For He says, ' Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A 2Behold, the Lord has a strong and little here, a little there.'"

mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a

tempest of destruction, Like a storm of

11Indeed, He will speak to this people

mighty overflowing waters, He has cast

Through stammering lips and a foreign

it down to the earth with His hand.

tongue,

3The proud crown of the drunkards of

12He who said to them, "Here is rest, Ephraim is trodden under foot.

give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen.

13So the word of the LORD to them will 20The bed is too short on which to be, "Order on order, order on order, Line stretch out, And the blanket is too small

on line, line on line, A little here, a little to wrap oneself in.

there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken

21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount

captive.

Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His

14Therefore, hear the word of the LORD,

unusual task, And to work His work, His

O scoffers, Who rule this people who

extraordinary work.

are in Jerusalem,

22And now do not carry on as scoffers,

15Because you have said, "We have

Or your fetters will be made stronger;

made a covenant with death, And with

For I have heard from the Lord GOD of

Sheol we have made a pact. The

hosts Of decisive destruction on all the overwhelming scourge will not reach us

earth.

when it passes by, For we have made

falsehood our refuge and we have

23Give ear and hear my voice, Listen

concealed ourselves with deception."

and hear my words.

16Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "

24Does the farmer plow continually to

Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a plant seed? Does he continually turn

tested stone, A costly cornerstone for

and harrow the ground?

the foundation, firmly placed. He who

believes in it will not be disturbed.

25Does he not level its surface And sow

dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat

17"I will make justice the measuring line in rows, Barley in its place and rye

And righteousness the level; Then hail

within its area?

will sweep away the refuge of lies And

the waters will overflow the secret place.

26For his God instructs and teaches him

properly.

18"Your covenant with death will be

canceled, And your pact with Sheol will

27For dill is not threshed with a threshing

not stand; When the overwhelming

sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over

scourge passes through, Then you

cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod,

become its trampling place.

and cummin with a club.

19"As often as it passes through, it will 28Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he seize you; For morning after morning it

does not continue to thresh it forever.

will pass through, anytime during the

Because the wheel of his cart and his

day or night, And it will be sheer terror to

horses eventually damage it, He does

understand what it means."

not thresh it longer.

29This also comes from the LORD of 8It will be as when a hungry man hosts, Who has made His counsel

dreams-- And behold, he is eating; But

wonderful and His wisdom great.

when he awakens, his hunger is not

satisfied, Or as when a thirsty man

dreams-- And behold, he is drinking, But

29Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city where when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his thirst is not quenched. Thus the David once camped! Add year to year,

multitude of all the nations will be Who observe your feasts on schedule.

wage war against Mount Zion.

2I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will

9Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves

be a city of lamenting and mourning;

and be blind; They become drunk, but

And she will be like an Ariel to me.

not with wine, They stagger, but not with

strong drink.

3I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you,

10For the LORD has poured over you a

And I will raise up battle towers against spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your you.

eyes, the prophets; And He has covered

your heads, the seers.

4Then you will be brought low; From the

earth you will speak, And from the dust 11The entire vision will be to you like the

where you are prostrate Your words will

words of a sealed book, which when

come. Your voice will also be like that of

they give it to the one who is literate, a spirit from the ground, And your

saying, "Please read this," he will say, "I speech will whisper from the dust.

cannot, for it is sealed."

5But the multitude of your enemies will

12Then the book will be given to the one

become like fine dust, And the multitude

who is illiterate, saying, "Please read of the ruthless ones like the chaff which

this." And he will say, "I cannot read."

blows away; And it will happen instantly,

suddenly.

13Then the Lord said, "Because this

6

people draw near with their words And

From the LORD of hosts you will be

honor Me with their lip service, But they

punished with thunder and earthquake

remove their hearts far from Me, And

and loud noise, With whirlwind and

their reverence for Me consists of

tempest and the flame of a consuming

tradition learned by rote,

fire.

14

7

Therefore behold, I will once again

And the multitude of all the nations who

deal marvelously with this people,

wage war against Ariel, Even all who

wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom

wage

war

against

her

and

her

of their wise men will perish, And the

stronghold, and who distress her, Will

discernment of their discerning men will

be like a dream, a vision of the night.

be concealed."

15Woe to those who deeply hide their 23But when he sees his children, the plans from the LORD, And whose deeds

work of My hands, in his midst, They will

are done in a dark place, And they say, "

sanctify My name; Indeed, they will

Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?"

sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

16You turn things around! Shall the

potter be considered as equal with the

24"Those who err in mind will know the clay, That what is made would say to its

truth, And those who criticize will accept

maker, "He did not make me"; Or what instruction.

is formed say to him who formed it, "He

has no understanding"?

30"Woe to the rebellious children,"

17Is it not yet just a little while Before declares the LORD, "Who execute a Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field,

plan, but not Mine, And make an

And the fertile field will be considered as

alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to

a forest?

add sin to sin;

18On that day the deaf will hear words of

2Who proceed down to Egypt Without

a book, And out of their gloom and

consulting Me, To take refuge in the

darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in

the shadow of Egypt!

19The afflicted also will increase their

gladness in the LORD, And the needy of

3"Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of your shame And the shelter in the Israel.

shadow of Egypt, your humiliation.

20For the ruthless will come to an end

4"For their princes are at Zoan And their and the scorner will be finished, Indeed ambassadors arrive at Hanes.

all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off;

5"Everyone will be ashamed because of

21

a people who cannot profit them, Who

Who cause a person to be indicted by

are not for help or profit, but for shame a

word,

And

ensnare

him

who

and also for reproach."

adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the

one in the right with meaningless

6

arguments.

The oracle concerning the beasts of the

Negev. Through a land of distress and

22

anguish, From where come lioness and

Therefore thus says the LORD, who

lion, viper and flying serpent, They carry

redeemed Abraham, concerning the

their riches on the backs of young

house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be

donkeys And their treasures on camels'

ashamed, nor shall his face now turn

humps, To a people who cannot profit

pale;

them;

7Even Egypt, whose help is vain and trust is your strength." But you were not empty. Therefore, I have called her "

willing,

Rahab who has been exterminated."

16And you said, "No, for we will flee on 8Now go, write it on a tablet before them horses," Therefore you shall flee! "And And inscribe it on a scroll, That it may we will ride on swift horses," Therefore serve in the time to come As a witness those who pursue you shall be swift.

forever.

17One thousand will flee at the threat of

9For this is a rebellious people, false

one man; You will flee at the threat of sons, Sons who refuse to listen To the

five, Until you are left as a flag on a instruction of the LORD;

mountain top And as a signal on a hill.

10Who say to the seers, "You must not 18Therefore the LORD longs to be

see visions"; And to the prophets, "You gracious to you, And therefore He waits must not prophesy to us what is right,

on high to have compassion on you. For

Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy

the LORD is a God of justice; How

illusions.

blessed are all those who long for Him.

11"Get out of the way, turn aside from 19O people in Zion, inhabitant in

the path, Let us hear no more about the

Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He

Holy One of Israel."

will surely be gracious to you at the

sound of your cry; when He hears it, He

12Therefore thus says the Holy One of

will answer you.

Israel, " Since you have rejected this word And have put your trust in

20Although the Lord has given you bread

oppression and guile, and have relied

of privation and water of oppression, He,

on them,

your Teacher will no longer hide Himself,

but your eyes will behold your Teacher.

13Therefore this iniquity will be to you Like a breach about to fall, A bulge in a

21Your ears will hear a word behind you,

high wall, Whose collapse comes

"This is the way, walk in it," whenever suddenly in an instant,

you turn to the right or to the left.

14Whose collapse is like the smashing of

22And you will defile your graven images

a potter's jar, So ruthlessly shattered

overlaid with silver, and your molten

That a sherd will not be found among its

images plated with gold. You will scatter

pieces To take fire from a hearth Or to them as an impure thing, and say to

scoop water from a cistern."

them, " Be gone!"

15For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One

23Then He will give you rain for the seed

of Israel, has said, "In repentance and which you will sow in the ground, and rest you will be saved, In quietness and

bread from the yield of the ground, and

it will be rich and plenteous; on that day fierce anger, And in the flame of a your livestock will graze in a roomy

consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour

pasture.

and hailstones.

24Also the oxen and the donkeys which

31For at the voice of the LORD Assyria

work the ground will eat salted fodder,

will be terrified, When He strikes with

which has been winnowed with shovel

the rod.

and fork.

32And every blow of the rod of

25On every lofty mountain and on every

punishment, Which the LORD will lay on

high hill there will be streams running

him, Will be with the music of

with water on the day of the great

tambourines and lyres; And in battles,

slaughter, when the towers fall.

brandishing weapons, He will fight them.

26The light of the moon will be as the 33For Topheth has long been ready,

light of the sun, and the light of the sun Indeed, it has been prepared for the

will be seven times brighter, like the light

king. He has made it deep and large, A

of seven days, on the day the LORD

pyre of fire with plenty of wood; The

binds up the fracture of His people and breath of the LORD, like a torrent of

heals the bruise He has inflicted.

brimstone, sets it afire.

27Behold, the name of the LORD comes

from a remote place; Burning is His

31Woe to those who go down to

anger and dense is His smoke; His lips

Egypt for help And rely on horses, And

are filled with indignation And His

trust in chariots because they are many

tongue is like a consuming fire;

And in horsemen because they are very

strong, But they do not look to the Holy 28His breath is like an overflowing torrent,

One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!

Which reaches to the neck, To shake

the nations back and forth in a sieve,

2Yet He also is wise and will bring

And to put in the jaws of the peoples the

disaster And does not retract His words,

bridle which leads to ruin.

But will arise against the house of

evildoers And against the help of the

29You will have songs as in the night

workers of iniquity.

when you keep the festival, And

gladness of heart as when one marches

3Now the Egyptians are men and not

to the sound of the flute, To go to the God, And their horses are flesh and not

mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of

spirit; So the LORD will stretch out His Israel.

hand, And he who helps will stumble

And he who is helped will fall, And all of

30And the LORD will cause His voice of

them will come to an end together.

authority

to

be

heard,

And

the

descending of His arm to be seen in

4For thus says the LORD to me, "As the 3Then the eyes of those who see will not lion or the young lion growls over his

be blinded, And the ears of those who

prey,

Against

which

a

band

of

hear will listen.

shepherds is called out, And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at

4The mind of the hasty will discern the their noise, So will the LORD of hosts

truth, And the tongue of the stammerers

come down to wage war on Mount Zion

will hasten to speak clearly.

and on its hill."

5No longer will the fool be called noble,

5Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

will protect Jerusalem. He will protect

and deliver it; He will pass over and

6For a fool speaks nonsense, And his

rescue it.

heart inclines toward wickedness: To

practice ungodliness and to speak error

6Return to Him from whom you have

against the LORD, To keep the hungry

deeply defected, O sons of Israel.

person unsatisfied And to withhold drink

from the thirsty.

7For in that day every man will cast

away his silver idols and his gold idols, 7As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; which your sinful hands have made for

He devises wicked schemes To destroy

you as a sin.

the afflicted with slander, Even though

the needy one speaks what is right.

8And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not

of man, And a sword not of man will

8But the noble man devises noble plans;

devour him. So he will not escape the

And by noble plans he stands.

sword, And his young men will become

forced laborers.

9Rise up, you women who are at ease,

And hear my voice; Give ear to my word,

9"His rock will pass away because of You complacent daughters.

panic, And his princes will be terrified at

the standard," Declares the LORD,

10Within a year and a few days You will

whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace

be troubled, O complacent daughters;

is in Jerusalem.

For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come.

32Behold, a king will reign 11Tremble, you women who are at ease; righteously And princes will rule justly.

Be troubled, you complacent daughters;

Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your

2Each will be like a refuge from the wind

waist,

And a shelter from the storm, Like

streams of water in a dry country, Like 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant

the shade of a huge rock in a parched

fields, for the fruitful vine,

land.

13For the land of my people in which treacherously,

others

will

deal

thorns and briars shall come up; Yea,

treacherously with you.

for all the joyful houses and for the

jubilant city.

2O LORD, be gracious to us; we have

waited for You. Be their strength every

14Because the palace has been

morning, Our salvation also in the time

abandoned, the populated city forsaken.

of distress.

Hill and watchtower have become

caves forever, A delight for wild donkeys,

3At the sound of the tumult peoples flee;

a pasture for flocks;

At the lifting up of Yourself nations

disperse.

15Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness

4Your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar

becomes a fertile field, And the fertile gathers; As locusts rushing about men

field is considered as a forest.

rush about on it.

16Then justice will dwell in the

5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on

wilderness And righteousness will abide

high; He has filled Zion with justice and in the fertile field.

righteousness.

17And the work of righteousness will be

6And He will be the stability of your

peace, And the service of righteousness,

times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom

quietness and confidence forever.

and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is

his treasure.

18Then my people will live in a peaceful

habitation, And in secure dwellings and

7Behold, their brave men cry in the

in undisturbed resting places;

streets, The ambassadors of peace

weep bitterly.

19And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low. 8The highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased, He has broken the 20How blessed will you be, you who sow

covenant, he has despised the cities, He

beside all waters, Who let out freely the

has no regard for man.

ox and the donkey.

9The land mourns and pines away,

33

Lebanon is shamed and withers; Sharon

Woe to you, O destroyer, While

is like a desert plain, And Bashan and

Carmel lose their foliage.

you were not destroyed; And he who is

treacherous, while others did not deal

10

treacherously with him. As soon as you

"Now I will arise," says the LORD, finish destroying, you will be destroyed; "Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted As soon as you cease to deal

up.

11"You have conceived chaff, you will 20Look upon Zion, the city of our give birth to stubble; My breath will

appointed feasts; Your eyes will see

consume you like a fire.

Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, A

tent which will not be folded; Its stakes 12"The peoples will be burned to lime, will never be pulled up, Nor any of its Like cut thorns which are burned in the cords be torn apart.

fire.

21But there the majestic One, the LORD,

13"You who are far away, hear what I will be for us A place of rivers and wide

have done; And you who are near,

canals On which no boat with oars will

acknowledge My might."

go, And on which no mighty ship will

pass--

14Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling

22

has seized the godless. "Who among us

For the LORD is our judge, The LORD

can live with the consuming fire? Who

is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king;

among us can live with continual

He will save us--

burning?"

23Your tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold

15He who walks righteously and speaks

the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread with sincerity, He who rejects unjust

out the sail. Then the prey of an

gain And shakes his hands so that they

abundant spoil will be divided; The lame

hold no bribe; He who stops his ears

will take the plunder.

from hearing about bloodshed And

shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

24And no resident will say, "I am sick"; The people who dwell there will be 16He will dwell on the heights, His refuge

forgiven their iniquity.

will be the impregnable rock; His bread

will be given him, His water will be sure.

34Draw near, O nations, to hear;

17Your eyes will see the King in His

and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and

beauty; They will behold a far-distant

all it contains hear, and the world and all

land.

that springs from it.

18Your heart will meditate on terror:

2For the LORD'S indignation is against

"Where is he who counts? Where is he all the nations, And His wrath against all

who weighs? Where is he who counts

their armies; He has utterly destroyed

the towers?"

them, He has given them over to

slaughter.

19You will no longer see a fierce people,

A people of unintelligible speech which

3So their slain will be thrown out, And no one comprehends, Of a stammering

their corpses will give off their stench, tongue which no one understands.

And the mountains will be drenched with

their blood.

4And all the host of heaven will wear 12Its nobles--there is no one there away, And the sky will be rolled up like a

Whom they may proclaim king-- And all

scroll; All their hosts will also wither its princes will be nothing.

away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or

as one withers from the fig tree.

13Thorns will come up in its fortified

towers, Nettles and thistles in its fortified

5For My sword is satiated in heaven,

cities; It will also be a haunt of jackals Behold it shall descend for judgment

And an abode of ostriches.

upon Edom And upon the people whom

I have devoted to destruction.

14The desert creatures will meet with the

wolves, The hairy goat also will cry to its

6The sword of the LORD is filled with

kind; Yes, the night monster will settle blood, It is sated with fat, with the blood

there And will find herself a resting place.

of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a

15The tree snake will make its nest and

sacrifice in Bozrah And a great

lay eggs there, And it will hatch and

slaughter in the land of Edom.

gather them under its protection. Yes,

the hawks will be gathered there, Every

7Wild oxen will also fall with them And one with its kind.

young bulls with strong ones; Thus their

land will be soaked with blood, And their

16Seek from the book of the LORD, and

dust become greasy with fat.

read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth

8For the LORD has a day of vengeance,

has commanded, And His Spirit has

A year of recompense for the cause of

gathered them.

Zion.

17He has cast the lot for them, And His

9Its streams will be turned into pitch,

hand has divided it to them by line. They

And its loose earth into brimstone, And

shall

possess

it

forever;

From

its land will become burning pitch.

generation to generation they will dwell

in it.

10It will not be quenched night or day; Its

smoke will go up forever. From

generation to generation it will be

35The wilderness and the desert will

desolate; None will pass through it

be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and

forever and ever.

blossom; Like the crocus

11But pelican and hedgehog will possess

2It will blossom profusely And rejoice

it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And

with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory

He will stretch over it the line of

of Lebanon will be given to it, The

desolation And the plumb line of

majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will

emptiness.

see the glory of the LORD, The majesty

of our God.

3Encourage

the

exhausted,

and

came up against all the fortified cities of

strengthen the feeble.

Judah and seized them.

4Say to those with anxious heart, "Take

2And the king of Assyria sent

courage, fear not. Behold, your God will

Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem

come with vengeance; The recompense

to King Hezekiah with a large army. And

of God will come, But He will save you."

he stood by the conduit of the upper

pool on the highway of the fuller's field.

5Then the eyes of the blind will be

opened And the ears of the deaf will be

3Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who

unstopped.

was over the household, and Shebna

the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph,

6Then the lame will leap like a deer, And

the recorder, came out to him.

the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.

For waters will break forth in the

4Then Rabshakeh said to them, "Say

wilderness And streams in the Arabah.

now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great

king, the king of Assyria, "What is this 7The scorched land will become a pool confidence that you have?

And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place,

5"I say, 'Your counsel and strength for Grass becomes reeds and rushes.

the war are only empty words.' Now on

whom do you rely, that you have

8A highway will be there, a roadway,

rebelled against me?

And it will be called the Highway of

Holiness. The unclean will not travel on 6"Behold, you rely on the staff of this it, But it will be for him who walks that crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which way, And fools will not wander on it.

if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of

9No lion will be there, Nor will any

Egypt to all who rely on him.

vicious beast go up on it; These will not

be found there. But the redeemed will

7"But if you say to me, 'We trust in the walk there,

LORD our God,' is it not He whose high

places and whose altars Hezekiah has

10And the ransomed of the LORD will

taken away and has said to Judah and

return And come with joyful shouting to

to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before

Zion, With everlasting joy upon their

this altar'?

heads. They will find gladness and joy,

And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

8"Now therefore, come make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria, and I

will give you two thousand horses, if you

36Now in the fourteenth year of King are able on your part to set riders on them.

Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria

9"How then can you repulse one official tree and drink each of the waters of his of the least of my master's servants and own cistern,

rely on Egypt for chariots and for

horsemen?

17until I come and take you away to a

land like your own land, a land of grain 10"Have I now come up without the

and new wine, a land of bread and

LORD'S approval against this land to

vineyards.

destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go

up against this land and destroy it.'"'"

18'Beware that Hezekiah does not

mislead you, saying, " The LORD will 11Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah

deliver us." Has any one of the gods of said to Rabshakeh, "Speak now to your the nations delivered his land from the

servants in Aramaic, for we understand

hand of the king of Assyria?

it; and do not speak with us in Judean in

the hearing of the people who are on the

19'Where are the gods of Hamath and

wall."

Arpad? Where are

the

gods

of

Sepharvaim? And when have they

12But Rabshakeh said, "Has my master delivered Samaria from my hand?

sent me only to your master and to you

to speak these words, and not to the

20'Who among all the gods of these

men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat

lands have delivered their land from my

their own dung and drink their own urine

hand, that the LORD would deliver

with you?"

Jerusalem from my hand?'"

13Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with

21But they were silent and answered him

a loud voice in Judean and said, "Hear not a word; for the king's commandment

the words of the great king, the king of was, "Do not answer him."

Assyria.

22Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who

14"Thus says the king, 'Do not let

was over the household, and Shebna

Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be

the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph,

able to deliver you;

the recorder, came to Hezekiah with

their clothes torn and told him the words

15nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the

of Rabshakeh.

LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely

deliver us, this city will not be given into

the hand of the king of Assyria."

37And when King Hezekiah heard it,

16

he tore his clothes, covered himself with

'Do not listen to Hezekiah,' for thus

sackcloth and entered the house of the

says the king of Assyria, 'Make your

LORD.

peace with me and come out to me, and

eat each of his vine and each of his fig 2Then he sent Eliakim who was over the

household with Shebna the scribe and

the elders of the priests, covered with 10"Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Judah, ' Do not let your God in whom

of Amoz.

you

trust

deceive

you,

saying,

"Jerusalem will not be given into the 3They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah,

hand of the king of Assyria."

'This day is a day of distress, rebuke

and rejection; for children have come to

11' Behold, you have heard what the

birth, and there is no strength to deliver.

kings of Assyria have done to all the

lands, destroying them completely. So

4'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear

will you be spared?

the words of Rabshakeh, whom his

master the king of Assyria has sent to

12'Did the gods of those nations which

reproach the living God, and will rebuke

my fathers have destroyed deliver them,

the words which the LORD your God

even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and

has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

the remnant that is left.'"

13'Where is the king of Hamath, the king

5So the servants of King Hezekiah came

of Arpad, the king of the city of

to Isaiah.

Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?'"

6Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say 14Then Hezekiah took the letter from the

to your master, 'Thus says the LORD, "

hand of the messengers and read it, and

Do not be afraid because of the words

he went up to the house of the LORD

that you have heard, with which the

and spread it out before the LORD.

servants of the king of Assyria have

blasphemed Me.

15Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying,

7"Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that 16"O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, he will hear a rumor and return to his who is enthroned above the cherubim, own land. And I will make him fall by the

You are the God, You alone, of all the sword in his own land."'"

kingdoms of the earth. You have made

heaven and earth.

8Then Rabshakeh returned and found

the king of Assyria fighting against

17" Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear;

Libnah, for he had heard that the king

open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and

had left Lachish.

listen to all the words of Sennacherib,

who sent them to reproach the living

9When he heard them say concerning

God.

Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has come out to fight against you," and when he 18"Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria heard it he sent messengers to have devastated all the countries and

Hezekiah, saying,

their lands,

19and have cast their gods into the fire, 26" Have you not heard? Long ago I did for they were not gods but the work of it, From ancient times I planned it. Now I

men's hands, wood and stone. So they

have brought it to pass, That you should

have destroyed them.

turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

20"Now, O LORD our God, deliver us

27"Therefore their inhabitants were short from his hand that all the kingdoms of

of strength, They were dismayed and

the earth may know that You alone,

put to shame; They were as the

LORD, are God."

vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is

21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent

scorched before it is grown up.

word to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Because

28"But I know your sitting down And your

you

have

prayed

to

Me

about

going out and your coming in And your

Sennacherib king of Assyria,

raging against Me.

22this is the word that the LORD has

29"Because of your raging against Me spoken against him: "She has despised And because your arrogance has come you and mocked you, The virgin

up to My ears, Therefore I will put My daughter of Zion; She has shaken her

hook in your nose And My bridle in your

head behind you, The daughter of

lips, And I will turn you back by the way

Jerusalem!

which you came.

23"Whom have you reproached and

30"Then this shall be the sign for you: blasphemed? And against whom have

you will eat this year what grows of itself,

you raised your voice And haughtily

in the second year what springs from

lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy

the same, and in the third year sow,

One of Israel!

reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

24"Through your servants you have

31"The surviving remnant of the house of

reproached the Lord, And you have said,

Judah will again take root downward

'With my many chariots I came up to the

and bear fruit upward.

heights of the mountains, To the

remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut

32"For out of Jerusalem will go forth a down its tall cedars and its choice

remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors.

cypresses. And I will go to its highest The zeal of the LORD of hosts will

peak, its thickest forest.

perform this."'

25'I dug wells and drank waters, And with

33"Therefore, thus says the LORD

the sole of my feet I dried up All the concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will rivers of Egypt.'

not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with

a shield, or throw up a siege ramp have done what is good in Your sight."

against it.

And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

34' By the way that he came, by the

4Then the word of the LORD came to

same he will return, and he will not

Isaiah, saying,

come to this city,' declares the LORD.

5"Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says 35'For I will defend this city to save it for

the LORD, the God of your father David,

My own sake and for My servant David's

"I have heard your prayer, I have seen sake.'"

your tears; behold, I will add fifteen

years to your life.

36Then the angel of the LORD went out

and struck 185,000 in the camp of the

6"I will deliver you and this city from the Assyrians; and when men arose early in

hand of the king of Assyria; and I will the morning, behold, all of these were

defend this city."'

dead.

7"This shall be the sign to you from the 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria

LORD, that the LORD will do this thing

departed and returned home and lived

that He has spoken:

at Nineveh.

8"Behold, I will cause the shadow on the

38It came about as he was worshiping in

stairway, which has gone down with the

the house of Nisroch his god, that

sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back

Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons

ten steps." So the sun's shadow went killed him with the sword; and they

back ten steps on the stairway on which

escaped into the land of Ararat. And

it had gone down.

Esarhaddon his son became king in his

place.

9A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah

after his illness and recovery:

38In those days Hezekiah became 10I said, " In the middle of my life I am to mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be son of Amoz came to him and said to

deprived of the rest of my years."

him, "Thus says the LORD, ' Set your house in order, for you shall die and not

11I said, "I will not see the LORD, The live.'"

LORD in the land of the living; I will look

on man no more among the inhabitants

2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the

of the world.

wall and prayed to the LORD,

12"Like a shepherd's tent my dwelling is 3and said, " Remember now, O LORD, I

pulled up and removed from me; As a

beseech You, how I have walked before

weaver I rolled up my life. He cuts me You in truth and with a whole heart, and

off from the loom; From day until night 21Now Isaiah had said, "Let them take a You make an end of me.

cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that

he may recover."

13"I composed my soul until morning.

Like a lion--so He breaks all my bones, 22Then Hezekiah had said, "What is the

From day until night You make an end

sign that I shall go up to the house of of me.

the LORDNULL"

14" Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look

39At that time Merodach-baladan

wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am

son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent

oppressed, be my security.

letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he

heard that he had been sick and had

15" What shall I say? For He has spoken

recovered.

to me, and He Himself has done it; I will

wander about all my years because of

2Hezekiah was pleased, and showed

the bitterness of my soul.

them all his treasure house, the silver

and the gold and the spices and the

16"O Lord, by these things men live, And

precious oil and his whole armory and

in all these is the life of my spirit; O

all that was found in his treasuries.

restore me to health and let me live!

There was nothing in his house nor in all

his dominion that Hezekiah did not show

17"Lo, for my own welfare I had great them.

bitterness; It is You who has kept my

soul from the pit of nothingness, For

3Then Isaiah the prophet came to King

You have cast all my sins behind Your

Hezekiah and said to him, "What did back.

these men say, and from where have

they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, 18"For Sheol cannot thank You, Death "They have come to me from a far

cannot praise You; Those who go down

country, from Babylon."

to the pit cannot hope for Your

faithfulness.

4He said, "What have they seen in your

house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They 19"It is the living who give thanks to You, have seen all that is in my house; there as I do today; A father tells his sons is nothing among my treasuries that I

about Your faithfulness.

have not shown them."

20"The LORD will surely save me; So we

5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear will

play

my

songs

on

stringed

the word of the LORD of hosts,

instruments All the days of our life at the

house of the LORD."

6'Behold, the days are coming when all

that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is be left,' says the LORD.

like the flower of the field.

7'And some of your sons who will issue

7The grass withers, the flower fades,

from you, whom you will beget, will be

When the breath of the LORD blows

taken away, and they will become

upon it; Surely the people are grass.

officials in the palace of the king of

Babylon.'"

8The grass withers, the flower fades, But

the word of our God stands forever.

8Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The

word of the LORD which you have

9Get yourself up on a high mountain, O

spoken is good." For he thought, "For Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your there will be peace and truth in my voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of

days."

good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to

the cities of Judah, " Here is your God!"

40" Comfort, O comfort My people," 10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with says your God.

might, With His arm ruling for Him.

Behold, His reward is with Him And His

2" Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call recompense before Him.

out to her, that her warfare has ended, 11

That her iniquity has been removed,

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,

That she has received of the LORD'S

In His arm He will gather the lambs And

hand Double for all her sins."

carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

3A voice is calling, " Clear the way for 12

the LORD in the wilderness; Make

Who has measured the waters in the

smooth in the desert a highway for our

hollow of His hand, And marked off the

God.

heavens by the span, And calculated

the dust of the earth by the measure,

4"Let every valley be lifted up, And every And weighed the mountains in a

mountain and hill be made low; And let

balance And the hills in a pair of scales?

the rough ground become a plain, And

13

the rugged terrain a broad valley;

Who has directed the Spirit of the

LORD, Or as His counselor has

5Then the glory of the LORD will be

informed Him?

revealed, And all flesh will see it

14

together; For the mouth of the LORD

With whom did He consult and who

has spoken."

gave Him understanding? And who

taught Him in the path of justice and

6A voice says, "Call out." Then he taught Him knowledge And informed

answered, "What shall I call out?" All Him of the way of understanding?

15Behold, the nations are like a drop has their stock taken root in the earth, from a bucket, And are regarded as a But He merely blows on them, and they

speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He

wither, And the storm carries them away

lifts up the islands like fine dust.

like stubble.

16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,

25" To whom then will you liken Me That

Nor its beasts enough for a burnt

I would be his equal?" says the Holy offering.

One.

17All the nations are as nothing before

26Lift up your eyes on high And see who

Him, They are regarded by Him as less

has created these stars, The One who

than nothing and meaningless.

leads forth their host by number, He

calls them all by name; Because of the

18To whom then will you liken God? Or

greatness of His might and the strength

what likeness will you compare with Him? of His power, Not one of them is missing.

19

27

As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert,

goldsmith plates it with gold, And a

O Israel, "My way is hidden from the silversmith fashions chains of silver.

LORD, And the justice due me escapes

the notice of my God"?

20He who is too impoverished for such

28

an offering Selects a tree that does not Do you not know? Have you not heard?

rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful The Everlasting God, the LORD, the

craftsman To prepare an idol that will

Creator of the ends of the earth Does

not totter.

not become weary or tired. His

understanding is inscrutable.

21Do you not know? Have you not heard? 29

Has it not been declared to you from the

He gives strength to the weary, And to

beginning? Have you not understood

him who lacks might He increases

from the foundations of the earth?

power.

22

30

It is He who sits above the circle of the

Though youths grow weary and tired,

earth, And its inhabitants are like

And vigorous young men stumble badly,

grasshoppers, Who stretches out the

heavens like a curtain And spreads

31Yet those who wait for the LORD Will

them out like a tent to dwell in.

gain new strength; They will mount up

with wings like eagles, They will run and

23He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,

not get tired, They will walk and not

Who makes the judges of the earth

become weary.

meaningless.

24Scarcely have they been planted,

41" Coastlands, listen to Me in Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely

silence, And let the peoples gain new

strength; Let them come forward, then My servant, I have chosen you and not let them speak; Let us come together for

rejected you.

judgment.

10'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not

2" Who has aroused one from the east anxiously look about you, for I am your Whom He calls in righteousness to His God. I will strengthen you, surely I will feet? He delivers up nations before him

help you, Surely I will uphold you with And subdues kings. He makes them like

My righteous right hand.'

dust with his sword, As the wind-driven

chaff with his bow.

11"Behold, all those who are angered at

you will be shamed and dishonored;

3"He pursues them, passing on in safety,

Those who contend with you will be as

By a way he had not been traversing

nothing and will perish.

with his feet.

12" You will seek those who quarrel with

4"

Who

has

performed

and

you, but will not find them, Those who

accomplished it, Calling forth the

war with you will be as nothing and non—

generations from the beginning? ' I, the existent.

LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"

13"For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to

5The coastlands have seen and are

you, ' Do not fear, I will help you.'

afraid; The ends of the earth tremble;

They have drawn near and have come.

14"Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares 6Each one helps his neighbor And says the LORD, "and your Redeemer is the to his brother, "Be strong!"

Holy One of Israel.

7So the craftsman encourages the

15"Behold, I have made you a new,

smelter, And he who smooths metal with

sharp threshing sledge with double

the hammer encourages him who beats

edges; You will thresh the mountains

the anvil, Saying of the soldering, "It is and pulverize them, And will make the good"; And he fastens it with nails, So hills like chaff.

that it will not totter.

16"You will winnow them, and the wind 8"But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob will carry them away, And the storm will whom I have chosen, Descendant of

scatter them; But you will rejoice in the Abraham My friend,

LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of

Israel.

9You whom I have taken from the ends

of the earth, And called from its

17"The afflicted and needy are seeking remotest parts And said to you, 'You are

water, but there is none, And their

tongue is parched with thirst; I, the

LORD, will answer them Myself, As the sun he will call on My name; And he will God of Israel I will not forsake them.

come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even

as the potter treads clay."

18"I will open rivers on the bare heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I 26Who has declared this from the

will make the wilderness a pool of water

beginning, that we might know? Or from

And the dry land fountains of water.

former times, that we may say, "He is right!"? Surely there was no one who 19"I will put the cedar in the wilderness, declared, Surely there was no one who The acacia and the myrtle and the olive

proclaimed, Surely there was no one

tree; I will place the juniper in the desert

who heard your words.

Together with the box tree and the

cypress,

27" Formerly I said to Zion, 'Behold, here they are.' And to Jerusalem, 'I will give a

20That they may see and recognize, And

messenger of good news.'

consider and gain insight as well, That

the hand of the LORD has done this,

28"But when I look, there is no one, And

And the Holy One of Israel has created

there is no counselor among them Who,

it.

if I ask, can give an answer.

21"Present your case," the LORD says.

29"Behold, all of them are false; Their

"Bring forward your strong arguments,"

works are worthless, Their molten

The King of Jacob says.

images are wind and emptiness.

22Let them bring forth and declare to us

what is going to take place; As for the 42" Behold, My Servant, whom I former events, declare what they were, uphold; My chosen one in whom My

That we may consider them and know

soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon their outcome. Or announce to us what

Him; He will bring forth justice to the is coming;

nations.

23Declare the things that are going to

2"He will not cry out or raise His voice, come afterward, That we may know that

Nor make His voice heard in the street.

you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil,

that we may anxiously look about us

3

and fear together.

"A bruised reed He will not break And a

dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;

24

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

Behold, you are of no account, And

your work amounts to nothing; He who

4

chooses you is an abomination.

"He will not be disheartened or crushed

Until He has established justice in the

25

earth; And the coastlands will wait

"I have aroused one from the north, expectantly for His law."

and he has come; From the rising of the

5Thus says God the LORD, Who He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a created the heavens and stretched them

war cry. He will prevail against His

out, Who spread out the earth and its

enemies.

offspring, Who gives breath to the

people on it And spirit to those who walk

14" I have kept silent for a long time, I in it,

have kept still and restrained Myself.

Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I

6"I am the LORD, I have called You in will both gasp and pant.

righteousness, I will also hold You by

the hand and watch over You, And I will

15"I will lay waste the mountains and hills appoint You as a covenant to the people,

And wither all their vegetation; I will

As a light to the nations,

make the rivers into coastlands And dry

up the ponds.

7To open blind eyes, To bring out

prisoners from the dungeon And those

16"I will lead the blind by a way they do who dwell in darkness from the prison.

not know, In paths they do not know I

will guide them. I will make darkness

8" I am the LORD, that is My name; I will into light before them And rugged places

not give My glory to another, Nor My

into plains. These are the things I will do,

praise to graven images.

And I will not leave them undone."

9"Behold, the former things have come 17They will be turned back and be utterly

to pass, Now I declare new things;

put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who

Before they spring forth I proclaim them

say to molten images, "You are our

to you."

gods."

10Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing

18Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind,

His praise from the end of the earth!

that you may see.

You who go down to the sea, and all

that is in it. You islands, and those who 19Who is blind but My servant, Or so

dwell on them.

deaf as My messenger whom I send?

Who is so blind as he that is at peace 11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up

with Me, Or so blind as the servant of their voices, The settlements where

the LORD?

Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of

Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy 20You have seen many things, but you

from the tops of the mountains.

do not observe them; Your ears are

open, but none hears.

12Let them give glory to the LORD And

declare His praise in the coastlands.

21The LORD was pleased for His

righteousness' sake To make the law

13The LORD will go forth like a warrior, great and glorious.

He will arouse His zeal like a man of war.

22But this is a people plundered and will give other men in your place and despoiled; All of them are trapped in

other peoples in exchange for your life.

caves, Or are hidden away in prisons;

They have become a prey with none to

5"Do not fear, for I am with you; I will deliver them, And a spoil, with none to bring your offspring from the east, And say, "Give them back!"

gather you from the west.

23Who among you will give ear to this?

6"I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'

Who will give heed and listen hereafter?

And to the south, 'Do not hold them

back.' Bring My sons from afar And My

24Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and

daughters from the ends of the earth,

Israel to plunderers? Was it not the

LORD, against whom we have sinned,

7Everyone who is called by My name,

And in whose ways they were not willing

And whom I have created for My glory,

to walk, And whose law they did not

Whom I have formed, even whom I have

obey?

made."

25So He poured out on him the heat of

8Bring out the people who are blind,

His anger And the fierceness of battle;

even though they have eyes, And the

And it set him aflame all around, Yet he

deaf, even though they have ears.

did not recognize it; And it burned him, but he paid no attention.

9All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

43

Who among them can declare this And

But now, thus says the LORD,

proclaim to us the former things? Let

your Creator, O Jacob, And He who

them present their witnesses that they

formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I may be justified, Or let them hear and have redeemed you; I have called you

say, "It is true."

by name; you are Mine!

10"You are My witnesses," declares the 2"When you pass through the waters, I LORD, "And My servant whom I have will be with you; And through the rivers,

chosen, So that you may know and

they will not overflow you. When you

believe Me And understand that I am He.

walk through the fire, you will not be

Before Me there was no God formed,

scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

And there will be none after Me.

3

11

"For I am the LORD your God, The

"I, even I, am the LORD, And there is Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have no savior besides Me.

given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and

Seba in your place.

12"It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no

4"Since you are precious in My sight, strange god among you; So you are My

Since you are honored and I love you, I

witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I 22"Yet you have not called on Me, O

am God.

Jacob; But you have become weary of

Me, O Israel.

13"Even from eternity I am He, And there

is none who can deliver out of My hand;

23"You have not brought to Me the

I act and who can reverse it?"

sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have

you honored Me with your sacrifices. I

14Thus says the LORD your Redeemer,

have not burdened you with offerings,

the Holy One of Israel, "For your sake I Nor wearied you with incense.

have sent to Babylon, And will bring

them all down as fugitives, Even the

24"You have bought Me not sweet cane

Chaldeans, into the ships in which they

with money, Nor have you filled Me with

rejoice.

the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you

have burdened Me with your sins, You

15"I am the LORD, your Holy One, The have wearied Me with your iniquities.

Creator of Israel, your King."

25"I, even I, am the one who wipes out 16Thus says the LORD, Who makes a

your transgressions for My own sake,

way through the sea And a path through

And I will not remember your sins.

the mighty waters,

26"Put Me in remembrance, let us argue

17Who brings forth the chariot and the

our case together; State your cause,

horse, The army and the mighty man

that you may be proved right.

(They will lie down together and not rise

again; They have been quenched and

27"Your first forefather sinned, And your extinguished like a wick):

spokesmen have transgressed against

Me.

18" Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.

28"So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to 19"Behold, I will do something new, Now

the ban and Israel to revilement.

it will spring forth; Will you not be aware

of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

44"But now listen, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have

20"The beasts of the field will glorify Me, chosen:

The jackals and the ostriches, Because I

have given waters in the wilderness And

2Thus says the LORD who made you

rivers in the desert, To give drink to My And formed you from the womb, who

chosen people.

will help you, ' Do not fear, O Jacob My

servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have

21"The people whom I formed for Myself

chosen.

Will declare My praise.

3'For I will pour out water on the thirsty 11Behold, all his companions will be put land And streams on the dry ground; I

to shame, for the craftsmen themselves

will pour out My Spirit on your offspring are mere men. Let them all assemble

And My blessing on your descendants;

themselves, let them stand up, let them

tremble, let them together be put to

4And they will spring up among the

shame.

grass Like poplars by streams of water.'

12The man shapes iron into a cutting tool

5"This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; and does his work over the coals,

And that one will call on the name of

fashioning it with hammers and working

Jacob; And another will write on his

it with his strong arm. He also gets

hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will

hungry and his strength fails; he drinks name Israel's name with honor.

no water and becomes weary.

6

13

"Thus says the LORD, the King of

Another shapes wood, he extends a

Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of

measuring line; he outlines it with red

hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, chalk. He works it with planes and

And there is no God besides Me.

outlines it with a compass, and makes it

like the form of a man, like the beauty of

7

man, so that it may sit in a house.

'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and

declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me 14

in order, From the time that I established

Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and

the ancient nation. And let them declare

takes a cypress or an oak and raises it to them the things that are coming And

for himself among the trees of the forest.

the events that are going to take place.

He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow.

8'Do not tremble and do not be afraid;

15

Have I not long since announced it to

Then it becomes something for a man

you and declared it? And you are My

to burn, so he takes one of them and

witnesses. Is there any God besides Me,

warms himself; he also makes a fire to

Or is there any other Rock? I know of

bake bread. He also makes a god and

none.'"

worships it; he makes it a graven image

and falls down before it.

9Those who fashion a graven image are

16

all of them futile, and their precious

Half of it he burns in the fire; over this

things are of no profit; even their own half he eats meat as he roasts a roast witnesses fail to see or know, so that and is satisfied. He also warms himself

they will be put to shame.

and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen

the fire."

10Who has fashioned a god or cast an

17

idol to no profit?

But the rest of it he makes into a god,

his graven image. He falls down before

it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god."

18They do not know, nor do they 25Causing the omens of boasters to fail, understand, for He has smeared over

Making fools out of diviners, Causing

their eyes so that they cannot see and

wise men to draw back And turning their

their hearts so that they cannot

knowledge into foolishness,

comprehend.

26Confirming the word of His servant

19No one recalls, nor is there knowledge

And performing the purpose of His

or understanding to say, "I have burned

messengers. It is I who says of

half of it in the fire and also have baked

Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And

bread over its coals. I roast meat and

of the cities of Judah, ' They shall be eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an built.' And I will raise up her ruins again.

abomination, I fall down before a block

of wood!"

27"It is I who says to the depth of the sea,

'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers

20He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart

dry.

has turned him aside. And he cannot

deliver himself, nor say, " Is there not a 28"It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My lie in my right hand?"

shepherd! And he will perform all My

desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, '

21" Remember these things, O Jacob,

She will be built,' And of the temple,

And Israel, for you are My servant; I

'Your foundation will be laid.'"

have formed you, you are My servant, O

Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

45Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His

22"I have wiped out your transgressions anointed, Whom I have taken by the

like a thick cloud And your sins like a right hand, To subdue nations before

heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have

him And to loose the loins of kings; To redeemed you."

open doors before him so that gates will

not be shut:

23Shout for joy, O heavens, for the

LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you

2"I will go before you and make the lower parts of the earth; Break forth into

rough places smooth; I will shatter the

a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest,

doors of bronze and cut through their

and every tree in it; For the LORD has iron bars.

redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows

forth His glory.

3"I will give you the treasures of

24

darkness And hidden wealth of secret

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,

places, So that you may know that it is I,

and the one who formed you from the

The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls

womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all

you by your name.

things, Stretching out the heavens by

Myself And spreading out the earth all

4

alone,

"For the sake of Jacob My servant, And

Israel My chosen one, I have also called

you by your name; I have given you a 12"It is I who made the earth, and title of honor Though you have not created man upon it. I stretched out the

known Me.

heavens with My hands And I ordained

all their host.

5"I am the LORD, and there is no other;

Besides Me there is no God. I will gird 13"I have aroused him in righteousness you, though you have not known Me; And I will make all his ways smooth; He

will build My city and will let My exiles go

6That men may know from the rising to

free, Without any payment or reward,"

the setting of the sun That there is no says the LORD of hosts.

one besides Me. I am the LORD, and

there is no other,

14Thus says the LORD, "The products of

Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And

7The One forming light and creating

the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come

darkness,

Causing

well-being

and

over to you and will be yours; They will creating calamity; I am the LORD who

walk behind you, they will come over in does all these.

chains And will bow down to you; They

will make supplication to you: 'Surely,

8

God is with you, and there is none else,

" Drip down, O heavens, from above, No other God.'"

And

let

the

clouds

pour

down

righteousness; Let the earth open up

15

and

salvation

bear

fruit,

And

Truly, You are a God who hides

righteousness spring up with it. I, the

Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!

LORD, have created it.

16They will be put to shame and even

9"Woe to the one who quarrels with his humiliated,

all

of

them;

The

Maker-- An earthenware vessel among

manufacturers of idols will go away

the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to

together in humiliation.

the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the

thing you are making say, 'He has no

17Israel has been saved by the LORD

hands'?

With an everlasting salvation; You will

not be put to shame or humiliated To all

10"Woe to him who says to a father, eternity.

'What are you begetting?' Or to a

woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'"

18For thus says the LORD, who created

the heavens (He is the God who formed

11Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of

the earth and made it, He established it

Israel, and his Maker: " Ask Me about and did not create it a waste place, but the things to come concerning My sons, formed it to be inhabited), "I am the And you shall commit to Me the work of

LORD, and there is none else.

My hands.

19" I have not spoken in secret, In some

dark land; I did not say to the offspring

of Jacob, ' Seek Me in a waste place'; I, 2They stooped over, they have bowed the

LORD,

speak

righteousness,

down together; They could not rescue

Declaring things that are upright.

the burden, But have themselves gone

into captivity.

20" Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the

3" Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And

nations; They have no knowledge, Who

all the remnant of the house of Israel, carry about their wooden idol And pray

You who have been borne by Me from

to a god who cannot save.

birth And have been carried from the

womb;

21" Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who

4Even to your old age I will be the same,

has announced this from of old? Who

And even to your graying years I will

has long since declared it? Is it not I, the

bear you! I have done it, and I will carry

LORD? And there is no other God

you; And I will bear you and I will deliver

besides Me, A righteous God and a

you.

Savior; There is none except Me.

5" To whom would you liken Me And

22" Turn to Me and be saved, all the make Me equal and compare Me, That

ends of the earth; For I am God, and

we would be alike?

there is no other.

6"Those who lavish gold from the purse

23" I have sworn by Myself, The word And weigh silver on the scale Hire a

has gone forth from My mouth in

goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;

righteousness And will not turn back,

They bow down, indeed they worship it.

That to Me every knee will bow, every

tongue will swear allegiance.

7"They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands 24"They will say of Me, 'Only in the there. It does not move from its place.

LORD are righteousness and strength.'

Though one may cry to it, it cannot

Men will come to Him, And all who were

answer; It cannot deliver him from his

angry at Him will be put to shame.

distress.

25"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel 8" Remember this, and be assured;

Will be justified and will glory."

Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

9

46

"Remember the former things long past,

Bel has bowed down, Nebo

For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,

stoops

over;

Their

images

are

consigned to the beasts and the cattle.

10

The

things

that

you

carry

are

Declaring the end from the beginning,

burdensome, A load for the weary beast. And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ' My purpose will be established, And I will hand. You did not show mercy to them, accomplish all My good pleasure';

On the aged you made your yoke very

heavy.

11Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far

7"Yet you said, 'I will be a queen country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will forever.' These things you did not bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely

consider Nor remember the outcome of

I will do it.

them.

12" Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, 8"Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who are far from righteousness.

Who dwells securely, Who says in your

heart, ' I am, and there is no one

13"I bring near My righteousness, it is not besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor

far off; And My salvation will not delay.

know loss of children.'

And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel.

9"But these two things will come on you

suddenly in one day: Loss of children

and widowhood. They will come on you

47" Come down and sit in the dust, in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the your spells.

ground without a throne, O daughter of

the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer

10

be called tender and delicate.

"You felt secure in your wickedness

and said, ' No one sees me,' Your

2

wisdom and your knowledge, they have

"Take the millstones and grind meal.

deluded you; For you have said in your

Remove your veil, strip off the skirt,

heart, ' I am, and there is no one

Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

besides me.'

3"Your nakedness will be uncovered,

11"But evil will come on you Which you Your shame also will be exposed; I will will not know how to charm away; And take vengeance and will not spare a

disaster will fall on you For which you man."

cannot atone; And destruction about

which you do not know Will come on

4Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is

you suddenly.

His name, The Holy One of Israel.

12"Stand fast now in your spells And in 5" Sit silently, and go into darkness, O

your many sorceries With which you

daughter of the Chaldeans, For you will

have labored from your youth; Perhaps

no longer be called The queen of

you will be able to profit, Perhaps you kingdoms.

may cause trembling.

6"I was angry with My people, I profaned

My heritage And gave them into your

13"You are wearied with your many

'My idol has done them, And my graven

counsels; Let now the astrologers,

image and my molten image have

Those who prophesy by the stars,

commanded them.'

Those who predict by the new moons,

Stand up and save you from what will

6"You have heard; look at all this. And come upon you.

you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to

you new things from this time, Even

14"Behold, they have become like

hidden things which you have not known.

stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot

deliver themselves from the power of

7"They are created now and not long the flame; There will be no coal to warm

ago; And before today you have not

by Nor a fire to sit before!

heard them, So that you will not say,

'Behold, I knew them.'

15"So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have

8"You have not heard, you have not

trafficked with you from your youth;

known. Even from long ago your ear has

Each has wandered in his own way;

not been open, Because I knew that you

There is none to save you.

would deal very treacherously; And you

have been called a rebel from birth.

48" Hear this, O house of Jacob, 9" For the sake of My name I delay My who are named Israel And who came wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for forth from the loins of Judah, Who swear

you, In order not to cut you off.

by the name of the LORD And invoke

the God of Israel, But not in truth nor in

10"Behold, I have refined you, but not as righteousness.

silver; I have tested you in the furnace of

affliction.

2"For they call themselves after the holy city And lean on the God of Israel; The 11" For My own sake, for My own sake, I LORD of hosts is His name.

will act; For how can My name be

profaned? And My glory I will not give to

3"I declared the former things long ago another.

And they went forth from My mouth, and

I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted,

12"Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel and they came to pass.

whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

4"Because I know that you are obstinate,

And your neck is an iron sinew And your

13"Surely My hand founded the earth, forehead bronze,

And My right hand spread out the

heavens; When I call to them, they

5Therefore I declared them to you long

stand together.

ago, Before they took place I proclaimed

them to you, So that you would not say,

14" Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who 22" There is no peace for the wicked,"

among them has declared these things?

says the LORD.

The LORD loves him; he will carry out

His good pleasure on Babylon, And His

arm will be against the Chaldeans.

49Listen to Me, O islands, And pay

15

attention, you peoples from afar. The

"I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have

LORD called Me from the womb; From

called him, I have brought him, and He

the body of My mother He named Me.

will make his ways successful.

2

16

He has made My mouth like a sharp

" Come near to Me, listen to this: From

sword, In the shadow of His hand He

the first I have not spoken in secret,

has concealed Me; And He has also

From the time it took place, I was there.

made Me a select arrow, He has hidden

And now the Lord GOD has sent Me,

Me in His quiver.

and His Spirit."

3

17

He said to Me, " You are My Servant, Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,

Israel, In Whom I will show My glory."

the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD

your God, who teaches you to profit,

4

Who leads you in the way you should go.

But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;

18

Yet surely the justice due to Me is with

"If only you had paid attention to My the LORD, And My reward with My

commandments! Then your well-being

God."

would have been like a river, And your

righteousness like the waves of the sea.

5And now says the LORD, who formed

19

Me from the womb to be His Servant, To

"Your descendants would have been

bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel like the sand, And your offspring like its might be gathered to Him (For I am grains; Their name would never be cut

honored in the sight of the LORD, And

off or destroyed from My presence."

My God is My strength),

20Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the

6He says, "It is too small a thing that Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of You should be My Servant To raise up

joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out

the tribes of Jacob and to restore the

to the end of the earth; Say, " The preserved ones of Israel; I will also

LORD has redeemed His servant

make You a light of the nations So that Jacob."

My salvation may reach to the end of

the earth."

21They did not thirst when He led them

through the deserts. He made the water

7Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of

flow out of the rock for them; He split the

Israel and its Holy One, To the despised

rock and the water gushed forth.

One, To the One abhorred by the nation,

To the Servant of rulers, " Kings will see

and arise, Princes will also bow down, 15"Can a woman forget her nursing child Because of the LORD who is faithful,

And have no compassion on the son of

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen

her womb? Even these may forget, but I

You."

will not forget you.

8Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable 16"Behold, I have inscribed you on the time I have answered You, And in a day palms of My hands; Your walls are

of salvation I have helped You; And I will

continually before Me.

keep You and give You for a covenant

of the people, To restore the land, to

17"Your builders hurry; Your destroyers make

them

inherit

the

desolate

and devastators Will depart from you.

heritages;

18" Lift up your eyes and look around; All 9Saying to those who are bound, 'Go

of them gather together, they come to

forth,' To those who are in darkness,

you. As I live," declares the LORD, "You

'Show yourselves.' Along the roads they

will surely put on all of them as jewels will feed, And their pasture will be on all

and bind them on as a bride.

bare heights.

19"For your waste and desolate places 10"They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will and your destroyed land-- Surely now the scorching heat or sun strike them

you will be too cramped for the

down; For He who has compassion on

inhabitants, And those who swallowed

them will lead them And will guide them

you will be far away.

to springs of water.

20"The children of whom you were

11"I will make all My mountains a road, bereaved will yet say in your ears, 'The And My highways will be raised up.

place is too cramped for me; Make room

for me that I may live here.'

12"Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north

21"Then you will say in your heart, 'Who

and from the west, And these from the

has begotten these for me, Since I have

land of Sinim."

been bereaved of my children And am

barren, an exile and a wanderer? And

13Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice,

who has reared these? Behold, I was

O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting,

left alone; From where did these

O mountains! For the LORD has

come?'"

comforted His people And will have

compassion on His afflicted.

22Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And 14But Zion said, "The LORD has set up My standard to the peoples; And

forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten

they will bring your sons in their bosom,

me."

And your daughters will be carried on

their shoulders.

23" Kings will be your guardians, And 3"I clothe the heavens with blackness their princesses your nurses. They will And make sackcloth their covering."

bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And

4The Lord GOD has given Me the

you will know that I am the LORD;

tongue of disciples, That I may know

Those who hopefully wait for Me will not

how to sustain the weary one with a

be put to shame.

word. He awakens Me morning by

morning, He awakens My ear to listen

24" Can the prey be taken from the as a disciple.

mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?"

5The Lord GOD has opened My ear;

And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn

25Surely, thus says the LORD, "Even the

back.

captives of the mighty man will be taken

away, And the prey of the tyrant will be 6I gave My back to those who strike Me,

rescued; For I will contend with the one

And My cheeks to those who pluck out

who contends with you, And I will save

the beard; I did not cover My face from your sons.

humiliation and spitting.

26"I will feed your oppressors with their 7For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore,

own flesh, And they will become drunk

I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have

with their own blood as with sweet wine;

set My face like flint, And I know that I And all flesh will know that I, the LORD,

will not be ashamed.

am your Savior And your Redeemer, the

Mighty One of Jacob."

8He who vindicates Me is near; Who will

contend with Me? Let us stand up to

50

each other; Who has a case against Me?

Thus says the LORD, "Where is

Let him draw near to Me.

the certificate of divorce By which I have

sent your mother away? Or to whom of

9Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who

My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you

is he who condemns Me? Behold, they

were sold for your iniquities, And for

will all wear out like a garment; The

your transgressions your mother was

moth will eat them.

sent away.

10Who is among you that fears the

2"Why was there no man when I came?

LORD, That obeys the voice of His

When I called, why was there none to

servant, That walks in darkness and has

answer? Is My hand so short that it

no light? Let him trust in the name of the

cannot ransom? Or have I no power to

LORD and rely on his God.

deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with

My rebuke, I make the rivers a

11Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who

wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of encircle yourselves with firebrands,

water And die of thirst.

Walk in the light of your fire And among

the brands you have set ablaze. This 7" Listen to Me, you who know you will have from My hand: You will lie

righteousness, A people in whose heart

down in torment.

is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings.

51

8

" Listen to me, you who pursue

"For the moth will eat them like a righteousness, Who seek the LORD:

garment, And the grub will eat them like

Look to the rock from which you were

wool. But My righteousness will be

forever, And My salvation to all

hewn And to the quarry from which you

generations."

were dug.

9

2"Look to Abraham your father And to Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm

Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;

of the LORD; Awake as in the days of

old, the generations of long ago. Was it

When he was but one I called him, Then

not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who

I blessed him and multiplied him."

pierced the dragon?

3Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He

10

will comfort all her waste places. And

Was it not You who dried up the sea,

The waters of the great deep; Who

her wilderness He will make like Eden,

made the depths of the sea a pathway

And her desert like the garden of the

LORD; Joy and gladness will be found

For the redeemed to cross over?

in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a

11

melody.

So the ransomed of the LORD will

return And come with joyful shouting to

4

Zion, And everlasting joy will be on their

" Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a

heads. They will obtain gladness and joy,

law will go forth from Me, And I will set And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

My justice for a light of the peoples.

12"I, even I, am He who comforts you.

5"My righteousness is near, My salvation

Who are you that you are afraid of man

has gone forth, And My arms will judge

who dies And of the son of man who is

the peoples; The coastlands will wait for

made like grass,

Me, And for My arm they will wait

13

expectantly.

That you have forgotten the LORD

your Maker, Who stretched out the

6" Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look heavens And laid the foundations of the

to the earth beneath; For the sky will

earth, That you fear continually all day vanish like smoke, And the earth will

long because of the fury of the

oppressor, As he makes ready to

wear out like a garment And its

destroy? But where is the fury of the

inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My

oppressor?

righteousness will not wane.

14"The exile will soon be set free, and the cup of reeling, The chalice of My will not die in the dungeon, nor will his anger; You will never drink it again.

bread be lacking.

23"I will put it into the hand of your 15"For I am the LORD your God, who tormentors, Who have said to you, ' Lie stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the down that we may walk over you.' You

LORD of hosts is His name).

have even made your back like the

ground And like the street for those who

16"I have put My words in your mouth walk over it."

and have covered you with the shadow

of My hand, to establish the heavens, to

found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You

52Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in

are My people.'"

your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in

your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem,

17Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise,

the holy city; For the uncircumcised and

O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from

the unclean Will no longer come into

the LORD'S hand the cup of His anger;

you.

The chalice of reeling you have drained

to the dregs.

2Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O

captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from

18There is none to guide her among all

the chains around your neck, O captive

the sons she has borne, Nor is there

daughter of Zion.

one to take her by the hand among all

the sons she has reared.

3For thus says the LORD, "You were

sold for nothing and you will be

19These two things have befallen you;

redeemed without money."

Who

will

mourn

for

you?

The

devastation and destruction, famine and

4For thus says the Lord GOD, "My

sword; How shall I comfort you?

people went down at the first into Egypt

to reside there; then the Assyrian

20Your sons have fainted, They lie

oppressed them without cause.

helpless at the head of every street, Like

an antelope in a net, Full of the wrath of

5"Now therefore, what do I have here,"

the LORD, The rebuke of your God.

declares the LORD, "seeing that My

people have been taken away without

21Therefore, please hear this, you

cause?" Again the LORD declares,

afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with

"Those who rule over them howl, and wine:

My name is continually blasphemed all

day long.

22Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even

your God Who contends for His people,

6"Therefore My people shall know My

"Behold, I have taken out of your hand name; therefore in that day I am the one

who is speaking, 'Here I am.'"

7How lovely on the mountains Are the of Him; For what had not been told them feet of him who brings good news, Who

they will see, And what they had not

announces peace And brings good

heard they will understand.

news of happiness, Who announces

salvation, And says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

53Who has believed our message?

8

And to whom has the arm of the LORD

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their

been revealed?

voices, They shout joyfully together; For

they will see with their own eyes When

2

the LORD restores Zion.

For He grew up before Him like a

tender shoot, And like a root out of

9

parched ground; He has no stately form

Break forth, shout joyfully together, You

or majesty That we should look upon

waste places of Jerusalem; For the

Him, Nor appearance that we should be

LORD has comforted His people, He

attracted to Him.

has redeemed Jerusalem.

3

10

He was despised and forsaken of men,

The LORD has bared His holy arm In

A man of sorrows and acquainted with

the sight of all the nations, That all the grief; And like one from whom men hide

ends of the earth may see The salvation

their face He was despised, and we did

of our God.

not esteem Him.

11Depart, depart, go out from there,

4Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And

Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the

our sorrows He carried; Yet we

midst of her, purify yourselves, You who

ourselves

esteemed

Him

stricken,

carry the vessels of the LORD.

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

12But you will not go out in haste, Nor 5But He was pierced through for our

will you go as fugitives; For the LORD

transgressions, He was crushed for our

will go before you, And the God of Israel

iniquities; The chastening for our well—

will be your rear guard.

being fell upon Him, And by His

scourging we are healed.

13Behold, My servant will prosper, He

will be high and lifted up and greatly

6All of us like sheep have gone astray, exalted.

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of

14Just as many were astonished at you,

us all To fall on Him.

My people, So His appearance was

marred more than any man And His

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

form more than the sons of men.

Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a

lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a 15Thus He will sprinkle many nations,

sheep that is silent before its shearers, Kings will shut their mouths on account

So He did not open His mouth.

8By oppression and judgment He was 2" Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch taken away; And as for His generation, out the curtains of your dwellings, spare

who considered That He was cut off out

not;

Lengthen

your

cords

And

of the land of the living For the

strengthen your pegs.

transgression of my people, to whom

the stroke was due?

3"For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants

9His grave was assigned with wicked

will possess nations And will resettle the

men, Yet He was with a rich man in His

desolate cities.

death, Because He had done no

violence, Nor was there any deceit in

4"Fear not, for you will not be put to His mouth.

shame; And do not feel humiliated, for

you will not be disgraced; But you will 10But the LORD was pleased To crush

forget the shame of your youth, And the

Him, putting Him to grief; If He would

reproach of your widowhood you will

render Himself as a guilt offering, He will

remember no more.

see His offspring, He will prolong His

days, And the good pleasure of the

5"For your husband is your Maker,

LORD will prosper in His hand.

Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And

your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,

11As a result of the anguish of His soul,

Who is called the God of all the earth.

He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My

6"For the LORD has called you, Like a Servant, will justify the many, As He will

wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even

bear their iniquities.

like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," Says your God.

12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with

the great, And He will divide the booty 7"For a brief moment I forsook you, But

with the strong; Because He poured out

with great compassion I will gather you.

Himself to death, And was numbered

with the transgressors; Yet He Himself

8"In an outburst of anger I hid My face bore the sin of many, And interceded for

from you for a moment, But with

the transgressors.

everlasting lovingkindness I will have

compassion on you," Says the LORD

54

your Redeemer.

" Shout for joy, O barren one, you

who have borne no child; Break forth

9"For this is like the days of Noah to Me, into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you

When I swore that the waters of Noah

who have not travailed; For the sons of Would not flood the earth again; So I

the desolate one will be more numerous

have sworn that I will not be angry with Than the sons of the married woman,"

you Nor will I rebuke you.

says the LORD.

10"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My 55"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come lovingkindness will not be removed from

to the waters; And you who have no

you, And My covenant of peace will not

money come, buy and eat. Come, buy

be shaken," Says the LORD who has

wine and milk Without money and

compassion on you.

without cost.

11"O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not 2"Why do you spend money for what is comforted, Behold, I will set your stones not bread, And your wages for what

in antimony, And your foundations I will does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me,

lay in sapphires.

and eat what is good, And delight

yourself in abundance.

12"Moreover,

I

will

make

your

battlements of rubies, And your gates of

3" Incline your ear and come to Me.

crystal, And your entire wall of precious Listen, that you may live; And I will

stones.

make an everlasting covenant with you,

According to the faithful mercies shown

13" All your sons will be taught of the to David.

LORD; And the well-being of your sons

will be great.

4"Behold, I have made him a witness to

the peoples, A leader and commander

14"In righteousness you will be

for the peoples.

established; You will be far from

oppression, for you will not fear; And

5"Behold, you will call a nation you do from terror, for it will not come near you.

not know, And a nation which knows

you not will run to you, Because of the 15"If anyone fiercely assails you it will not LORD your God, even the Holy One of be from Me. Whoever assails you will

Israel; For He has glorified you."

fall because of you.

6Seek the LORD while He may be found;

16"Behold, I Myself have created the Call upon Him while He is near.

smith who blows the fire of coals And

brings out a weapon for its work; And I 7Let the wicked forsake his way And the

have created the destroyer to ruin.

unrighteous man his thoughts; And let

him return to the LORD, And He will

17" No weapon that is formed against have compassion on him, And to our

you will prosper; And every tongue that

God, For He will abundantly pardon.

accuses you in judgment you will

condemn. This is the heritage of the

8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

servants of the LORD, And their

Nor are your ways My ways," declares vindication is from Me," declares the the LORD.

LORD.

9"For as the heavens are higher than the 3Let not the foreigner who has joined earth, So are My ways higher than your

himself to the LORD say, "The LORD

ways And My thoughts than your

will surely separate me from His

thoughts.

people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."

10"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return

4For thus says the LORD, "To the

there without watering the earth And

eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And

making it bear and sprout, And

choose what pleases Me, And hold fast

furnishing seed to the sower and bread

My covenant,

to the eater;

5To them I will give in My house and

11So will My word be which goes forth

within My walls a memorial, And a name

from My mouth; It will not return to Me better than that of sons and daughters; I

empty, Without accomplishing what I

will give them an everlasting name

desire, And without succeeding in the

which will not be cut off.

matter for which I sent it.

6"Also

the

foreigners

who

join

12"For you will go out with joy And be led themselves to the LORD, To minister to

forth with peace; The mountains and the

Him, and to love the name of the LORD,

hills will break forth into shouts of joy To be His servants, every one who

before you, And all the trees of the field

keeps from profaning the sabbath And

will clap their hands.

holds fast My covenant;

13"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress

7Even those I will bring to My holy

will come up, And instead of the nettle mountain And make them joyful in My

the myrtle will come up, And it will be a house of prayer. Their burnt offerings memorial

to the

LORD,

For

an

and their sacrifices will be acceptable on

everlasting sign which will not be cut

My altar; For My house will be called a off."

house of prayer for all the peoples."

8

56

The Lord GOD, who gathers the

Thus says the LORD, " Preserve

dispersed of Israel, declares, "Yet others I will gather to them, to those already justice and do righteousness, For My gathered."

salvation is about to come And My

righteousness to be revealed.

9All you beasts of the field, All you

2"How blessed is the man who does this,

beasts in the forest, Come to eat.

And the son of man who takes hold of it;

10

Who keeps from profaning the sabbath,

His watchmen are blind, All of them

And keeps his hand from doing any

know nothing. All of them are mute dogs

evil."

unable to bark, Dreamers lying down,

who love to slumber;

11And the dogs are greedy, they are not 7"Upon a high and lofty mountain You satisfied. And they are shepherds who have made your bed. You also went up

have no understanding; They have all

there to offer sacrifice.

turned to their own way, Each one to his

unjust gain, to the last one.

8"Behind the door and the doorpost You

have set up your sign; Indeed, far

12"Come," they say, "let us get wine, and removed from Me, you have uncovered let us drink heavily of strong drink; And yourself, And have gone up and made

tomorrow will be like today, only more

your bed wide. And you have made an

so."

agreement for yourself with them, You

have loved their bed, You have looked

on their manhood.

57The righteous man perishes, and 9"You have journeyed to the king with oil no man takes it to heart; And devout And increased your perfumes; You have

men are taken away, while no one

understands. For the righteous man is

sent your envoys a great distance And

taken away from evil,

made them go down to Sheol.

10

2

"You were tired out by the length of He enters into peace; They rest in their

your road, Yet you did not say, ' It is beds, Each one who walked in his

upright way.

hopeless.' You found renewed strength,

Therefore you did not faint.

3"But come here, you sons of a

11"Of whom were you worried and fearful

sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and

When you lied, and did not remember

a prostitute.

Me Nor give Me a thought? Was I not

4

silent even for a long time So you do not

"Against whom do you jest? Against

fear Me?

whom do you open wide your mouth

And stick out your tongue? Are you not

12

children of rebellion, Offspring of deceit,

"I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you.

5Who inflame yourselves among the

13"When you cry out, let your collection oaks, Under every luxuriant tree, Who of idols deliver you. But the wind will slaughter the children in the ravines,

Under the clefts of the crags?

carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who takes

6

refuge in Me will inherit the land And will

"Among the smooth stones of the

possess My holy mountain."

ravine Is your portion, they are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a

14

drink offering, You have made a grain

And it will be said, " Build up, build up, offering. Shall I relent concerning these prepare the

way,

Remove

every

things?

obstacle out of the way of My people."

15For thus says the high and exalted not forsaken the ordinance of their God.

One Who lives forever, whose name is

They ask Me for just decisions, They

Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, delight in the nearness of God.

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the 3'Why have we fasted and You do not lowly And to revive the heart of the

see? Why have we humbled ourselves

contrite.

and You do not notice?' Behold, on the

day of your fast you find your desire,

16"For I will not contend forever, Nor will And drive hard all your workers.

I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of

4"Behold, you fast for contention and those whom I have made.

strife and to strike with a wicked fist.

You do not fast like you do today to

17"Because of the iniquity of his unjust make your voice heard on high.

gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on

5"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a turning away, in the way of his heart.

day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And

18"I have seen his ways, but I will heal for spreading out sackcloth and ashes him; I will lead him and restore comfort as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even

to him and to his mourners,

an acceptable day to the LORD?

19Creating the praise of the lips. Peace,

6"Is this not the fast which I choose, To peace to him who is far and to him who

loosen the bonds of wickedness, To

is near," Says the LORD, "and I will heal undo the bands of the yoke, And to let him."

the oppressed go free And break every

yoke?

20But the wicked are like the tossing sea,

For it cannot be quiet, And its waters

7"Is it not to divide your bread with the toss up refuse and mud.

hungry And bring the homeless poor

into the house; When you see the naked,

21" There is no peace," says my God, to cover him; And not to hide yourself "for the wicked."

from your own flesh?

8"Then your light will break out like the 58" Cry loudly, do not hold back; dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will Raise your voice like a trumpet, And

go before you; The glory of the LORD

declare to My people their transgression

will be your rear guard.

And to the house of Jacob their sins.

9

2

"Then you will call, and the LORD will

"Yet they seek Me day by day and

answer; You will cry, and He will say,

delight to know My ways, As a nation

'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from

that has done righteousness And has

your midst, The pointing of the finger And your sins have hidden His face from and speaking wickedness,

you so that He does not hear.

10And if you give yourself to the hungry

3For your hands are defiled with blood

And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips Then your light will rise in darkness And have spoken falsehood, Your tongue

your gloom will become like midday.

mutters wickedness.

11"And the LORD will continually guide 4No one sues righteously and no one

you, And satisfy your desire in scorched

pleads honestly. They trust in confusion

places, And give strength to your bones;

and speak lies; They conceive mischief

And you will be like a watered garden,

and bring forth iniquity.

And like a spring of water whose waters

do not fail.

5They hatch adders' eggs and weave

the spider's web; He who eats of their

12"Those from among you will rebuild the

eggs dies, And from that which is

ancient ruins; You will raise up the age—

crushed a snake breaks forth.

old foundations; And you will be called

the repairer of the breach, The restorer 6Their webs will not become clothing,

of the streets in which to dwell.

Nor will they cover themselves with their

works; Their works are works of iniquity,

13"If because of the sabbath, you turn And an act of violence is in their hands.

your foot From doing your own pleasure

on My holy day, And call the sabbath a 7Their feet run to evil, And they hasten delight, the holy day of the LORD

to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts

honorable, And honor it, desisting from

are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and

your own ways, From seeking your own

destruction are in their highways.

pleasure And speaking your own word,

8They do not know the way of peace,

14Then you will take delight in the LORD,

And there is no justice in their tracks; And I will make you ride on the heights They have made their paths crooked, of the earth; And I will feed you with the

Whoever treads on them does not know

heritage of Jacob your father, For the

peace.

mouth of the LORD has spoken."

9Therefore justice is far from us, And

59

righteousness does not overtake us; We

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not

hope for light, but behold, darkness, For

so short That it cannot save; Nor is His brightness, but we walk in gloom.

ear so dull That it cannot hear.

10We grope along the wall like blind men,

2But your iniquities have made a

We grope like those who have no eyes;

separation between you and your God,

We stumble at midday as in the twilight,

Among those who are vigorous we are 18According to their deeds, so He will like dead men.

repay, Wrath

to His

adversaries,

recompense to His enemies; To the

11All of us growl like bears, And moan

coastlands He will make recompense.

sadly like doves; We hope for justice,

but there is none, For salvation, but it is

19So they will fear the name of the

far from us.

LORD from the west And His glory from

the rising of the sun, For He will come 12For our transgressions are multiplied

like a rushing stream Which the wind of

before You, And our sins testify against the LORD drives.

us; For our transgressions are with us,

And we know our iniquities:

20"A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to

those who turn from transgression in

13Transgressing and denying the LORD,

Jacob," declares the LORD.

And turning away from our God,

Speaking

oppression

and

revolt,

21"As for Me, this is My covenant with Conceiving in and uttering from the

them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which heart lying words.

is upon you, and My words which I have

put in your mouth shall not depart from 14Justice

is

turned

back,

And

your mouth, nor from the mouth of your

righteousness stands far away; For truth

offspring, nor from the mouth of your

has stumbled in the street, And

offspring's offspring," says the LORD, uprightness cannot enter.

"from now and forever."

15Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns

aside from evil makes himself a prey.

60" Arise, shine; for your light has Now the LORD saw, And it was

come, And the glory of the LORD has

displeasing in His sight that there was

risen upon you.

no justice.

2"For behold, darkness will cover the 16And He saw that there was no man,

earth And deep darkness the peoples;

And was astonished that there was no

But the LORD will rise upon you And His

one to intercede; Then His own arm

glory will appear upon you.

brought salvation to Him, And His

righteousness upheld Him.

3" Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

17He put on righteousness like a

breastplate, And a helmet of salvation

4" Lift up your eyes round about and see; on His head; And He put on garments of

They all gather together, they come to

vengeance for clothing And wrapped

you. Your sons will come from afar, And

Himself with zeal as a mantle.

your daughters will be carried in the

arms.

5"Then you will see and be radiant, And 12"For the nation and the kingdom which your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because

will not serve you will perish, And the the abundance of the sea will be turned

nations will be utterly ruined.

to you, The wealth of the nations will

come to you.

13"The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the

6"A multitude of camels will cover you, cypress together, To beautify the place The young camels of Midian and Ephah;

of My sanctuary; And I shall make the

All those from Sheba will come; They

place of My feet glorious.

will bring gold and frankincense, And will

bear good news of the praises of the

14"The sons of those who afflicted you LORD.

will come bowing to you, And all those

who despised you will bow themselves

7"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered at the soles of your feet; And they will together to you, The rams of Nebaioth call you the city of the LORD, The Zion will minister to you; They will go up with

of the Holy One of Israel.

acceptance on My altar, And I shall

glorify My glorious house.

15"Whereas you have been forsaken and

hated With no one passing through, I

8" Who are these who fly like a cloud will make you an everlasting pride, A joy

And like the doves to their lattices?

from generation to generation.

9"Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; 16"You will also suck the milk of nations And the ships of Tarshish will come first, And suck the breast of kings; Then you

To bring your sons from afar, Their

will know that I, the LORD, am your

silver and their gold with them, For the Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty

name of the LORD your God, And for

One of Jacob.

the Holy One of Israel because He has

glorified you.

17"Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, 10" Foreigners will build up your walls, And instead of wood, bronze, And And their kings will minister to you; For instead of stones, iron. And I will make in My wrath I struck you, And in My peace

your

administrators

And

favor I have had compassion on you.

righteousness your overseers.

11"Your gates will be open continually; 18" Violence will not be heard again in They will not be closed day or night, So your

land,

Nor

devastation

or

that men may bring to you the wealth of

destruction within your borders; But you

the nations, With their kings led in

will call your walls salvation, and your procession.

gates praise.

19"No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have 5Strangers will stand and pasture your the LORD for an everlasting light, And

flocks, And foreigners will be your

your God for your glory.

farmers and your vinedressers.

20"Your sun will no longer set, Nor will 6But you will be called the priests of the your moon wane; For you will have the

LORD; You will be spoken of as

LORD for an everlasting light, And the

ministers of our God. You will eat the

days of your mourning will be over.

wealth of nations, And in their riches you

will boast.

21"Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The

7Instead of your shame you will have a

branch of My planting, The work of My

double

portion,

And

instead

of

hands, That I may be glorified.

humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess

22"The smallest one will become a clan,

a

double

portion

in

their

land,

And the least one a mighty nation. I, the

Everlasting joy will be theirs.

LORD, will hasten it in its time."

8For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate

robbery in the burnt offering; And I will 61The Spirit of the Lord GOD is faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with upon me, Because the LORD has

them.

anointed me To bring good news to the

afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the

9Then their offspring will be known

brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to

among

the

nations,

And

their

captives And freedom to prisoners;

descendants in the midst of the peoples.

2

All who see them will recognize them

To proclaim the favorable year of the

Because they are the offspring whom

LORD And the day of vengeance of our

the LORD has blessed.

God; To comfort all who mourn,

10

3

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My

To grant those who mourn in Zion,

soul will exult in my God; For He has

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

clothed me with garments of salvation,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

He has wrapped me with a robe of

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit righteousness, As a bridegroom decks

of fainting. So they will be called oaks of

himself with a garland, And as a bride

righteousness, The planting of the

adorns herself with her jewels.

LORD, that He may be glorified.

11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

4Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,

And as a garden causes the things

They

will

raise

up

the

former

sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD

devastations; And they will repair the

will cause righteousness and praise To

ruined cities, The desolations of many

spring up before all the nations.

generations.

62

enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your

For Zion's sake I will not keep

new wine for which you have labored."

silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not

9

keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes

But those who garner it will eat it and forth like brightness, And her salvation

praise the LORD; And those who gather

like a torch that is burning.

it will drink it in the courts of My

sanctuary.

2The nations will see your righteousness,

10

And all kings your glory; And you will be

Go through, go through the gates,

called by a new name Which the mouth

Clear the way for the people; Build up, of the LORD will designate.

build up the highway, Remove the

stones, lift up a standard over the

3You will also be a crown of beauty in peoples.

the hand of the LORD, And a royal

11

diadem in the hand of your God.

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to

the end of the earth, Say to the daughter

4It will no longer be said to you, "

of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes;

Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him."

longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And 12

your land, " Married"; For the LORD

And they will call them, " The holy delights in you, And to Him your land will

people, The redeemed of the LORD";

be married.

And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken."

5For as a young man marries a virgin,

So your sons will marry you; And as the

bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So

63Who is this who comes from

your God will rejoice over you.

Edom, With garments of glowing colors

from Bozrah, This One who is majestic

6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have

in His apparel, Marching in the

appointed watchmen; All day and all

greatness of His strength? "It is I who night they will never keep silent. You speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

who remind the LORD, take no rest for

yourselves;

2Why is Your apparel red, And Your

garments like the one who treads in the

7And give Him no rest until He

wine press?

establishes And makes Jerusalem a

praise in the earth.

3" I have trodden the wine trough alone,

And from the peoples there was no man

8The LORD has sworn by His right hand

with Me. I also trod them in My anger

and by His strong arm, "I will never And trampled them in My wrath; And

again give your grain as food for your

their lifeblood is sprinkled on My

garments, And I stained all My raiment.

4"For the day of vengeance was in My who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of heart, And My year of redemption has them,

come.

12Who caused His glorious arm to go at

5"I looked, and there was no one to help, the right hand of Moses, Who divided

And I was astonished and there was no

the waters before them to make for

one to uphold; So My own arm brought

Himself an everlasting name,

salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld

Me.

13Who led them through the depths?

Like the horse in the wilderness, they

6"I trod down the peoples in My anger did not stumble;

And made them drunk in My wrath, And

I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

14As the cattle which go down into the

valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave

7I shall make mention of the

them rest. So You led Your people, To

lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the

make for Yourself a glorious name.

praises of the LORD, According to all

that the LORD has granted us, And the

15Look down from heaven and see from

great goodness toward the house of

Your holy and glorious habitation;

Israel, Which He has granted them

Where are Your zeal and Your mighty

according to His compassion And

deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and

according to the abundance of His

Your compassion are restrained toward

lovingkindnesses.

me.

8For He said, "Surely, they are My

16For You are our Father, though

people, Sons who will not deal falsely."

Abraham does not know us And Israel

So He became their Savior.

does not recognize us. You, O LORD,

are our Father, Our Redeemer from of

9In all their affliction He was afflicted, old is Your name.

And the angel of His presence saved

them; In His love and in His mercy He

17Why, O LORD, do You cause us to

redeemed them, And He lifted them and

stray from Your ways And harden our

carried them all the days of old.

heart from fearing You? Return for the

sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your

10But they rebelled And grieved His Holy

heritage.

Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to

become their enemy, He fought against

18Your holy people possessed Your

them.

sanctuary for a little while, Our

adversaries have trodden it down.

11Then His people remembered the

days of old, of Moses. Where is He who

19We have become like those over

brought them up out of the sea with the

whom You have never ruled, Like those

shepherds of His flock? Where is He

who were not called by Your name.

9

64

Do not be angry beyond measure, O

Oh, that You would rend the

LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever;

heavens and come down, That the

Behold, look now, all of us are Your

people.

mountains

might

quake

at

Your

presence--

10Your holy cities have become a

2As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire

wilderness,

Zion

has

become

a

causes water to boil-- To make Your

wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

name known to Your adversaries, That

11

the nations may tremble at Your

Our holy and beautiful house, Where

presence!

our fathers praised You, Has been

burned by fire; And all our precious

3When You did awesome things which

things have become a ruin.

we did not expect, You came down, the

12

mountains quaked at Your presence.

Will You restrain Yourself at these

things, O LORDNULL Will You keep

4For from days of old they have not

silent

and

afflict

us

beyond

heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the

measureNULL

eye seen a God besides You, Who acts

in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

65"I permitted Myself to be sought 5You meet him who rejoices in doing

by those who did not ask for Me; I

righteousness, Who remembers You in

permitted Myself to be found by those

Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for

who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I,

we sinned, We continued in them a long

here am I,' To a nation which did not call

time; And shall we be saved?

on My name.

6For all of us have become like one who

2" I have spread out My hands all day is unclean, And all our righteous deeds long to a rebellious people, Who walk in

are like a filthy garment; And all of us the way which is not good, following

wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like

their own thoughts,

the wind, take us away.

3A people who continually provoke Me

7There is no one who calls on Your

to My face, Offering sacrifices in

name, Who arouses himself to take hold

gardens and burning incense on bricks;

of You; For You have hidden Your face

from us And have delivered us into the

4Who sit among graves and spend the

power of our iniquities.

night in secret places; Who eat swine's

flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is 8But now, O LORD, You are our Father,

in their pots.

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all of us are the work of Your hand.

5"Who say, ' Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!'

These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire 13Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, that burns all the day.

"Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My servants will 6"Behold, it is written before Me, I will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My not keep silent, but I will repay; I will servants will rejoice, but you will be put even repay into their bosom, to shame.

7

14

Both their own iniquities and the

"Behold, My servants will shout joyfully

iniquities of their fathers together," says with a glad heart, But you will cry out the LORD. "Because they have burned with a heavy heart, And you will wail

incense on the mountains And scorned

with a broken spirit.

Me on the hills, Therefore I will measure

their former work into their bosom."

15"You will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord GOD

8Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine

will slay you. But My servants will be

is found in the cluster, And one says,

called by another name.

'Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,' So I will act on behalf of My servants 16"Because he who is blessed in the In order not to destroy all of them.

earth Will be blessed by the God of truth;

And he who swears in the earth Will

9"I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, swear by the God of truth; Because the And an heir of My mountains from

former troubles are forgotten, And

Judah; Even My chosen ones shall

because they are hidden from My sight!

inherit it, And My servants will dwell

there.

17"For behold, I create new heavens and

a new earth; And the former things will 10" Sharon will be a pasture land for not be remembered or come to mind.

flocks, And the valley of Achor a resting

place for herds, For My people who

18"But be glad and rejoice forever in seek Me.

what I create; For behold, I create

Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people

11"But you who forsake the LORD, Who

for gladness.

forget My holy mountain, Who set a

table for Fortune, And who fill cups with

19"I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be mixed wine for Destiny,

glad in My people; And there will no

longer be heard in her The voice of

12I will destine you for the sword, And all

weeping and the sound of crying.

of you will bow down to the slaughter.

Because I called, but you did not answer;

20"No longer will there be in it an infant I spoke, but you did not hear. And you who lives but a few days, Or an old man did evil in My sight And chose that in who does not live out his days; For the which I did not delight."

youth will die at the age of one hundred

And the one who does not reach the

age of one hundred Will be thought 3"But he who kills an ox is like one who accursed.

slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb

is like the one who breaks a dog's neck;

21"They will build houses and inhabit He who offers a grain offering is like one

them; They will also plant vineyards and

who offers swine's blood; He who burns

eat their fruit.

incense is like the one who blesses an

idol. As they have chosen their own

22

ways, And their soul delights in their

"They will not build and another inhabit, abominations,

They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the 4

days of My people, And My chosen

So I will choose their punishments And

ones will wear out the work of their

will bring on them what they dread.

hands.

Because I called, but no one answered;

I spoke, but they did not listen. And they

23

did evil in My sight And chose that in

"They will not labor in vain, Or bear which I did not delight."

children for calamity; For they are the

offspring of those blessed by the LORD,

5

And their descendants with them.

Hear the word of the LORD, you who

tremble at His word: "Your brothers who

24

hate you, who exclude you for My

"It will also come to pass that before name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD

they call, I will answer; and while they be glorified, that we may see your joy.'

are still speaking, I will hear.

But they will be put to shame.

25"The wolf and the lamb will graze 6"A voice of uproar from the city, a voice together, and the lion will eat straw like from the temple, The voice of the LORD

the ox; and dust will be the serpent's

who is rendering recompense to His

food. They will do no evil or harm in all enemies.

My holy mountain," says the LORD.

7"Before she travailed, she brought forth; 66

Before her pain came, she gave birth to

Thus says the LORD, " Heaven is

a boy.

My throne and the earth is My footstool.

Where then is a house you could build

8" Who has heard such a thing? Who for Me? And where is a place that I may

has seen such things? Can a land be

rest?

born in one day? Can a nation be

brought forth all at once? As soon as

2"For My hand made all these things, Zion travailed, she also brought forth her

Thus all these things came into being,"

sons.

declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and

9"Shall I bring to the point of birth and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or word.

shall I who gives delivery shut the

womb?" says your God.

10"Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice mice, Will come to an end altogether,"

for her, all you who love her; Be

declares the LORD.

exceedingly glad with her, all you who

mourn over her,

18"For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all

11That you may nurse and be satisfied

nations and tongues. And they shall

with her comforting breasts, That you

come and see My glory.

may suck and be delighted with her

bountiful bosom."

19"I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations:

12For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and

extend peace to her like a river, And the

Javan, to the distant coastlands that

glory of the nations like an overflowing have neither heard My fame nor seen

stream; And you will be nursed, you will

My glory. And they will declare My glory

be carried on the hip and fondled on the

among the nations.

knees.

20"Then they shall bring all your brethren 13"As one whom his mother comforts, so

from all the nations as a grain offering to

I will comfort you; And you will be

the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in

comforted in Jerusalem."

litters, on mules and on camels, to My

holy mountain Jerusalem," says the

14Then you will see this, and your heart

LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring will be glad, And your bones will flourish their grain offering in a clean vessel to like the new grass; And the hand of the

the house of the LORD.

LORD will be made known to His

servants, But He will be indignant

21"I will also take some of them for toward His enemies.

priests and for Levites," says the LORD.

15For behold, the LORD will come in fire

22"For just as the new heavens and the And His chariots like the whirlwind, To new earth Which I make will endure

render His anger with fury, And His

before Me," declares the LORD, "So rebuke with flames of fire.

your offspring and your name will

endure.

16For the LORD will execute judgment

by fire And by His sword on all flesh, 23"And it shall be from new moon to new

And those slain by the LORD will be

moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All

many.

mankind will come to bow down before

Me," says the LORD.

17"Those who sanctify and purify

themselves to go to the gardens,

24"Then they will go forth and look On Following one in the center, Who eat

the corpses of the men Who have

swine's flesh, detestable things and

transgressed against Me. For their worm

will not die And their fire will not be

quenched;

And

they

will

be

an

abhorrence to all mankind."

Jeremiah

9Then the LORD stretched out His hand

and touched my mouth, and the LORD

1The words of Jeremiah the son of said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Hilkiah, of the priests who were in

Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

10"See, I have appointed you this day 2

over the nations and over the kingdoms,

to whom the word of the LORD came in

To pluck up and to break down, To

the days of Josiah the son of Amon,

destroy and to overthrow, To build and

king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of to plant."

his reign.

11

3

The word of the LORD came to me

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim

saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?"

the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until And I said, "I see a rod of an almond the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah tree."

the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

12Then the LORD said to me, "You have

4

seen well, for I am watching over My

Now the word of the LORD came to me

word to perform it."

saying,

13

5

The word of the LORD came to me a

"Before I formed you in the womb I second time saying, " What do you

knew you, And before you were born I

see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, consecrated you; I have appointed you facing away from the north."

a prophet to the nations."

14

6

Then the LORD said to me, " Out of Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I

the north the evil will break forth on all do not know how to speak, Because I

the inhabitants of the land.

am a youth."

15

7

"For, behold, I am calling all the

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say,

families of the kingdoms of the north,"

'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I

declares the LORD; "and they will come

send you, you shall go, And all that I and they will set each one his throne at

command you, you shall speak.

the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,

and against all its walls round about and

8" Do not be afraid of them, For I am against all the cities of Judah.

with you to deliver you," declares the LORD.

16"I will pronounce My judgments on

them concerning all their wickedness,

whereby they have forsaken Me and

have offered sacrifices to other gods, went far from Me And walked after and worshiped the works of their own

emptiness and became empty?

hands.

6"They did not say, 'Where is the LORD

17"Now, gird up your loins and arise, and Who brought us up out of the land of

speak to them all which I command you.

Egypt, Who led us

through the

Do not be dismayed before them, or I

wilderness, Through a land of deserts

will dismay you before them.

and of pits, Through a land of drought

and of deep darkness, Through a land

18"Now behold, I have made you today that no one crossed And where no man

as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron dwelt?'

and as walls of bronze against the

whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its 7"I brought you into the fruitful land To princes, to its priests and to the people eat its fruit and its good things. But you of the land.

came and defiled My land, And My

inheritance you made an abomination.

19"They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you

8"The priests did not say, 'Where is the to deliver you," declares the LORD.

LORD?' And those who handle the law

did not know Me; The rulers also

transgressed against Me, And the

2Now the word of the LORD came to prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after things that did not profit.

me saying,

9

2

"Therefore I will yet contend with you,"

"Go and proclaim in the ears of

declares the LORD, "And with your

Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the

sons' sons I will contend.

LORD, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your

10"For cross to the coastlands of Kittim betrothals, Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown.

and see, And send to Kedar and

observe closely And see if there has

3

been such a thing as this!

"Israel was holy to the LORD, The first of His harvest. All who ate of it became 11"Has a nation changed gods When

guilty; Evil came upon them," declares the LORD.'"

they were not gods? But My people

have changed their glory For that which

4

does not profit.

Hear the word of the LORD, O house of

Jacob, and all the families of the house 12"Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And

of Israel.

shudder, be very desolate," declares the

5

LORD.

Thus says the LORD, " What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they

13"For My people have committed two you turned yourself before Me Into the evils: They have forsaken Me, The

degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

fountain of living waters, To hew for

themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns

22"Although you wash yourself with lye That can hold no water.

And use much soap, The stain of your

iniquity is before Me," declares the Lord 14"Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn GOD.

servant? Why has he become a prey?

23" How can you say, 'I am not defiled, I 15"The young lions have roared at him, have not gone after the Baals'? Look at They have roared loudly. And they have

your way in the valley! Know what you

made his land a waste; His cities have

have done! You are a swift young camel

been destroyed, without inhabitant.

entangling her ways,

16"Also the men of Memphis and

24A wild donkey accustomed to the

Tahpanhes Have shaved the crown of

wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her

your head.

passion. In the time of her heat who can

turn her away? All who seek her will not

17"Have you not done this to yourself By

become weary; In her month they will

your forsaking the LORD your God

find her.

When He led you in the way?

25"Keep your feet from being unshod

18"But now what are you doing on the And your throat from thirst; But you said,

road to Egypt, To drink the waters of the

' It is hopeless! No! For I have loved Nile? Or what are you doing on the road

strangers, And after them I will walk.'

to Assyria, To drink the waters of the

Euphrates?

26"As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is

19" Your own wickedness will correct you, shamed; They, their kings, their princes

And your apostasies will reprove you;

And their priests and their prophets,

Know therefore and see that it is evil

and bitter For you to forsake the LORD

27Who say to a tree, 'You are my father,'

your God, And the dread of Me is not in

And to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For

you," declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

they have turned their back to Me, And

not their face; But in the time of their 20"For long ago I broke your yoke And trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.'

tore off your bonds; But you said, 'I will not serve!' For on every high hill And 28"But where are your gods Which you under every green tree You have lain

made for yourself? Let them arise, if

down as a harlot.

they can save you In the time of your

trouble; For according to the number of

21"Yet I planted you a choice vine, A your cities Are your gods, O Judah.

completely faithful seed. How then have

29"Why do you contend with Me? You trust, And you will not prosper with have all transgressed against Me,"

them."

declares the LORD.

30" In vain I have struck your sons; They 3God says, " If a husband divorces his accepted no chastening. Your sword wife And she goes from him And

has devoured your prophets Like a

belongs to another man, Will he still

destroying lion.

return to her? Will not that land be

completely polluted? But you are a

31"O generation, heed the word of the harlot with many lovers; Yet you turn to LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Me," declares the LORD.

Israel, Or a land of thick darkness? Why

do My people say, ' We are free to roam;

2"Lift up your eyes to the bare heights We will no longer come to You'?

and see; Where have you not been

violated? By the roads you have sat for 32"Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or

them Like an Arab in the desert, And

a bride her attire? Yet My people have

you have polluted a land With your

forgotten Me Days without number.

harlotry and with your wickedness.

33"How well you prepare your way To 3"Therefore the showers have been

seek love! Therefore even the wicked

withheld, And there has been no spring

women You have taught your ways.

rain. Yet you had a harlot's forehead;

You refused to be ashamed.

34"Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did

4"Have you not just now called to Me, '

not find them breaking in. But in spite of

My Father, You are the friend of my

all these things,

youth?

35Yet you said, 'I am innocent; Surely

5' Will He be angry forever? Will He be

His anger is turned away from me.'

indignant to the end?' Behold, you have

Behold, I will enter into judgment with

spoken And have done evil things, And

you Because you say, 'I have not

you have had your way."

sinned.'

6Then the LORD said to me in the days

36"Why do you go around so much

of Josiah the king, "Have you seen what

Changing your way? Also, you will be

faithless Israel did? She went up on

put to shame by Egypt As you were put

every high hill and under every green

to shame by Assyria.

tree, and she was a harlot there.

37"From this place also you will go out 7" I thought, 'After she has done all With your hands on your head; For the these things she will return to Me'; but LORD has rejected those in whom you

she did not return, and her treacherous

sister Judah saw it.

8"And I saw that for all the adulteries of 16"It shall be in those days when you are faithless Israel, I had sent her away and multiplied and increased in the land,"

given her a writ of divorce, yet her

declares the LORD, "they will no longer treacherous sister Judah did not fear; say, 'The ark of the covenant of the

but she went and was a harlot also.

LORD.' And it will not come to mind, nor

will they remember it, nor will they miss 9"Because of the lightness of her

it, nor will it be made again.

harlotry, she polluted the land and

committed adultery with stones and

17"At that time they will call Jerusalem trees.

'The Throne of the LORD,' and all the

nations will be gathered to it, to

10"Yet in spite of all this her treacherous Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD;

sister Judah did not return to Me with all

nor will they walk anymore after the

her heart, but rather in deception,"

stubbornness of their evil heart.

declares the LORD.

18" In those days the house of Judah will 11And the LORD said to me, " Faithless

walk with the house of Israel, and they Israel has proved herself more righteous

will come together from the land of the than treacherous Judah.

north to the land that I gave your fathers

as an inheritance.

12"Go and proclaim these words toward 19

the north and say, ' Return, faithless

"Then I said, 'How I would set you Israel,' declares the LORD; ' I will not among My sons And give you a look upon you in anger. For I am

pleasant land, The most beautiful

gracious,' declares the LORD; 'I will not inheritance of the nations!' And I said, be angry forever.

'You shall call Me, My Father, And not

turn away from following Me.'

13'Only acknowledge your iniquity, That

20

you have transgressed against the

"Surely, as a woman treacherously

LORD your God And have scattered

departs from her lover, So you have

your favors to the strangers under every

dealt treacherously with Me, O house of

green tree, And you have not obeyed

Israel," declares the LORD.

My voice,' declares the LORD.

21A voice is heard on the bare heights, 14'Return, O faithless sons,' declares the

The weeping and the supplications of

LORD; 'For I am a master to you, And I

the sons of Israel; Because they have

will take you one from a city and two

perverted their way, They have forgotten

from a family, And I will bring you to the LORD their God.

Zion.'

22"Return, O faithless sons, I will heal 15"Then I will give you shepherds after your faithlessness." "Behold, we come My own heart, who will feed you on to You; For You are the LORD our God.

knowledge and understanding.

23"Surely, the hills are a deception, A 5Declare in Judah and proclaim in tumult on the mountains. Surely in the

Jerusalem, and say, " Blow the trumpet LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel.

in the land; Cry aloud and say, '

Assemble yourselves, and let us go Into

24"But the shameful thing has consumed

the fortified cities.'

the labor of our fathers since our youth,

their flocks and their herds, their sons 6"Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek and their daughters.

refuge, do not stand still, For I am

bringing evil from the north, And great

25"Let us lie down in our shame, and let

destruction.

our humiliation cover us; for we have

sinned against the LORD our God, we

7"A lion has gone up from his thicket, and our fathers, from our youth even to And a destroyer of nations has set out; this day. And we have not obeyed the He has gone out from his place To

voice of the LORD our God."

make your land a waste. Your cities will

be ruins Without inhabitant.

4

8

"If you will return, O Israel," declares

"For this, put on sackcloth, Lament and

wail; For the fierce anger of the LORD

the LORD, "Then you should return to Has not turned back from us."

Me. And if you will put away your

detested things from My presence, And

9

will not waver,

"It shall come about in that day,"

declares the LORD, "that the heart of 2

the king and the heart of the princes will

And you will swear, 'As the LORD

fail; and the priests will be appalled and

lives,' In truth, in justice and in

righteousness; Then the nations will

the prophets will be astounded."

bless themselves in Him, And in Him

10

they will glory."

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely

You have utterly deceived this people

3For thus says the LORD to the men of

and Jerusalem, saying, ' You will have

Judah and to Jerusalem, " Break up

peace'; whereas a sword touches the

your fallow ground, And do not sow

throat."

among thorns.

11In that time it will be said to this people

4" Circumcise yourselves to the LORD

and to Jerusalem, "A scorching wind

And remove the foreskins of your heart,

from the bare heights in the wilderness

Men of Judah and inhabitants of

in the direction of the daughter of My

Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go

people--not to winnow and not to

cleanse,

forth like fire And burn with none to

quench it, Because of the evil of your

12

deeds."

a wind too strong for this--will come at

My command; now I will also pronounce

judgments against them.

13"Behold, he goes up like clouds, And 22" For My people are foolish, They his chariots like the whirlwind; His know Me not; They are stupid children

horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to

And have no understanding. They are

us, for we are ruined!"

shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know."

14Wash your heart from evil, O

Jerusalem, That you may be saved.

23I looked on the earth, and behold, it How long will your wicked thoughts

was formless and void; And to the

Lodge within you?

heavens, and they had no light.

15For a voice declares from Dan, And

24I looked on the mountains, and behold,

proclaims

wickedness

from

Mount

they were quaking, And all the hills

Ephraim.

moved to and fro.

16"Report it to the nations, now! Proclaim 25I looked, and behold, there was no

over Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a

man, And all the birds of the heavens

far country, And lift their voices against had fled.

the cities of Judah.

26I looked, and behold, the fruitful land 17'Like watchmen of a field they are

was a wilderness, And all its cities were

against her round about, Because she

pulled down Before the LORD, before

has rebelled against Me,' declares the

His fierce anger.

LORD.

27For thus says the LORD, "The whole 18"Your ways and your deeds Have

land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not brought these things to you. This is your

execute a complete destruction.

evil. How bitter! How it has touched your

heart!"

28"For this the earth shall mourn And the heavens above be dark, Because I have

19My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh,

spoken, I have purposed, And I will not my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I

change My mind, nor will I turn from it."

cannot be silent, Because you have

heard, O my soul, The sound of the

29At the sound of the horseman and

trumpet, The alarm of war.

bowman every city flees; They go into

the thickets and climb among the rocks;

20Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For

Every city is forsaken, And no man

the whole land is devastated; Suddenly

dwells in them.

my tents are devastated, My curtains in

an instant.

30And you, O desolate one, what will you

do? Although you dress in scarlet,

21How long must I see the standard And

Although you decorate yourself with

hear the sound of the trumpet?

ornaments of gold, Although

you

enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you

make yourself beautiful. Your lovers Everyone who goes out of them will be despise you; They seek your life.

torn

in

pieces,

Because

their

transgressions

are

many,

Their

31For I heard a cry as of a woman in

apostasies are numerous.

labor, The anguish as of one giving birth

to her first child, The cry of the daughter

7"Why should I pardon you? Your sons of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching

have forsaken Me And sworn by those

out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, who are not gods. When I had fed them

for I faint before murderers."

to the full, They committed adultery And

trooped to the harlot's house.

5

8

" Roam to and fro through the streets

"They were well-fed lusty horses, Each of Jerusalem, And look now and take

one neighing after his neighbor's wife.

note. And seek in her open squares, If

9

you can find a man, If there is one who

"Shall I not punish these people,"

does justice, who seeks truth, Then I will

declares the LORD, "And on a nation pardon her.

such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?

2

10

"And although they say, 'As the LORD

"Go up through her vine rows and

lives,' Surely they swear falsely."

destroy, But do not execute a complete

destruction; Strip away her branches,

3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for

For they are not the LORD'S.

truth? You have smitten them, But they

11

did not weaken; You have consumed

"For the house of Israel and the house

them,

But

they

refused

to

take

of Judah Have dealt very treacherously

correction. They have made their faces

with Me," declares the LORD.

harder than rock; They have refused to

repent.

12They have lied about the LORD And

said, " Not He; Misfortune will not come 4Then I said, "They are only the poor, on us, And we will not see sword or They are foolish; For they do not know

famine.

the way of the LORD Or the ordinance

of their God.

13"The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done

5"I will go to the great And will speak to to them!"

them, For they know the way of the

LORD And the ordinance of their God."

14Therefore, thus says the LORD, the

But they too, with one accord, have

God of hosts, "Because you have

broken the yoke And burst the bonds.

spoken this word, Behold, I am making

My words in your mouth fire And this

6Therefore a lion from the forest will slay

people wood, and it will consume them.

them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities.

15"Behold, I am bringing a nation against Though the waves toss, yet they cannot you from afar, O house of Israel,"

prevail; Though they roar, yet they

declares the LORD. "It is an enduring cannot cross over it.

nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor

23'But this people has a stubborn and

can you understand what they say.

rebellious heart; They have turned aside

and departed.

16"Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are mighty men.

24'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives

17"They will devour your harvest and rain in its season, Both the autumn rain your food; They will devour your sons and the spring rain, Who keeps for us

and your daughters; They will devour

The appointed weeks of the harvest."

your flocks and your herds; They will

devour your vines and your fig trees;

25'Your iniquities have turned these

They will demolish with the sword your

away, And your sins have withheld good

fortified cities in which you trust.

from you.

18"Yet even in those days," declares the 26'For wicked men are found among My

LORD, "I will not make you a complete people, They watch like fowlers lying in destruction.

wait; They set a trap, They catch men.

19"It shall come about when they say, 27'Like a cage full of birds, So their 'Why has the LORD our God done all

houses are full of deceit; Therefore they

these things to us?' then you shall say to

have become great and rich.

them, 'As you have forsaken Me and

served foreign gods in your land, so you

28'They are fat, they are sleek, They also

will serve strangers in a land that is not excel in deeds of wickedness; They do yours.'

not plead the cause, The cause of the

orphan, that they may prosper; And they

20"Declare this in the house of Jacob do not defend the rights of the poor.

And proclaim it in Judah, saying,

29' Shall I not punish these people?'

21'Now hear this, O foolish and

declares the LORD, 'On a nation such

senseless people, Who have eyes but

as this Shall I not avenge Myself?'

do not see; Who have ears but do not

hear.

30"An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land:

22'Do you not fear Me?' declares the

LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My

31The prophets prophesy falsely, And

presence? For I have placed the sand

the priests rule on their own authority; as a boundary for the sea, An eternal

And My people love it so! But what will decree, so it cannot cross over it.

you do at the end of itNULL

6

like

a

grape

gatherer

Over

the

"Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin,

branches."

From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow

10

a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal

To whom shall I speak and give

over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks

warning That they may hear? Behold,

down from the north, And a great

their ears are closed And they cannot

destruction.

listen. Behold, the word of the LORD

has become a reproach to them; They

2

have no delight in it.

"The comely and dainty one, the

daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

11But I am full of the wrath of the LORD;

3" Shepherds and their flocks will come I am weary with holding it in. " Pour it to her, They will pitch their tents around out on the children in the street And on the gathering of young men together;

her, They will pasture each in his place.

For both husband and wife shall be

4

taken, The aged and the very old.

" Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the

12

day declines, For the shadows of the

"Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives

evening lengthen!

together; For I will stretch out My hand 5

Against the inhabitants of the land,"

"Arise, and let us attack by night And declares the LORD.

destroy her palaces!"

13"For from the least of them even to the 6For thus says the LORD of hosts, " Cut

greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for

down her trees And cast up a siege

gain, And from the prophet even to the

against Jerusalem. This is the city to be

priest Everyone deals falsely.

punished, In whose midst there is only

oppression.

14"They have healed the brokenness of 7

My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace,

" As a well keeps its waters fresh, So peace,' But there is no peace.

she keeps fresh her wickedness.

Violence and destruction are heard in

15"Were they ashamed because of the

her; Sickness and wounds are ever

abomination they have done? They

before Me.

were not even ashamed at all; They did

8

not even know how to blush. Therefore

" Be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I shall be

they shall fall among those who fall; At alienated from you, And make you a

the time that I punish them, They shall desolation, A land not inhabited."

be cast down," says the LORD.

9Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They 16Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the will thoroughly glean as the vine the ways and see and ask for the ancient

remnant of Israel; Pass your hand again

paths, Where the good way is, and walk

in it; And you will find rest for your souls.

25Do not go out into the field And do not

But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

walk on the road, For the enemy has a

sword, Terror is on every side.

17"And I set watchmen over you, saying,

'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But 26O daughter of my people, put on

they said, 'We will not listen.'

sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as

for an only son, A lamentation most

18"Therefore hear, O nations, And know,

bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will

O congregation, what is among them.

come upon us.

19

27

" Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing

"I have made you an assayer and a

disaster on this people, The fruit of their

tester among My people, That you may

plans, Because they have not listened to

know and assay their way."

My words, And as for My law, they have

rejected it also.

28All of them are stubbornly rebellious,

Going about as a talebearer. They are

20" For what purpose does frankincense

bronze and iron; They, all of them, are come to Me from Sheba And the sweet

corrupt.

cane from a distant land? Your burnt

offerings are not acceptable And your

29The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is

sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."

consumed by the fire; In vain the

refining goes on, But the wicked are not

21Therefore, thus says the LORD,

separated.

"Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble

30They call them rejected silver,

against them, Fathers and sons together;

Because the LORD has rejected them.

Neighbor and friend will perish."

22Thus says the LORD, "Behold, a

7The word that came to Jeremiah from

people is coming from the north land,

the LORD, saying,

And a great nation will be aroused from

the remote parts of the earth.

2" Stand in the gate of the LORD'S

23

house and proclaim there this word and

"They seize bow and spear; They are say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you

cruel and have no mercy; Their voice

of Judah, who enter by these gates to

roars like the sea, And they ride on

worship the LORD!'"

horses, Arrayed as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!"

3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God

24

of Israel, " Amend your ways and your We have heard the report of it; Our

deeds, and I will let you dwell in this hands are limp. Anguish has seized us,

place.

Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

4" Do not trust in deceptive words, spoke to you, rising up early and saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD,

speaking, but you did not hear, and I

the temple of the LORD, the temple of

called you but you did not answer,

the LORD.'

14therefore, I will do to the house which

5"For if you truly amend your ways and is called by My name, in which you trust,

your deeds, if you truly practice justice and to the place which I gave you and

between a man and his neighbor,

your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.

6if you do not oppress the alien, the

15"I will cast you out of My sight, as I orphan, or the widow, and do not shed have cast out all your brothers, all the innocent blood in this place, nor walk

offspring of Ephraim.

after other gods to your own ruin,

16"As for you, do not pray for this people, 7then I will let you dwell in this place, in

and do not lift up cry or prayer for them,

the land that I gave to your fathers

and do not intercede with Me; for I do forever and ever.

not hear you.

8"Behold, you are trusting in deceptive 17"Do you not see what they are doing in words to no avail.

the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

9"Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer

18"The children gather wood, and the sacrifices to Baal and walk after other

fathers kindle the fire, and the women

gods that you have not known,

knead dough to make cakes for the

queen of heaven; and they pour out

10then come and stand before Me in this

drink offerings to other gods in order to house, which is called by My name, and

spite Me.

say, 'We are delivered!'--that you may

do all these abominations?

19" Do they spite Me?" declares the LORD. "Is it not themselves they spite, 11"Has this house, which is called by My to their own shame?"

name, become a den of robbers in your

sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,"

20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

declares the LORD.

"Behold, My anger and My wrath will be

poured out on this place, on man and on

12"But go now to My place which was in

beast and on the trees of the field and Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at

on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn

the first, and see what I did to it because

and not be quenched."

of the wickedness of My people Israel.

21Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God

13"And now, because you have done all

of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to these things," declares the LORD, "and I your sacrifices and eat flesh.

22"For I did not speak to your fathers, or 30"For the sons of Judah have done that command them in the day that I brought

which is evil in My sight," declares the them out of the land of Egypt,

LORD, "they have set their detestable concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.

23"But this is what I commanded them, saying, ' Obey My voice, and I will be 31"They have built the high places of your God, and you will be My people; Topheth, which is in the valley of the

and you will walk in all the way which I son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and command you, that it may be well with

their daughters in the fire, which I did you.'

not command, and it did not come into

My mind.

24"Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels 32" Therefore, behold, days are coming,"

and in the stubbornness of their evil

declares the LORD, "when it will no heart, and went backward and not

longer be called Topheth, or the valley

forward.

of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of the Slaughter; for they will bury in

25"Since the day that your fathers came Topheth because there is no other place.

out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the

33"The dead bodies of this people will be prophets, daily rising early and sending

food for the birds of the sky and for the them.

beasts of the earth; and no one will

frighten them away.

26"Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they 34"Then I will make to cease from the did more evil than their fathers.

cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice

27"You shall speak all these words to of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom

them, but they will not listen to you; and

and the voice of the bride; for the land you shall call to them, but they will not will become a ruin.

answer you.

28"You shall say to them, 'This is the 8"At that time," declares the LORD, nation that did not obey the voice of the "they will bring out the bones of the LORD their God or accept correction;

kings of Judah and the bones of its

truth has perished and has been cut off princes, and the bones of the priests

from their mouth.

and the bones of the prophets, and the

bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem

29' Cut off your hair and cast it away, from their graves.

And take up a lamentation on the bare

heights; For the LORD has rejected and

2"They will spread them out to the sun, forsaken The generation of His wrath.'

the moon and to all the host of heaven,

which they have loved and which they have rejected the word of the LORD, have served, and which they have gone

And what kind of wisdom do they have?

after and which they have sought, and

which they have worshiped. They will

10"Therefore I will give their wives to not be gathered or buried; they will be others, Their fields to new owners; as dung on the face of the ground.

Because from the least even to the

greatest Everyone is greedy for gain;

3"And death will be chosen rather than From the prophet even to the priest

life by all the remnant that remains of Everyone practices deceit.

this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them,"

11"They heal the brokenness of the

declares the LORD of hosts.

daughter of My people superficially,

Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no

4"You shall say to them, 'Thus says the

peace.

LORD, "Do men fall and not get up

again? Does one turn away and not

12"Were they ashamed because of the

repent?

abomination they had done? They

certainly were not ashamed, And they

5"Why then has this people, Jerusalem, did not know how to blush; Therefore

Turned away in continual apostasy?

they shall fall among those who fall; At They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to the time of their punishment they shall return.

be brought down," Says the LORD.

6"I have listened and heard, They have 13"I will surely snatch them away,"

spoken what is not right; No man

declares the LORD; "There will be no repented of his wickedness, Saying,

grapes on the vine And no figs on the fig

'What have I done?' Everyone turned to

tree, And the leaf will wither; And what I

his course, Like a horse charging into

have given them will pass away."'"

the battle.

14Why are we sitting still? Assemble

7"Even the stork in the sky Knows her yourselves, and let us go into the

seasons; And the turtledove and the

fortified cities And let us perish there, swift and the thrush Observe the time of

Because the LORD our God has

their migration; But My people do not

doomed us And given us poisoned

know The ordinance of the LORD.

water to drink, For we have sinned

against the LORD.

8" How can you say, 'We are wise, And

the law of the LORD is with us'? But

15We waited for peace, but no good

behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has

came; For a time of healing, but behold,

made it into a lie.

terror!

9"The wise men are put to shame, They

16From Dan is heard the snorting of his

are dismayed and caught; Behold, they

horses; At the sound of the neighing of

his stallions The whole land quakes; For 3"They bend their tongue like their bow; they come and devour the land and its

Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For

fullness, The city and its inhabitants.

they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," declares the LORD.

17"For behold, I am sending serpents against you, Adders, for which there is

4"Let everyone be on guard against his no charm, And they will bite you,"

neighbor, And do not trust any brother;

declares the LORD.

Because every brother deals craftily,

And every neighbor goes about as a

18My sorrow is beyond healing, My heart

slanderer.

is faint within me!

5"Everyone deceives his neighbor And

19Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter

does not speak the truth, They have

of my people from a distant land: "Is the taught their tongue to speak lies; They

LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within

weary themselves committing iniquity.

her?" "Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?"

6"Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me,"

20"Harvest is past, summer is ended, declares the LORD.

And we are not saved."

7Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts,

21For the brokenness of the daughter of

"Behold, I will refine them and assay my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay

them; For what else can I do, because

has taken hold of me.

of the daughter of My people?

22

8

Is there no balm in GileadNULL Is

"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It there no physician thereNULL Why then

speaks deceit; With his mouth one

has not the health of the daughter of my

speaks peace to his neighbor, But

people been restoredNULL

inwardly he sets an ambush for him.

9" Shall I not punish them for these 9Oh that my head were waters And things?" declares the LORD. "On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might

Myself?

weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!

10"For the mountains I will take up a 2

weeping and wailing, And for the

Oh that I had in the desert A wayfarers'

pastures of the wilderness a dirge,

lodging place; That I might leave my

Because they are laid waste so that no

people And go from them! For all of

one passes through, And the lowing of

them are adulterers, An assembly of

the cattle is not heard; Both the birds of

treacherous men.

the sky and the beasts have fled; they

are gone.

11"I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, great shame, For we have left the land, A haunt of jackals; And I will make the Because they have cast down our

cities of Judah a desolation, without

dwellings.'"

inhabitant."

20Now hear the word of the LORD, O

12Who is the wise man that may

you women, And let your ear receive the

understand this? And who is he to

word of His mouth; Teach your

whom the mouth of the LORD has

daughters wailing, And everyone her

spoken, that he may declare it? Why is

neighbor a dirge.

the land ruined, laid waste like a desert,

so that no one passes through?

21For death has come up through our

windows; It has entered our palaces To

13The LORD said, "Because they have

cut off the children from the streets, The

forsaken My law which I set before them,

young men from the town squares.

and have not obeyed My voice nor

walked according to it,

22Speak, "Thus says the LORD, 'The

corpses of men will fall like dung on the

14but

have

walked

after

the

open field, And like the sheaf after the stubbornness of their heart and after the

reaper, But no one will gather them.'"

Baals, as their fathers taught them,"

23Thus says the LORD, " Let not a wise

15therefore thus says the LORD of hosts,

man boast of his wisdom, and let not the

the God of Israel, "behold, I will feed mighty man boast of his might, let not a

them, this people, with wormwood and

rich man boast of his riches;

give them poisoned water to drink.

24but let him who boasts boast of this, 16"I will scatter them among the nations, that he understands and knows Me, that whom neither they nor their fathers have

I

am

the

LORD

who

exercises

known; and I will send the sword after

lovingkindness,

justice

and

them until I have annihilated them."

righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

17Thus says the LORD of hosts,

"Consider and call for the mourning

25"Behold, the days are coming,"

women, that they may come; And send

declares the LORD, "that I will punish all for the wailing women, that they may

who

are

circumcised

and

yet

come!

uncircumcised--

18"Let them make haste and take up a 26Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the

wailing for us, That our eyes may shed

sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those

tears And our eyelids flow with water.

inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on

their temples; for all the nations are

19"For a voice of wailing is heard from uncircumcised, and all the house of

Zion, ' How are we ruined! We are put to

Israel are uncircumcised of heart."

10

clothing; They are all the work of skilled

Hear the word which the LORD

men.

speaks to you, O house of Israel.

10But the LORD is the true God; He is

2Thus says the LORD, " Do not learn the

the living God and the everlasting King.

way of the nations, And do not be

At His wrath the earth quakes, And the

terrified by the signs of the heavens

nations cannot endure His indignation.

Although the nations are terrified by

11

them;

Thus you shall say to them, "The gods

that did not make the heavens and the

3For the customs of the peoples are

earth will perish from the earth and from

delusion; Because it is wood cut from

under the heavens."

the forest, The work of the hands of a 12

craftsman with a cutting tool.

It is He who made the earth by His

power, Who established the world by

4"They decorate it with silver and with His wisdom; And by His understanding

gold; They fasten it with nails and with He has stretched out the heavens.

hammers So that it will not totter.

13When He utters His voice, there is a

5"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field tumult of waters in the heavens, And He

are they, And they cannot speak; They

causes the clouds to ascend from the

must be carried, Because they cannot

end of the earth; He makes lightning for

walk! Do not fear them, For they can do

the rain, And brings out the wind from

His storehouses.

no harm, Nor can they do any good."

14

6There is none like You, O LORD; You

Every man is stupid, devoid of

are great, and great is Your name in

knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to

shame by his idols; For his molten

might.

images are deceitful, And there is no

7

breath in them.

Who would not fear You, O King of the

nations? Indeed it is Your due! For

15

among all the wise men of the nations

They are worthless, a work of mockery;

In the time of their punishment they will And in all their kingdoms, There is none

perish.

like You.

16

8But they are altogether stupid and

The portion of Jacob is not like these; foolish In their discipline of delusion--

For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is

the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD

their idol is wood!

of hosts is His name.

9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,

17

And gold from Uphaz, The work of a

Pick up your bundle from the ground,

craftsman and of the hands of a

You who dwell under siege!

goldsmith; Violet and purple are their

18For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am 2" Hear the words of this covenant, and slinging out the inhabitants of the land speak to the men of Judah and to the

At this time, And will cause them

inhabitants of Jerusalem;

distress, That they may be found."

3and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD,

19Woe is me, because of my injury! My

the God of Israel, " Cursed is the man wound is incurable. But I said, "Truly this who does not heed the words of this is a sickness, And I must bear it."

covenant

20My tent is destroyed, And all my ropes

4which I commanded your forefathers in

are broken; My sons have gone from me

the day that I brought them out of the and are no more. There is no one to

land of Egypt, from the iron furnace,

stretch out my tent again Or to set up saying, ' Listen to My voice, and do

my curtains.

according to all which I command you;

so you shall be My people, and I will be

21For the shepherds have become

your God,'

stupid And have not sought the LORD;

Therefore they have not prospered, And

5in order to confirm the oath which I

all their flock is scattered.

swore to your forefathers, to give them a

land flowing with milk and honey, as it is

22The sound of a report! Behold, it

this day."'" Then I said, " Amen, O

comes-- A great commotion out of the

LORD."

land of the north-- To make the cities of

Judah A desolation, a haunt of jackals.

6And the LORD said to me, " Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah 23I know, O LORD, that a man's way is

and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, '

not in himself, Nor is it in a man who Hear the words of this covenant and do

walks to direct his steps.

them.

24

7

Correct me, O LORD, but with justice;

'For I solemnly warned your fathers in

Not with Your anger, or You will bring

the day that I brought them up from the

me to nothing.

land of Egypt, even to this day, warning

persistently, saying, " Listen to My 25

voice."

Pour out Your wrath on the nations

that do not know You And on the

8

families that do not call Your name; For

'Yet they did not obey or incline their they have devoured Jacob; They have

ear, but walked, each one, in the

devoured him and consumed him And

stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore

have laid waste his habitation.

I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to

do, but they did not.'"

11The word which came to Jeremiah

from the LORD, saying,

9Then the LORD said to me, "A 16The LORD called your name, "A green conspiracy has been found among the

olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form"; men

of

Judah

and

among

the

With the noise of a great tumult He has

inhabitants of Jerusalem.

kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless.

10"They have turned back to the

iniquities of their ancestors who refused

17The LORD of hosts, who planted you,

to hear My words, and they have gone

has pronounced

evil

against

you

after other gods to serve them; the

because of the evil of the house of Israel

house of Israel and the house of Judah

and of the house of Judah, which they

have broken My covenant which I made

have done to provoke Me by offering up

with their fathers."

sacrifices to Baal.

11Therefore thus says the LORD,

18Moreover, the LORD made it known to

"Behold I am bringing disaster on them me and I knew it; Then You showed me

which they will not be able to escape;

their deeds.

though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.

19But I was like a gentle lamb led to the

slaughter; And I did not know that they 12"Then the cities of Judah and the had devised plots against me, saying, inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry

"Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, And to the gods to whom they burn incense,

let us cut him off from the land of the but they surely will not save them in the

living, That his name be remembered no

time of their disaster.

more."

13"For your gods are as many as your 20But, O LORD of hosts, who judges

cities, O Judah; and as many as the

righteously, Who tries the feelings and

streets of Jerusalem are the altars you

the heart, Let me see Your vengeance

have set up to the shameful thing, altars

on them, For to You have I committed

to burn incense to Baal.

my cause.

14"Therefore do not pray for this people, 21Therefore thus says the LORD

nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I concerning the men of Anathoth, who will not listen when they call to Me

seek your life, saying, " Do not prophesy because of their disaster.

in the name of the LORD, so that you

will not die at our hand";

15"What right has My beloved in My

house When she has done many vile

22therefore, thus says the LORD of

deeds? Can the sacrificial flesh take

hosts, "Behold, I am about to punish away from you your disaster, So that

them! The young men will die by the

you can rejoice?"

sword, their sons and daughters will die

by famine;

23and a remnant will not be left to them, 7"I have forsaken My house, I have for I will bring disaster on the men of abandoned My inheritance; I have given

Anathoth-- the year of their punishment."

the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.

12

8

Righteous are You, O LORD, that

"My inheritance has become to Me Like

I would plead my case with You; Indeed

a lion in the forest; She has roared

I would discuss matters of justice with

against Me; Therefore I have come to

hate her.

You: Why has the way of the wicked

prospered? Why are all those who deal

9

in treachery at ease?

"Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey 2You have planted them, they have also

against her on every side? Go, gather

all the beasts of the field, Bring them to

taken root; They grow, they have even

devour!

produced fruit. You are near to their lips

But far from their mind.

10"Many shepherds have ruined My

3But You know me, O LORD; You see

vineyard, They have trampled down My

field; They have made My pleasant field

me; And You examine my heart's

A desolate wilderness.

attitude toward You. Drag them off like

sheep for the slaughter And set them

11

apart for a day of carnage!

"It has been made a desolation,

Desolate, it mourns before Me; The

4

whole land has been made desolate,

How long is the land to mourn And the

Because no man lays it to heart.

vegetation of the countryside to wither?

For the wickedness of those who dwell

12

in it, Animals and birds have been

"On all the bare heights in the

snatched away, Because men have said,

wilderness Destroyers have come, For a

"He will not see our latter ending."

sword of the LORD is devouring From

one end of the land even to the other; 5"If you have run with footmen and they

There is no peace for anyone.

have tired you out, Then how can you

13

compete with horses? If you fall down in

"They have sown wheat and have

a land of peace, How will you do in the reaped thorns, They have strained

thicket of the Jordan?

themselves to no profit. But be ashamed

of your harvest Because of the fierce

6"For even your brothers and the

anger of the LORD."

household of your father, Even they

14

have dealt treacherously with you, Even

Thus says the LORD concerning all

they have cried aloud after you. Do not My wicked neighbors who strike at the

believe them, although they may say

inheritance with which I have endowed

nice things to you."

My people Israel, "Behold I am about to

uproot them from their land and will

uproot the house of Judah from among from there the waistband which I them.

commanded you to hide there."

15"And it will come about that after I 7Then I went to the Euphrates and dug,

have uprooted them, I will again have

and I took the waistband from the place

compassion on them; and I will bring

where I had hidden it; and lo, the

them back, each one to his inheritance

waistband was ruined, it was totally

and each one to his land.

worthless.

16"Then if they will really learn the ways 8Then the word of the LORD came to

of My people, to swear by My name, 'As

me, saying,

the LORD lives,' even as they taught My

people to swear by Baal, they will be

9"Thus says the LORD, 'Just so will I built up in the midst of My people.

destroy the pride of Judah and the great

pride of Jerusalem.

17"But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy 10'This wicked people, who refuse to

it," declares the LORD.

listen to My words, who walk in the

stubbornness of their hearts and have

13

gone after other gods to serve them and

Thus the LORD said to me, "Go

to bow down to them, let them be just

and buy yourself a linen waistband and

like this waistband which is totally

put it around your waist, but do not put it

worthless.

in water."

11'For as the waistband clings to the

2So I bought the waistband in

waist of a man, so I made the whole

accordance with the word of the LORD

household of Israel and the whole

household of Judah cling to Me,'

and put it around my waist.

declares the LORD, 'that they might be

3

for Me a people, for renown, for praise Then the word of the LORD came to

and for glory; but they did not listen.'

me a second time, saying,

12"Therefore you are to speak this word

4"Take the waistband that you have

to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God

bought, which is around your waist, and

of Israel, "Every jug is to be filled with arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it wine."' And when they say to you, 'Do there in a crevice of the rock."

we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?'

5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me.

13then say to them, 'Thus says the

LORD, "Behold I am about to fill all the 6After many days the LORD said to me,

inhabitants of this land--the kings that sit

"Arise, go to the Euphrates and take for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of over you? Will not pangs take hold of Jerusalem--with drunkenness!

you Like a woman in childbirth?

14"I will dash them against each other, 22"If you say in your heart, ' Why have both the fathers and the sons together,"

these things happened to me?' Because

declares the LORD. "I will not show pity

of the magnitude of your iniquity Your

nor be sorry nor have compassion so as

skirts have been removed And your

not to destroy them."'"

heels have been exposed.

15Listen and give heed, do not be

23" Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or

haughty, For the LORD has spoken.

the leopard his spots? Then you also

can do good Who are accustomed to

16Give glory to the LORD your God,

doing evil.

Before He brings darkness And before

your feet stumble On the dusky

24"Therefore I will scatter them like mountains, And while you are hoping for

drifting straw To the desert wind.

light He makes it into deep darkness,

And turns it into gloom.

25"This is your lot, the portion measured to you From Me," declares the LORD, 17But if you will not listen to it, My soul "Because you have forgotten Me And

will sob in secret for such pride; And my

trusted in falsehood.

eyes will bitterly weep And flow down

with tears, Because the flock of the

26"So I Myself have also stripped your LORD has been taken captive.

skirts off over your face, That your

shame may be seen.

18Say to the king and the queen mother,

" Take a lowly seat, For your beautiful 27"As for your adulteries and your lustful crown Has come down from your head."

neighings, The

lewdness of

your

prostitution On the hills in the field, I 19The cities of the Negev have been

have seen your abominations. Woe to

locked up, And there is no one to open you, O Jerusalem! How long will you

them; All Judah has been carried into

remain uncleanNULL"

exile, Wholly carried into exile.

20"Lift up your eyes and see Those

14That which came as the word of

coming from the north. Where is the

the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the

flock that was given you, Your beautiful drought:

sheep?

2

21

"Judah mourns And her gates languish;

"What will you say when He appoints They sit on the ground in mourning, And

over you-- And you yourself had taught

the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.

them-- Former companions to be head

3"Their nobles have sent their servants 11So the LORD said to me, " Do not pray for water; They have come to the

for the welfare of this people.

cisterns and found no water. They have

returned with their vessels empty; They

12"When they fast, I am not going to have been put to shame and humiliated,

listen to their cry; and when they offer And they cover their heads.

burnt offering and grain offering, I am

not going to accept them. Rather I am

4"Because the ground is cracked, For going to make an end of them by the

there has been no rain on the land; The

sword, famine and pestilence."

farmers have been put to shame, They

have covered their heads.

13But, "Ah, Lord GOD!" I said, "Look, the prophets are telling them, 'You will not 5"For even the doe in the field has given see the sword nor will you have famine, birth only to abandon her young,

but I will give you lasting peace in this Because there is no grass.

place.'"

6"The wild donkeys stand on the bare 14Then the LORD said to me, "The

heights; They pant for air like jackals, prophets are prophesying falsehood in

Their eyes fail For there is no vegetation. My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; 7"Although our iniquities testify against they are prophesying to you a false

us, O LORD, act for Your name's sake!

vision,

divination,

futility

and

the

Truly our apostasies have been many,

deception of their own minds.

We have sinned against You.

15"Therefore thus says the LORD

8"O Hope of Israel, Its Savior in time of concerning the prophets who are

distress, Why are You like a stranger in

prophesying in My name, although it

the land Or like a traveler who has

was not I who sent them--yet they keep

pitched his tent for the night?

saying, 'There will be no sword or

famine in this land'-- by sword and

9

famine those prophets shall meet their

"Why are You like a man dismayed,

end!

Like a mighty man who cannot save?

Yet You are in our midst, O LORD, And

16

we are called by Your name; Do not

"The people also to whom they are

forsake us!"

prophesying will be thrown out into the

streets of Jerusalem because of the

10

famine and the sword; and there will be

Thus says the LORD to this people,

no one to bury them--neither them, nor

"Even so they have loved to wander; their wives, nor their sons, nor their

they have not kept their feet in check.

daughters--for I will pour out their own Therefore the LORD does not accept

wickedness on them.

them; now He will remember their

iniquity and call their sins to account."

17"You will say this word to them, ' Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the 2"And it shall be that when they say to virgin daughter of my people has been you, 'Where should we go?' then you

crushed with a mighty blow, With a

are to tell them, 'Thus says the LORD:

sorely infected wound.

"Those destined for death, to death; And

those destined for the sword, to the

18'If I go out to the country, Behold,

sword; And those destined for famine, to

those slain with the sword! Or if I enter famine; And those destined for captivity,

the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For

to captivity."'

both prophet and priest Have gone

roving about in the land that they do not

3"I will appoint over them four kinds of know.'"

doom," declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the 19Have You completely rejected Judah?

birds of the sky and the beasts of the Or have You loathed Zion? Why have

earth to devour and destroy.

You stricken us so that we are beyond

healing? We waited for peace, but

4"I will make them an object of horror nothing good came; And for a time of among all the kingdoms of the earth

healing, but behold, terror!

because of Manasseh, the son of

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he

20We know our wickedness, O LORD,

did in Jerusalem.

The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.

5"Indeed, who will have pity on you, O

Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you,

21Do not despise us, for Your own

Or who will turn aside to ask about your

name's sake; Do not disgrace the throne

welfare?

of Your glory; Remember and do not

annul Your covenant with us.

6"You who have forsaken Me," declares the LORD, "You keep going backward.

22Are there any among the idols of the

So I will stretch out My hand against you

nations who give rainNULL Or can the

and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!

heavens grant showersNULL Is it not

You, O LORD our GodNULL Therefore

7"I will winnow them with a winnowing we hope in You, For You are the one

fork At the gates of the land; I will

who has done all these things.

bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.

15Then the LORD said to me, "Even 8

though Moses and Samuel were to

"Their widows will be more numerous

before Me Than the sand of the seas; I stand before Me, My heart would not be

will bring against them, against the

with this people; send them away from

My presence and let them go!

mother of a young man, A destroyer at

noonday; I will suddenly bring down on

her Anguish and dismay.

9"She who bore seven sons pines away; 17I did not sit in the circle of Her breathing is labored. Her sun has

merrymakers, Nor did I exult. Because

set while it was yet day; She has been of Your hand upon me I sat alone, For

shamed and humiliated. So I will give

You filled me with indignation.

over their survivors to the sword Before their enemies," declares the LORD.

18Why has my pain been perpetual And

my wound incurable, refusing to be

10Woe to me, my mother, that you have

healed? Will You indeed be to me like a

borne me As a man of strife and a man

deceptive stream With water that is

of contention to all the land! I have not unreliable?

lent, nor have men lent money to me,

Yet everyone curses me.

19Therefore, thus says the LORD, " If you return, then I will restore you--

11The LORD said, "Surely I will set you Before Me you will stand; And if you free for purposes of good; Surely I will extract the precious from the worthless,

cause the enemy to make supplication

You will become My spokesman. They

to you In a time of disaster and a time of

for their part may turn to you, But as for

distress.

you, you must not turn to them.

12"Can anyone smash iron, Iron from the

20"Then I will make you to this people A

north, or bronze?

fortified wall of bronze; And though they

fight against you, They will not prevail 13"Your wealth and your treasures I will over you; For I am with you to save you give for booty without cost, Even for all And deliver you," declares the LORD.

your sins And within all your borders.

21"So I will deliver you from the hand of 14"Then I will cause your enemies to the wicked, And I will redeem you from bring it Into a land you do not know; For

the grasp of the violent."

a fire has been kindled in My anger, It will burn upon you."

16The word of the LORD also came

15You who know, O LORD, Remember

to me saying,

me, take notice of me, And take

vengeance for me on my persecutors.

2"You shall not take a wife for yourself Do not, in view of Your patience, take nor have sons or daughters in this

me away; Know that for Your sake I

place."

endure reproach.

3

16

For thus says the LORD concerning the

Your words were found and I ate them,

sons and daughters born in this place,

And Your words became for me a joy

and concerning their mothers who bear

and the delight of my heart; For I have them, and their fathers who beget them

been called by Your name, O LORD

in this land:

God of hosts.

4"They will die of deadly diseases, they 11"Then you are to say to them, 'It is will not be lamented or buried; they will because your forefathers have forsaken be as dung on the surface of the ground

Me,' declares the LORD, 'and have

and come to an end by sword and

followed other gods and served them

famine, and their carcasses will become

and bowed down to them; but Me they

food for the birds of the sky and for the have forsaken and have not kept My law.

beasts of the earth."

12'You too have done evil, even more

5For thus says the LORD, "Do not enter

than your forefathers; for behold, you

a house of mourning, or go to lament or

are each one walking according to the

to console them; for I have withdrawn

stubbornness of his own evil heart,

My peace from this people," declares without listening to Me.

the LORD, "My lovingkindness and

compassion.

13'So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known,

6"Both great men and small will die in neither you nor your fathers; and there this land; they will not be buried, they you will serve other gods day and night,

will not be lamented, nor will anyone

for I will grant you no favor.'

gash himself or shave his head for them.

14" Therefore behold, days are coming,"

7"Men will not break bread in mourning declares the LORD, "when it will no for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who

nor give them a cup of consolation to

brought up the sons of Israel out of the drink for anyone's father or mother.

land of Egypt,'

8"Moreover you shall not go into a house

15but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought

of feasting to sit with them to eat and up the sons of Israel from the land of the

drink."

north and from all the countries where

He had banished them.' For I will restore

9For thus says the LORD of hosts, the

them to their own land which I gave to God of Israel: "Behold, I am going to their fathers.

eliminate from this place, before your

eyes and in your time, the voice of

16"Behold, I am going to send for many rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the fishermen," declares the LORD, "and voice of the groom and the voice of the they will fish for them; and afterwards I bride.

will send for many hunters, and they will

hunt them from every mountain and

10"Now when you tell this people all every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.

these words, they will say to you, ' For what reason has the LORD declared all

17" For My eyes are on all their ways; this great calamity against us? And what

they are not hidden from My face, nor is

is our iniquity, or what is our sin which their iniquity concealed from My eyes.

we have committed against the LORD

our God?'

18"I will first doubly repay their iniquity have kindled a fire in My anger Which and their sin, because they have

will burn forever.

polluted My land; they have filled My

inheritance with the carcasses of their

5Thus says the LORD, " Cursed is the detestable

idols

and

with

their

man who trusts in mankind And makes

abominations."

flesh his strength, And whose heart

turns away from the LORD.

19O LORD, my strength and my

stronghold, And my refuge in the day of

6"For he will be like a bush in the desert distress, To You the nations will come

And will not see when prosperity comes,

From the ends of the earth and say,

But will live in stony wastes in the

"Our fathers have inherited nothing but wilderness, A land of salt without

falsehood, Futility and things of no

inhabitant.

profit."

7" Blessed is the man who trusts in the 20Can man make gods for himself? Yet LORD And whose trust is the LORD.

they are not gods!

8"For he will be like a tree planted by the 21"Therefore behold, I am going to make

water, That extends its roots by a

them know-- This time I will make them

stream And will not fear when the heat

know My power and My might; And they

comes; But its leaves will be green, And

shall know that My name is the LORD."

it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit.

17The sin of Judah is written down 9"The heart is more deceitful than all with an iron stylus; With a diamond point else And is desperately sick; Who can

it is engraved upon the tablet of their understand it?

heart And on the horns of their altars,

10"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test 2As they remember their children, So the mind, Even to give to each man

they remember their altars and their

according to his ways, According to the

Asherim By green trees on the high hills.

results of his deeds.

3

11

O mountain of Mine in the countryside,

"As a partridge that hatches eggs

I will give over your wealth and all your which it has not laid, So is he who

treasures for booty, Your high places for

makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the

sin throughout your borders.

midst of his days it will forsake him, And

in the end he will be a fool."

4And you will, even of yourself, let go of

12

your inheritance That I gave you; And I A glorious throne on high from the

will make you serve your enemies In the

beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.

land which you do not know; For you

13O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who on the sabbath day or bring anything in forsake You will be put to shame. Those through the gates of Jerusalem.

who turn away on earth will be written

down, Because they have forsaken the

22"You shall not bring a load out of your fountain of living water, even the LORD.

houses on the sabbath day nor do any

work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as

14Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;

I commanded your forefathers.

Save me and I will be saved, For You

are my praise.

23"Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order 15Look, they keep saying to me, "Where not to listen or take correction.

is the word of the LORD? Let it come

now!"

24"But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me," declares the LORD, 16But as for me, I have not hurried away "to bring no load in through the gates of from being a shepherd after You, Nor

this city on the sabbath day, but to keep

have I longed for the woeful day; You

the sabbath day holy by doing no work

Yourself know that the utterance of my

on it,

lips Was in Your presence.

25then there will come in through the

17Do not be a terror to me; You are my

gates of this city kings and princes

refuge in the day of disaster.

sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their

18Let those who persecute me be put to

princes, the men of Judah and the

shame, but as for me, let me not be put

inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city

to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let

will be inhabited forever.

me not be dismayed. Bring on them a

day of disaster, And crush them with

26"They will come in from the cities of twofold destruction!

Judah and from the environs of

Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin,

19Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and from the lowland, from the hill country

stand in the public gate, through which

and from the Negev, bringing burnt

the kings of Judah come in and go out, offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; incense, and bringing sacrifices of

thanksgiving to the house of the LORD.

20and say to them, ' Listen to the word of

27

the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah

"But if you do not listen to Me to keep and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who

the sabbath day holy by not carrying a

come in through these gates:

load and coming in through the gates of

Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I

21

will kindle a fire in its gates and it will

'Thus says the LORD, " Take heed for

devour the palaces of Jerusalem and

yourselves, and do not carry any load

not be quenched."'"

18

of the good with which I had promised to

The word which came to Jeremiah

bless it.

from the LORD saying,

11"So now then, speak to the men of 2"Arise and go down to the potter's Judah and against the inhabitants of house, and there I will announce My

Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD,

words to you."

"Behold, I am fashioning calamity

against you and devising a plan against

you. Oh turn back, each of you from his

3Then I went down to the potter's house,

evil way, and reform your ways and your

and there he was, making something on

deeds."'

the wheel.

12

4

"But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For But the vessel that he was making of we are going to follow our own plans,

clay was spoiled in the hand of the

and each of us will act according to the potter; so he remade it into another

stubbornness of his evil heart.'

vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

13

5

"Therefore thus says the LORD, ' Ask Then the word of the LORD came to

now among the nations, Who ever

me saying,

heard the like of this? The virgin of

Israel Has done a most appalling thing.

6"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the 14'Does the snow of Lebanon forsake LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the the rock of the open country? Or is the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O

cold flowing water from a foreign land

house of Israel.

ever snatched away?

7"At one moment I might speak

15'For My people have forgotten Me,

concerning a nation or concerning a

They burn incense to worthless gods

kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to

And they have stumbled from their ways,

destroy it;

From the ancient paths, To walk in

bypaths, Not on a highway,

8if that nation against which I have

spoken turns from its evil, I will relent 16To make their land a desolation, An

concerning the calamity I planned to

object of perpetual hissing; Everyone

bring on it.

who passes by it will be astonished And

shake his head.

9"Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a

17'Like an east wind I will scatter them kingdom to build up or to plant it;

Before the enemy; I will show them My

back and not My face In the day of their

10if it does evil in My sight by not

calamity.'"

obeying My voice, then I will think better

18Then they said, "Come and let us 2"Then go out to the valley of Ben-devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely hinnom, which is by the entrance of the the law is not going to be lost to the potsherd gate, and proclaim there the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the words that I tell you,

divine word to the prophet! Come on

and let us strike at him with our tongue,

3and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD,

and let us give no heed to any of his O kings of Judah and inhabitants of

words."

Jerusalem: thus says the LORD of hosts,

the God of Israel, "Behold I am about to

19Do give heed to me, O LORD, And

bring a calamity upon this place, at

listen to what my opponents are saying!

which the ears of everyone that hears of

it will tingle.

20Should good be repaid with evil? For

they have dug a pit for me. Remember

4"Because they have forsaken Me and

how I stood before You To speak good

have made this an alien place and have

on their behalf, So as to turn away Your

burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that

wrath from them.

neither they nor their forefathers nor the

kings of Judah had ever known, and

21Therefore, give their children over to

because they have filled this place with famine And deliver them up to the power

the blood of the innocent

of the sword; And let their wives become

childless and widowed. Let their men

5and have built the high places of Baal also be smitten to death, Their young

to burn their sons in the fire as burnt men struck down by the sword in battle.

offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever

22May an outcry be heard from their

enter My mind;

houses, When You suddenly bring

raiders upon them; For they have dug a

6therefore, behold, days are coming,"

pit to capture me And hidden snares for

declares the LORD, "when this place will

my feet.

no longer be called Topheth or the

valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the

23Yet You, O LORD, know All their

valley of Slaughter.

deadly designs against me; Do not

forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin 7"I will make void the counsel of Judah from Your sight. But may they be and Jerusalem in this place, and I will overthrown before You; Deal with them

cause them to fall by the sword before

in the time of Your anger!

their enemies and by the hand of those

who seek their life; and I will give over their carcasses as food for the birds of 19Thus says the LORD, "Go and the sky and the beasts of the earth.

buy a potter's earthenware jar, and take

8

some of the elders of the people and

"I will also make this city a desolation some of the senior priests.

and an object of hissing; everyone who

passes by it will be astonished and hiss against it, because they have stiffened because of all its disasters.

their necks so as not to heed My

words.'"

9"I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh in 20When Pashhur the priest, the son

the siege and in the distress with which of Immer, who was chief officer in the

their enemies and those who seek their

house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah

life will distress them."'

prophesying these things,

10"Then you are to break the jar in the 2Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet

sight of the men who accompany you

beaten and put him in the stocks that

were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which

11and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD

was by the house of the LORD.

of hosts, "Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a

3On the next day, when Pashhur

potter's vessel, which cannot again be

released Jeremiah from the stocks,

repaired; and they will bury in Topheth

Jeremiah said to him, "Pashhur is not because there is no other place for

the name the LORD has called you, but

burial.

rather Magor-missabib.

12"This is how I will treat this place and 4"For thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am its inhabitants," declares the LORD, "so going to make you a terror to yourself as to make this city like Topheth.

and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword 13"The houses of Jerusalem and the of their enemies. So I will give over all houses of the kings of Judah will be

Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon,

defiled like the place Topheth, because

and he will carry them away as exiles to

of all the houses on whose rooftops they

Babylon and will slay them with the

burned sacrifices to all the heavenly

sword.

host and poured out drink offerings to

other gods."'"

5'I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly 14Then Jeremiah came from Topheth,

things; even all the treasures of the

where the LORD had sent him to

kings of Judah I will give over to the prophesy; and he stood in the court of

hand of their enemies, and they will

the LORD'S house and said to all the

plunder them, take them away and bring

people:

them to Babylon.

15"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the 6'And you, Pashhur, and all who live in God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to your house will go into captivity; and you

bring on this city and all its towns the will enter Babylon, and there you will die

entire calamity that I have declared

and there you will be buried, you and all

your friends to whom you have falsely 13Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD!

prophesied.'"

For He has delivered the soul of the

needy one From the hand of evildoers.

7O LORD, You have deceived me and I

was deceived; You have overcome me

14Cursed be the day when I was born;

and prevailed. I have become a

Let the day not be blessed when my

laughingstock all day long; Everyone

mother bore me!

mocks me.

15Cursed be the man who brought the

8For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I news To my father, saying, "A baby boy

proclaim

violence

and

destruction,

has been born to you!" And made him Because for me the word of the LORD

very happy.

has resulted In reproach and derision all

day long.

16But let that man be like the cities

Which the LORD overthrew without

9But if I say, "I will not remember Him Or relenting, And let him hear an outcry in speak anymore in His name," Then in the morning And a shout of alarm at my heart it becomes like a burning fire noon;

Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of

holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

17Because he did not kill me before birth,

So that my mother would have been my

10For I have heard the whispering of

grave, And her womb ever pregnant.

many, " Terror on every side! Denounce

him; yes, let us denounce him!" All my 18Why did I ever come forth from the trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say:

womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So

"Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we

that my days have been spent in

may prevail against him And take our

shameNULL

revenge on him."

11But the LORD is with me like a dread

21The word which came to Jeremiah

champion; Therefore my persecutors

will stumble and not prevail. They will be

from the LORD when King Zedekiah

utterly ashamed, because they have

sent to him Pashhur the son of

failed, With an everlasting disgrace that

Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the

will not be forgotten.

son of Maaseiah, saying,

2

12Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test

"Please inquire of the LORD on our

the righteous, Who see the mind and

behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of

the heart; Let me see Your vengeance

Babylon is warring against us; perhaps

on them; For to You I have set forth my

the LORD will deal with us according to

cause.

all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy

will withdraw from us."

3Then Jeremiah said to them, "You shall 10"For I have set My face against this say to Zedekiah as follows: city for harm and not for good," declares the LORD. "It will be given into the hand 4'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, of the king of Babylon and he will burn it

"Behold, I am about to turn back the with fire."'

weapons of war which are in your hands,

with which you are warring against the

11"Then say to the household of the king

king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who

of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD,

are besieging you outside the wall; and I

will gather them into the center of this 12O house of David, thus says the LORD:

city.

" Administer justice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed

5"I Myself will war against you with an from the power of his oppressor, That outstretched hand and a mighty arm,

My wrath may not go forth like fire And even in anger and wrath and great

burn with none to extinguish it, Because

indignation.

of the evil of their deeds.

6"I will also strike down the inhabitants 13"Behold, I am against you, O valley of this city, both man and beast; they will dweller, O rocky plain," declares the die of a great pestilence.

LORD, "You men who say, ' Who will come down against us? Or who will

7"Then afterwards," declares the LORD, enter into our habitations?'

" I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even

14"But I will punish you according to the those who survive in this city from the results of your deeds," declares the pestilence, the sword and the famine, LORD, "And I will kindle a fire in its into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

forest That it may devour all its

Babylon, and into the hand of their foes

environs."'"

and into the hand of those who seek

their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not 22Thus says the LORD, "Go down to spare

them

nor

have

pity

nor

compassion."'

the house of the king of Judah, and

there speak this word

8"You shall also say to this people, 'Thus 2

says the LORD, "Behold, I set before and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD,

you the way of life and the way of death.

O king of Judah, who sits on David's

throne, you and your servants and your

9

people who enter these gates.

"He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by

3

pestilence; but he who goes out and

'Thus says the LORD, " Do justice and falls away to the Chaldeans who are

righteousness, and deliver the one who

besieging you will live, and he will have has been robbed from the power of his

his own life as booty.

oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do

violence to the stranger, the orphan, or 11For thus says the LORD in regard to the widow; and do not shed innocent

Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah,

blood in this place.

who became king in the place of Josiah

his father, who went forth from this place,

4"For if you men will indeed perform this

"He will never return there;

thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David's place on his

12but in the place where they led him

throne, riding in chariots and on horses,

captive, there he will die and not see

even the king himself and his servants

this land again.

and his people.

13"Woe to him who builds his house

5" But if you will not obey these words, I without righteousness And his upper

swear by Myself," declares the LORD, rooms without justice, Who uses his

"that

this

house

will

become

a

neighbor's services without pay And

desolation."'"

does not give him his wages,

6For thus says the LORD concerning the

14Who says, 'I will build myself a roomy

house of the king of Judah: "You are like house With spacious upper rooms, And

Gilead to Me, Like the summit of

cut out its windows, Paneling it with

Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make

cedar and painting it bright red.'

you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited.

15"Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your

7"For I will set apart destroyers against father eat and drink And do justice and you, Each with his weapons; And they righteousness? Then it was well with

will cut down your choicest cedars And

him.

throw them on the fire.

16"He pled the cause of the afflicted and 8"Many nations will pass by this city; and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what they will say to one another, 'Why has

it means to know Me?" Declares the

the LORD done thus to this great city?'

LORD.

9"Then they will answer, 'Because they 17"But your eyes and your heart Are forsook the covenant of the LORD their intent only upon your own dishonest

God and bowed down to other gods and

gain, And on shedding innocent blood

served them.'"

And on practicing oppression and

extortion."

10Do not weep for the dead or mourn for

him, But weep continually for the one

18Therefore thus says the LORD in

who goes away; For he will never return

regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah,

Or see his native land.

king of Judah, "They will not lament for him: ' Alas, my brother!' or, 'Alas, sister!'

They will not lament for him: 'Alas for the 27"But as for the land to which they master!' or, 'Alas for his splendor!'

desire to return, they will not return to it.

19"He will be buried with a donkey's 28"Is this man Coniah a despised,

burial, Dragged off and thrown out

shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable

beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

vessel?

Why

have

he

and

his

descendants been hurled out And cast

20"Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift into a land that they had not known?

up your voice in Bashan; Cry out also

from Abarim, For all your lovers have

29" O land, land, land, Hear the word of been crushed.

the LORD!

21"I spoke to you in your prosperity; But 30"Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man

you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been

down childless, A man who will not

your practice from your youth, That you

prosper in his days; For no man of his have not obeyed My voice.

descendants will prosper Sitting on the

throne of David Or ruling again in

22"The wind will sweep away all your Judah.'"

shepherds, And your lovers will go into

captivity; Then you will surely be

ashamed and humiliated Because of all

23" Woe to the shepherds who are

your wickedness.

destroying and scattering the sheep of

My pasture!" declares the LORD.

23"You who dwell in Lebanon, Nested in

the cedars, How you will groan when

2Therefore thus says the LORD God of

pangs come upon you, Pain like a

Israel concerning the shepherds who

woman in childbirth!

are tending My people: "You have

scattered My flock and driven them

24"As I live," declares the LORD, "even away, and have not attended to them; though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim

behold, I am about to attend to you for king of Judah were a signet ring on My the evil of your deeds," declares the right hand, yet I would pull you off; LORD.

25and I will give you over into the hand 3"Then I Myself will gather the remnant of those who are seeking your life, yes, of My flock out of all the countries where into the hand of those whom you dread,

I have driven them and bring them back

even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar

to their pasture, and they will be fruitful king of Babylon and into the hand of the

and multiply.

Chaldeans.

4"I will also raise up shepherds over 26"I will hurl you and your mother who them and they will tend them; and they bore you into another country where you

will not be afraid any longer, nor be

were not born, and there you will die.

terrified, nor will any be missing,"

12"Therefore their way will be like

declares the LORD.

slippery paths to them, They will be

driven away into the gloom and fall

5"Behold, the days are coming,"

down in it; For I will bring calamity upon

declares the LORD, "When I will raise them, The year of their punishment,"

up for David a righteous Branch; And He

declares the LORD.

will reign as king and act wisely And do

justice and righteousness in the land.

13"Moreover, among the prophets of

Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They

6"In His days Judah will be saved, And prophesied by Baal and led My people

Israel will dwell securely; And this is His

Israel astray.

name by which He will be called, 'The

LORD our righteousness.'

14"Also among the

prophets

of

Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:

7" Therefore behold, the days are

The committing of adultery and walking

coming," declares the LORD, "when in falsehood; And they strengthen the

they will no longer say, 'As the LORD

hands of evildoers, So that no one has

lives, who brought up the sons of Israel turned back from his wickedness. All of

from the land of Egypt,'

them have become to Me like Sodom,

And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

8but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought

15

up and led back the descendants of the

"Therefore thus says the LORD of

household of Israel from the north land

hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold,

and from all the countries where I had

I am going to feed them wormwood And

driven them.' Then they will live on their

make them drink poisonous water, For

own soil."

from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution

has gone forth into all the land.'"

9As for the prophets: My heart is broken

16

within me, All my bones tremble; I have

Thus says the LORD of hosts, " Do not

become like a drunken man, Even like a

listen to the words of the prophets who man overcome with wine, Because of

are prophesying to you. They are

the LORD And because of His holy

leading you into futility; They speak a

words.

vision of their own imagination, Not from

the mouth of the LORD.

10For the land is full of adulterers; For 17

the land mourns because of the curse.

"They keep saying to those who

The pastures of the wilderness have

despise Me, 'The LORD has said, " You

dried up. Their course also is evil And will have peace"'; And as for everyone their might is not right.

who walks in the stubbornness of his

own heart, They say, ' Calamity will not 11

come upon you.'

"For both prophet and priest are

polluted; Even in My house I have found

18

their wickedness," declares the LORD.

"But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear

His word? Who has given heed to His relate to one another, just as their word and listened?

fathers forgot My name because of Baal?

19"Behold, the storm of the LORD has 28"The prophet who has a dream may

gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling

relate his dream, but let him who has My

tempest; It will swirl down on the head of

word speak My word in truth. What does

the wicked.

straw have in common with grain?"

declares the LORD.

20"The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried

29"Is not My word like fire?" declares the out the purposes of His heart; In the last LORD, "and like a hammer which

days you will clearly understand it.

shatters a rock?

21" I did not send these prophets, But 30"Therefore behold, I am against the they ran. I did not speak to them, But prophets," declares the LORD, "who they prophesied.

steal My words from each other.

22"But if they had stood in My council, 31"Behold, I am against the prophets,"

Then they would have announced My

declares the LORD, "who use their

words to My people, And would have

tongues

and

declare,

'The

Lord

turned them back from their evil way

declares.'

And from the evil of their deeds.

32"Behold, I am against those who have

23"Am I a God who is near," declares the prophesied false dreams," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off?

LORD, "and related them and led My

people astray by their falsehoods and

24"Can a man hide himself in hiding reckless boasting; yet I did not send

places So I do not see him?" declares them or command them, nor do they

the LORD. " Do I not fill the heavens furnish this people the slightest benefit,"

and the earth?" declares the LORD.

declares the LORD.

25

33

"I have heard what the prophets have

"Now when this people or the prophet said who prophesy falsely in My name,

or a priest asks you saying, 'What is the

saying, 'I had a dream, I had a dream!'

oracle of the LORD?' then you shall say

to them, 'What oracle?' The LORD

26

declares, 'I will abandon you.'

"How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy

34

falsehood, even these prophets of the

"Then as for the prophet or the priest deception of their own heart,

or the people who say, 'The oracle of

the LORD,' I will bring punishment upon

27

that man and his household.

who intend to make My people forget

My name by their dreams which they

35"Thus will each of you say to his 2One basket had very good figs, like neighbor and to his brother, ' What has first-ripe figs, and the other basket had the LORD answered?' or, 'What has the very bad figs which could not be eaten

LORD spoken?'

due to rottenness.

36"For you will no longer remember the 3Then the LORD said to me, " What do

oracle of the LORD, because every

you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs, man's own word will become the oracle,

the good figs, very good; and the bad

and you have perverted the words of the

figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten

living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.

due to rottenness."

37"Thus you will say to that prophet, 4Then the word of the LORD came to

'What has the LORD answered you?'

me, saying,

and, 'What has the LORD spoken?'

5"Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 38"For if you say, 'The oracle of the 'Like these good figs, so I will regard as

LORD!' surely thus says the LORD,

good the captives of Judah, whom I

'Because you said this word, "The oracle

have sent out of this place into the land

of the LORD!" I have also sent to you, of the Chaldeans.

saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"'

6'For I will set My eyes on them for good,

and I will bring them again to this land; 39"Therefore behold, I will surely forget and I will build them up and not you and cast you away from My

overthrow them, and I will plant them

presence, along with the city which I

and not pluck them up.

gave you and your fathers.

7'I will give them a heart to know Me, for

40"I will put an everlasting reproach on I am the LORD; and they will be My you and an everlasting humiliation which

people, and I will be their God, for they will not be forgotten."

will return to Me with their whole heart.

8

24

'But like the bad figs which cannot be

After Nebuchadnezzar king of

eaten due to rottenness--indeed, thus

says the LORD--so I will abandon

Babylon had carried away captive

Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of

Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials,

Judah, and the officials of Judah with

and the remnant of Jerusalem who

the

craftsmen

and

smiths

from

remain in this land and the ones who

Jerusalem and had brought them to

dwell in the land of Egypt.

Babylon, the LORD showed me: behold,

9

two baskets of figs set before the temple

'I will make them a terror and an evil for

of the LORD!

all the kingdoms of the earth, as a

reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a

curse in all places where I will scatter 7"Yet you have not listened to Me,"

them.

declares the LORD, "in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the

10'I will send the sword, the famine and work of your hands to your own harm.

the pestilence upon them until they are

destroyed from the land which I gave to

8"Therefore thus says the LORD of

them and their forefathers.'"

hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed

My words,

25

9

The word that came to Jeremiah

behold, I will send and take all the

concerning all the people of Judah, in

families of the north,' declares the LORD,

the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of

'and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king

Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first of Babylon, My servant, and will bring

them against this land and against its

year

of

Nebuchadnezzar

king

of

inhabitants and against all these nations

Babylon),

round about; and I will utterly destroy

2

them and make them a horror and a

which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all

hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

the people of Judah and to all the

inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

10'Moreover, I will take from them the

3

voice of joy and the voice of gladness,

"From the thirteenth year of Josiah the the voice of the bridegroom and the

son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this

voice of the bride, the sound of the

day, these twenty-three years the word

millstones and the light of the lamp.

of the LORD has come to me, and I

have spoken to you again and again,

11

but you have not listened.

' This whole land will be a desolation

and a horror, and these nations will

4

serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

"And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again,

12

but you have not listened nor inclined

'Then it will be when seventy years are

your ear to hear,

completed I will punish the king of

Babylon and that nation,' declares the

5

LORD, 'for their iniquity, and the land of

saying, ' Turn now everyone from his

the Chaldeans; and I will make it an

evil way and from the evil of your deeds,

everlasting desolation.

and dwell on the land which the LORD

has given to you and your forefathers

13

forever and ever;

'I will bring upon that land all My words

which I have pronounced against it, all

that is written in this book which

6and do not go after other gods to serve

Jeremiah has prophesied against all the

them and to worship them, and do not

nations.

provoke Me to anger with the work of

your hands, and I will do you no harm.'

14'(For many nations and great kings will 24and all the kings of Arabia and all the make slaves of them, even them; and I

kings of the foreign people who dwell in

will recompense them according to their

the desert;

deeds and according to the work of their

hands.)'"

25and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings

of Elam and all the kings of Media;

15For thus the LORD, the God of Israel,

says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of 26and all the kings of the north, near and

wrath from My hand and cause all the

far, one with another; and all the

nations to whom I send you to drink it.

kingdoms of the earth which are upon

the face of the ground, and the king of 16"They will drink and stagger and go Sheshach shall drink after them.

mad because of the sword that I will

send among them."

27"You shall say to them, 'Thus says the

LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "

17Then I took the cup from the LORD'S

Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no hand and made all the nations to whom

more because of the sword which I will

the LORD sent me drink it:

send among you."'

18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and

28"And it will be, if they refuse to take the its kings and its princes, to make them a

cup from your hand to drink, then you

ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as

will say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of

it is this day;

hosts: " You shall surely drink!

19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants,

29"For behold, I am beginning to work his princes and all his people;

calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely

20and all the foreign people, all the kings

free from punishment? You will not be

of the land of Uz, all the kings of the free

from

punishment; for

I

am

land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon,

summoning a sword against all the

Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of

inhabitants of the earth," declares the Ashdod);

LORD of hosts.'

21

30

Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon;

"Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say

22

to them, 'The LORD will roar from on

and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings high And utter His voice from His holy of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands

habitation; He will roar mightily against which are beyond the sea;

His fold. He will shout like those who

tread the grapes, Against all the

23and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut

inhabitants of the earth.

the corners of their hair;

31'A clamor has come to the end of the earth, Because the LORD has a 26In the beginning of the reign of controversy with the nations. He is

Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of

entering into judgment with all flesh; As Judah, this word came from the LORD,

for the wicked, He has given them to the

saying,

sword,' declares the LORD."

2

32

"Thus says the LORD, ' Stand in the Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold,

court of the LORD'S house, and speak

evil is going forth From nation to nation,

to all the cities of Judah who have come

And a great storm is being stirred up

to worship in the LORD'S house all the

From the remotest parts of the earth.

words that I have commanded you to

speak to them. Do not omit a word!

33"Those slain by the LORD on that day

will be from one end of the earth to the 3' Perhaps they will listen and everyone

other. They will not be lamented,

will turn from his evil way, that I may gathered or buried; they will be like dung

repent of the calamity which I am

on the face of the ground.

planning to do to them because of the

evil of their deeds.'

34"Wail, you shepherds, and cry; And wallow in ashes, you masters of the

4"And you will say to them, 'Thus says flock; For the days of your slaughter and

the LORD, " If you will not listen to Me, your dispersions have come, And you to walk in My law which I have set

will fall like a choice vessel.

before you,

35" Flight will perish from the shepherds, 5to listen to the words of My servants the

And escape from the masters of the

prophets, whom I have been sending to

flock.

you again and again, but you have not

listened;

36"Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds, And the wailing of the

6then I will make this house like Shiloh,

masters of the flock! For the LORD is

and this city I will make a curse to all the

destroying their pasture,

nations of the earth."'"

37"And the peaceful folds are made

7The priests and the prophets and all the

silent Because of the fierce anger of the

people heard Jeremiah speaking these

LORD.

words in the house of the LORD.

38"He has left His hiding place like the 8When Jeremiah finished speaking all

lion; For their land has become a horror

that the LORD had commanded him to

Because of the fierceness of the

speak to all the people, the priests and oppressing sword And because of His

the prophets and all the people seized

fierce anger."

him, saying, " You must die!

9"Why have you prophesied in the name 16Then the officials and all the people of the LORD saying, 'This house will be

said to the priests and to the prophets, like Shiloh and this city will be desolate,

"No death sentence for this man! For he

without inhabitant'?" And all the people has spoken to us in the name of the gathered about Jeremiah in the house of

LORD our God."

the LORD.

17Then some of the elders of the land

10When the officials of Judah heard

rose up and spoke to all the assembly of

these things, they came up from the

the people, saying,

king's house to the house of the LORD

and sat in the entrance of the New Gate

18" Micah of Moresheth prophesied in of the LORD'S house.

the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and

he spoke to all the people of Judah,

11Then the priests and the prophets

saying, 'Thus the LORD of hosts has

spoke to the officials and to all the

said, " Zion will be plowed as a field, people, saying, "A death sentence for And Jerusalem will become ruins, And this man! For he has prophesied against

the mountain of the house as the high

this city as you have heard in your

places of a forest."'

hearing."

19"Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all 12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the

Judah put him to death? Did he not fear

officials and to all the people, saying, "

the LORD and entreat the favor of the

The LORD sent me to prophesy against

LORD, and the LORD changed His

this house and against this city all the mind about the misfortune which He had

words that you have heard.

pronounced against them? But we are

committing

a

great

evil

against

13"Now therefore amend your ways and ourselves."

your deeds and obey the voice of the

LORD your God; and the LORD will

20Indeed, there was also a man who

change His mind about the misfortune

prophesied in the name of the LORD,

which He has pronounced against you.

Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this

14"But as for me, behold, I am in your city and against this land words similar hands; do with me as is good and right to all those of Jeremiah.

in your sight.

21When King Jehoiakim and all his

15"Only know for certain that if you put mighty men and all the officials heard me to death, you will bring innocent

his words, then the king sought to put

blood on yourselves, and on this city

him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he

and on its inhabitants; for truly the

was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.

LORD has sent me to you to speak all

these words in your hearing."

22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to

Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and

certain men with him went into Egypt.

23And they brought Uriah from Egypt him also the wild animals of the field to and led him to King Jehoiakim, who serve him.

slew him with a sword and cast his dead

body into the burial place of the

7" All the nations shall serve him and his common people.

son and his grandson until the time of

his own land comes; then many nations

24But the hand of Ahikam the son of

and great kings will make him their

Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he

servant.

was not given into the hands of the

people to put him to death.

8"It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him,

27

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and

In the beginning of the reign of

which will not put its neck under the

yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish

Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of

that nation with the sword, with famine

Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from

the LORD, saying--

and with pestilence," declares the LORD,

"until I have destroyed it by his hand.

2thus says the LORD to me--"Make for 9"But as for you, do not listen to your yourself bonds and yokes and put them prophets, your diviners, your dreamers,

on your neck,

your soothsayers or your sorcerers who

3

speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve

and send word to the king of Edom, to

the king of Babylon.'

the king of Moab, to the king of the sons

of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the

10"For they prophesy a lie to you in order king of Sidon by the messengers who

come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of

to remove you far from your land; and I Judah.

will drive you out and you will perish.

11

4

"But the nation which will bring its neck

"Command them to go to their masters,

saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts,

under the yoke of the king of Babylon

the God of Israel, thus you shall say to and serve him, I will let remain on its your masters, land," declares the LORD, "and they will till it and dwell in it."'"

5" I have made the earth, the men and 12

the beasts which are on the face of the I spoke words like all these to

earth by My great power and by My

Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, "Bring outstretched arm, and I will give it to the

your necks under the yoke of the king of

one who is pleasing in My sight.

Babylon and serve him and his people,

and live!

6"Now I have given all these lands into 13

the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

"Why will you die, you and your people,

Babylon, My servant, and I have given

by the sword, famine and pestilence, as

the LORD has spoken to that nation into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, which will not serve the king of Babylon?

king of Judah, from Jerusalem to

Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah

14"So do not listen to the words of the and Jerusalem.

prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You

will not serve the king of Babylon,' for 21"Yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, they prophesy a lie to you; the God of Israel, concerning the

vessels that are left in the house of the 15for I have not sent them," declares the LORD and in the house of the king of LORD, "but they prophesy falsely in My Judah and in Jerusalem,

name, in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish, you and the

22'They will be carried to Babylon and

prophets who prophesy to you."

they will be there until the day I visit them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will

16Then I spoke to the priests and to all bring them back and restore them to this

this people, saying, "Thus says the

place.'"

LORD: Do not listen to the words of your

prophets who prophesy to you, saying,

'Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S

28Now in the same year, in the

house will now shortly be brought again

beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king

from Babylon'; for they are prophesying

of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth a lie to you.

month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the

prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to

17"Do not listen to them; serve the king me in the house of the LORD in the of Babylon, and live! Why should this

presence of the priests and all the

city become a ruin?

people, saying,

18"But if they are prophets, and if the 2" Thus says the LORD of hosts, the word of the LORD is with them, let them God of Israel, 'I have broken the yoke of

now entreat the LORD of hosts that the

the king of Babylon.

vessels which are left in the house of

the LORD, in the house of the king of

3'Within two years I am going to bring

Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to

back to this place all the vessels of the Babylon.

LORD'S house, which Nebuchadnezzar

king of Babylon took away from this

19"For thus says the LORD of hosts

place and carried to Babylon.

concerning the pillars, concerning the

sea,

concerning

the

stands

and

4'I am also going to bring back to this concerning the rest of the vessels that

place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim,

are left in this city,

king of Judah, and all the exiles of

Judah who went to Babylon,' declares

20which

Nebuchadnezzar

king

of

the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of Babylon did not take when he carried

the king of Babylon.'"

5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Hananiah in the presence of

the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

the priests and in the presence of all the

people who were standing in the house

13"Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, of the LORD,

'Thus says the LORD, "You have broken

the yokes of wood, but you have made

6and the prophet Jeremiah said, " Amen!

instead of them yokes of iron."

May the LORD do so; may the LORD

confirm your words which you have

14'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the

prophesied to bring back the vessels of

God of Israel, "I have put a yoke of iron the LORD'S house and all the exiles,

on the neck of all these nations, that

from Babylon to this place.

they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon; and they will serve him. And I 7"Yet hear now this word which I am have also given him the beasts of the about to speak in your hearing and in

field."'"

the hearing of all the people!

15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to

8"The prophets who were before me and

Hananiah the prophet, "Listen now,

before

you

from

ancient

times

Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you,

prophesied against many lands and

and you have made this people trust in

against great kingdoms, of war and of

a lie.

calamity and of pestilence.

16"Therefore thus says the LORD, '

9"The prophet who prophesies of peace,

Behold, I am about to remove you from

when the word of the prophet comes to

the face of the earth. This year you are pass, then that prophet will be known as

going to die, because you have

one whom the LORD has truly sent."

counseled rebellion against the LORD.'"

10Then Hananiah the prophet took the

17So Hananiah the prophet died in the

yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the

same year in the seventh month.

prophet and broke it.

11Hananiah spoke in the presence of all

29Now these are the words of the

the people, saying, " Thus says the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent

LORD, 'Even so will I break within two

from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders

full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar

of the exile, the priests, the prophets

king of Babylon from the neck of all the and

all

the

people

whom

nations.'" Then the prophet Jeremiah

Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile

went his way.

from Jerusalem to Babylon.

12The word of the LORD came to

2(This was after King Jeconiah and the

Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet

queen mother, the court officials, the

princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the

craftsmen and the smiths had departed good word to you, to bring you back to from Jerusalem.) this place.

3The letter was sent by the hand of

11'For I know the plans that I have for Elasah the son of Shaphan, and

you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for

Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom

welfare and not for calamity to give you Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon

a future and a hope.

to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,

saying,

12'Then you will call upon Me and come

and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

4"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God

of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have 13'You will seek Me and find Me when

sent into exile from Jerusalem to

you search for Me with all your heart.

Babylon,

14'I will be found by you,' declares the 5' Build houses and live in them; and

LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes

plant gardens and eat their produce.

and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have

6'Take wives and become the fathers of

driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I

sons and daughters, and take wives for

will bring you back to the place from

your sons and give your daughters to

where I sent you into exile.'

husbands, that they may bear sons and

daughters; and multiply there and do not

15"Because you have said, 'The LORD

decrease.

has raised up prophets for us in

Babylon'--

7' Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the

16for thus says the LORD concerning the

LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you

king who sits on the throne of David,

will have welfare.'

and concerning all the people who dwell

in this city, your brothers who did not go

8"For thus says the LORD of hosts, the with you into exile--

God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners

17thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold,

deceive you, and do not listen to the

I am sending upon them the sword,

dreams which they dream.

famine and pestilence, and I will make

them like split-open figs that cannot be 9'For they prophesy falsely to you in My

eaten due to rottenness.

name; I have not sent them,' declares

the LORD.

18'I will pursue them with the sword, with

famine and with pestilence; and I will

10"For thus says the LORD, 'When

make them a terror to all the kingdoms

seventy years have been completed for

of the earth, to be a curse and a horror Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My and a hissing, and a reproach among all Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the the nations where I have driven them,

priest, and to all the priests, saying,

19because they have not listened to My

26"The LORD has made you priest

words,' declares the LORD, 'which I sent

instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the

to them again and again by My servants

overseer in the house of the LORD over

the prophets; but you did not listen,'

every madman who prophesies, to put

declares the LORD.

him in the stocks and in the iron collar,

20"You, therefore, hear the word of the 27now then, why have you not rebuked

LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent

Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to

away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

you?

21"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the 28"For he has sent to us in Babylon, God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son saying, 'The exile will be long; build

of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the

houses and live in them and plant

son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying

gardens and eat their produce.'"'"

to you falsely in My name, 'Behold, I will

deliver

them

into

the

hand

of

29Zephaniah the priest read this letter to

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and

Jeremiah the prophet.

he will slay them before your eyes.

30Then came the word of the LORD to

22'Because of them a curse will be used

Jeremiah, saying,

by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "May the LORD make

31"Send to all the exiles, saying, 'Thus you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom says the LORD concerning Shemaiah

the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,

the Nehelamite, "Because Shemaiah

has prophesied to you, although I did

23because they have acted foolishly in

not send him, and he has made you

Israel, and have committed adultery with

trust in a lie,"

their neighbors' wives and have spoken

words in My name falsely, which I did

32therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold,

not command them; and I am He who

I am about to punish Shemaiah the

knows and am a witness," declares the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will

LORD.'"

not have anyone living among this

people, and he will not see the good that

24To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall

I am about to do to My people," declares

speak, saying,

the LORD, "because he has preached

rebellion against the LORD."'"

25"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have sent

letters in your own name to all the

30The word which came to Jeremiah

people who are in Jerusalem, and to

from the LORD, saying,

2"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, from the land of their captivity. And ' Write all the words which I have

Jacob will return and will be quiet and at

spoken to you in a book.

ease, And no one will make him afraid.

3'For behold, days are coming,' declares

11'For I am with you,' declares the LORD,

the LORD, 'when I will restore the

'to save you; For I will destroy

fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.'

completely all the nations where I have

The LORD says, 'I will also bring them

scattered you, Only I will not destroy you

back to the land that I gave to their

completely. But I will chasten you justly forefathers and they shall possess it.'"

And will by no means leave you

unpunished.'

4Now these are the words which the

LORD spoke concerning Israel and

12"For thus says the LORD, 'Your wound

concerning Judah:

is incurable And your injury is serious.

5"For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard

13'There is no one to plead your cause;

a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is

No healing for your sore, No recovery

no peace.

for you.

6'Ask now, and see If a male can give

14'All your lovers have forgotten you,

birth. Why do I see every man With his

They do not seek you; For I have

hands on his loins, as a woman in

wounded you with the wound of an

childbirth? And why have all faces

enemy, With the punishment of a cruel

turned pale?

one, Because your iniquity is great And

your sins are numerous.

7'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's

15'Why do you cry out over your injury?

distress, But he will be saved from it.

Your pain is incurable. Because your

iniquity is great And your sins are

8'It shall come about on that day,'

numerous, I have done these things to

declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will you.

break his yoke from off their neck and

will tear off their bonds; and strangers 16'Therefore all who devour you will be

will no longer make them their slaves.

devoured; And all your adversaries,

every one of them, will go into captivity;

9'But they shall serve the LORD their

And those who plunder you will be for

God and David their king, whom I will

plunder, And all who prey upon you I will

raise up for them.

give for prey.

10

17

' Fear not, O Jacob My servant,'

'For I will restore you to health And I declares the LORD, 'And do not be

will heal you of your wounds,' declares

dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will

the LORD, 'Because they have called

save you from afar And your offspring

you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her."'

31"At that time," declares the LORD,

"I will be the God of all the families of 18"Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will Israel, and they shall be My people."

restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob

And have compassion on his dwelling

2Thus says the LORD, "The people who

places; And the city will be rebuilt on its

survived the sword Found grace in the

ruin, And the palace will stand on its

wilderness-- Israel, when it went to find rightful place.

its rest."

19'From them will proceed thanksgiving

3The LORD appeared to him from afar,

And the voice of those who celebrate;

saying, "I have loved you with an

And I will multiply them and they will not

everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn

be diminished; I will also honor them

you with lovingkindness.

and they will not be insignificant.

4

20

" Again I will build you and you will be

'Their children also will be as formerly,

rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will And

their

congregation

shall

be

take up your tambourines, And go forth

established before Me; And I will punish

to the dances of the merrymakers.

all their oppressors.

5

21

"Again you will plant vineyards On the

'Their leader shall be one of them, And

hills of Samaria; The planters will plant their ruler shall come forth from their

And will enjoy them.

midst; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare

6

to risk his life to approach Me?' declares

"For there will be a day when

the LORD.

watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call

out, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To 22

the LORD our God.'"

'You shall be My people, And I will be your God.'"

7For thus says the LORD, " Sing aloud 23

with gladness for Jacob, And shout

Behold, the tempest of the LORD!

among the chief of the nations; Proclaim,

Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping

give praise and say, 'O LORD, save

tempest; It will burst on the head of the Your people, The remnant of Israel.'

wicked.

8

24

"Behold, I am bringing them from the The fierce anger of the LORD will not

north country, And I will gather them

turn back Until He has performed and

from the remote parts of the earth,

until He has accomplished The intent of

Among them the blind and the lame,

His heart; In the latter days you will

The woman with child and she who is in

understand this.

labor with child, together; A great

company, they will return here.

9" With weeping they will come, And by 16Thus says the LORD, " Restrain your supplication I will lead them; I will make voice from weeping And your eyes from

them walk by streams of waters, On a

tears; For your work will be rewarded,"

straight path in which they will not

declares the LORD, "And they will return

stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And

from the land of the enemy.

Ephraim is My firstborn."

17"There is hope for your future,"

10Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,

declares the LORD, "And your children And declare in the coastlands afar off,

will return to their own territory.

And say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd

18"I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,

keeps his flock."

'You have chastised me, and I was

chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring

11For the LORD has ransomed Jacob

me back that I may be restored, For You

And redeemed him from the hand of him

are the LORD my God.

who was stronger than he.

19'For after I turned back, I repented;

12"They will come and shout for joy on And after I was instructed, I smote on the height of Zion, And they will be

my thigh; I was ashamed and also

radiant over the bounty of the LORD--

humiliated Because I bore the reproach

Over the grain and the new wine and

of my youth.'

the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a

20"Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a watered garden, And they will never

delightful child? Indeed, as often as I

languish again.

have spoken against him, I certainly still

remember him; Therefore My heart

13"Then the virgin will rejoice in the yearns for him; I will surely have mercy dance, And the young men and the old, on him," declares the LORD.

together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give 21"Set up for yourself roadmarks, Place them joy for their sorrow.

for yourself guideposts; Direct your mind

to the highway, The way by which you

14"I will fill the soul of the priests with went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return abundance, And My people will be to these your cities.

satisfied with My goodness," declares the LORD.

22"How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has

15Thus says the LORD, " A voice is created a new thing in the earth-- A

heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter

woman will encompass a man."

weeping. Rachel is weeping for her

children; She refuses to be comforted

23Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God

for her children, Because they are no

of Israel, "Once again they will speak more."

this word in the land of Judah and in its

cities when I restore their fortunes, 'The although I was a husband to them,"

LORD

bless

you,

O

abode

of

declares the LORD.

righteousness, O holy hill!'

33"But this is the covenant which I will 24"Judah and all its cities will dwell make with the house of Israel after together in it, the farmer and they who those days," declares the LORD, " I will go about with flocks.

put My law within them and on their

heart I will write it; and I will be their God, 25" For I satisfy the weary ones and and they shall be My people.

refresh everyone who languishes."

34"They will not teach again, each man 26At this I awoke and looked, and my

his neighbor and each man his brother,

sleep was pleasant to me.

saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all

know Me, from the least of them to the 27

greatest of them," declares the LORD,

"Behold, days are coming," declares

"for I will forgive their iniquity, and their the LORD, "when I will sow the house of sin I will remember no more."

Israel and the house of Judah with the

seed of man and with the seed of beast.

35Thus says the LORD, Who gives the

28

sun for light by day And the fixed order

"As I have watched over them to pluck

of the moon and the stars for light by up, to break down, to overthrow, to

night, Who stirs up the sea so that its destroy and to bring disaster, so I will waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His watch over them to build and to plant,"

name:

declares the LORD.

36

29

" If this fixed order departs From

"In those days they will not say again, '

before Me," declares the LORD, "Then The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

the offspring of Israel also will cease

And the children's teeth are set on

From being a nation before Me forever."

edge.'

37

30

Thus says the LORD, " If the heavens

"But everyone will die for his own

above can be measured And the

iniquity; each man who eats the sour

foundations of the earth searched out

grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.

below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have 31" Behold, days are coming," declares done," declares the LORD.

the LORD, "when I will make a new

covenant with the house of Israel and

38"Behold, days are coming," declares with the house of Judah,

the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of

32not like the covenant which I made

Hananel to the Corner Gate.

with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land

of Egypt, My covenant which they broke,

39"The measuring line will go out farther 6And Jeremiah said, "The word of the straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it LORD came to me, saying, will turn to Goah.

7'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum

40"And the whole valley of the dead your uncle is coming to you, saying,

bodies and of the ashes, and all the

"Buy for yourself my field which is at fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the Anathoth, for you have the right of corner of the Horse Gate toward the

redemption to buy it."'

east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown

8"Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to

anymore forever."

me in the court of the guard according to

the word of the LORD and said to me,

32

'Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth,

The word that came to Jeremiah

which is in the land of Benjamin; for you

have the right of possession and the

from the LORD in the tenth year of

Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the

redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.'

eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

Then I knew that this was the word of

the LORD.

2Now at that time the army of the king of

9"I bought the field which was at

Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and

Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the

Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son,

court of the guard, which was in the

and I weighed out the silver for him,

house of the king of Judah,

seventeen shekels of silver.

10

3

"I signed and sealed the deed, and

because Zedekiah king of Judah had

shut him up, saying, "Why do you

called in witnesses, and weighed out the

prophesy, saying, ' Thus says the LORD,

silver on the scales.

"Behold, I am about to give this city into 11

the hand of the king of Babylon, and he

"Then I took the deeds of purchase, will take it;

both the sealed copy containing the

terms and conditions and the open copy;

4and Zedekiah king of Judah will not

12

escape out of the hand of the

and I gave the deed of purchase to

Chaldeans, but he will surely be given

Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of

into the hand of the king of Babylon, and

Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my

he will speak with him face to face and uncle's son and in the sight of the

see him eye to eye;

witnesses who signed the deed of

purchase, before all the Jews who were

5

sitting in the court of the guard.

and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon,

and he will be there until I visit him,"

13

declares the LORD. "If you fight against

"And I commanded Baruch in their

the Chaldeans, you will not succeed"'?"

presence, saying,

14'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the with an outstretched arm and with great God of Israel, "Take these deeds, this terror;

sealed deed of purchase and this open

deed, and put them in an earthenware

22and gave them this land, which You

jar, that they may last a long time."

swore to their forefathers to give them, a

land flowing with milk and honey.

15'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the

God of Israel, " Houses and fields and 23'They came in and took possession of

vineyards will again be bought in this

it, but they did not obey Your voice or land."'

walk in Your law; they have done

nothing of all that You commanded them

16"After I had given the deed of

to do; therefore You have made all this purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah,

calamity come upon them.

then I prayed to the LORD, saying,

24'Behold, the siege ramps have

17' Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have

reached the city to take it; and the city is

made the heavens and the earth by

given into the hand of the Chaldeans

Your

great

power

and

by

Your

who fight against it, because of the

outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult

sword, the famine and the pestilence;

for You,

and what You have spoken has come to

pass; and behold, You see it.

18who

shows

lovingkindness

to

thousands, but repays the iniquity of

25'You have said to me, O Lord GOD,

fathers into the bosom of their children

"Buy for yourself the field with money after them, O great and mighty God.

and call in witnesses"--although the city The LORD of hosts is His name;

is

given

into

the

hand

of

the

Chaldeans.'"

19great in counsel and mighty in deed,

whose eyes are open to all the ways of

26Then the word of the LORD came to

the sons of men, giving to everyone

Jeremiah, saying,

according to his ways and according to

the fruit of his deeds;

27"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all

flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"

20who has set signs and wonders in the

land of Egypt, and even to this day both

28Therefore thus says the LORD,

in Israel and among mankind; and You

"Behold, I am about to give this city into have made a name for Yourself, as at

the hand of the Chaldeans and into the

this day.

hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon, and he will take it.

21'You brought Your people Israel out of

the land of Egypt with signs and with

29"The Chaldeans who are fighting

wonders, and with a strong hand and

against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to 36"Now therefore thus says the LORD

Baal on their roofs and poured out drink

God of Israel concerning this city of

offerings to other gods to provoke Me to

which you say, 'It is given into the hand

anger.

of the king of Babylon by sword, by

famine and by pestilence.'

30"Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil

37"Behold, I will gather them out of all in My sight from their youth; for the sons the lands to which I have driven them in

of Israel have been only provoking Me

My anger, in My wrath and in great

to anger by the work of their hands,"

indignation; and I will bring them back to

declares the LORD.

this place and make them dwell in safety.

31"Indeed this city has been to Me a 38"They shall be My people, and I will be provocation of My anger and My wrath their God;

from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed 39and I will give them one heart and one

from before My face,

way, that they may fear Me always, for

their own good and for the good of their

32because of all the evil of the sons of children after them.

Israel and the sons of Judah which they

have done to provoke Me to anger--they,

40"I will make an everlasting covenant their kings, their leaders, their priests, with them that I will not turn away from their prophets, the men of Judah and them, to do them good; and I will put the

the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

fear of Me in their hearts so that they will

not turn away from Me.

33"They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them,

41"I will rejoice over them to do them teaching again and again, they would

good and will faithfully plant them in this

not listen and receive instruction.

land with all My heart and with all My soul.

34"But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name,

42"For thus says the LORD, ' Just as I to defile it.

brought all this great disaster on this

people, so I am going to bring on them 35"They built the high places of Baal that all the good that I am promising them.

are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause

their sons and their daughters to pass

43' Fields will be bought in this land of through the fire to Molech, which I had which you say, " It is a desolation, not commanded them nor had it entered without man or beast; it is given into the

My mind that they should do this

hand of the Chaldeans."

abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

44'Men will buy fields for money, sign

and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in

the land of Benjamin, in the environs of 8'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the by which they have sinned against Me,

cities of the hill country, in the cities of and I will pardon all their iniquities by the lowland and in the cities of the which they have sinned against Me and

Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,'

by which they have transgressed

declares the LORD."

against Me.

9

33

' It will be to Me a name of joy, praise Then the word of the LORD came

and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that

to Jeremiah the second time, while he

was still confined in the court of the

I do for them, and they will fear and

guard, saying,

tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.'

2"Thus says the LORD who made the

10"Thus says the LORD, 'Yet again there

earth, the LORD who formed it to

establish it, the LORD is His name,

will be heard in this place, of which you

say, "It is a waste, without man and 3

without beast," that is, in the cities of

' Call to Me and I will answer you, and I

Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem

will tell you great and mighty things,

that are desolate, without man and

which you do not know.'

without inhabitant and without beast,

4"For thus says the LORD God of Israel

11the voice of joy and the voice of

concerning the houses of this city, and

gladness, the voice of the bridegroom

concerning the houses of the kings of

and the voice of the bride, the voice of Judah which are broken down to make a

those who say, " Give thanks to the defense against the siege ramps and

LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good,

against the sword,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting"; and of those who bring a thank offering 5'While they are coming to fight with the into the house of the LORD. For I will Chaldeans and to fill them with the

restore the fortunes of the land as they corpses of men whom I have slain in My

were at first,' says the LORD.

anger and in My wrath, and I have

hidden My face from this city because of

12"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'There

all their wickedness:

will again be in this place which is waste,

without man or beast, and in all its cities,

6'Behold, I will bring to it health and a habitation of shepherds who rest their

healing, and I will heal them; and I will flocks.

reveal to them an abundance of peace

and truth.

13'In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the 7'I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the

the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild

environs of Jerusalem and in the cities

them as they were at first.

of Judah, the flocks will again pass

under the hands of the one who be measured, so I will multiply the numbers them,' says the LORD.

descendants of David My servant and

the Levites who minister to Me.'"

14'Behold, days are coming,' declares

the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the good 23And the word of the LORD came to

word which I have spoken concerning

Jeremiah, saying,

the house of Israel and the house of

Judah.

24"Have you not observed what this

people have spoken, saying, 'The two

15'In those days and at that time I will families which the LORD chose, He has

cause a righteous Branch of David to

rejected them'? Thus they despise My

spring forth; and He shall execute

people, no longer are they as a nation in

justice and righteousness on the earth.

their sight.

16'In those days Judah will be saved and

25"Thus says the LORD, 'If My covenant

Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is

for day and night stand not, and the

the name by which she will be called:

fixed patterns of heaven and earth I

the LORD is our righteousness.'

have not established,

17"For thus says the LORD, 'David shall

26then I would reject the descendants of

never lack a man to sit on the throne of

Jacob and David My servant, not taking

the house of Israel;

from his descendants rulers over the

descendants of Abraham, Isaac and

18and the Levitical priests shall never

Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes lack a man before Me to offer burnt

and will have mercy on them.'"

offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.'"

34The word which came to Jeremiah

19The word of the LORD came to

from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar

Jeremiah, saying,

king of Babylon and all his army, with all

the kingdoms of the earth that were

20"Thus says the LORD, 'If you can

under his dominion and all the peoples,

break My covenant for the day and My

were fighting against Jerusalem and

covenant for the night, so that day and against all its cities, saying,

night will not be at their appointed time,

2"Thus says the LORD God of Israel, '

21then My covenant may also be broken

Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah

with David My servant so that he will not

and say to him: "Thus says the LORD, have a son to reign on his throne, and 'Behold, I am giving this city into the with the Levitical priests, My ministers.

hand of the king of Babylon, and he will

burn it with fire.

22'As the host of heaven cannot be

counted and the sand of the sea cannot

3' You will not escape from his hand, for 10And all the officials and all the people you will surely be captured and

obeyed who had entered into the

delivered into his hand; and you will see

covenant that each man should set free

the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he his male servant and each man his

will speak with you face to face, and you

female servant, so that no one should

will go to Babylon.'"'

keep them any longer in bondage; they

obeyed, and set them free.

4"Yet hear the word of the LORD, O

Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the

11But afterward they turned around and

LORD concerning you, 'You will not die

took back the male servants and the

by the sword.

female servants whom they had set free,

and brought them into subjection for

5'You will die in peace; and as spices

male servants and for female servants.

were burned for your fathers, the former

kings who were before you, so they will 12Then the word of the LORD came to

burn spices for you; and they will lament

Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

for you, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word," declares the LORD.

13"Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'I

made a covenant with your forefathers

6Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all

in the day that I brought them out of the

these words to Zedekiah king of Judah

land of Egypt, from the house of

in Jerusalem

bondage, saying,

7when the army of the king of Babylon

14" At the end of seven years each of was fighting against Jerusalem and

you shall set free his Hebrew brother

against all the remaining cities of Judah,

who has been sold to you and has

that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they

served you six years, you shall send him

alone remained as fortified cities among

out free from you; but your forefathers

the cities of Judah.

did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

8The word which came to Jeremiah from

the LORD after King Zedekiah had

15"Although recently you had turned and

made a covenant with all the people

done what is right in My sight, each man

who were in Jerusalem to proclaim

proclaiming release to his neighbor, and

release to them:

you had made a covenant before Me in

the house which is called by My name.

9that each man should set free his male

servant and each man his female

16"Yet you turned and profaned My

servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew

name, and each man took back his male

woman; so that no one should keep

servant and each man his female

them, a Jew his brother, in bondage.

servant whom you had set free

according to their desire, and you

brought them into subjection to be your

male servants and female servants."'

17"Therefore thus says the LORD, 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming 35The word which came to Jeremiah

release each man to his brother and

from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim

each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am

the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

proclaiming a release to you,' declares

the LORD, 'to the sword, to the

2

pestilence and to the famine; and I will

"Go to the house of the Rechabites and

make you a terror to all the kingdoms of

speak to them, and bring them into the

the earth.

house of the LORD, into one of the

chambers, and give them wine to drink."

18'I will give the men who have

3

transgressed My covenant, who have

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of

not fulfilled the words of the covenant

Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his

which they made before Me, when they

brothers and all his sons and the whole cut the calf in two and passed between

house of the Rechabites,

its parts--

4and I brought them into the house of

19the officials of Judah and the officials the LORD, into the chamber of the sons

of Jerusalem, the court officers and the of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of

priests and all the people of the land

God, which was near the chamber of the

who passed between the parts of the

officials, which was above the chamber

calf--

of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the

doorkeeper.

20I will give them into the hand of their 5

enemies and into the hand of those who

Then I set before the men of the house

seek their life. And their dead bodies will

of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine

be food for the birds of the sky and the and cups; and I said to them, " Drink beasts of the earth.

wine!"

6

21' Zedekiah king of Judah and his

But they said, "We will not drink wine, officials I will give into the hand of their for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our enemies and into the hand of those who

father, commanded us, saying, 'You

seek their life, and into the hand of the shall not drink wine, you or your sons, army of the king of Babylon which has forever.

gone away from you.

7'You shall not build a house, and you

22'Behold, I am going to command,'

shall not sow seed and you shall not

declares the LORD, 'and I will bring

plant a vineyard or own one; but in tents

them back to this city; and they will fight

you shall dwell all your days, that you against it and take it and burn it with fire;

may live many days in the land where

and I will make the cities of Judah a

you sojourn.'

desolation without inhabitant.'"

8"We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab

the son of Rechab, our father, in all that

he commanded us, not to drink wine all dwell in the land which I have given to our days, we, our wives, our sons or our you and to your forefathers; but you

daughters,

have not inclined your ear or listened to

Me.

9nor to build ourselves houses to dwell

in; and we do not have vineyard or field

16'Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son

or seed.

of Rechab have observed the command

of their father which he commanded

10"We have only dwelt in tents, and have

them, but this people has not listened to

obeyed and have done according to all

Me.'"'

that Jonadab our father commanded us.

17"Therefore thus says the LORD, the 11"But when Nebuchadnezzar king of

God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold,

Babylon came up against the land, we

I am bringing on Judah and on all the

said, 'Come and let us go to Jerusalem

inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster

before the army of the Chaldeans and

that I have pronounced against them;

before the army of the Arameans.' So

because I spoke to them but they did

we have dwelt in Jerusalem."

not listen, and I have called them but

they did not answer.'"

12Then the word of the LORD came to

18

Jeremiah, saying,

Then Jeremiah said to the house of

the Rechabites, "Thus says the LORD of

13

hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the

have obeyed the command of Jonadab

God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of

your father, kept all his commands and

Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

done

according

to

all

that

he

" Will you not receive instruction by commanded you;

listening to My words?" declares the LORD.

19therefore thus says the LORD of hosts,

14

the God of Israel, "Jonadab the son of

"The words of Jonadab the son of

Rechab shall not lack a man to stand

Rechab, which he commanded his sons

before Me always."'"

not to drink wine, are observed. So they

do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command.

But I have spoken to you again and

36In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the

again; yet you have not listened to Me.

son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD,

15"Also I have sent to you all My

saying,

servants the prophets, sending them

again and again, saying: ' Turn now

2"Take a scroll and write on it all the every man from his evil way and amend

words which I have spoken to you

your deeds, and do not go after other

concerning Israel and concerning Judah,

gods to worship them. Then you will

and concerning all the nations, from the

day I first spoke to you, from the days of of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast Josiah, even to this day.

before the LORD.

3" Perhaps the house of Judah will hear

10Then Baruch read from the book the

all the calamity which I plan to bring on words of Jeremiah in the house of the them, in order that every man will turn LORD in the chamber of Gemariah the

from his evil way; then I will forgive their

son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper

iniquity and their sin."

court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, to all the people.

4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son

of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll 11Now when Micaiah the son of

at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words

Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had

of the LORD which He had spoken to

heard all the words of the LORD from

him.

the book,

5Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying,

12he went down to the king's house, into

"I am restricted; I cannot go into the the scribe's chamber. And behold, all

house of the LORD.

the officials were sitting there-- Elishama

the scribe, and Delaiah the son of

6"So you go and read from the scroll Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of

which you have written at my dictation

Achbor, and Gemariah the son of

the words of the LORD to the people in

Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of

the LORD'S house on a fast day. And

Hananiah, and all the other officials.

also you shall read them to all the

people of Judah who come from their

13Micaiah declared to them all the words

cities.

that he had heard when Baruch read

from the book to the people.

7" Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn

14Then all the officials sent Jehudi the from his evil way, for great is the anger son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, and the wrath that the LORD has

the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying,

pronounced against this people."

"Take in your hand the scroll from which

you have read to the people and come."

8Baruch the son of Neriah did according

So Baruch the son of Neriah took the

to all that Jeremiah the prophet

scroll in his hand and went to them.

commanded him, reading from the book

the words of the LORD in the LORD'S

15They said to him, "Sit down, please, house.

and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them.

9Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth

16When they had heard all the words,

month, all the people in Jerusalem and

they turned in fear one to another and

all the people who came from the cities

said to Baruch, "We will surely report all to burn the scroll, he would not listen to these words to the king."

them.

17And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell 26And the king commanded Jerahmeel

us, please, how did you write all these the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel,

words? Was it at his dictation?"

and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to

seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah

18Then Baruch said to them, "He

the prophet, but the LORD hid them.

dictated all these words to me, and I

wrote them with ink on the book."

27Then the word of the LORD came to

Jeremiah after the king had burned the

19Then the officials said to Baruch, "Go, scroll and the words which Baruch had

hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do

written at the dictation of Jeremiah,

not let anyone know where you are."

saying,

20

28

So they went to the king in the court,

" Take again another scroll and write but they had deposited the scroll in the on it all the former words that were on chamber of Elishama the scribe, and the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king they reported all the words to the king.

of Judah burned.

21

29

Then the king sent Jehudi to get the

"And concerning Jehoiakim king of

scroll, and he took it out of the chamber

Judah you shall say, 'Thus says the

of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read

LORD, "You have burned this scroll,

it to the king as well as to all the officials saying, ' Why have you written on it that

who stood beside the king.

the king of Babylon will certainly come

and destroy this land, and will make

22

man and beast to cease from it?'"

Now the king was sitting in the winter

house in the ninth month, with a fire

30

burning in the brazier before him.

'Therefore thus says the LORD

concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah,

23

"He shall have no one to sit on the When Jehudi had read three or four

throne of David, and his dead body shall

columns, the king cut it with a scribe's be cast out to the heat of the day and knife and threw it into the fire that was in the frost of the night.

the brazier, until all the scroll was

consumed in the fire that was in the

31

brazier.

"I will also punish him and his

descendants and his servants for their

24

iniquity, and I will bring on them and the

Yet the king and all his servants who

inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of

heard all these words were not afraid,

Judah all the calamity that I have

nor did they rend their garments.

declared to them--but they did not

listen."'"

25Even though Elnathan and Delaiah

and Gemariah pleaded with the king not

32Then Jeremiah took another scroll and come out for your assistance is going to gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the

return to its own land of Egypt.

scribe, and he wrote on it at the dictation

of Jeremiah all the words of the book

8"The Chaldeans will also return and which Jehoiakim king of Judah had

fight against this city, and they will

burned in the fire; and many similar

capture it and burn it with fire."'

words were added to them.

9"Thus says the LORD, 'Do not deceive

37

yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will Now Zedekiah the son of Josiah

surely go away from us," for they will not whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

go.

had made king in the land of Judah,

reigned as king in place of Coniah the

10'For even if you had defeated the

son of Jehoiakim.

entire army of Chaldeans who were

fighting against you, and there were only

2But neither he nor his servants nor the

wounded men left among them, each

people of the land listened to the words

man in his tent, they would rise up and of the LORD which He spoke through

burn this city with fire.'"

Jeremiah the prophet.

11Now it happened when the army of the

3Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son

Chaldeans had lifted the siege from

of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of

Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,

Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the

prophet, saying, " Please pray to the 12that

Jeremiah

went

out

from

LORD our God on our behalf."

Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin

in order to take possession of some

4Now Jeremiah was still coming in and

property there among the people.

going out among the people, for they

had not yet put him in the prison.

13While he was at the Gate of Benjamin,

a captain of the guard whose name was

5Meanwhile, Pharaoh's army had set out

Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans

Hananiah was there; and he arrested

who had been besieging Jerusalem

Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are heard the report about them, they lifted going over to the Chaldeans!"

the siege from Jerusalem.

14But Jeremiah said, " A lie! I am not 6Then the word of the LORD came to

going over to the Chaldeans"; yet he Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

would not listen to him. So Irijah

arrested Jeremiah and brought him to

7"Thus says the LORD God of Israel, '

the officials.

Thus you are to say to the king of Judah,

15

who sent you to Me to inquire of Me:

Then the officials were angry at

"Behold, Pharaoh's army which has

Jeremiah and beat him, and they put

him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the 38Now Shephatiah the son of

prison.

Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of

Pashhur,

and

Jucal

the

son

of

16For Jeremiah had come into the

Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of

dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and

Malchijah

heard

the

words

that

Jeremiah stayed there many days.

Jeremiah was speaking to all the people,

saying,

17Now King Zedekiah sent and took him

out; and in his palace the king secretly 2"Thus says the LORD, 'He who stays in

asked him and said, "Is there a word this city will die by the sword and by from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, famine and by pestilence, but he who

"There is!" Then he said, "You will be goes out to the Chaldeans will live and given into the hand of the king of have his own life as booty and stay

Babylon!"

alive.'

18Moreover Jeremiah said to King

3"Thus says the LORD, 'This city will Zedekiah, " In what way have I sinned certainly be given into the hand of the against you, or against your servants, or army of the king of Babylon and he will against this people, that you have put

capture it.'"

me in prison?

4Then the officials said to the king, "Now 19" Where then are your prophets who let this man be put to death, inasmuch prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of

as he is discouraging the men of war

Babylon will not come against you or

who are left in this city and all the

against this land'?

people, by speaking such words to them;

for this man is not seeking the well—

20"But now, please listen, O my lord the

being of this people but rather their

king; please let my petition come before

harm."

you and do not make me return to the

house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may

5So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is not die there."

in your hands; for the king can do

nothing against you."

21Then

King

Zedekiah

gave

commandment, and they committed

6Then they took Jeremiah and cast him

Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse

into the cistern of Malchijah the king's and gave him a loaf of bread daily from

son, which was in the court of the

the bakers' street, until all the bread in guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah

the city was gone. So Jeremiah

down with ropes. Now in the cistern

remained in the court of the guardhouse. there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

7But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a the LORD; and the king said to

eunuch, while he was in the king's

Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you

palace, heard that they had put

something; do not hide anything from

Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king

me."

was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin;

15Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, " If I

8and Ebed-melech went out from the

tell you, will you not certainly put me to king's palace and spoke to the king,

death? Besides, if I give you advice, you

saying,

will not listen to me."

9"My lord the king, these men have

16But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah

acted wickedly in all that they have done

in secret saying, "As the LORD lives, to Jeremiah the prophet whom they

who made this life for us, surely I will not

have cast into the cistern; and he will die

put you to death nor will I give you over

right where he is because of the famine,

to the hand of these men who are

for there is no more bread in the city."

seeking your life."

10Then the king commanded Ebed—

17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah,

melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take

"Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the

thirty men from here under your

God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out authority and bring up Jeremiah the

to the officers of the king of Babylon, prophet from the cistern before he dies."

then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your

11So Ebed-melech took the men under

household will survive.

his authority and went into the king's

palace to a place beneath the storeroom

18'But if you will not go out to the officers

and took from there worn-out clothes

of the king of Babylon, then this city will

and worn-out rags and let them down by

be given over to the hand of the

ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.

Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire,

and you yourself will not escape from

12Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said

their hand.'"

to Jeremiah, "Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits

19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah,

under the ropes"; and Jeremiah did so.

"I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me

13So they pulled Jeremiah up with the

over into their hand and they will abuse ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, me."

and Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse.

20But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the LORD in

14Then King Zedekiah sent and had

what I am saying to you, that it may go Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at

well with you and you may live.

the third entrance that is in the house of

21"But if you keep refusing to go out, this 28So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the is the word which the LORD has shown

guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem

me:

was captured.

22'Then behold, all of the women who

have been left in the palace of the king 39Now when Jerusalem was

of Judah are going to be brought out to captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah

the officers of the king of Babylon; and king of Judah, in the tenth month,

those women will say, "Your close

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all

friends Have misled and overpowered

his army came to Jerusalem and laid

you; While your feet were sunk in the

siege to it;

mire, They turned back."

2

23

in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the

'They will also bring out all your wives fourth month, in the ninth day of the

and your sons to the Chaldeans, and

month, the city wall was breached.

you yourself will not escape from their

hand, but will be seized by the hand of 3

the king of Babylon, and this city will be

Then all the officials of the king of

burned with fire.'"

Babylon came in and sat down at the

Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar—

24

nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal—

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of

no man know about these words and

the officials of the king of Babylon.

you will not die.

4

25

When Zedekiah the king of Judah and

"But if the officials hear that I have all the men of war saw them, they fled talked with you and come to you and and went out of the city at night by way

say to you, 'Tell us now what you said to

of the king's garden through the gate

the king and what the king said to you; between the two walls; and he went out

do not hide it from us and we will not put

toward the Arabah.

you to death,'

5

26

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued

then you are to say to them, 'I was

them and overtook Zedekiah in the

presenting my petition before the king,

plains of Jericho; and they seized him

not to make me return to the house of

and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar

Jonathan to die there.'"

king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on

27Then all the officials came to Jeremiah

him.

and questioned him. So he reported to

them in accordance with all these words

6Then the king of Babylon slew the sons

which the king had commanded; and

of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah;

they ceased speaking with him, since

the king of Babylon also slew all the

the

conversation

had

not

been

nobles of Judah.

overheard.

7He then blinded Zedekiah's eyes and him home. So he stayed among the bound him in fetters of bronze to bring people.

him to Babylon.

15Now the word of the LORD had come

8The Chaldeans also burned with fire

to Jeremiah while he was confined in

the king's palace and the houses of the the court of the guardhouse, saying,

people, and they broke down the walls

of Jerusalem.

16"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the

Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD

9As for the rest of the people who were

of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am left in the city, the deserters who had about to bring My words on this city for gone over to him and the rest of the disaster and not for prosperity; and they

people who remained, Nebuzaradan the

will take place before you on that day.

captain of the bodyguard carried them

into exile in Babylon.

17"But I will deliver you on that day,"

declares the LORD, "and you will not be

10But some of the poorest people who

given into the hand of the men whom

had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain

you dread.

of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and

18"For I will certainly rescue you, and fields at that time.

you will not fall by the sword; but you will

have your own life as booty, because

11Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

you have trusted in Me," declares the gave orders about Jeremiah through

LORD.'"

Nebuzaradan

the

captain

of

the

bodyguard, saying,

40The word which came to Jeremiah

12"Take him and look after him, and do from the LORD after Nebuzaradan

nothing harmful to him, but rather deal

captain of the bodyguard had released

with him just as he tells you."

him from Ramah, when he had taken

him bound in chains among all the

13So Nebuzaradan the captain of the

exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who

bodyguard sent word, along with

were being exiled to Babylon.

Nebushazban

the

Rab-saris,

and

Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all

2Now the captain of the bodyguard had

the leading officers of the king of

taken Jeremiah and said to him, "The Babylon;

LORD your God promised this calamity

against this place;

14they even sent and took Jeremiah out

of the court of the guardhouse and

3and the LORD has brought it on and

entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of

done just as He promised. Because you

Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take

people sinned against the LORD and

did not listen to His voice, therefore this Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of thing has happened to you.

the Maacathite, both they and their men.

4"But now, behold, I am freeing you 9Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the

today from the chains which are on your

son of Shaphan, swore to them and to

hands. If you would prefer to come with

their men, saying, " Do not be afraid of me to Babylon, come along, and I will serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land

look after you; but if you would prefer and serve the king of Babylon, that it

not to come with me to Babylon, never

may go well with you.

mind. Look, the whole land is before you;

go wherever it seems good and right for

10"Now as for me, behold, I am going to

you to go."

stay at Mizpah to stand for you before

the Chaldeans who come to us; but as

5As Jeremiah was still not going back,

for you, gather in wine and summer fruit

he said, "Go on back then to Gedaliah and oil and put them in your storage

the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,

vessels, and live in your cities that you whom

the

king

of

Babylon

has

have taken over."

appointed over the cities of Judah, and

stay with him among the people; or else

11Likewise, also all the Jews who were

go anywhere it seems right for you to

in Moab and among the sons of Ammon

go." So the captain of the bodyguard and in Edom and who were in all the

gave him a ration and a gift and let him

other countries, heard that the king of

go.

Babylon had left a remnant for Judah,

and that he had appointed over them

6Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed

Shaphan.

with him among the people who were

left in the land.

12Then all the Jews returned from all the

places to which they had been driven

7Now all the commanders of the forces

away and came to the land of Judah, to

that were in the field, they and their men,

Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in

heard that the king of Babylon had

wine

and summer fruit in great

appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam

abundance.

over the land and that he had put him in

charge of the men, women and children,

13Now Johanan the son of Kareah and

those of the poorest of the land who had

all the commanders of the forces that

not been exiled to Babylon.

were in the field came to Gedaliah at

Mizpah

8So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah,

along with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah,

14and said to him, "Are you well aware and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of

that Baalis the king of the sons of

Kareah, and Seraiah the son of

Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of

Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the

Nethaniah to take your life?" But

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not 5that eighty men came from Shechem, believe them.

from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their

beards shaved off and their clothes torn

15Then Johanan the son of Kareah

and their bodies gashed, having grain

spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah,

offerings and incense in their hands to

saying, " Let me go and kill Ishmael the bring to the house of the LORD.

son of Nethaniah, and not a man will

know! Why should he take your life, so

6Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah

that all the Jews who are gathered to

went out from Mizpah to meet them,

you would be scattered and the remnant

weeping as he went; and as he met

of Judah would perish?"

them, he said to them, "Come to

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!"

16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said

to Johanan the son of Kareah, " Do not 7Yet it turned out that as soon as they do this thing, for you are telling a lie came inside the city, Ishmael the son of about Ishmael."

Nethaniah and the men that were with

him slaughtered them and cast them

into the cistern.

41In the seventh month Ishmael the 8But ten men who were found among son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the chief them said to Ishmael, "Do not put us to officers of the king, along with ten men, death; for we have stores of wheat, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of

barley, oil and honey hidden in the field."

Ahikam. While they were eating bread

So he refrained and did not put them to

death along with their companions.

together there in Mizpah,

9

2Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the

Now as for the cistern where Ishmael

ten men who were with him arose and

had cast all the corpses of the men

whom he had struck down because of

struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam,

Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa

the son of Shaphan, with the sword and

put to death the one whom the king of

had made on account of Baasha, king of

Babylon had appointed over the land.

Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah

filled it with the slain.

3Ishmael also struck down all the Jews

10Then Ishmael took captive all the

who were with him, that is with Gedaliah

at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were

remnant of the people who were in

found there, the men of war.

Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the

people who were left in Mizpah, whom

4

Nebuzaradan

the

captain

of

the

Now it happened on the next day after

bodyguard had put under the charge of

the killing of Gedaliah, when no one

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus

knew about it,

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them

captive and proceeded to cross over to

the sons of Ammon.

11But Johanan the son of Kareah and all Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the the commanders of the forces that were

king of Babylon had appointed over the

with him heard of all the evil that

land.

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done.

12So they took all the men and went to 42Then all the commanders of the

fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah

forces, Johanan the son of Kareah,

and they found him by the great pool

Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all

that is in Gibeon.

the people both small and great

approached

13Now as soon as all the people who

were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son

2and said to Jeremiah the prophet,

of Kareah and the commanders of the

"Please let our petition come before you, forces that were with him, they were

and pray for us to the LORD your God,

glad.

that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your 14So all the people whom Ishmael had own eyes now see us,

taken captive from Mizpah turned

around and came back, and went to

3that the LORD your God may tell us the

Johanan the son of Kareah.

way in which we should walk and the

thing that we should do."

15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah

escaped from Johanan with eight men

4Then Jeremiah the prophet said to

and went to the sons of Ammon.

them, "I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in 16Then Johanan the son of Kareah and

accordance with your words; and I will

all the commanders of the forces that

tell you the whole message which the

were with him took from Mizpah all the

LORD will answer you. I will not keep

remnant of the people whom he had

back a word from you."

recovered from Ishmael the son of

Nethaniah, after he had struck down

5Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the

LORD be a true and faithful witness

men who were soldiers, the women, the

against us if we do not act in

children, and the eunuchs, whom he

accordance with the whole message

had brought back from Gibeon.

with which the LORD your God will send

you to us.

17And they went and stayed in Geruth

Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem,

6"Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, in order to proceed into Egypt

we will listen to the voice of the LORD

our God to whom we are sending you,

18because of the Chaldeans; for they

so that it may go well with us when we were afraid of them, since Ishmael the

listen to the voice of the LORD our

son of Nethaniah had struck down

God."

7Now at the end of ten days the word of 16then the sword, which you are afraid of, the LORD came to Jeremiah.

will overtake you there in the land of

Egypt; and the famine, about which you

8Then he called for Johanan the son of

are anxious, will follow closely after you Kareah and all the commanders of the

there in Egypt, and you will die there.

forces that were with him, and for all the

people both small and great,

17"So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by 9and said to them, "Thus says the LORD

the sword, by famine and by pestilence;

the God of Israel, to whom you sent me

and they will have no survivors or

to present your petition before Him:

refugees from the calamity that I am

going to bring on them."'"

10'If you will indeed stay in this land, then

18

I will build you up and not tear you down,

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the

and I will plant you and not uproot you; God of Israel, "As My anger and wrath for I will relent concerning the calamity have been poured out on the inhabitants that I have inflicted on you.

of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be

poured out on you when you enter

11

Egypt. And you will become a curse, an

' Do not be afraid of the king of

object of horror, an imprecation and a

Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do

reproach; and you will see this place no

not be afraid of him,' declares the LORD,

more."

'for I am with you to save you and

deliver you from his hand.

19The LORD has spoken to you, O

12

remnant of Judah, "Do not go into

'I will also show you compassion, so

Egypt!" You should clearly understand that he will have compassion on you

that today I have testified against you.

and restore you to your own soil.

20

13

For

you

have

only

deceived

'But if you are going to say, "We will yourselves; for it is you who sent me to not stay in this land," so as not to listen the LORD your God, saying, "Pray for to the voice of the LORD your God, us to the LORD our God; and whatever

the LORD our God says, tell us so, and

14saying, "No, but we will go to the land we will do it."

of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of a trumpet or hunger

21So I have told you today, but you have

for bread, and we will stay there";

not obeyed the LORD your God, even in

whatever He has sent me to tell you.

15then in that case listen to the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus

22Therefore you should now clearly

says the LORD of hosts, the God of

understand that you will die by the

Israel, "If you really set your mind to sword, by famine and by pestilence, in enter Egypt and go in to reside there,

the place where you wish to go to reside.

8

43

Then the word of the LORD came to

But as soon as Jeremiah, whom

Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

the LORD their God had sent, had

9

finished telling all the people all the

"Take some large stones in your hands

words of the LORD their God--that is, all

and hide them in the mortar in the brick

these words--

terrace which is at the entrance of

Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the

2Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and

sight of some of the Jews;

Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the

10

arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are

and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD

telling a lie! The LORD our God has not

of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am sent you to say, 'You are not to enter going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar Egypt to reside there';

the king of Babylon, My servant, and I

am going to set his throne right over

3

these stones that I have hidden; and he

but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting

you against us to give us over into the will spread his canopy over them.

hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put 11

us to death or exile us to Babylon."

"He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death

4

will be given over to death, and those for

So Johanan the son of Kareah and all

the commanders of the forces, and all

captivity to captivity, and those for the the people, did not obey the voice of the

sword to the sword.

LORD to stay in the land of Judah.

12"And I shall set fire to the temples of 5

the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them

But Johanan the son of Kareah and all

the commanders of the forces took the

and take them captive. So he will wrap

entire remnant of Judah who had

himself with the land of Egypt as a

returned from all the nations to which

shepherd

wraps

himself

with

his

garment, and he will depart from there

they had been driven away, in order to

safely.

reside in the land of Judah--

13

6the men, the women, the children, the

"He will also shatter the obelisks of king's daughters and every person that

Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt;

and the temples of the gods of Egypt he

Nebuzaradan

the

captain

of

the

will burn with fire."'"

bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the

son of Ahikam and grandson of

Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the

prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah--

44The word that came to Jeremiah

for all the Jews living in the land of 7and they entered the land of Egypt (for

Egypt, those who were living in Migdol,

they did not obey the voice of the LORD)

Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of

and went in as far as Tahpanhes.

Pathros, saying,

2"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God 9"Have you forgotten the wickedness of of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen all your fathers, the wickedness of the the calamity that I have brought on

kings of Judah, and the wickedness of

Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah;

their wives, your own wickedness, and

and behold, this day they are in ruins

the wickedness of your wives, which

and no one lives in them,

they committed in the land of Judah and

in the streets of Jerusalem?

3because of their wickedness which they

committed so as to provoke Me to anger

10"But they have not become contrite by continuing to burn sacrifices and to

even to this day, nor have they feared

serve other gods whom they had not

nor walked in My law or My statutes,

known, neither they, you, nor your

which I have set before you and before

fathers.

your fathers."'

4'Yet I sent you all My servants the

11"Therefore thus says the LORD of

prophets, again and again, saying, "Oh, hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am do not do this abominable thing which I going to set My face against you for woe, hate."

even to cut off all Judah.

5'But they did not listen or incline their 12'And I will take away the remnant of ears to turn from their wickedness, so as

Judah who have set their mind on

not to burn sacrifices to other gods.

entering the land of Egypt to reside

there, and they will all meet their end in

6'Therefore My wrath and My anger

the land of Egypt; they will fall by the were poured out and burned in the cities

sword and meet their end by famine.

of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem,

Both small and great will die by the

so they have become a ruin and a

sword and famine; and they will become

desolation as it is this day.

a curse, an object of horror, an

imprecation and a reproach.

7'Now then thus says the LORD God of

13

hosts, the God of Israel, "Why are you

'And I will punish those who live in the

doing great harm to yourselves, so as to

land of Egypt, as I have punished

cut off from you man and woman, child

Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine

and infant, from among Judah, leaving

and with pestilence.

yourselves without remnant,

14'So there will be no refugees or

8provoking Me to anger with the works

survivors for the remnant of Judah who

of your hands, burning sacrifices to

have entered the land of Egypt to reside

other gods in the land of Egypt, where

there and then to return to the land of you are entering to reside, so that you Judah, to which they are longing to might be cut off and become a curse

return and live; for none will return

and a reproach among all the nations of

except a few refugees.'"

the earth?

15Then all the men who were aware that streets of Jerusalem, you and your their wives were burning sacrifices to

forefathers, your kings and your princes,

other gods, along with all the women

and the people of the land, did not the who were standing by, as a large

LORD remember them and did not all

assembly, including all the people who

this come into His mind?

were living in Pathros in the land of

Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying,

22"So the LORD was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your 16"As for the message that you have deeds, because of the abominations

spoken to us in the name of the LORD,

which you have committed; thus your

we are not going to listen to you!

land has become a ruin, an object of

horror and a curse, without an inhabitant,

17"But rather we will certainly carry out as it is this day.

every word that has proceeded from our

mouths, by burning sacrifices to the

23"Because you have burned sacrifices queen of heaven and pouring out drink

and have sinned against the LORD and

offerings to her, just as we ourselves,

not obeyed the voice of the LORD or

our forefathers, our kings and our

walked in His law, His statutes or His

princes did in the cities of Judah and in testimonies, therefore this calamity has the streets of Jerusalem; for then we

befallen you, as it has this day."

had plenty of food and were well off and

saw no misfortune.

24Then Jeremiah said to all the people,

including all the women, " Hear the word

18"But since we stopped burning

of the LORD, all Judah who are in the

sacrifices to the queen of heaven and

land of Egypt,

pouring out drink offerings to her, we

have lacked everything and have met

25thus says the LORD of hosts, the God

our end by the sword and by famine."

of Israel, as follows: 'As for you and your

wives, you have spoken with your

19"And," said the women, "when we mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, were burning sacrifices to the queen of saying, "We will certainly perform our heaven and were pouring out drink

vows that we have vowed, to burn

offerings to her, was it without our

sacrifices to the queen of heaven and

husbands that we made for her

pour out drink offerings to her." Go sacrificial cakes in her image and

ahead and confirm your vows, and

poured out drink offerings to her?"

certainly perform your vows!'

20Then Jeremiah said to all the people,

26"Nevertheless hear the word of the to the men and women--even to all the

LORD, all Judah who are living in the

people who were giving him such an

land of Egypt, 'Behold, I have sworn by answer--saying,

My great name,' says the LORD, ' never

shall My name be invoked again by the

21"As for the smoking sacrifices that you mouth of any man of Judah in all the

burned in the cities of Judah and in the

land of Egypt, saying, " As the Lord 3'You said, "Ah, woe is me! For the GOD lives."

LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I

am weary with my groaning and have

27'Behold, I am watching over them for

found no rest."'

harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt

4"Thus you are to say to him, 'Thus says

will meet their end by the sword and by

the LORD, "Behold, what I have built I famine until they are completely gone.

am about to tear down, and what I have

planted I am about to uproot, that is, the

28' Those who escape the sword will

whole land."

return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all

5'But you, are you seeking great things

the remnant of Judah who have gone to

for yourself? Do not seek them; for

the land of Egypt to reside there will

behold, I am going to bring disaster on know whose word will stand, Mine or

all flesh,' declares the LORD, 'but I will theirs.

give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go.'"

29'This will be the sign to you,' declares the LORD, 'that I am going to punish

you in this place, so that you may know

46That which came as the word of

that My words will surely stand against

the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet

you for harm.'

concerning the nations.

30"Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am 2To Egypt, concerning the army of

going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king

Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was

of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to by the Euphrates River at Carchemish,

the hand of those who seek his life, just

which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah

defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim

to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

Babylon, who was his enemy and was

seeking his life.'"

3" Line up the shield and buckler, And draw near for the battle!

45This is the message which 4"Harness the horses, And mount the Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch steeds, And take your stand with

the son of Neriah, when he had written

helmets on! Polish the spears, Put on

down these words in a book at

the scale-armor!

Jeremiah's dictation, in the fourth year of

Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of

5"Why have I seen it? They are terrified, Judah, saying:

They are drawing back, And their mighty

men are defeated And have taken

2"Thus says the LORD the God of Israel

refuge in flight, Without facing back;

to you, O Baruch:

Terror is on every side!" Declares the 13This is the message which the LORD

LORD.

spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the

coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of

6Let not the swift man flee, Nor the

Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

mighty man escape; In the north beside

the river Euphrates They have stumbled

14"Declare in Egypt and proclaim in

and fallen.

Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and

Tahpanhes; Say, 'Take your stand and

7Who is this that rises like the Nile, Like

get yourself ready, For the sword has

the rivers whose waters surge about?

devoured those around you.'

8

15

Egypt rises like the Nile, Even like the

"Why have your mighty ones become

rivers whose waters surge about; And

prostrate? They do not stand because

He has said, "I will rise and cover that the LORD has thrust them down.

land; I will surely destroy the city and its

inhabitants."

16"They have repeatedly stumbled;

Indeed, they have fallen one against

9Go up, you horses, and drive madly,

another. Then they said, 'Get up! And let

you chariots, That the mighty men may

us go back To our own people and our

march forward: Ethiopia and Put, that

native land Away from the sword of the

handle the shield, And the Lydians, that

oppressor.'

handle and bend the bow.

17"They cried there, 'Pharaoh king of 10For that day belongs to the Lord GOD

Egypt is but a big noise; He has let the of hosts, A day of vengeance, so as to appointed time pass by!'

avenge Himself on His foes; And the

sword will devour and be satiated And

18"As I live," declares the King Whose drink its fill of their blood; For there will name is the LORD of hosts, "Surely one be a slaughter for the Lord GOD of

shall come who looms up like Tabor

hosts, In the land of the north by the among the mountains, Or like Carmel by

river Euphrates.

the sea.

11Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O

19"Make your baggage ready for exile, O

virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have

daughter

dwelling

in

Egypt,

For

you multiplied remedies; There is no

Memphis will become a desolation; It

healing for you.

will even be burned down and bereft of

inhabitants.

12The nations have heard of your shame,

And the earth is full of your cry of

20"Egypt is a pretty heifer, But a horsefly distress; For one warrior has stumbled

is coming from the north--it is coming!

over another, And both of them have

fallen down together.

21"Also her mercenaries in her midst Are

like fattened calves, For even they too

have turned back and have fled away 28"O Jacob My servant, do not fear,"

together; They did not stand their

declares the LORD, "For I am with you.

ground. For the day of their calamity has

For I will make a full end of all the come upon them, The time of their

nations Where I have driven you, Yet I

punishment.

will not make a full end of you; But I will

correct you properly And by no means

22"Its sound moves along like a serpent;

leave you unpunished."

For they move on like an army And

come to her as woodcutters with axes.

47That which came as the word of

23"They have cut down her forest,"

the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet

declares the LORD; "Surely it will no concerning

the

Philistines,

before

more be found, Even though they are

Pharaoh conquered Gaza.

now more numerous than locusts And

are without number.

2Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters are going to rise from the north And

24"The daughter of Egypt has been put become an overflowing torrent, And

to shame, Given over to the power of

overflow the land and all its fullness,

the people of the north."

The city and those who live in it; And the

men will cry out, And every inhabitant of

25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,

the land will wail.

says, "Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and

3"Because of the noise of the galloping Egypt along with her gods and her kings,

hoofs of his stallions, The tumult of his even Pharaoh and those who trust in

chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels,

him.

The fathers have not turned back for

their children, Because of the limpness

26"I shall give them over to the power of of their hands,

those who are seeking their lives, even

into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

4On account of the day that is coming

Babylon and into the hand of his officers.

To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited

from Tyre and Sidon Every ally that is

as in the days of old," declares the left; For the LORD is going to destroy LORD.

the Philistines, The remnant of the

coastland of Caphtor.

27"But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel!

5" Baldness has come upon Gaza;

For, see, I am going to save you from

Ashkelon has been ruined. O remnant of

afar, And your descendants from the

their valley, How long will you gash

land of their captivity; And Jacob will

yourself?

return and be undisturbed And secure,

with no one making him tremble.

6"Ah, sword of the LORD, How long will 8"A destroyer will come to every city, So you not be quiet? Withdraw into your that no city will escape; The valley also sheath; Be at rest and stay still.

will be ruined And the plateau will be

destroyed, As the LORD has said.

7"How can it be quiet, When the LORD

has given it an orderNULL Against

9"Give wings to Moab, For she will flee Ashkelon and against the seacoast--

away; And her cities will become a

There He has assigned it."

desolation, Without inhabitants in them.

10

48

" Cursed be the one who does the

Concerning Moab. Thus says the

LORD'S work negligently, And cursed

LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe

be the one who restrains his sword from

to Nebo, for it has been destroyed;

blood.

Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has

11

been captured; The lofty stronghold has

"Moab has been at ease since his

been put to shame and shattered.

youth; He has also been undisturbed,

like wine on its dregs, And he has not 2"There is praise for Moab no longer; In

been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor

has he gone into exile. Therefore he

Heshbon they have devised calamity

retains his flavor, And his aroma has not

against her: 'Come and let us cut her off

from being a nation!' You too, Madmen,

changed.

will be silenced; The sword will follow

12

after you.

"Therefore behold, the days are

coming," declares the LORD, "when I 3

will send to him those who tip vessels,

"The sound of an outcry from Horonaim,

'Devastation and great destruction!'

and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.

4"Moab is broken, Her little ones have 13"And Moab will be ashamed of

sounded out a cry of distress.

Chemosh, as the house of Israel was

5

ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

"For by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at

14"How can you say, 'We are mighty

the descent of Horonaim They have

warriors, And men valiant for battle'?

heard the anguished cry of destruction.

15

6" Flee, save your lives, That you may

"Moab has been destroyed and men

be like a juniper in the wilderness.

have gone up to his cities; His choicest young men have also gone down to the

7

slaughter," Declares the King, whose

"For because of your trust in your own name is the LORD of hosts.

achievements and treasures, Even you

yourself will be captured; And Chemosh

16

will go off into exile Together with his

"The disaster of Moab will soon come,

And his calamity has swiftly hastened.

priests and his princes.

17"Mourn for him, all you who live around 27"Now was not Israel a laughingstock to him, Even all of you who know his name;

you? Or was he caught among thieves?

Say, 'How has the mighty scepter been

For each time you speak about him you

broken, A staff of splendor!'

shake your head in scorn.

18" Come down from your glory And sit 28"Leave the cities and dwell among the on the parched ground, O daughter

crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be

dwelling in Dibon, For the destroyer of

like a dove that nests Beyond the mouth

Moab has come up against you, He has

of the chasm.

ruined your strongholds.

29" We have heard of the pride of Moab--

19"Stand by the road and keep watch, O

he is very proud-- Of his haughtiness,

inhabitant of Aroer; Ask him who flees

his pride, his arrogance and his self—

and her who escapes And say, 'What

exaltation.

has happened?'

30"I know his fury," declares the LORD, 20"Moab has been put to shame, for it "But it is futile; His idle boasts have has been shattered. Wail and cry out; accomplished nothing.

Declare by the Arnon That Moab has

been destroyed.

31"Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for 21"Judgment has also come upon the

the men of Kir-heres.

plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against

Mephaath,

32"More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your

22against Dibon, Nebo and Beth—

tendrils stretched across the sea, They

diblathaim,

reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your

summer fruits and your grape harvest

23against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and

The destroyer has fallen.

Beth-meon,

33"So gladness and joy are taken away 24against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the

From the fruitful field, even from the land

cities of the land of Moab, far and near.

of Moab. And I have made the wine to

cease from the wine presses; No one

25

will tread them with shouting, The

"The horn of Moab has been cut off shouting will not be shouts of joy.

and his arm broken," declares the LORD.

34

26

" From the outcry at Heshbon even to

" Make him drunk, for he has become Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised

arrogant toward the LORD; so Moab will

their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim

wallow in his vomit, and he also will

and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the

become a laughingstock.

waters of Nimrim will become desolate.

35"I will make an end of Moab," declares 44"The one who flees from the terror Will the LORD, "the one who offers sacrifice fall into the pit, And the one who climbs on the high place and the one who

up out of the pit Will be caught in the burns incense to his gods.

snare; For I shall bring upon her, even upon

Moab,

The

year

of

their

36"Therefore My heart wails for Moab punishment," declares the LORD.

like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes

for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they

45"In the shadow of Heshbon The

have lost the abundance it produced.

fugitives stand without strength; For a

fire has gone forth from Heshbon And a

37"For every head is bald and every flame from the midst of Sihon, And it

beard cut short; there are gashes on all

has devoured the forehead of Moab And

the hands and sackcloth on the loins.

the scalps of the riotous revelers.

38

46

"On all the housetops of Moab and in

" Woe to you, Moab! The people of

its

streets

there

is

lamentation

Chemosh have perished; For your sons

everywhere; for I have broken Moab like

have been taken away captive And your

an undesirable vessel," declares the

daughters into captivity.

LORD.

47"Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab 39"How shattered it is! How they have In the latter days," declares the LORD.

wailed! How Moab has turned his back--

Thus far the judgment on Moab.

he is ashamed! So Moab will become a

laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him."

49Concerning the sons of Ammon.

Thus says the LORD: "Does Israel have

40For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one

no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then

will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread has Malcam taken possession of Gad

out his wings against Moab.

And his people settled in its cities?

41"Kerioth has been captured And the 2"Therefore behold, the days are

strongholds have been seized, So the

coming," declares the LORD, "That I will hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that

cause a trumpet blast of war to be heard

day Will be like the heart of a woman in

Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon;

labor.

And it will become a desolate heap, And

her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel

42"Moab will be destroyed from being a will take possession of his possessors,"

people

Because

he

has

become

Says the LORD.

arrogant toward the LORD.

3"Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been

43" Terror, pit and snare are coming destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of

upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,"

Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth

declares the LORD.

and lament, And rush back and forth

inside the walls; For Malcam will go into 11"Leave your orphans behind, I will exile Together with his priests and his keep them alive; And let your widows

princes.

trust in Me."

4"How boastful you are about the valleys!

12For thus says the LORD, "Behold,

Your

valley

is

flowing

away,

O

those who were not sentenced to drink

backsliding daughter Who trusts in her

the cup will certainly drink it, and are treasures, saying, ' Who will come

you the one who will be completely

against me?'

acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but

you will certainly drink it.

5"Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you," Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, 13"For I have sworn by Myself," declares "From all directions around you; And the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an each of you will be driven out headlong, object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a

With no one to gather the fugitives

curse; and all its cities will become

together.

perpetual ruins."

6"But afterward I will restore The

14I have heard a message from the

fortunes of the sons of Ammon,"

LORD, And an envoy is sent among the

Declares the LORD.

nations, saying, " Gather yourselves

together and come against her, And rise

7Concerning Edom. Thus says the

up for battle!"

LORD of hosts, "Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel

15"For behold, I have made you small been lost to the prudent? Has their

among the nations, Despised among

wisdom decayed?

men.

8"Flee away, turn back, dwell in the 16"As for the terror of you, The

depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, For I

arrogance of your heart has deceived

will bring the disaster of Esau upon him

you, O you who live in the clefts of the At the time I punish him.

rock, Who occupy the height of the hill.

Though you make your nest as high as

9" If grape gatherers came to you,

an eagle's, I will bring you down from

Would they not leave gleanings? If

there," declares the LORD.

thieves came by night, They would

destroy only until they had enough.

17"Edom will become an object of horror;

everyone who passes by it will be

10"But I have stripped Esau bare, I have

horrified and will hiss at all its wounds.

uncovered his hiding places So that he

will not be able to conceal himself; His 18"Like the overthrow of Sodom and

offspring has been destroyed along with

Gomorrah with its neighbors," says the his relatives And his neighbors, and he LORD, " no one will live there, nor will a is no more.

son of man reside in it.

19" Behold, one will come up like a lion 26"Therefore, her young men will fall in from the thickets of the Jordan against a her streets, And all the men of war will perennially watered pasture; for in an

be silenced in that day," declares the instant I will make him run away from it,

LORD of hosts.

and whoever is chosen I shall appoint

over it. For who is like Me, and who will

27"I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, summon Me into court? And who then is

And it will devour the fortified towers of the shepherd who can stand against

Ben-hadad."

Me?"

28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms

20Therefore hear the plan of the LORD

of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of

which He has planned against Edom,

Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD,

and His purposes which He has

"Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate purposed against the inhabitants of

the men of the east.

Teman: surely they will drag them off,

even the little ones of the flock; surely 29"They will take away their tents and He will make their pasture desolate their flocks; They will carry off for

because of them.

themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will

21The earth has quaked at the noise of

call out to one another, ' Terror on every

their downfall. There is an outcry! The

side!'

noise of it has been heard at the Red

Sea.

30"Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor," declares the 22Behold, He will mount up and swoop LORD; "For Nebuchadnezzar king of

like an eagle and spread out His wings

Babylon has formed a plan against you

against Bozrah; and the hearts of the

And devised a scheme against you.

mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

31"Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely," declares 23Concerning Damascus. " Hamath and the LORD. "It has no gates or bars; Arpad are put to shame, For they have

They dwell alone.

heard bad news; They are disheartened.

There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be

32"Their camels will become plunder,

calmed.

And their many cattle for booty, And I

will scatter to all the winds those who 24"Damascus has become helpless; She

cut the corners of their hair; And I will has turned away to flee, And panic has bring their disaster from every side,"

gripped her; Distress and pangs have

declares the LORD.

taken hold of her Like a woman in

childbirth.

33"Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,

A desolation forever; No one will live

25"How the city of praise has not been there, Nor will a son of man reside in it."

deserted, The town of My joy!

34That which came as the word of the 3"For a nation has come up against her LORD

to

Jeremiah

the

prophet

out of the north; it will make her land an

concerning Elam, at the beginning of the

object of horror, and there will be no

reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:

inhabitant in it. Both man and beast

have wandered off, they have gone

35"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold,

away!

I am going to break the bow of Elam,

The finest of their might.

4"In those days and at that time,"

declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel 36'I will bring upon Elam the four winds will come, both they and the sons of From the four ends of heaven, And will

Judah as well; they will go along

scatter them to all these winds; And

weeping as they go, and it will be the there will be no nation To which the

LORD their God they will seek.

outcasts of Elam will not go.

5"They will ask for the way to Zion, 37'So I will shatter Elam before their

turning their faces in its direction; they enemies And before those who seek

will come that they may join themselves

their lives; And I will bring calamity upon

to the LORD in an everlasting covenant

them, Even My fierce anger,' declares

that will not be forgotten.

the LORD, 'And I will send out the sword

after them Until I have consumed them.

6"My people have become lost sheep;

Their shepherds have led them astray.

38'Then I will set My throne in Elam And

They have made them turn aside on the

destroy out of it king and princes,'

mountains; They have gone along from

Declares the LORD.

mountain to hill And have forgotten their

resting place.

39'But it will come about in the last days

7

That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,'"

"All who came upon them have

Declares the LORD.

devoured them; And their adversaries

have said, ' We are not guilty, Inasmuch

as they have sinned against the LORD

50

who is the habitation of righteousness,

The word which the LORD spoke

Even the LORD, the hope of their

concerning Babylon, the land of the

fathers.'

Chaldeans,

through

Jeremiah

the

prophet:

8"Wander away from the midst of

Babylon And go forth from the land of

2" Declare and proclaim among the

the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats

nations. Proclaim it and lift up a

at the head of the flock.

standard. Do not conceal it but say, '

Babylon has been captured, Bel has

9"For behold, I am going to arouse and been put to shame, Marduk has been

bring up against Babylon A horde of

shattered; Her images have been put to

great nations from the land of the north,

shame, her idols have been shattered.'

And they will draw up their battle lines

against her; From there she will be oppressor They will each turn back to taken captive. Their arrows will be like his own people And they will each flee

an expert warrior Who does not return

to his own land.

empty-handed.

17"Israel is a scattered flock, the lions 10" Chaldea will become plunder; All who have driven them away. The first one

plunder her will have enough," declares who devoured him was the king of

the LORD.

Assyria, and this last one who has

broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar

11"Because you are glad, because you king of Babylon.

are jubilant, O you who pillage My

heritage, Because you skip about like a

18"Therefore thus says the LORD of

threshing heifer And neigh like stallions,

hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and

12Your mother will be greatly ashamed,

his land, just as I punished the king of She who gave you birth will be

Assyria.

humiliated. Behold, she will be the least

of the nations, A wilderness, a parched

19'And I will bring Israel back to his

land and a desert.

pasture and he will graze on Carmel and

Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied 13"Because of the indignation of the in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.

LORD she will not be inhabited, But she

will be completely desolate; Everyone

20'In those days and at that time,'

who passes by Babylon will be horrified

declares the LORD, 'search will be

And will hiss because of all her wounds.

made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, 14"Draw up your battle lines against but they will not be found; for I will Babylon on every side, All you who pardon those whom I leave as a

bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not be

remnant.'

sparing with your arrows, For she has

sinned against the LORD.

21"Against the land of Merathaim, go up

against it, And against the inhabitants of

15"Raise your battle cry against her on Pekod. Slay and utterly destroy them,"

every side! She has given herself up,

declares the LORD, "And do according her pillars have fallen, Her walls have

to all that I have commanded you.

been torn down. For this is the

vengeance

of

the

LORD:

Take

22"The noise of battle is in the land, And vengeance on her; As she has done to

great destruction.

others, so do to her.

23"How the hammer of the whole earth 16"Cut off the sower from Babylon And Has been cut off and broken! How the one who wields the sickle at the time

Babylon has become An object of horror

of harvest; From before the sword of the

among the nations!

24"I set a snare for you and you were 31"Behold, I am against you, O arrogant also caught, O Babylon, While you

one," Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, yourself were not aware; You have been

"For your day has come, The time when

found and also seized Because you

I will punish you.

have engaged in conflict with the

LORD."

32"The arrogant one will stumble and fall With no one to raise him up; And I will 25The LORD has opened His armory set fire to his cities And it will devour all And has brought forth the weapons of

his environs."

His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord GOD of hosts In the land of the

33Thus says the LORD of hosts, "The Chaldeans.

sons of Israel are oppressed, And the

sons of Judah as well; And all who took

26Come to her from the farthest border;

them captive have held them fast, They

Open up her barns, Pile her up like

have refused to let them go.

heaps And utterly destroy her, Let

nothing be left to her.

34"Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD

of hosts is His name; He will vigorously 27Put all her young bulls to the sword; plead their case So that He may bring Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe

rest to the earth, But turmoil to the

be upon them, for their day has come,

inhabitants of Babylon.

The time of their punishment.

35"A sword against the Chaldeans,"

28There is a sound of fugitives and

declares the LORD, "And against the

refugees from the land of Babylon, To

inhabitants of Babylon And against her

declare in Zion the vengeance of the

officials and her wise men!

LORD our God, Vengeance for His

temple.

36"A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword

29"Summon many against Babylon, All

against her mighty men, and they will be

those who bend the bow: Encamp

shattered!

against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her

37"A sword against their horses and

work; According to all that she has done,

against their chariots And against all the

so do to her; For she has become

foreigners who are in the midst of her, arrogant against the LORD, Against the

And they will become women! A sword

Holy One of Israel.

against her treasures, and they will be

plundered!

30"Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will 38"A drought on her waters, and they will be silenced in that day," declares the be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And LORD.

they are mad over fearsome idols.

39"Therefore the desert creatures will surely He will make their pasture live there along with the jackals; The

desolate because of them.

ostriches also will live in it, And it will never again be inhabited Or dwelt in 46At the shout, "Babylon has been

from generation to generation.

seized!" the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations.

40"As when God overthrew Sodom And

Gomorrah with its neighbors," declares the LORD, "No man will live there, Nor 51Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will any son of man reside in it.

am going to arouse against Babylon

41

And against the inhabitants of Leb-

"Behold, a people is coming from the kamai The spirit of a destroyer.

north, And a great nation and many

kings Will be aroused from the remote

2

parts of the earth.

"I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may

42

devastate her land; For on every side

"They seize their bow and javelin;

they will be opposed to her In the day of

They are cruel and have no mercy.

her calamity.

Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, Marshalled like a man

3

for the battle Against you, O daughter of

"Let not him who bends his bow bend it,

Babylon.

Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote

43

all her army to destruction.

"The king of Babylon has heard the

report about them, And his hands hang

4

limp; Distress has gripped him, Agony

"They will fall down slain in the land of like a woman in childbirth.

the Chaldeans, And pierced through in

their streets."

44" Behold, one will come up like a lion 5

from the thicket of the Jordan to a

For neither Israel nor Judah has been

perennially watered pasture; for in an

forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts,

instant I will make them run away from it,

Although their land is full of guilt Before and whoever is chosen I will appoint

the Holy One of Israel.

over it. For who is like Me, and who will

6

summon Me into court? And who then is

Flee from the midst of Babylon, And

the shepherd who can stand before

each of you save his life! Do not be

Me?"

destroyed in her punishment, For this is

the LORD'S time of vengeance; He is

45Therefore hear the plan of the LORD

going to render recompense to her.

which He has planned against Babylon,

7

and His purposes which He has

Babylon has been a golden cup in the

purposed against the land of the

hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the

Chaldeans: surely they will drag them

earth. The nations have drunk of her

off, even the little ones of the flock;

wine; Therefore the nations are going His wisdom, And by His understanding mad.

He stretched out the heavens.

8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been

16When He utters His voice, there is a

broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for

tumult of waters in the heavens, And He

her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.

causes the clouds to ascend from the

end of the earth; He makes lightning for

9We applied healing to Babylon, but she

the rain And brings forth the wind from was not healed; Forsake her and let us

His storehouses.

each go to his own country, For her

judgment has reached to heaven And

17All mankind is stupid, devoid of

towers up to the very skies.

knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to

shame by his idols, For his molten

10The LORD has brought about our

images are deceitful, And there is no

vindication; Come and let us recount in

breath in them.

Zion The work of the LORD our God!

18They are worthless, a work of mockery;

11Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!

In the time of their punishment they will The LORD has aroused the spirit of the

perish.

kings of the Medes, Because His

purpose is against Babylon to destroy it;

19The portion of Jacob is not like these;

For it is the vengeance of the LORD,

For the Maker of all is He, And of the vengeance for His temple.

tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of

hosts is His name.

12Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station

20He says, "You are My war-club, My sentries, Place men in ambush! For the

weapon of war; And with you I shatter

LORD

has

both

purposed

and

nations, And with you I destroy

performed What He spoke concerning

kingdoms.

the inhabitants of Babylon.

21"With you I shatter the horse and his 13O you who dwell by many waters,

rider, And with you I shatter the chariot Abundant in treasures, Your end has

and its rider,

come, The measure of your end.

22And with you I shatter man and

14The LORD of hosts has sworn by

woman, And with you I shatter old man

Himself: "Surely I will fill you with a and youth, And with you I shatter young

population like locusts, And they will cry

man and virgin,

out with shouts of victory over you."

23And with you I shatter the shepherd

15It is He who made the earth by His

and his flock, And with you I shatter the

power, Who established the world by

farmer and his team, And with you I

shatter governors and prefects.

24"But I will repay Babylon and all the 31One courier runs to meet another, And inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil one messenger to meet another, To tell

that they have done in Zion before your

the king of Babylon That his city has

eyes," declares the LORD.

been captured from end to end;

25"Behold, I am against you, O

32The fords also have been seized, And

destroying mountain, Who destroys the

they have burned the marshes with fire,

whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I And the men of war are terrified.

will stretch out My hand against you,

And roll you down from the crags, And I

33For thus says the LORD of hosts, the

will make you a burnt out mountain.

God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon

is like a threshing floor At the time it is 26"They will not take from you even a stamped firm; Yet in a little while the stone for a corner Nor a stone for time of harvest will come for her."

foundations, But you will be desolate

forever," declares the LORD.

34"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has

devoured me and crushed me, He has

27Lift up a signal in the land, Blow a set me down like an empty vessel; He

trumpet among the nations! Consecrate

has swallowed me like a monster, He

the nations against her, Summon

has filled his stomach with my delicacies;

against her the kingdoms of Ararat,

He has washed me away.

Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint a marshal

against her, Bring up the horses like

35"May the violence done to me and to bristly locusts.

my flesh be upon Babylon," The

inhabitant of Zion will say; And, "May my 28Consecrate the nations against her,

blood be upon the inhabitants of

The kings of the Medes, Their governors

Chaldea," Jerusalem will say.

and all their prefects, And every land of their dominion.

36Therefore thus says the LORD,

"Behold, I am going to plead your case 29So the land quakes and writhes, For And exact full vengeance for you; And I

the purposes of the LORD against

will dry up her sea And make her

Babylon stand, To make the land of

fountain dry.

Babylon A desolation without inhabitants.

37" Babylon will become a heap of ruins,

30The mighty men of Babylon have

a haunt of jackals, An object of horror ceased fighting, They stay in the

and hissing, without inhabitants.

strongholds; Their strength is exhausted,

They are becoming like women; Their

38"They will roar together like young dwelling places are set on fire, The bars

lions, They will growl like lions' cubs.

of her gates are broken.

39"When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet And make

them drunk, that they may become 47Therefore behold, days are coming jubilant And may sleep a perpetual

When I will punish the idols of Babylon; sleep And not wake up," declares the And her whole land will be put to shame LORD.

And all her slain will fall in her midst.

40"I will bring them down like lambs to 48"Then heaven and earth and all that is the slaughter, Like rams together with

in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, male goats.

For the destroyers will come to her from

the north," Declares the LORD.

41"How Sheshak has been captured,

And the praise of the whole earth been

49Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of

seized! How Babylon has become an

Israel, As also for Babylon the slain of object of horror among the nations!

all the earth have fallen.

42"The sea has come up over Babylon; 50You who have escaped the sword,

She has been engulfed with its

Depart! Do not stay! Remember the

tumultuous waves.

LORD from afar, And let Jerusalem

come to your mind.

43"Her cities have become an object of horror, A parched land and a desert, A 51We are ashamed because we have

land in which no man lives And through

heard reproach; Disgrace has covered

which no son of man passes.

our faces, For aliens have entered The

holy places of the LORD'S house.

44" I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out

52"Therefore behold, the days are

of his mouth; And the nations will no

coming," declares the LORD, "When I longer stream to him. Even the wall of will punish her idols, And the mortally

Babylon has fallen down!

wounded will groan throughout her land.

45" Come forth from her midst, My

53"Though Babylon should ascend to the

people,

And

each

of

you

save

heavens, And though she should fortify

yourselves From the fierce anger of the

her

lofty

stronghold,

From

Me

LORD.

destroyers will come to her," declares the LORD.

46"Now so that your heart does not grow

faint, And you are not afraid at the report

54The sound of an outcry from Babylon,

that will be heard in the land-- For the And of great destruction from the land of

report will come one year, And after that

the Chaldeans!

another report in another year, And

violence will be in the land With ruler 55For the LORD is going to destroy

against ruler--

Babylon, And He will make her loud

noise vanish from her. And their waves

will roar like many waters; The tumult of in it, whether man or beast, but it will be their voices sounds forth.

a perpetual desolation.'

56For the destroyer is coming against

63"And as soon as you finish reading this her, against Babylon, And her mighty

scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw

men will be captured, Their bows are

it into the middle of the Euphrates,

shattered; For the LORD is a God of

recompense, He will fully repay.

64and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink

down and not rise again because of the

57"I will make her princes and her wise calamity that I am going to bring upon men drunk, Her governors, her prefects

her; and they will become exhausted.'"

and her mighty men, That they may

Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake

up," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

52Zedekiah was twenty-one years

58

old when he became king, and he

Thus says the LORD of hosts, "The

reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and

broad wall of Babylon will be completely

his mother's name was Hamutal the

razed And her high gates will be set on daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted only

2

for fire."

He did evil in the sight of the LORD like

all that Jehoiakim had done.

59The message which Jeremiah the

3

prophet commanded Seraiah the son of

For through the anger of the LORD this

Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah,

came about in Jerusalem and Judah

when he went with Zedekiah the king of

until He cast them out from His

Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of

presence.

And

Zedekiah

rebelled

his

reign.

(Now

Seraiah

was

against the king of Babylon.

quartermaster.)

4Now it came about in the ninth year of

60So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all

his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth the calamity which would come upon

month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon, that is, all these words which

Babylon came, he and all his army,

have been written concerning Babylon.

against Jerusalem, camped against it

and built a siege wall all around it.

61Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "As 5

soon as you come to Babylon, then see

So the city was under siege until the

that you read all these words aloud,

eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

6

62and say, 'You, O LORD, have

On the ninth day of the fourth month

promised concerning this place to cut it the famine was so severe in the city that

off, so that there will be nothing dwelling

there was no food for the people of the land.

7Then the city was broken into, and all 14So all the army of the Chaldeans who the men of war fled and went forth from

were with the captain of the guard broke

the city at night by way of the gate

down all the walls around Jerusalem.

between the two walls which was by the

king's garden, though the Chaldeans

15Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the

were all around the city. And they went guard carried away into exile some of

by way of the Arabah.

the poorest of the people, the rest of the

people who were left in the city, the

8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued

deserters who had deserted to the king

the king and overtook Zedekiah in the

of Babylon and the rest of the artisans.

plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the

guard left some of the poorest of the

9Then they captured the king and

land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

brought him up to the king of Babylon at

Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he

17Now the bronze pillars which belonged

passed sentence on him.

to the house of the LORD and the

stands and the bronze sea, which were

10The king of Babylon slaughtered the

in the house of the LORD, the

sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and

Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried

he also slaughtered all the princes of

all their bronze to Babylon.

Judah in Riblah.

18They also took away the pots, the

11Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah;

shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the

and the king of Babylon bound him with

pans and all the bronze vessels which

bronze fetters and brought him to

were used in temple service.

Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.

19The captain of the guard also took

away the bowls, the firepans, the basins,

12Now on the tenth day of the fifth month,

the pots, the lampstands, the pans and

which was the nineteenth year of King

the drink offering bowls, what was fine

Nebuchadnezzar,

king

of

Babylon,

gold and what was fine silver.

Nebuzaradan

the

captain

of

the

bodyguard, who was in the service of

20The two pillars, the one sea, and the the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

twelve bronze bulls that were under the

sea, and the stands, which King

13He burned the house of the LORD, the

Solomon had made for the house of the

king's house and all the houses of

LORD--the bronze of all these vessels

Jerusalem; even every large house he

was beyond weight.

burned with fire.

21As for the pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, and it was

twelve cubits in circumference and four 28These

are

the

people

whom

fingers in thickness, and hollow.

Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile:

in the seventh year 3,023 Jews;

22Now a capital of bronze was on it; and

the height of each capital was five cubits,

29in

the

eighteenth

year

of

with network and pomegranates upon

Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from

the capital all around, all of bronze. And

Jerusalem;

the second pillar was like these,

including pomegranates.

30in

the

twenty-third

year

of

Nebuchadnezzar,

Nebuzaradan

the

23There

were

ninety-six

exposed

captain of the guard carried into exile

pomegranates; all the pomegranates

745 Jewish people; there were 4,600

numbered a hundred on the network all

persons in all.

around.

31Now it came about in the thirty—

24Then the captain of the guard took

seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin

Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah

king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the second priest, with the three officers

the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-of the temple.

merodach king of Babylon, in the first

year of his reign, showed favor to

25He also took from the city one official Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought

who was overseer of the men of war,

him out of prison.

and seven of the king's advisers who

were found in the city, and the scribe of

32Then he spoke kindly to him and set

the commander of the army who

his throne above the thrones of the

mustered the people of the land, and

kings who were with him in Babylon.

sixty men of the people of the land who

were found in the midst of the city.

33So Jehoiachin changed his prison

clothes, and had his meals in the king's 26Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard

presence regularly all the days of his life.

took them and brought them to the king

of Babylon at Riblah.

34For his allowance, a regular allowance

was given him by the king of Babylon, a

27Then the king of Babylon struck them

daily portion all the days of his life until down and put them to death at Riblah in

the day of his death.

the land of Hamath. So Judah was led

away into exile from its land.

Lamentations

7In the days of her affliction and

homelessness Jerusalem remembers all

1How lonely sits the city That was full her precious things That were from the days of old, When her people fell into of people! She has become like a widow

the hand of the adversary And no one

Who was once great among the nations!

helped her. The adversaries saw her,

She who was a princess among the

They mocked at her ruin.

provinces Has become a forced laborer!

8Jerusalem sinned greatly, Therefore

2She weeps bitterly in the night And her

she has become an unclean thing. All

tears are on her cheeks; She has none

who honored her despise her Because

to comfort her Among all her lovers. All they have seen her nakedness; Even

her friends have dealt treacherously with

she herself groans and turns away.

her; They have become her enemies.

9

3

Her uncleanness was in her skirts; She

Judah has gone into exile under

did not consider her future. Therefore

affliction And under harsh servitude;

she has fallen astonishingly; She has no

She dwells among the nations, But she

comforter. " See, O LORD, my affliction,

has found no rest; All her pursuers have

For the enemy has magnified himself!"

overtaken her In the midst of distress.

10

4

The adversary has stretched out his

The roads of Zion are in mourning

hand Over all her precious things, For

Because no one comes to the appointed

she has seen the nations enter her

feasts. All her gates are desolate; Her

sanctuary,

The

ones

whom

You

priests are groaning, Her virgins are

commanded That they should not enter

afflicted, And she herself is bitter.

into Your congregation.

5Her adversaries have become her

11All her people groan seeking bread;

masters, Her enemies prosper; For the

They have given their precious things

LORD has caused her grief Because of

for

food

To

restore

their

lives

the multitude of her transgressions; Her

themselves. "See, O LORD, and look,

little ones have gone away As captives

For I am despised."

before the adversary.

12"Is it nothing to all you who pass this 6All her majesty Has departed from the way? Look and see if there is any pain daughter of Zion; Her princes have

like my pain Which was severely dealt

become like deer That have found no

out to me, Which the LORD inflicted on

pasture; And they have fled without

the day of His fierce anger.

strength Before the pursuer.

13"From on high He sent fire into my 20"See, O LORD, for I am in distress; My bones, And it prevailed over them. He

spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is

has spread a net for my feet; He has

overturned within me, For I have been

turned me back; He has made me

very rebellious. In the street the sword desolate, Faint all day long.

slays; In the house it is like death.

14"The yoke of my transgressions is

21"They have heard that I groan; There bound; By His hand they are knit

is no one to comfort me; All my enemies

together. They have come upon my

have heard of my calamity; They are

neck; He has made my strength fail. The

glad that You have done it. Oh, that You

Lord has given me into the hands Of

would bring the day which You have

those against whom I am not able to

proclaimed, That they may become like

stand.

me.

15"The Lord has rejected all my strong 22"Let all their wickedness come before men In my midst; He has called an You; And deal with them as You have

appointed time against me To crush my

dealt with me For all my transgressions;

young men; The Lord has trodden as in

For my groans are many and my heart

a wine press The virgin daughter of

is faint."

Judah.

16"For these things I weep; My eyes run

2How the Lord has covered the

down with water; Because far from me

daughter of Zion With a cloud in His

is a comforter, One who restores my

anger! He has cast from heaven to earth

soul. My children are desolate Because

The glory of Israel, And has not

the enemy has prevailed."

remembered His footstool In the day of

His anger.

17Zion stretches out her hands; There is

no one to comfort her; The LORD has

2The Lord has swallowed up; He has not

commanded concerning Jacob That the

spared All the habitations of Jacob. In

ones round about him should be his

His wrath He has thrown down The

adversaries; Jerusalem has become an

strongholds of the daughter of Judah;

unclean thing among them.

He has brought them down to the

ground; He has profaned the kingdom

18"The LORD is righteous; For I have and its princes.

rebelled against His command; Hear

now, all peoples, And behold my pain;

3In fierce anger He has cut off All the My virgins and my young men Have

strength of Israel; He has drawn back

gone into captivity.

His right hand From before the enemy.

And He has burned in Jacob like a

19"I called to my lovers, but they

flaming fire Consuming round about.

deceived me; My priests and my elders

perished in the city While they sought

food to restore their strength themselves.

4He has bent His bow like an enemy; He have girded themselves with sackcloth.

has set His right hand like an adversary

The virgins of Jerusalem Have bowed

And slain all that were pleasant to the their heads to the ground.

eye; In the tent of the daughter of Zion He has poured out His wrath like fire.

11My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit

is greatly troubled; My heart is poured

5The Lord has become like an enemy.

out on the earth Because of the

He has swallowed up Israel; He has

destruction of the daughter of my people,

swallowed up all its palaces, He has

When little ones and infants faint In the destroyed its strongholds And multiplied

streets of the city.

in the daughter of Judah Mourning and

moaning.

12They say to their mothers, " Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a 6And He has violently treated His wounded man In the streets of the city, tabernacle like a garden booth; He has

As their life is poured out On their

destroyed His appointed meeting place.

mothers' bosom.

The LORD has caused to be forgotten

The appointed feast and sabbath in Zion,

13How shall I admonish you? To what

And He has despised king and priest In

shall I compare you, O daughter of

the indignation of His anger.

Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you as

I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion?

7The Lord has rejected His altar, He has

For your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who

abandoned His sanctuary; He has

can heal you?

delivered into the hand of the enemy

The walls of her palaces. They have

14Your prophets have seen for you False

made a noise in the house of the LORD

and foolish visions; And they have not

As in the day of an appointed feast.

exposed your iniquity So as to restore

you from captivity, But they have seen

8The LORD determined to destroy The

for you false and misleading oracles.

wall of the daughter of Zion. He has

stretched out a line, He has not

15All who pass along the way Clap their

restrained His hand from destroying,

hands in derision at you; They hiss and

And He has caused rampart and wall to

shake their heads At the daughter of

lament; They have languished together.

Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they said, ' The perfection of beauty, A joy to

9Her gates have sunk into the ground,

all the earth'?"

He has destroyed and broken her bars.

Her king and her princes are among the

16All your enemies Have opened their

nations; The law is no more. Also, her

mouths wide against you; They hiss and

prophets find No vision from the LORD.

gnash their teeth. They say, "We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day

10The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit

for which we waited; We have reached it,

on the ground, they are silent. They

we have seen it."

have thrown dust on their heads; They

17The LORD has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His

3I am the man who has seen affliction

word Which He commanded from days

Because of the rod of His wrath.

of old. He has thrown down without

sparing, And He has caused the enemy

2

to rejoice over you; He has exalted the He has driven me and made me walk In

might of your adversaries.

darkness and not in light.

3

18Their heart cried out to the Lord, "O

Surely against me He has turned His

wall of the daughter of Zion, Let your

hand Repeatedly all the day.

tears run down like a river day and night;

4

Give yourself no relief, Let your eyes

He has caused my flesh and my skin to

have no rest.

waste away, He has broken my bones.

19

5

"Arise, cry aloud in the night At the He has besieged and encompassed me

beginning of the night watches; Pour out

with bitterness and hardship.

your heart like water Before the

presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands

6In dark places He has made me dwell,

to Him For the life of your little ones Like those who have long been dead.

Who are faint because of hunger At the

head of every street."

7He has walled me in so that I cannot go

out; He has made my chain heavy.

20See, O LORD, and look! With whom

have You dealt thus? Should women eat

8Even when I cry out and call for help, their offspring, The little ones who were He shuts out my prayer.

born healthy? Should priest and prophet

be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?

9He has blocked my ways with hewn

stone; He has made my paths crooked.

21On the ground in the streets Lie young

and old; My virgins and my young men

10He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Have fallen by the sword. You have

Like a lion in secret places.

slain them in the day of Your anger, You

have slaughtered, not sparing.

11He has turned aside my ways and torn

22

me to pieces; He has made me desolate.

You called as in the day of an

appointed feast My terrors on every side;

12

And there was no one who escaped or

He bent His bow And set me as a

survived In the day of the LORD'S anger.

target for the arrow.

Those whom I bore and reared, My

13

enemy annihilated them.

He made the arrows of His quiver To

enter into my inward parts.

14I have become a laughingstock to all 27It is good for a man that he should my people, Their mocking song all the

bear The yoke in his youth.

day.

28Let him sit alone and be silent Since 15He has filled me with bitterness, He

He has laid it on him.

has made me drunk with wormwood.

29Let him put his mouth in the dust,

16He has broken my teeth with gravel;

Perhaps there is hope.

He has made me cower in the dust.

30Let him give his cheek to the smiter, 17My soul has been rejected from peace;

Let him be filled with reproach.

I have forgotten happiness.

31For the Lord will not reject forever,

18So I say, "My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD."

32For if He causes grief, Then He will

have compassion According to His

19Remember my affliction and my

abundant lovingkindness.

wandering,

the

wormwood

and

bitterness.

33For He does not afflict willingly Or

grieve the sons of men.

20Surely my soul remembers And is

bowed down within me.

34To crush under His feet All the

prisoners of the land,

21This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.

35To deprive a man of justice In the

presence of the Most High,

22The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed

never cease, For His compassions

36To defraud a man in his lawsuit-- Of

never fail.

these things the Lord does not approve.

23They are new every morning; Great is

37Who is there who speaks and it comes

Your faithfulness.

to

pass,

Unless

the

Lord

has

commanded it?

24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."

38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?

25The LORD is good to those who wait

for Him, To the person who seeks Him.

39Why should any living mortal, or any

man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?

26It is good that he waits silently For the

salvation of the LORD.

40Let us examine and probe our ways,

And let us return to the LORD.

41We lift up our heart and hands Toward 54Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I God in heaven;

am cut off!"

42We have transgressed and rebelled,

55I called on Your name, O LORD, Out

You have not pardoned.

of the lowest pit.

43You have covered Yourself with anger

56You have heard my voice, " Do not And pursued us; You have slain and

hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, have not spared.

From my cry for help."

44You have covered Yourself with a

57You drew near when I called on You;

cloud So that no prayer can pass

You said, " Do not fear!"

through.

58O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's

45You have made us mere offscouring

cause; You have redeemed my life.

and refuse In the midst of the peoples.

59O LORD, You have seen my

46All our enemies have opened their

oppression; Judge my case.

mouths against us.

60You have seen all their vengeance, All

47Panic and pitfall have befallen us,

their schemes against me.

Devastation and destruction;

61You have heard their reproach, O

48My eyes run down with streams of

LORD, All their schemes against me.

water Because of the destruction of the

daughter of my people.

62The lips of my assailants and their

whispering Are against me all day long.

49My eyes pour down unceasingly,

Without stopping,

63Look on their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song.

50Until the LORD looks down And sees

from heaven.

64You will recompense them, O LORD,

According to the work of their hands.

51My eyes bring pain to my soul

Because of all the daughters of my city.

65You will give them hardness of heart,

Your curse will be on them.

52My enemies without cause Hunted me

down like a bird;

66You will pursue them in anger and

destroy them From under the heavens

53They have silenced me in the pit And

of the LORD!

have placed a stone on me.

4

pine away, being stricken For lack of the

How dark the gold has become, How

fruits of the field.

the pure gold has changed! The sacred

10

stones are poured out At the corner of

The hands of compassionate women

every street.

Boiled their own children; They became

food

for

them

Because

of

the

2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed

destruction of the daughter of my people.

against fine gold, How they are

11

regarded as earthen jars, The work of a

The LORD has accomplished His

potter's hands!

wrath, He has poured out His fierce

anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion

3Even jackals offer the breast, They

Which has consumed its foundations.

nurse their young; But the daughter of

12

my people has become cruel Like

The kings of the earth did not believe,

ostriches in the wilderness.

Nor did any of the inhabitants of the

world, That the adversary and the

4The tongue of the infant cleaves To the

enemy Could enter the gates of

roof of its mouth because of thirst; The Jerusalem.

little ones ask for bread, But no one

13

breaks it for them.

Because of the sins of her prophets

And the iniquities of her priests, Who

5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate

have shed in her midst The blood of the

in the streets; Those reared in purple

righteous;

Embrace ash pits.

14They wandered, blind, in the streets;

6For the iniquity of the daughter of my They were defiled with blood So that no

people Is greater than the sin of Sodom,

one could touch their garments.

Which was overthrown as in a moment,

15

And no hands were turned toward her.

"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not

7Her consecrated ones were purer than

touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men

snow, They were whiter than milk; They

among the nations said, "They shall not

continue to dwell with us."

were more ruddy in body than corals,

Their polishing was like lapis lazuli.

16The presence of the LORD has

8Their appearance is blacker than soot,

scattered them, He will not continue to

They are not recognized in the streets;

regard them; They did not honor the

priests, They did not favor the elders.

Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.

17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help

9Better are those slain with the sword

was useless; In our watching we have

Than those slain with hunger; For they

watched For a nation that could not

save.

18They hunted our steps So that we 6We have submitted to Egypt and could not walk in our streets; Our end

Assyria to get enough bread.

drew near, Our days were finished For

our end had come.

7Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It

is we who have borne their iniquities.

19Our pursuers were swifter Than the

eagles of the sky; They chased us on

8Slaves rule over us; There is no one to

the mountains, They waited in ambush

deliver us from their hand.

for us in the wilderness.

9We get our bread at the risk of our lives

20The breath of our nostrils, the LORD'S

Because of the sword in the wilderness.

anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow 10Our skin has become as hot as an We shall live among the nations."

oven, Because of the burning heat of

famine.

21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of

Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But

11They ravished the women in Zion, The

the cup will come around to you as well,

virgins in the cities of Judah.

You will become drunk and make

yourself naked.

12Princes were hung by their hands;

22

Elders were not respected.

The punishment of your iniquity has

been completed, O daughter of Zion; He

13

will exile you no longer. But He will

Young men worked at the grinding mill,

punish your iniquity, O daughter of

And youths stumbled under loads of

Edom; He will expose your sins!

wood.

14Elders are gone from the gate, Young

5

men from their music.

Remember, O LORD, what has

befallen us; Look, and see our reproach!

15The joy of our hearts has ceased; Our

dancing has been turned into mourning.

2Our inheritance has been turned over

to strangers, Our houses to aliens.

16The crown has fallen from our head;

Woe to us, for we have sinned!

3We have become orphans without a

father, Our mothers are like widows.

17Because of this our heart is faint,

Because of these things our eyes are

4We have to pay for our drinking water,

dim;

Our wood comes to us at a price.

18Because of Mount Zion which lies

5Our pursuers are at our necks; We are

desolate, Foxes prowl in it.

worn out, there is no rest for us.

19You, O LORD, rule forever; Your 21Restore us to You, O LORD, that we throne is from generation to generation.

may be restored; Renew our days as of

old,

20Why do You forget us forever? Why do

You forsake us so long?

22Unless You have utterly rejected us

And are exceedingly angry with us.

Ezekiel

9their wings touched one another; their

faces did not turn when they moved,

1Now it came about in the thirtieth each went straight forward.

year, on the fifth day of the fourth month,

10

while I was by the river Chebar among

As for the form of their faces, each had

the exiles, the heavens were opened

the face of a man; all four had the face and I saw visions of God.

of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

2(On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,

11Such were their faces. Their wings

3

were spread out above; each had two

the word of the LORD came expressly

touching

another

being,

and

two

to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the covering their bodies.

land of the Chaldeans by the river

Chebar; and there the hand of the

12

LORD came upon him.)

And each went straight forward;

wherever the spirit was about to go, they

4

would go, without turning as they went.

As I looked, behold, a storm wind was

coming from the north, a great cloud

13

with fire flashing forth continually and a In the midst of the living beings there bright light around it, and in its midst was something that looked like burning something like glowing metal in the

coals of fire, like torches darting back midst of the fire.

and forth among the living beings. The

fire was bright, and lightning was

5

flashing from the fire.

Within it there were figures resembling

four living beings. And this was their

14

appearance: they had human form.

And the living beings ran to and fro like

bolts of lightning.

6Each of them had four faces and four

15

wings.

Now as I looked at the living beings,

behold, there was one wheel on the

7

earth beside the living beings, for each Their legs were straight and their feet

of the four of them.

were like a calf's hoof, and they

gleamed like burnished bronze.

16The appearance of the wheels and

8

their workmanship was like sparkling

Under their wings on their four sides

beryl, and all four of them had the same

were human hands. As for the faces and

form,

their

appearance

and

wings of the four of them,

workmanship being as if one wheel

were within another.

17Whenever they moved, they moved in 25And there came a voice from above any of their four directions without

the expanse that was over their heads;

turning as they moved.

whenever they stood still, they dropped

their wings.

18As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of

26Now above the expanse that was over

them were full of eyes round about.

their heads there was something

resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in 19Whenever the living beings moved, the

appearance;

and

on

that

which

wheels moved with them. And whenever

resembled a throne, high up, was a

the living beings rose from the earth, the

figure with the appearance of a man.

wheels rose also.

27Then I noticed from the appearance of

20Wherever the spirit was about to go,

His loins and upward something like

they would go in that direction. And the glowing metal that looked like fire all

wheels rose close beside them; for the

around

within

it,

and

from

the

spirit of the living beings was in the

appearance of His loins and downward I

wheels.

saw something like fire; and there was a

radiance around Him.

21Whenever those went, these went;

28

and whenever those stood still, these

As the appearance of the rainbow in

stood still. And whenever those rose

the clouds on a rainy day, so was the

from the earth, the wheels rose close

appearance of the surrounding radiance.

beside them; for the spirit of the living Such was the appearance of the

beings was in the wheels.

likeness of the glory of the LORD. And

when I saw it, I fell on my face and

22

heard a voice speaking.

Now over the heads of the living

beings there was something like an

expanse, like the awesome gleam of

crystal, spread out over their heads.

2Then He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with

23Under the expanse their wings were

you!"

stretched out straight, one toward the

other; each one also had two wings

2As He spoke to me the Spirit entered

covering its body on the one side and on

me and set me on my feet; and I heard

the other.

Him speaking to me.

24I also heard the sound of their wings 3Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am

like the sound of abundant waters as

sending you to the sons of Israel, to a they went, like the voice of the Almighty,

rebellious people who have rebelled

a sound of tumult like the sound of an against Me; they and their fathers have

army camp; whenever they stood still,

transgressed against Me to this very day.

they dropped their wings.

4"I am sending you to them who are 3He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stubborn and obstinate children, and

stomach and fill your body with this

you shall say to them, 'Thus says the

scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate Lord GOD.'

it, and it was sweet as honey in my

mouth.

5"As for them, whether they listen or not-

-for they are a rebellious house--they

4Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to

will know that a prophet has been

the house of Israel and speak with My

among them.

words to them.

6"And you, son of man, neither fear 5"For you are not being sent to a people

them nor fear their words, though

of unintelligible speech or difficult

thistles and thorns are with you and you

language, but to the house of Israel,

sit on scorpions; neither fear their words

nor be dismayed at their presence, for

6nor to many peoples of unintelligible

they are a rebellious house.

speech or difficult language, whose

words you cannot understand. But I

7"But you shall speak My words to them

have sent you to them who should listen

whether they listen or not, for they are to you;

rebellious.

7yet the house of Israel will not be willing

8"Now you, son of man, listen to what I to listen to you, since they are not willing am speaking to you; do not be rebellious

to listen to Me. Surely the whole house like that rebellious house. Open your

of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.

mouth and eat what I am giving you."

8"Behold, I have made your face as hard

9Then I looked, and behold, a hand was

as their faces and your forehead as hard

extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. as their foreheads.

10When He spread it out before me, it

9"Like emery harder than flint I have was written on the front and back, and made your forehead. Do not be afraid of

written

on

it

were

lamentations,

them or be dismayed before them,

mourning and woe.

though they are a rebellious house."

10

3

Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man,

Then He said to me, "Son of man,

take into your heart all My words which I

eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go,

will speak to you and listen closely.

speak to the house of Israel."

11"Go to the exiles, to the sons of your 2So I opened my mouth, and He fed me

people, and speak to them and tell them,

this scroll.

whether they listen or not, 'Thus says

the Lord GOD.'"

12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I 20"Again, when a righteous man turns heard a great rumbling sound behind away from his righteousness and

me, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD

commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle

in His place."

before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, 13And I heard the sound of the wings of and his righteous deeds which he has

the living beings touching one another

done shall not be remembered; but his

and the sound of the wheels beside

blood I will require at your hand.

them, even a great rumbling sound.

21"However, if you have warned the

14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me

righteous man that the righteous should

away; and I went embittered in the rage

not sin and he does not sin, he shall

of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD

surely live because he took warning;

was strong on me.

and you have delivered yourself."

15

22

Then I came to the exiles who lived

The hand of the LORD was on me

beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and

there, and He said to me, "Get up, go I sat there seven days where they were

out to the plain, and there I will speak to

living, causing consternation among

you."

them.

23So I got up and went out to the plain;

16At the end of seven days the word of and behold, the glory of the LORD was

the LORD came to me, saying,

standing there, like the glory which I saw

by the river Chebar, and I fell on my

17

face.

"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel;

24

whenever you hear a word from My

The Spirit then entered me and made

mouth, warn them from Me.

me stand on my feet, and He spoke with

me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself 18

up in your house.

"When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or 25

speak out to warn the wicked from his

"As for you, son of man, they will put wicked way that he may live, that wicked

ropes on you and bind you with them so

man shall die in his iniquity, but his

that you cannot go out among them.

blood I will require at your hand.

26"Moreover, I will make your tongue 19"Yet if you have warned the wicked stick to the roof of your mouth so that and he does not turn from his you will be mute and cannot be a man

wickedness or from his wicked way, he

who rebukes them, for they are a

shall die in his iniquity; but you have rebellious house.

delivered yourself.

27"But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who 8"Now behold, I will put ropes on you so hears, let him hear; and he who refuses,

that you cannot turn from one side to the

let him refuse; for they are a rebellious other until you have completed the days

house.

of your siege.

9

4

"But as for you, take wheat, barley,

"Now you son of man, get yourself a beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them

brick, place it before you and inscribe a in one vessel and make them into bread

for yourself; you shall eat it according to

city on it, Jerusalem.

the number of the days that you lie on 2

your side, three hundred and ninety

"Then lay siege against it, build a siege days.

wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps and

place battering rams against it all

10"Your food which you eat shall be around.

twenty shekels a day by weight; you

3

shall eat it from time to time.

"Then get yourself an iron plate and set

it up as an iron wall between you and

11

the city, and set your face toward it so

"The water you drink shall be the sixth

part of a hin by measure; you shall drink

that it is under siege, and besiege it.

it from time to time.

This is a sign to the house of Israel.

12

4"As for you, lie down on your left side

"You shall eat it as a barley cake, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel

having baked it in their sight over human

dung."

on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the

number of days that you lie on it.

13Then the LORD said, "Thus will the 5"For I have assigned you a number of sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish

days corresponding to the years of their

them."

iniquity, three hundred and ninety days;

thus you shall bear the iniquity of the 14

house of Israel.

But I said, " Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my

6

youth until now I have never eaten what

"When you have completed these, you

died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor shall lie down a second time, but on

your right side and bear the iniquity of has any unclean meat ever entered my

the house of Judah; I have assigned it to

mouth."

you for forty days, a day for each year.

15Then He said to me, "See, I will give 7

you cow's dung in place of human dung

"Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm

over which you will prepare your bread."

bared and prophesy against it.

16Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man,

behold, I am going to break the staff of

bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat 7"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, bread by weight and with anxiety, and 'Because you have more turmoil than

drink water by measure and in horror,

the nations which surround you and

have not walked in My statutes, nor

17because bread and water will be

observed My ordinances, nor observed

scarce; and they will be appalled with

the ordinances of the nations which

one another and waste away in their

surround you,'

iniquity.

8therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

'Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I

5"As for you, son of man, take a sharp will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.

sword; take and use it as a barber's

razor on your head and beard. Then

9'And because of all your abominations,

take scales for weighing and divide the

I will do among you what I have not

hair.

done, and the like of which I will never 2

do again.

"One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of 10'Therefore, fathers will eat their sons the siege are completed. Then you shall among you, and sons will eat their

take one third and strike it with the

sword all around the city, and one third fathers; for I will execute judgments on you shall scatter to the wind; and I will you and scatter all your remnant to unsheathe a sword behind them.

every wind.

11

3

'So as I live,' declares the Lord GOD,

"Take also a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your

'surely, because you have defiled My

robes.

sanctuary with all your detestable idols

and

with

all

your

abominations,

therefore I will also withdraw, and My

4"Take again some of them and throw eye will have no pity and I will not spare.

them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the 12

house of Israel.

'One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you,

one third will fall by the sword around 5"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'This is

you, and one third I will scatter to every

Jerusalem; I have set her at the center wind, and I will unsheathe a sword

of the nations, with lands around her.

behind them.

6'But she has rebelled against My

13'Thus My anger will be spent and I will

ordinances more wickedly than the

satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be nations and against My statutes more

appeased; then they will know that I, the

than the lands which surround her; for

LORD, have spoken in My zeal when I

they have rejected My ordinances and

have spent My wrath upon them.

have not walked in My statutes.'

14'Moreover, I will make you a desolation and I will make your slain fall in front of and a reproach among the nations your idols.

which surround you, in the sight of all who pass by.

5"I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I 15'So it will be a reproach, a reviling, a will scatter your bones around your

warning and an object of horror to the

altars.

nations who surround you when I

execute judgments against you in anger,

6"In all your dwellings, cities will become wrath and raging rebukes. I, the LORD,

waste and the high places will be

have spoken.

desolate, that your altars may become

waste and desolate, your idols may be

16'When I send against them the deadly

broken and brought to an end, your

arrows of famine which were for the

incense altars may be cut down, and

destruction of those whom I will send to

your works may be blotted out.

destroy you, then I will also intensify the

famine upon you and break the staff of

7"The slain will fall among you, and you

bread.

will know that I am the LORD.

17'Moreover, I will send on you famine

8"However, I will leave a remnant, for and wild beasts, and they will bereave you will have those who escaped the

you of children; plague and bloodshed

sword among the nations when you are

also will pass through you, and I will

scattered among the countries.

bring the sword on you. I, the LORD,

have spoken.'"

9"Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to

6

which they will be carried captive, how I

And the word of the LORD came to

have been hurt by their adulterous

me saying,

hearts which turned away from Me, and

by their eyes which played the harlot

2"Son of man, set your face toward the after their idols; and they will loathe mountains of Israel, and prophesy

themselves in their own sight for the

against them

evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

3and say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to 10

the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says

"Then they will know that I am the the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills,

LORD; I have not said in vain that I

the ravines and the valleys: "Behold, I would inflict this disaster on them."'

Myself am going to bring a sword on you,

11

and I will destroy your high places.

"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Clap your hand, stamp your foot and say, " Alas, 4"So your altars will become desolate because of all the evil abominations of and your incense altars will be smashed;

the house of Israel, which will fall by 5"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, sword, famine and plague!

unique disaster, behold it is coming!

12"He who is far off will die by the plague, 6'An end is coming; the end has come! It

and he who is near will fall by the sword,

has awakened against you; behold, it

and he who remains and is besieged will

has come!

die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them.

7'Your doom has come to you, O

inhabitant of the land. The time has

13"Then you will know that I am the come, the day is near--tumult rather

LORD, when their slain are among their

than joyful shouting on the mountains.

idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, 8'Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on under every green tree and under every

you and spend My anger against you;

leafy oak--the places where they offered

judge you according to your ways and

soothing aroma to all their idols.

bring on you all your abominations.

14"So throughout all their habitations I 9'My eye will show no pity nor will I will stretch out My hand against them

spare. I will repay you according to your

and make the land more desolate and

ways, while your abominations are in

waste than the wilderness toward Diblah;

your midst; then you will know that I, the

thus they will know that I am the

LORD, do the smiting.

LORD."'"

10'Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming!

7

Your doom has gone forth; the rod has

Moreover, the word of the LORD

budded, arrogance has blossomed.

came to me saying,

11'Violence has grown into a rod of

2"And you, son of man, thus says the wickedness. None of them shall remain,

Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end!

none of their people, none of their

The end is coming on the four corners of

wealth, nor anything eminent among

the land.

them.

3

12

'Now the end is upon you, and I will

'The time has come, the day has

send My anger against you; I will judge arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the

you according to your ways and bring all

seller mourn; for wrath is against all their

your abominations upon you.

multitude.

4

13

'For My eye will have no pity on you,

'Indeed, the seller will not regain what nor will I spare you, but I will bring your he sold as long as they both live; for the ways upon you, and your abominations

vision regarding all their multitude will will be among you; then you will know

not be averted, nor will any of them

that I am the LORD!'

maintain his life by his iniquity.

14'They have blown the trumpet and 22'I will also turn My face from them, and made everything ready, but no one is

they will profane My secret place; then

going to the battle, for My wrath is

robbers will enter and profane it.

against all their multitude.

23' Make the chain, for the land is full of

15'The sword is outside and the plague

bloody crimes and the city is full of

and the famine are within. He who is in violence.

the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those

24'Therefore, I will bring the worst of the

in the city.

nations, and they will possess their

houses. I will also make the pride of the

16'Even when their survivors escape,

strong ones cease, and their holy places

they will be on the mountains like doves

will be profaned.

of the valleys, all of them mourning,

each over his own iniquity.

25'When anguish comes, they will seek

peace, but there will be none.

17'All hands will hang limp and all knees

will become like water.

26' Disaster will come upon disaster and

rumor will be added to rumor; then they

18'They will gird themselves with

will seek a vision from a prophet, but the

sackcloth

and

shuddering

will

law will be lost from the priest and

overwhelm them; and shame will be on

counsel from the elders.

all faces and baldness on all their heads.

27'The king will mourn, the prince will be

19'They will fling their silver into the clothed with horror, and the hands of the

streets and their gold will become an

people of the land will tremble.

abhorrent thing; their silver and their

According to their conduct I will deal

gold will not be able to deliver them in with them, and by their judgments I will the day of the wrath of the LORD. They judge them. And they will know that I am

cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they

the LORD.'"

fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling.

8It came about in the sixth year, on 20'They transformed the beauty of His

the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was

ornaments into pride, and they made the

sitting in my house with the elders of

images of their abominations and their

Judah sitting before me, that the hand of

detestable things with it; therefore I will the Lord GOD fell on me there.

make it an abhorrent thing to them.

2

21

Then I looked, and behold, a likeness

'I will give it into the hands of the

as the appearance of a man; from His

foreigners as plunder and to the wicked

loins and downward there was the

of the earth as spoil, and they will

appearance of fire, and from His loins

profane it.

and

upward

the

appearance

of

brightness, like the appearance of 10So I entered and looked, and behold, glowing metal.

every form of creeping things and

beasts and detestable things, with all

3He stretched out the form of a hand

the idols of the house of Israel, were

and caught me by a lock of my head;

carved on the wall all around.

and the Spirit lifted me up between earth

and heaven and brought me in the

11Standing in front of them were seventy

visions of God to Jerusalem, to the

elders of the house of Israel, with

entrance of the north gate of the inner Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing

court, where the seat of the idol of

among them, each man with his censer

jealousy, which provokes to jealousy,

in his hand and the fragrance of the

was located.

cloud of incense rising.

4And behold, the glory of the God of

12Then He said to me, "Son of man, do

Israel was there, like the appearance

you see what the elders of the house of

which I saw in the plain.

Israel are committing in the dark, each

man in the room of his carved images?

5Then He said to me, "Son of man, raise

For they say, ' The LORD does not see

your eyes now toward the north." So I us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'"

raised my eyes toward the north, and

behold, to the north of the altar gate was

13And He said to me, "Yet you will see this idol of jealousy at the entrance.

still greater abominations which they are

committing."

6And He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great 14Then He brought me to the entrance of

abominations which the house of Israel

the gate of the LORD'S house which

are committing here, so that I would be was toward the north; and behold,

far from My sanctuary? But yet you will women were sitting there weeping for

see still greater abominations."

Tammuz.

7Then He brought me to the entrance of

15He said to me, "Do you see this, son of the court, and when I looked, behold, a man? Yet you will see still greater hole in the wall.

abominations than these."

8He said to me, "Son of man, now dig 16Then He brought me into the inner

through the wall." So I dug through the court of the LORD'S house. And behold,

wall, and behold, an entrance.

at the entrance to the temple of the

LORD, between the porch and the altar,

9And He said to me, "Go in and see the

were about twenty-five men with their

wicked abominations that they are

backs to the temple of the LORD and

committing here."

their faces toward the east; and they

were prostrating themselves eastward

toward the sun.

17He said to me, "Do you see this, son of do not let your eye have pity and do not man? Is it too light a thing for the house

spare.

of Judah to commit the abominations

which they have committed here, that

6"Utterly slay old men, young men,

they have filled the land with violence

maidens, little children, and women, but

and provoked Me repeatedly? For

do not touch any man on whom is the

behold, they are putting the twig to their

mark; and you shall start from My

nose.

sanctuary." So they started with the elders who were before the temple.

18"Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath.

My eye will have no pity nor will I spare;

7And He said to them, " Defile the and though they cry in My ears with a

temple and fill the courts with the slain.

loud voice, yet I will not listen to them."

Go out!" Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city.

9Then He cried out in my hearing with 8As they were striking the people and I a loud voice saying, "Draw near, O

alone was left, I fell on my face and

executioners of the city, each with his

cried out saying, " Alas, Lord GOD! Are destroying weapon in his hand."

You destroying the whole remnant of

Israel by pouring out Your wrath on

2Behold, six men came from the

Jerusalem?"

direction of the upper gate which faces

9

north, each with his shattering weapon

Then He said to me, "The iniquity of the

in his hand; and among them was a

house of Israel and Judah is very, very certain man clothed in linen with a

great, and the land is filled with blood writing case at his loins. And they went and the city is full of perversion; for they in and stood beside the bronze altar.

say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land,

and the LORD does not see!'

3Then the glory of the God of Israel went

10

up from the cherub on which it had been,

"But as for Me, My eye will have no to the threshold of the temple. And He pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their called to the man clothed in linen at conduct upon their heads."

whose loins was the writing case.

11Then behold, the man clothed in linen

4The LORD said to him, "Go through the

at whose loins was the writing case

midst of the city, even through the midst

reported, saying, "I have done just as of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the

You have commanded me."

foreheads of the men who sigh and

groan over all the abominations which

are being committed in its midst."

10Then I looked, and behold, in the

expanse that was over the heads of the

5But to the others He said in my hearing,

cherubim something like a sapphire

"Go through the city after him and strike;

stone, in appearance resembling a 9Then I looked, and behold, four wheels throne, appeared above them.

beside the cherubim, one wheel beside

each cherub; and the appearance of the

2And He spoke to the man clothed in

wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish

linen and said, "Enter between the

stone.

whirling wheels under the cherubim and

fill your hands with coals of fire from 10As for their appearance, all four of

between the cherubim and scatter them

them had the same likeness, as if one

over the city." And he entered in my wheel were within another wheel.

sight.

11When they moved, they went in any of

3Now the cherubim were standing on the

their four directions without turning as

right side of the temple when the man

they went; but they followed in the

entered, and the cloud filled the inner

direction which they faced, without

court.

turning as they went.

4Then the glory of the LORD went up

12Their whole body, their backs, their

from the cherub to the threshold of the hands, their wings and the wheels were

temple, and the temple was filled with

full of eyes all around, the wheels

the cloud and the court was filled with belonging to all four of them.

the brightness of the glory of the LORD.

13The wheels were called in my hearing,

5Moreover, the sound of the wings of the

the whirling wheels.

cherubim was heard as far as the outer

court, like the voice of God Almighty

14And each one had four faces. The first

when He speaks.

face was the face of a cherub, the

second face was the face of a man, the

6It came about when He commanded

third the face of a lion, and the fourth the

the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take face of an eagle.

fire from between the whirling wheels,

from between the cherubim," he entered

15Then the cherubim rose up. They are

and stood beside a wheel.

the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.

7Then the cherub stretched out his hand

from between the cherubim to the fire

16Now when the cherubim moved, the

which was between the cherubim, took

wheels would go beside them; also

some and put it into the hands of the

when the cherubim lifted up their wings

one clothed in linen, who took it and

to rise from the ground, the wheels

went out.

would not turn from beside them.

8The cherubim appeared to have the

17When the cherubim stood still, the

form of a man's hand under their wings.

wheels would stand still; and when they

rose up, the wheels would rise with

them, for the spirit of the living beings 3who say, 'The time is not near to build was in them.

houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.'

18Then the glory of the LORD departed

from the threshold of the temple and

4"Therefore, prophesy against them, son

stood over the cherubim.

of man, prophesy!"

19When the cherubim departed, they

5Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon

lifted their wings and rose up from the me, and He said to me, "Say, 'Thus says

earth in my sight with the wheels beside

the LORD, "So you think, house of Israel, them; and they stood still at the

for I know your thoughts.

entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S

house, and the glory of the God of Israel

6"You have multiplied your slain in this hovered over them.

city, filling its streets with them."

20These are the living beings that I saw

7'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

beneath the God of Israel by the river

"Your slain whom you have laid in the Chebar; so I knew that they were

midst of the city are the flesh and this cherubim.

city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it.

21Each one had four faces and each one

8"You have feared a sword; so I will four wings, and beneath their wings was

bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD

the form of human hands.

declares.

22As for the likeness of their faces, they

9"And I will bring you out of the midst of were the same faces whose appearance

the city and deliver you into the hands of

I had seen by the river Chebar. Each

strangers

and

execute

judgments

one went straight ahead.

against you.

10

11

"You will fall by the sword. I will judge Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up

you to the border of Israel; so you shall and brought me to the east gate of the know that I am the LORD.

LORD'S house which faced eastward.

And behold, there were twenty-five men

11"This city will not be a pot for you, nor at the entrance of the gate, and among will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and

will judge you to the border of Israel.

Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the

people.

12"Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My

2He said to me, "Son of man, these are

statutes nor have you executed My

the men who devise iniquity and give

ordinances, but have acted according to

evil advice in this city,

the ordinances of the nations around

you."'"

13Now it came about as I prophesied, they will be My people, and I shall be that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then their God.

I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, " Alas, Lord GOD!

21"But as for those whose hearts go after Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a

their detestable things and abominations,

complete end?"

I will bring their conduct down on their heads," declares the Lord GOD.

14Then the word of the LORD came to

me, saying,

22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings

with the wheels beside them, and the

15"Son of man, your brothers, your

glory of the God of Israel hovered over relatives, your fellow exiles and the

them.

whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of

23The glory of the LORD went up from

Jerusalem have said, 'Go far from the

the midst of the city and stood over the LORD; this land has been given us as a

mountain which is east of the city.

possession.'

24And the Spirit lifted me up and brought

16"Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the

GOD, "Though I had removed them far exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I away among the nations and though I had seen left me.

had scattered them among the countries,

yet I was a sanctuary for them a little 25Then I told the exiles all the things that

while in the countries where they had

the LORD had shown me.

gone."'

17"Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord 12Then the word of the LORD came

GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples

and assemble you out of the countries

to me, saying,

among which you have been scattered,

and I will give you the land of Israel."'

2"Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see

18"When they come there, they will

but do not see, ears to hear but do not remove all its detestable things and all hear; for they are a rebellious house.

its abominations from it.

3"Therefore, son of man, prepare for 19"And I will give them one heart, and yourself baggage for exile and go into put a new spirit within them. And I will exile by day in their sight; even go into take the heart of stone out of their flesh exile from your place to another place in

and give them a heart of flesh,

their sight. Perhaps they will understand

though they are a rebellious house.

20that they may walk in My statutes and

4

keep My ordinances and do them. Then

"Bring your baggage out by day in their

sight, as baggage for exile. Then you

will go out at evening in their sight, as 13"I will also spread My net over him, those going into exile.

and he will be caught in My snare. And I

will bring him to Babylon in the land of 5"Dig a hole through the wall in their the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, sight and go out through it.

though he will die there.

6

14

"Load the baggage on your shoulder in

"I will scatter to every wind all who are their sight and carry it out in the dark.

around him, his helpers and all his

You shall cover your face so that you

troops; and I will draw out a sword after

cannot see the land, for I have set you them.

as a sign to the house of Israel."

15"So they will know that I am the LORD

7I did so, as I had been commanded. By

when I scatter them among the nations

day I brought out my baggage like the

and spread them among the countries.

baggage of an exile. Then in the

evening I dug through the wall with my

16"But I will spare a few of them from the hands; I went out in the dark and carried

sword, the famine and the pestilence

the baggage on my shoulder in their

that they may tell all their abominations sight.

among the nations where they go, and

may know that I am the LORD."

8In the morning the word of the LORD

came to me, saying,

17Moreover, the word of the LORD came

to me saying,

9"Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you,

18"Son of man, eat your bread with

' What are you doing?'

trembling and drink your water with

quivering and anxiety.

10"Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This burden concerns the prince 19"Then say to the people of the land, in Jerusalem as well as all the house of 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning

Israel who are in it."'

the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, "They will eat their bread with 11"Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have anxiety and drink their water with horror, done, so it will be done to them; they will

because their land will be stripped of its

go into exile, into captivity.'

fullness on account of the violence of all

who live in it.

12"The prince who is among them will 20

load his baggage on his shoulder in the

"The inhabited cities will be laid waste dark and go out. They will dig a hole and the land will be a desolation. So you

through the wall to bring it out. He will will know that I am the LORD."'"

cover his face so that he can not see the

land with his eyes.

21Then the word of the LORD came to

me, saying,

22"Son of man, what is this proverb you say to those who prophesy from their people have concerning the land of

own inspiration, ' Listen to the word of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and

the LORD!

every vision fails'?

3'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the

23"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the

foolish prophets who are following their

Lord GOD, "I will make this proverb own spirit and have seen nothing.

cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel." But tell them, "

4"O Israel, your prophets have been like

The days draw near as well as the

foxes among ruins.

fulfillment of every vision.

5"You have not gone up into the

24"For there will no longer be any false breaches, nor did you build the wall vision or flattering divination within the around the house of Israel to stand in

house of Israel.

the battle on the day of the LORD.

25"For I the LORD will speak, and

6"They see falsehood and lying

whatever word I speak will be performed.

divination who are saying, 'The LORD

It will no longer be delayed, for in your declares,' when the LORD has not sent

days, O rebellious house, I will speak

them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of

the word and perform it," declares the their word.

Lord GOD.'"

7" Did you not see a false vision and 26Furthermore, the word of the LORD

speak a lying divination when you said,

came to me, saying,

'The LORD declares,' but it is not I who have spoken?"'"

27"Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees

8Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

is for many years from now, and he

"Because you have spoken falsehood

prophesies of times far off.'

and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am

against you," declares the Lord GOD.

28"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the

Lord GOD, "None of My words will be 9"So My hand will be against the

delayed any longer. Whatever word I

prophets who see false visions and utter

speak will be performed,"'" declares the lying divinations. They will have no Lord GOD.

place in the council of My people, nor

will they be written down in the register 13

of the house of Israel, nor will they enter

Then the word of the LORD came

the land of Israel, that you may know

to me saying,

that I am the Lord GOD.

10

2"Son of man, prophesy against the

"It is definitely because they have

misled My people by saying, ' Peace!'

prophets of Israel who prophesy, and

when there is no peace. And when 18and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, anyone builds a wall, behold, they

"Woe to the women who sew magic

plaster it over with whitewash;

bands on all wrists and make veils for

the heads of persons of every stature to

11so tell those who plaster it over with hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the

whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain

lives of My people, but preserve the

will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall;

lives of others for yourselves?

and a violent wind will break out.

19" For handfuls of barley and fragments

12"Behold, when the wall has fallen, will of bread, you have profaned Me to My you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster people to put to death some who should

with which you plastered it?'"

not die and to keep others alive who

should not live, by your lying to My

13

people who listen to lies."'"

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I

will make a violent wind break out in My

20

wrath. There will also be in My anger a Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

flooding rain and hailstones to consume

"Behold, I am against your magic bands

it in wrath.

by which you hunt lives there as birds

and I will tear them from your arms; and

14

I will let them go, even those lives whom

"So I will tear down the wall which you

you hunt as birds.

plastered over with whitewash and bring

it down to the ground, so that its

21

foundation is laid bare; and when it falls,

"I will also tear off your veils and you will be consumed in its midst. And deliver My people from your hands, and

you will know that I am the LORD.

they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am 15

the LORD.

"Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall

and on those who have plastered it over

22

with whitewash; and I will say to you,

"Because

you

disheartened

the

'The wall is gone and its plasterers are righteous with falsehood when I did not

gone,

cause him grief, but have encouraged

the wicked not to turn from his wicked

16

way and preserve his life,

along with the prophets of Israel who

prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see

23

visions of peace for her when there is no

therefore, you women will no longer

peace,' declares the Lord GOD.

see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your 17

hand. Thus you will know that I am the

"Now you, son of man, set your face LORD."

against the daughters of your people

who are prophesying from their own

inspiration. Prophesy against them

14Then some elders of Israel came

to me and sat down before me.

2And the word of the LORD came to me, 9"But if the prophet is prevailed upon to saying, speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who

have prevailed upon that prophet, and I

3"Son of man, these men have set up will stretch out My hand against him and

their idols in their hearts and have put destroy him from among My people

right before their faces the stumbling

Israel.

block of their iniquity. Should I be

consulted by them at all?

10"They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, 4"Therefore speak to them and tell them, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols

11in order that the house of Israel may in his heart, puts right before his face no longer stray from Me and no longer the stumbling block of his iniquity, and defile

themselves

with

all

their

then comes to the prophet, I the LORD

transgressions. Thus they will be My

will be brought to give him an answer in

people, and I shall be their God,"'

the matter in view of the multitude of his

declares the Lord GOD."

idols,

12Then the word of the LORD came to

5in order to lay hold of the hearts of the

me saying,

house of Israel who are estranged from

Me through all their idols."'

13"Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I

6"Therefore say to the house of Israel, stretch out My hand against it, destroy 'Thus says the Lord GOD, " Repent and

its supply of bread, send famine against

turn away from your idols and turn your it and cut off from it both man and beast,

faces away from all your abominations.

14even though these three men, Noah,

7"For anyone of the house of Israel or of Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their

the immigrants who stay in Israel who

own righteousness they could only

separates himself from Me, sets up his

deliver themselves," declares the Lord idols in his heart, puts right before his GOD.

face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire

15"If I were to cause wild beasts to pass of Me for himself, I the LORD will be

through the land and they depopulated it,

brought to answer him in My own

and it became desolate so that no one

person.

would pass through it because of the

beasts,

8"I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I

16though these three men were in its

will cut him off from among My people.

midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, So you will know that I am the LORD.

"they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be

delivered, but the country would be will know that I have not done in vain desolate.

whatever I did to it," declares the Lord GOD.

17"Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and

15Then the word of the LORD came

beast from it,'

to me, saying,

18even though these three men were in

2"Son of man, how is the wood of the its midst, as I live," declares the Lord vine better than any wood of a branch GOD, "they could not deliver either their which is among the trees of the forest?

sons or their daughters, but they alone

would be delivered.

3"Can wood be taken from it to make 19

anything, or can men take a peg from it

"Or if I should send a plague against on which to hang any vessel?

that country and pour out My wrath in

blood on it to cut off man and beast from

4

it,

"If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its 20

ends and its middle part has been

even though Noah, Daniel and Job

charred, is it then useful for anything?

were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either 5

their son or their daughter. They would

"Behold, while it is intact, it is not made deliver

only

themselves

by

their

into anything. How much less, when the

righteousness."

fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything!

21For thus says the Lord GOD, "How

6

much more when I send My four severe

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

judgments against Jerusalem: sword,

'As the wood of the vine among the

famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off

trees of the forest, which I have given to

man and beast from it!

the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

22"Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it 7

who will be brought out, both sons and

and I set My face against them. Though

daughters. Behold, they are going to

they have come out of the fire, yet the come forth to you and you will see their

fire will consume them. Then you will

conduct and actions; then you will be

know that I am the LORD, when I set My

comforted for the calamity which I have

face against them.

brought

against

Jerusalem

for

8

everything which I have brought upon it.

'Thus I will make the land desolate,

because they have acted unfaithfully,'"

23"Then they will comfort you when you declares the Lord GOD.

see their conduct and actions, for you

16

you and entered into a covenant with

Then the word of the LORD came

you so that you became Mine," declares

to me, saying,

the Lord GOD.

9

2"Son of man, make known to

"Then I bathed you with water, washed

Jerusalem her abominations

off your blood from you and anointed

you with oil.

3and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to

10"I also clothed you with embroidered Jerusalem, "Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin

father was an Amorite and your mother

on your feet; and I wrapped you with

a Hittite.

fine linen and covered you with silk.

11

4

"I adorned you with ornaments, put

"As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor

bracelets on your hands and a necklace

were you washed with water for

around your neck.

cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt

12

or even wrapped in cloths.

"I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful

5"No eye looked with pity on you to do crown on your head.

any of these things for you, to have

13

compassion on you. Rather you were

"Thus you were adorned with gold and

thrown out into the open field, for you silver, and your dress was of fine linen, were abhorred on the day you were silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine

born.

flour, honey and oil; so you were

exceedingly beautiful and advanced to

6"When I passed by you and saw you royalty.

squirming in your blood, I said to you

14

while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes,

"Then your fame went forth among the

I said to you while you were in your

nations on account of your beauty, for it

blood, 'Live!'

was perfect because of My splendor

which I bestowed on you," declares the 7

Lord GOD.

"I made you numerous like plants of the

field. Then you grew up, became tall

15

and reached the age for fine ornaments;

"But you trusted in your beauty and your breasts were formed and your hair

played the harlot because of your fame,

had grown. Yet you were naked and

and you poured out your harlotries on

bare.

every passer-by who might be willing.

8

16

"Then I passed by you and saw you,

"You took some of your clothes, made

and behold, you were at the time for

for yourself high places of various colors

love; so I spread My skirt over you and and played the harlot on them, which

covered your nakedness. I also swore to

should never come about nor happen.

17"You also took your beautiful jewels your legs to every passer-by to multiply made of My gold and of My silver, which your harlotry.

I had given you, and made for yourself

male images that you might play the

26"You also played the harlot with the harlot with them.

Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and

multiplied your harlotry to make Me

18"Then you took your embroidered cloth

angry.

and covered them, and offered My oil

and My incense before them.

27"Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your

19"Also My bread which I gave you, fine

rations. And I delivered you up to the

flour, oil and honey with which I fed you,

desire of those who hate you, the

you would offer before them for a

daughters of the Philistines, who are

soothing aroma; so it happened,"

ashamed of your lewd conduct.

declares the Lord GOD.

28"Moreover, you played the harlot with 20"Moreover, you took your sons and the Assyrians because you were not

daughters whom you had borne to Me

satisfied; you played the harlot with

and sacrificed them to idols to be

them and still were not satisfied.

devoured. Were your harlotries so small

a matter?

29"You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet

21"You slaughtered My children and

even with this you were not satisfied."'"

offered them up to idols by causing

them to pass through the fire.

30"How languishing is your heart,"

declares the Lord GOD, "while you do 22"Besides all your abominations and

all these things, the actions of a bold-harlotries you did not remember the

faced harlot.

days of your youth, when you were

naked and bare and squirming in your

31"When you built your shrine at the blood.

beginning of every street and made your

high place in every square, in disdaining

23"Then it came about after all your money, you were not like a harlot.

wickedness ('Woe, woe to you!' declares

the Lord GOD),

32"You adulteress wife, who takes

strangers instead of her husband!

24that you built yourself a shrine and

made yourself a high place in every

33"Men give gifts to all harlots, but you square.

give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe

them to come to you from every

25"You built yourself a high place at the direction for your harlotries.

top of every street and made your

beauty abominable, and you spread

34"Thus you are different from those sight of many women. Then I will stop women in your harlotries, in that no one

you from playing the harlot, and you will

plays the harlot as you do, because you

also no longer pay your lovers.

give money and no money is given you;

thus you are different."

42"So I will calm My fury against you and My jealousy will depart from you, and I 35Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of will be pacified and angry no more.

the LORD.

43"Because you have not remembered

36Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

the days of your youth but have enraged

your lewdness was poured out and your

Me by all these things, behold, I in turn nakedness uncovered through your

will bring your conduct down on your

harlotries with your lovers and with all own head," declares the Lord GOD, "so your detestable idols, and because of that you will not commit this lewdness

the blood of your sons which you gave

on top of all your other abominations.

to idols,

44"Behold,

everyone

who

quotes

37therefore, behold, I will gather all your

proverbs

will

quote

this

proverb

lovers with whom you took pleasure,

concerning you, saying, 'Like mother,

even all those whom you loved and all

like daughter.'

those whom you hated. So I will gather

them against you from every direction

45"You are the daughter of your mother,

and expose your nakedness to them

who loathed her husband and children.

that they may see all your nakedness.

You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children.

38"Thus I will judge you like women who

Your mother was a Hittite and your

commit adultery or shed blood are

father an Amorite.

judged; and I will bring on you the blood

of wrath and jealousy.

46"Now your older sister is Samaria, who

lives north of you with her daughters;

39"I will also give you into the hands of and your younger sister, who lives south your lovers, and they will tear down your

of you, is Sodom with her daughters.

shrines, demolish your high places, strip

you of your clothing, take away your

47"Yet you have not merely walked in jewels, and will leave you naked and

their ways or done according to their

bare.

abominations; but, as if that were too

little, you acted more corruptly in all your

40"They will incite a crowd against you conduct than they.

and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.

48"As I live," declares the Lord GOD,

"Sodom, your sister and her daughters 41"They will burn your houses with fire have not done as you and your and execute judgments on you in the

daughters have done.

49"Behold, this was the guilt of your 56"As the name of your sister Sodom sister Sodom: she and her daughters was not heard from your lips in your day

had arrogance, abundant food and

of pride,

careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.

57before

your

wickedness

was

uncovered, so now you have become

50"Thus they were haughty and

the reproach of the daughters of Edom

committed abominations before Me.

and of all who are around her, of the

Therefore I removed them when I saw it.

daughters

of

the

Philistines--those

surrounding you who despise you.

51"Furthermore, Samaria did not commit

half of your sins, for you have multiplied

58"You have borne the penalty of your your abominations more than they. Thus

lewdness and abominations," the LORD

you have made your sisters appear

declares.

righteous by all your abominations

which you have committed.

59For thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also do with you as you have done, you

52"Also bear your disgrace in that you who have despised the oath by breaking

have made judgment favorable for your

the covenant.

sisters. Because of your sins in which

you acted more abominably than they,

60"Nevertheless, I will remember My

they are more in the right than you. Yes,

covenant with you in the days of your

be also ashamed and bear your

youth, and I will establish an everlasting

disgrace, in that you made your sisters

covenant with you.

appear righteous.

61"Then you will remember your ways

53"Nevertheless, I will restore their and be ashamed when you receive your

captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her

sisters, both your older and your

daughters, the captivity of Samaria and

younger; and I will give them to you as her daughters, and along with them your

daughters, but not because of your

own captivity,

covenant.

54in order that you may bear your

62"Thus I will establish My covenant with humiliation and feel ashamed for all that

you, and you shall know that I am the

you have done when you become a

LORD,

consolation to them.

63so that you may remember and be

55"Your sisters, Sodom with her

ashamed and never open your mouth

daughters

and

Samaria

with

her

anymore because of your humiliation,

daughters, will return to their former

when I have forgiven you for all that you

state, and you with your daughters will

have done," the Lord GOD declares.

also return to your former state.

17

all its sprouting leaves wither? And

Now the word of the LORD came

neither by great strength nor by many

to me saying,

people can it be raised from its roots

again.

2"Son of man, propound a riddle and 10

speak a parable to the house of Israel,

"Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as 3

soon as the east wind strikes it--wither saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "A on the beds where it grew?"'"

great eagle with great wings, long

pinions and a full plumage of many

11

colors came to Lebanon and took away

Moreover, the word of the LORD came

the top of the cedar.

to me, saying,

12

4

"Say now to the rebellious house, 'Do

"He plucked off the topmost of its

young twigs and brought it to a land of you not know what these things mean?'

merchants; he set it in a city of traders.

Say, 'Behold, the king of Babylon came

to Jerusalem, took its king and princes

5

and brought them to him in Babylon.

"He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He 13

placed it beside abundant waters; he set

'He took one of the royal family and

it like a willow.

made a covenant with him, putting him

under oath. He also took away the

6

mighty of the land,

"Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned

14

toward him, but its roots remained under

that

the

kingdom

might

be

in

it. So it became a vine and yielded

subjection, not exalting itself, but

shoots and sent out branches.

keeping his covenant that it might

continue.

7"But there was another great eagle with

15

great wings and much plumage; and

'But he rebelled against him by

behold, this vine bent its roots toward

sending his envoys to Egypt that they

him and sent out its branches toward

might give him horses and many troops.

Will he succeed? Will he who does such

him from the beds where it was planted,

things escape? Can he indeed break the

that he might water it.

covenant and escape?

8"It was planted in good soil beside 16

abundant waters, that it might yield

'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD,

'Surely in the country of the king who put

branches and bear fruit and become a

him on the throne, whose oath he

splendid vine."'

despised and whose covenant he broke,

9

in Babylon he shall die.

"Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers--so that 17' Pharaoh with his mighty army and tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green great company will not help him in the

tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am

war, when they cast up ramps and build

the LORD; I have spoken, and I will

siege walls to cut off many lives.

perform it."

18'Now he despised the oath by breaking

the covenant, and behold, he pledged

18Then the word of the LORD came

his allegiance, yet did all these things; to me, saying,

he shall not escape.'"

2

19

" What do you mean by using this

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

proverb concerning the land of Israel,

"As I live, surely My oath which he saying, ' The fathers eat the sour grapes,

despised and My covenant which he

But the children's teeth are set on edge'?

broke, I will inflict on his head.

3

20

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "you

"I will spread My net over him, and he

are surely not going to use this proverb will be caught in My snare. Then I will in Israel anymore.

bring him to Babylon and enter into

judgment with him there regarding the

4

unfaithful act which he has committed

"Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of against Me.

the father as well as the soul of the son

is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

21"All the choice men in all his troops will 5

fall by the sword, and the survivors will

"But if a man is righteous and practices

be scattered to every wind; and you will

justice and righteousness,

know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

6and does not eat at the mountain

22Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of take a sprig from the lofty top of the the house of Israel, or defile his

cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the

neighbor's wife or approach a woman

topmost of its young twigs a tender one

during her menstrual period--

and I will plant it on a high and lofty 7

mountain.

if a man does not oppress anyone, but

restores to the debtor his pledge, does

23"On the high mountain of Israel I will not commit robbery, but gives his bread

plant it, that it may bring forth boughs to the hungry and covers the naked with

and bear fruit and become a stately

clothing,

cedar. And birds of every kind will nest 8

under it; they will nest in the shade of its

if he does not lend money on interest or

branches.

take increase, if he keeps his hand from

iniquity and executes true justice

24"All the trees of the field will know that between man and man,

I am the LORD; I bring down the high

9if he walks in My statutes and My My statutes; he will not die for his ordinances so as to deal faithfully-- he is

father's iniquity, he will surely live.

righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD.

18"As for his father, because he

practiced extortion, robbed his brother

10"Then he may have a violent son who

and did what was not good among his

sheds blood and who does any of these

people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

things to a brother

19"Yet you say, ' Why should the son not

11(though he himself did not do any of

bear the punishment for the father's

these things), that is, he even eats at iniquity?' When the son has practiced

the mountain shrines, and defiles his

justice and righteousness and has

neighbor's wife,

observed all My statutes and done them,

he shall surely live.

12oppresses the poor and needy,

commits robbery, does not restore a

20"The person who sins will die. The son

pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols will not bear the punishment for the

and commits abomination,

father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the

13he lends money on interest and takes

righteousness of the righteous will be

increase; will he live? He will not live! He

upon himself, and the wickedness of the

has committed all these abominations,

wicked will be upon himself.

he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

21"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and

14"Now behold, he has a son who has observes all My statutes and practices

observed all his father's sins which he

justice and righteousness, he shall

committed, and observing does not do

surely live; he shall not die.

likewise.

22" All his transgressions which he has 15"He does not eat at the mountain committed will not be remembered

shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of

against

him;

because

of

his

the house of Israel, or defile his

righteousness which he has practiced,

neighbor's wife,

he will live.

16

23

or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge,

" Do I have any pleasure in the death or commit robbery, but he gives his

of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, bread to the hungry and covers the

"rather than that he should turn from his naked with clothing,

ways and live?

17

24

he keeps his hand from the poor, does

"But when a righteous man turns away

not take interest or increase, but

from his righteousness, commits iniquity

executes My ordinances, and walks in

and

does

according

to

all

the

abominations that a wicked man does, heart and a new spirit! For why will you will he live? All his righteous deeds die, O house of Israel?

which he has done will not be

remembered for his treachery which he

32"For I have no pleasure in the death of has committed and his sin which he has

anyone who dies," declares the Lord

committed; for them he will die.

GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."

25"Yet you say, ' The way of the Lord is

not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel!

19"As for you, take up a lamentation Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

for the princes of Israel

2

26"When a righteous man turns away

and say, 'What was your mother? A

from his righteousness, commits iniquity

lioness among lions! She lay down

and dies because of it, for his iniquity among young lions, She reared her

which he has committed he will die.

cubs.

3

27"Again, when a wicked man turns

'When she brought up one of her cubs,

away from his wickedness which he has

He became a lion, And he learned to

committed and practices justice and

tear his prey; He devoured men.

righteousness, he will save his life.

4'Then nations heard about him; He was

28"Because he considered and turned

captured in their pit, And they brought

away from all his transgressions which

him with hooks To the land of Egypt.

he had committed, he shall surely live;

5

he shall not die.

'When she saw, as she waited, That

her hope was lost, She took another of

29"But the house of Israel says, 'The way her cubs And made him a young lion.

of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not

6

right, O house of Israel? Is it not your

'And he walked about among the lions;

ways that are not right?

He became a young lion, He learned to

tear his prey; He devoured men.

30"Therefore I will judge you, O house of 7

Israel, each according to his conduct,"

'He destroyed their fortified towers And

declares the Lord GOD. " Repent and laid waste their cities; And the land and turn away from all your transgressions, its fullness were appalled Because of

so that iniquity may not become a

the sound of his roaring.

stumbling block to you.

8'Then nations set against him On every

31" Cast away from you all your

side from their provinces, And they

transgressions

which

you

have

spread their net over him; He was

committed and make yourselves a new

captured in their pit.

9' They put him in a cage with hooks Lord GOD, "Do you come to inquire of And brought him to the king of Babylon; Me? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "

They brought him in hunting nets So

I will not be inquired of by you."'

that his voice would be heard no more

On the mountains of Israel.

4"Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the

10'Your mother was like a vine in your

abominations of their fathers;

vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was

fruitful and full of branches Because of 5and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord

abundant waters.

GOD, "On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the

11'And it had strong branches fit for

house of Jacob and made Myself known

scepters of rulers, And its height was

to them in the land of Egypt, when I

raised above the clouds So that it was

swore to them, saying, I am the LORD

seen in its height with the mass of its your God,

branches.

6on that day I swore to them, to bring 12'But it was plucked up in fury; It was them out from the land of Egypt into a cast down to the ground; And the east land that I had selected for them, flowing

wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch with milk and honey, which is the glory was torn off So that it withered; The fire of all lands.

consumed it.

7"I said to them, ' Cast away, each of 13'And now it is planted in the wilderness, you, the detestable things of his eyes,

In a dry and thirsty land.

and do not defile yourselves with the

idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your

14'And fire has gone out from its branch;

God.'

It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So

that there is not in it a strong branch, A 8"But they rebelled against Me and were scepter to rule.'" This is a lamentation, not willing to listen to Me; they did not and has become a lamentation.

cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My 20Now in the seventh year, in the wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of fifth month, on the tenth of the month, Egypt.

certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

9"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the 2And the word of the LORD came to me

sight of the nations among whom they

saying,

lived, in whose sight I made Myself

known to them by bringing them out of

3"Son of man, speak to the elders of the land of Egypt.

Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the

10"So I took them out of the land of 18"I said to their children in the Egypt and brought them into the

wilderness, ' Do not walk in the statutes

wilderness.

of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

11"I gave them My statutes and informed

them of My ordinances, by which, if a

19' I am the LORD your God; walk in My

man observes them, he will live.

statutes and keep My ordinances and

observe them.

12"Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a

sign between Me and them, that they

20' Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall

might know that I am the LORD who

be a sign between Me and you, that you

sanctifies them.

may know that I am the LORD your

God.'

13"But the house of Israel rebelled

against Me in the wilderness. They did

21"But the children rebelled against Me; not walk in My statutes and they

they did not walk in My statutes, nor

rejected My ordinances, by which, if a

were they careful to observe My

man observes them, he will live; and My

ordinances, by which, if a man observes

sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I

them, he will live; they profaned My

resolved to pour out My wrath on them

sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My

in the wilderness, to annihilate them.

wrath on them, to accomplish My anger

against them in the wilderness.

14"But I acted for the sake of My name,

that it should not be profaned in the

22"But I withdrew My hand and acted for

sight of the nations, before whose sight I

the sake of My name, that it should not had brought them out.

be profaned in the sight of the nations in

whose sight I had brought them out.

15"Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land

23"Also I swore to them in the wilderness which I had given them, flowing with

that I would scatter them among the

milk and honey, which is the glory of all

nations and disperse them among the

lands,

lands,

16because they rejected My ordinances,

24because they had not observed My

and as for My statutes, they did not walk

ordinances,

but

had

rejected

My

in them; they even profaned My

statutes and had profaned My sabbaths,

sabbaths, for their heart continually went

and their eyes were on the idols of their

after their idols.

fathers.

17"Yet My eye spared them rather than 25"I also gave them statutes that were destroying them, and I did not cause not good and ordinances by which they

their annihilation in the wilderness.

could not live;

26and I pronounced them unclean like the nations, like the tribes of the because of their gifts, in that they lands, serving wood and stone.'

caused all their firstborn to pass through

the fire so that I might make them

33"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, desolate, in order that they might know "surely with a mighty hand and with an that I am the LORD."'

outstretched arm and with wrath poured

out, I shall be king over you.

27"Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, 'Thus 34"I will bring you out from the peoples says the Lord GOD, "Yet in this your and gather you from the lands where fathers have blasphemed Me by acting

you are scattered, with a mighty hand

treacherously against Me.

and with an outstretched arm and with

wrath poured out;

28"When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then

35and I will bring you into the wilderness

they saw every high hill and every leafy

of the peoples, and there I will enter into

tree, and they offered there their

judgment with you face to face.

sacrifices and there they presented the

provocation of their offering. There also 36"As I entered into judgment with your they made their soothing aroma and fathers in the wilderness of the land of there they poured out their drink

Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with offerings.

you," declares the Lord GOD.

29"Then I said to them, 'What is the high 37"I will make you pass under the rod, place to which you go?' So its name is and I will bring you into the bond of the called Bamah to this day."'

covenant;

30"Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 38and I will purge from you the rebels

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Will you

and those who transgress against Me; I

defile yourselves after the manner of

will bring them out of the land where

your fathers and play the harlot after

they sojourn, but they will not enter the their detestable things?

land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.

31"When you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire,

39"As for you, O house of Israel," thus you are defiling yourselves with all your says the Lord GOD, " Go, serve idols to this day. And shall I be inquired

everyone his idols; but later you will

of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,"

surely listen to Me, and My holy name

declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be you will profane no longer with your gifts

inquired of by you.

and with your idols.

32"What comes into your mind will not 40"For on My holy mountain, on the high

come about, when you say: 'We will be

mountain of Israel," declares the Lord

GOD, "there the whole house of Israel, every green tree in you, as well as every all of them, will serve Me in the land; dry tree; the blazing flame will not be there I will accept them and there I will quenched and the whole surface from seek your contributions and the choicest

south to north will be burned by it.

of your gifts, with all your holy things.

48"All flesh will see that I, the LORD, 41"As a soothing aroma I will accept you have kindled it; it shall not be

when I bring you out from the peoples

quenched."'"

and gather you from the lands where

you are scattered; and I will prove

49Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! They are Myself holy among you in the sight of

saying of me, 'Is he not just speaking

the nations.

parables?'"

42"And you will know that I am the LORD,

when I bring you into the land of Israel, 21And the word of the LORD came

into the land which I swore to give to your forefathers.

to me saying,

2

43"There you will remember your ways

"Son of man, set your face toward

and all your deeds with which you have

Jerusalem, and speak against the

defiled yourselves; and you will loathe

sanctuaries and prophesy against the

yourselves in your own sight for all the land of Israel;

evil things that you have done.

3and say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says

44"Then you will know that I am the the LORD, "Behold, I am against you; LORD when I have dealt with you for My and I will draw My sword out of its

name's sake, not according to your evil

sheath and cut off from you the

ways or according to your corrupt deeds,

righteous and the wicked.

O house of Israel," declares the Lord 4

GOD.'"

"Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My

45Now the word of the LORD came to

sword will go forth from its sheath

me, saying,

against all flesh from south to north.

5

46"Son of man, set your face toward

"Thus all flesh will know that I, the Teman, and speak out against the south

LORD, have drawn My sword out of its

and prophesy against the forest land of

sheath. It will not return to its sheath the Negev,

again."'

6

47and say to the forest of the Negev,

"As for you, son of man, groan with

'Hear the word of the LORD: thus says

breaking heart and bitter grief, groan in the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to their sight.

kindle a fire in you, and it will consume

7"And when they say to you, 'Why do glittering sword. Ah! It is made for you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of

striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in

the news that is coming; and every heart

readiness for slaughter.

will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak 16"Show yourself sharp, go to the right; as water. Behold, it comes and it will set yourself; go to the left, wherever

happen,' declares the Lord GOD."

your edge is appointed.

8Again the word of the LORD came to

17"I will also clap My hands together, me, saying,

and I will appease My wrath; I, the

LORD, have spoken."

9"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD.' Say, ' A sword, a sword

18The word of the LORD came to me

sharpened And also polished!

saying,

10'Sharpened to make a slaughter,

19"As for you, son of man, make two Polished to flash like lightning!' Or shall ways for the sword of the king of we rejoice, the rod of My son despising Babylon to come; both of them will go

every tree?

out of one land. And make a signpost;

make it at the head of the way to the city.

11"It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and 20"You shall mark a way for the sword to

polished, to give it into the hand of the come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon,

slayer.

and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

12" Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is 21"For the king of Babylon stands at the against My people, it is against all the parting of the way, at the head of the officials of Israel. They are delivered two ways, to use divination; he shakes

over to the sword with My people,

the arrows, he consults the household

therefore strike your thigh.

idols, he looks at the liver.

13"For there is a testing; and what if 22"Into his right hand came the divination, even the rod which despises will be no 'Jerusalem,' to set battering rams, to

more?" declares the Lord GOD.

open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set

14"You therefore, son of man, prophesy battering rams against the gates, to cast

and clap your hands together; and let

up ramps, to build a siege wall.

the sword be doubled the third time, the

sword for the slain. It is the sword for the

23"And it will be to them like a false great one slain, which surrounds them,

divination in their eyes; they have sworn

solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to

15that their hearts may melt, and many

remembrance, that they may be seized.

fall at all their gates. I have given the

24"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, and I will give you into the hand of brutal 'Because you have made your iniquity to

men, skilled in destruction.

be

remembered,

in

that

your

transgressions are uncovered, so that in

32'You will be fuel for the fire; your blood

all your deeds your sins appear--

will be in the midst of the land. You will because

you

have

come

to

not be remembered, for I, the LORD,

remembrance, you will be seized with

have spoken.'"

the hand.

25'And you, O slain, wicked one, the

22Then the word of the LORD came

prince of Israel, whose day has come, in

the time of the punishment of the end,'

to me, saying,

2

26thus says the Lord GOD, 'Remove the

"And you, son of man, will you judge, turban and take off the crown; this will will you judge the bloody city? Then no longer be the same. Exalt that which

cause her to know all her abominations.

is low and abase that which is high.

3"You shall say, 'Thus says the Lord 27' A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it.

GOD, "A city shedding blood in her

This also will be no more until He comes

midst, so that her time will come, and

whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.'

that makes idols, contrary to her interest,

for defilement!

28"And you, son of man, prophesy and 4

say,

'Thus

says

the

Lord

GOD

"You have become guilty by the blood concerning the sons of Ammon and

which you have shed, and defiled by

concerning their reproach,' and say: 'A

your idols which you have made. Thus

sword, a sword is drawn, polished for

you have brought your day near and

the slaughter, to cause it to consume,

have come to your years; therefore I

that it may be like lightning--

have made you a reproach to the

nations and a mocking to all the lands.

29while they see for you false visions,

5

while they divine lies for you--to place

"Those who are near and those who

you on the necks of the wicked who are

are far from you will mock you, you of ill

slain, whose day has come, in the time

repute, full of turmoil.

of the punishment of the end.

6"Behold, the rulers of Israel, each 30' Return it to its sheath. In the place according to his power, have been in where you were created, in the land of

you for the purpose of shedding blood.

your origin, I will judge you.

7"They have treated father and mother 31'I will pour out My indignation on you; I

lightly within you. The alien they have

will blow on you with the fire of My wrath,

oppressed in your midst; the fatherless

and the widow they have wronged in

you.

8"You have despised My holy things and 16"You will profane yourself in the sight profaned My sabbaths.

of the nations, and you will know that I am the LORD."'"

9"Slanderous men have been in you for

the purpose of shedding blood, and in

17And the word of the LORD came to me,

you they have eaten at the mountain

saying,

shrines. In your midst they have

committed acts of lewdness.

18"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are

10"In you they have uncovered their

bronze and tin and iron and lead in the fathers' nakedness; in you they have

furnace; they are the dross of silver.

humbled her who was unclean in her

menstrual impurity.

19"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

'Because all of you have become dross,

11"One has committed abomination with

therefore, behold, I am going to gather

his neighbor's wife and another has

you into the midst of Jerusalem.

lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And

another in you has humbled his sister,

20'As they gather silver and bronze and

his father's daughter.

iron and lead and tin into the furnace to

blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will 12"In you they have taken bribes to shed

gather you in My anger and in My wrath

blood; you have taken interest and

and I will lay you there and melt you.

profits, and you have injured your

neighbors for gain by oppression, and

21'I will gather you and blow on you with

you have forgotten Me," declares the the fire of My wrath, and you will be

Lord GOD.

melted in the midst of it.

13"Behold, then, I smite My hand at your

22'As silver is melted in the furnace, so dishonest gain which you have acquired

you will be melted in the midst of it; and

and at the bloodshed which is among

you will know that I, the LORD, have

you.

poured out My wrath on you.'"

14"Can your heart endure, or can your 23And the word of the LORD came to me,

hands be strong in the days that I will saying,

deal with you? I, the LORD, have

spoken and will act.

24"Son of man, say to her, 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in

15"I will scatter you among the nations the day of indignation.'

and I will disperse you through the lands,

and I will consume your uncleanness

25"There is a conspiracy of her prophets

from you.

in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives;

they have taken treasure and precious

things; they have made many widows in 2"Son of man, there were two women, the midst of her.

the daughters of one mother;

26"Her priests have done violence to My

3and they played the harlot in Egypt.

law and have profaned My holy things;

They played the harlot in their youth;

they have made no distinction between

there their breasts were pressed and

the holy and the profane, and they have

there their virgin bosom was handled.

not taught the difference between the

unclean and the clean; and they hide

4"Their names were Oholah the elder

their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am

and Oholibah her sister. And they

profaned among them.

became Mine, and they bore sons and

daughters. And as for their names,

27"Her princes within her are like wolves Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is

tearing the prey, by shedding blood and

Oholibah.

destroying lives in order to get dishonest

gain.

5"Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her

28"Her

prophets

have

smeared

lovers,

after

the

Assyrians,

her

whitewash for them, seeing false visions

neighbors,

and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus

says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD

6who were clothed in purple, governors

has not spoken.

and officials, all of them desirable young

men, horsemen riding on horses.

29"The people of the land have practiced

oppression and committed robbery, and

7"She bestowed her harlotries on them, they have wronged the poor and needy

all of whom were the choicest men of

and have oppressed the sojourner

Assyria; and with all whom she lusted

without justice.

after, with all their idols she defiled

herself.

30"I searched for a man among them

who would build up the wall and stand in

8"She did not forsake her harlotries from the gap before Me for the land, so that I

the time in Egypt; for in her youth men would not destroy it; but I found no one.

had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust

31"Thus I have poured out My

on her.

indignation on them; I have consumed

them with the fire of My wrath; their way

9"Therefore, I gave her into the hand of

I have brought upon their heads,"

her lovers, into the hand of the

declares the Lord GOD.

Assyrians, after whom she lusted.

10

23

"They uncovered her nakedness; they

The word of the LORD came to

took her sons and her daughters, but

me again, saying,

they slew her with the sword. Thus she

became a byword among women, and 19"Yet she multiplied her harlotries, they executed judgments on her.

remembering the days of her youth,

when she played the harlot in the land of

11"Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet

Egypt.

she was more corrupt in her lust than

she, and her harlotries were more than

20"She lusted after their paramours,

the harlotries of her sister.

whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of

12"She lusted after the Assyrians,

horses.

governors and officials, the ones near,

magnificently dressed, horsemen riding

21"Thus you longed for the lewdness of on horses, all of them desirable young your youth, when the Egyptians handled

men.

your bosom because of the breasts of

your youth.

13"I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took the same way.

22"Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the

Lord GOD, 'Behold I will arouse your

14"So she increased her harlotries. And lovers against you, from whom you were

she saw men portrayed on the wall,

alienated, and I will bring them against images of the Chaldeans portrayed with

you from every side:

vermilion,

23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans,

15girded with belts on their loins, with Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the

flowing turbans on their heads, all of

Assyrians with them; desirable young

them looking like officers, like the

men, governors and officials all of them,

Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their

officers and men of renown, all of them birth.

riding on horses.

16

24

"When she saw them she lusted after

'They will come against you with

them and sent messengers to them in

weapons, chariots and wagons, and

Chaldea.

with a company of peoples. They will set

themselves against you on every side

17

with buckler and shield and helmet; and

"The Babylonians came to her to the I will commit the judgment to them, and

bed of love and defiled her with their

they will judge you according to their

harlotry. And when she had been defiled

customs.

by them, she became disgusted with

them.

25'I will set My jealousy against you, that

18

they may deal with you in wrath. They

"She uncovered her harlotries and

will remove your nose and your ears;

uncovered her nakedness; then I

and your survivors will fall by the sword.

became disgusted with her, as I had

They will take your sons and your

become disgusted with her sister.

daughters; and your survivors will be

consumed by the fire.

26'They will also strip you of your clothes 35"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, and take away your beautiful jewels.

'Because you have forgotten Me and

cast Me behind your back, bear now the

27'Thus I will make your lewdness and

punishment of your lewdness and your

your harlotry brought from the land of

harlotries.'"

Egypt to cease from you, so that you will

not lift up your eyes to them or

36Moreover, the LORD said to me, "Son

remember Egypt anymore.'

of man, will you judge Oholah and

Oholibah? Then declare to them their

28"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold,

abominations.

I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those

37"For they have committed adultery,

from whom you were alienated.

and blood is on their hands. Thus they

have committed adultery with their idols

29'They will deal with you in hatred, take

and even caused their sons, whom they

all your property, and leave you naked

bore to Me, to pass through the fire to and bare. And the nakedness of your

them as food.

harlotries will be uncovered, both your

lewdness and your harlotries.

38"Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the

30'These things will be done to you

same day and have profaned My

because you have played the harlot with

sabbaths.

the nations, because you have defiled

yourself with their idols.

39"For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My 31'You have walked in the way of your sanctuary on the same day to profane it;

sister; therefore I will give her cup into and lo, thus they did within My house.

your hand.'

40"Furthermore, they have even sent for

32"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You will men who come from afar, to whom a

drink your sister's cup, Which is deep

messenger was sent; and lo, they came—

and wide. You will be laughed at and

-for whom you bathed, painted your

held in derision; It contains much.

eyes and decorated yourselves with

ornaments;

33'You will be filled with drunkenness

41

and sorrow, The cup of horror and

and you sat on a splendid couch with a

desolation, The cup of your sister

table arranged before it on which you

Samaria.

had set My incense and My oil.

34

42

'You will drink it and drain it. Then you

"The sound of a carefree multitude

will gnaw its fragments And tear your

was with her; and drunkards were

breasts; for I have spoken,' declares the

brought from the wilderness with men of

Lord GOD.

the common sort. And they put bracelets

on the hands of the women and 2"Son of man, write the name of the day, beautiful crowns on their heads.

this very day. The king of Babylon has

laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

43"Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, 'Will they now

3"Speak a parable to the rebellious

commit adultery with her when she is

house and say to them, 'Thus says the

thus?'

Lord GOD, "Put on the pot, put it on and

also pour water in it;

44"But they went in to her as they would

go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to 4Put in it the pieces, Every good piece, Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd the thigh and the shoulder; Fill it with women.

choice bones.

45"But they, righteous men, will judge 5"Take the choicest of the flock, And them with the judgment of adulteresses also pile wood under the pot. Make it

and with the judgment of women who

boil vigorously. Also seethe its bones in shed

blood,

because

they

are

it."

adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

6'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

46"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Bring

"Woe to the bloody city, To the pot in up a company against them and give

which there is rust And whose rust has

them over to terror and plunder.

not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, Without making a choice.

47'The company will stone them with

stones and cut them down with their

7"For her blood is in her midst; She swords; they will slay their sons and

placed it on the bare rock; She did not their daughters and burn their houses

pour it on the ground To cover it with with fire.

dust.

48'Thus I will make lewdness cease from

8"That it may cause wrath to come up to

the land, that all women may be

take vengeance, I have put her blood on

admonished and not commit lewdness

the bare rock, That it may not be

as you have done.

covered."

49'Your lewdness will be requited upon

9'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "

you, and you will bear the penalty of

Woe to the bloody city! I also will make worshiping your idols; thus you will know

the pile great.

that I am the Lord GOD.'"

10"Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, Boil 24

the flesh well And mix in the spices, And

And the word of the LORD came

let the bones be burned.

to me in the ninth year, in the tenth

month, on the tenth of the month, saying,

11"Then set it empty on its coals So that 19The people said to me, "Will you not it may be hot And its bronze may glow tell us what these things that you are

And its filthiness may be melted in it, Its

doing mean for us?"

rust consumed.

20Then I said to them, "The word of the

12"She has wearied Me with toil, Yet her

LORD came to me saying,

great rust has not gone from her; Let her

rust be in the fire!

21'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am about

13"In your filthiness is lewdness.

to profane My sanctuary, the pride of

Because I would have cleansed you,

your power, the desire of your eyes and

Yet you are not clean, You will not be the delight of your soul; and your sons cleansed from your filthiness again Until and your daughters whom you have left

I have spent My wrath on you.

behind will fall by the sword.

14"I, the LORD, have spoken; it is

22'You will do as I have done; you will coming and I will act. I will not relent, not cover your mustache and you will and I will not pity and I will not be sorry;

not eat the bread of men.

according to your ways and according to

your deeds I will judge you," declares 23'Your turbans will be on your heads

the Lord GOD.'"

and your shoes on your feet. You will

not mourn and you will not weep, but

15And the word of the LORD came to me

you will rot away in your iniquities and saying,

you will groan to one another.

16"Son of man, behold, I am about to 24'Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; take from you the desire of your eyes

according to all that he has done you

with a blow; but you shall not mourn and

will do; when it comes, then you will

you shall not weep, and your tears shall

know that I am the Lord GOD.'"

not come.

25'As for you, son of man, will it not be 17"Groan silently; make no mourning for on the day when I take from them their the dead. Bind on your turban and put

stronghold, the joy of their pride, the

your shoes on your feet, and do not

desire of their eyes and their heart's

cover your mustache and do not eat the

delight, their sons and their daughters,

bread of men."

26that on that day he who escapes will

18So I spoke to the people in the

come to you with information for your

morning, and in the evening my wife

ears?

died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.

27'On that day your mouth will be

opened to him who escaped, and you

will speak and be mute no longer. Thus

you will be a sign to them, and they will perish from the lands; I will destroy you.

know that I am the LORD.'"

Thus you will know that I am the LORD."

8

25

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

And the word of the LORD came

Moab and Seir say, 'Behold, the house

to me saying,

of Judah is like all the nations,'

9

2

therefore, behold, I am going to deprive

"Son of man, set your face toward the the flank of Moab of its cities, of its cities sons of Ammon and prophesy against them,

which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon

3

and Kiriathaim,

and say to the sons of Ammon, 'Hear

the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says

10and I will give it for a possession along

the Lord GOD, "Because you said, '

Aha!' against My sanctuary when it was

with the sons of Ammon to the sons of

profaned, and against the land of Israel the east, so that the sons of Ammon will

when it was made desolate, and against

not be remembered among the nations.

the house of Judah when they went into

11

exile,

"Thus I will execute judgments on

Moab, and they will know that I am the 4therefore, behold, I am going to give

LORD."

you to the sons of the east for a

12

possession, and they will set their

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

encampments among you and make

Edom has acted against the house of

their dwellings among you; they will eat Judah by taking vengeance, and has

your fruit and drink your milk.

incurred grievous guilt, and avenged

themselves upon them,"

5"I will make Rabbah a pasture for

13

camels and the sons of Ammon a

therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "I resting place for flocks. Thus you will

will also stretch out My hand against

know that I am the LORD."

Edom and cut off man and beast from it.

And I will lay it waste; from Teman even

6

to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

'For thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

you have clapped your hands and

14

stamped your feet and rejoiced with all

" I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the scorn of your soul against the land the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, of Israel,

they will act in Edom according to My

anger and according to My wrath; thus

7

they will know My vengeance," declares

therefore, behold, I have stretched out

My hand against you and I will give you

the Lord GOD.

for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you

15

off from the peoples and make you

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

the Philistines have acted in revenge

and have taken vengeance with scorn of 7For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I soul to destroy with everlasting enmity,"

will bring upon Tyre from the north

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king

16therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry

"Behold, I will stretch out My hand and a great army.

against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of

8"He will slay your daughters on the the seacoast.

mainland with the sword; and he will

make siege walls against you, cast up a

17"I will execute great vengeance on ramp against you and raise up a large

them with wrathful rebukes; and they will

shield against you.

know that I am the LORD when I lay My

vengeance on them."'"

9"The blow of his battering rams he will direct against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.

26Now in the eleventh year, on the 10

first of the month, the word of the LORD

"Because of the multitude of his

came to me saying,

horses, the dust raised by them will

cover you; your walls will shake at the 2

noise of cavalry and wagons and

"Son of man, because Tyre has said

chariots when he enters your gates as

concerning

Jerusalem,

'Aha,

the

men enter a city that is breached.

gateway of the peoples is broken; it has

opened to me. I shall be filled, now that

11"With the hoofs of his horses he will she is laid waste,'

trample all your streets. He will slay your

3

people with the sword; and your strong

therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

pillars will come down to the ground.

'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I

will bring up many nations against you,

12"Also they will make a spoil of your as the sea brings up its waves.

riches and a prey of your merchandise,

4

break down your walls and destroy your

'They will destroy the walls of Tyre and

pleasant houses, and throw your stones

break down her towers; and I will scrape

and your timbers and your debris into

her debris from her and make her a bare

the water.

rock.

13

5

"So I will silence the sound of your

'She will be a place for the spreading of

songs, and the sound of your harps will nets in the midst of the sea, for I have be heard no more.

spoken,' declares the Lord GOD, 'and

she will become spoil for the nations.

14"I will make you a bare rock; you will 6

be a place for the spreading of nets.

'Also her daughters who are on the

You will be built no more, for I the LORD

mainland will be slain by the sword, and

have spoken," declares the Lord GOD.

they will know that I am the LORD.'"

15Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre, you will never be found again," declares "Shall not the coastlands shake at the the Lord GOD.

sound of your fall when the wounded

groan, when the slaughter occurs in

your midst?

27Moreover, the word of the LORD

16

came to me saying,

"Then all the princes of the sea will go

down from their thrones, remove their

2

robes and strip off their embroidered

"And you, son of man, take up a

garments. They will clothe themselves

lamentation over Tyre;

with trembling; they will sit on the

3

ground, tremble every moment and be

and say to Tyre, who dwells at the

appalled at you.

entrance to the sea, merchant of the

peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says

17"They will take up a lamentation over the Lord GOD, "O Tyre, you have said, 'I you and say to you, ' How you have

am perfect in beauty.'

perished, O inhabited one, From the

4

seas, O renowned city, Which was

"Your borders are in the heart of the mighty on the sea, She and her

seas; Your builders have perfected your

inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On

beauty.

all her inhabitants!

5"They have made all your planks of fir 18'Now the coastlands will tremble On trees from Senir; They have taken a

the day of your fall; Yes, the coastlands

cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for

which are by the sea Will be terrified at you.

your passing.'"

6"Of oaks from Bashan they have made

19For thus says the Lord GOD, "When I

your oars; With ivory they have inlaid

make you a desolate city, like the cities your deck of boxwood from the

which are not inhabited, when I bring up

coastlands of Cyprus.

the deep over you and the great waters

cover you,

7"Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your

20then I will bring you down with those distinguishing mark; Your awning was

who go down to the pit, to the people of

blue and purple from the coastlands of

old, and I will make you dwell in the

Elishah.

lower parts of the earth, like the ancient

waste places, with those who go down

8"The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad to the pit, so that you will not be

were your rowers; Your wise men, O

inhabited; but I will set glory in the land Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.

of the living.

9"The elders of Gebal and her wise men

21"I will bring terrors on you and you will were with you repairing your seams; All be no more; though you will be sought,

the ships of the sea and their sailors

were with you in order to deal in your 18" Damascus was your customer merchandise.

because of the abundance of your

goods, because of the abundance of all

10" Persia and Lud and Put were in your

kinds of wealth, because of the wine of army, your men of war. They hung

Helbon and white wool.

shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor.

19"Vedan and Javan paid for your wares

from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and

11"The sons of Arvad and your army

sweet

cane

were

among

your

were on your walls, all around, and the merchandise.

Gammadim were in your towers. They

hung their shields on your walls all

20" Dedan traded with you in

around; they perfected your beauty.

saddlecloths for riding.

12"Tarshish was your customer because

21" Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; they were your customers for lambs, with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid rams and goats; for these they were

for your wares.

your customers.

13" Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they

22"The traders of Sheba and Raamah,

were your traders; with the lives of men

they traded with you; they paid for your and vessels of bronze they paid for your

wares with the best of all kinds of spices,

merchandise.

and with all kinds of precious stones and

gold.

14"Those from Beth-togarmah gave

horses and war horses and mules for

23"Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of your wares.

Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with

you.

15"The sons of Dedan were your traders.

Many coastlands were your market;

24"They traded with you in choice

ivory tusks and ebony they brought as

garments, in clothes of blue and

your payment.

embroidered work, and in carpets of

many colors and tightly wound cords,

16" Aram was your customer because of

which were among your merchandise.

the abundance of your goods; they paid

for your wares with emeralds, purple,

25"The ships of Tarshish were the

embroidered work, fine linen, coral and

carriers for your merchandise. And you

rubies.

were filled and were very glorious In the

heart of the seas.

17"Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of

26"Your rowers have brought you Into Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they

great waters; The east wind has broken

paid for your merchandise.

you In the heart of the seas.

27"Your wealth, your wares, your 35'All the inhabitants of the coastlands merchandise, Your sailors and your

Are appalled at you, And their kings are

pilots, Your repairers of seams, your

horribly afraid; They are troubled in

dealers in merchandise And all your

countenance.

men of war who are in you, With all your

company that is in your midst, Will fall 36'The merchants among the peoples

into the heart of the seas On the day of

hiss at you; You have become terrified

your overthrow.

And you will cease to be forever.'"'"

28"At the sound of the cry of your pilots The pasture lands will shake.

28The word of the LORD came

29

again to me, saying,

"All who handle the oar, The sailors and all the pilots of the sea Will come 2

down from their ships; They will stand

"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre,

on the land,

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

your heart is lifted up And you have said,

30

' I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In And they will make their voice heard the heart of the seas'; Yet you are a

over you And will cry bitterly. They will man and not God, Although you make

cast dust on their heads, They will

your heart like the heart of God--

wallow in ashes.

3

31

Behold, you are wiser than Daniel;

"Also they will make themselves bald There is no secret that is a match for for you And gird themselves with you.

sackcloth; And they will weep for you in

bitterness of soul With bitter mourning.

4"By your wisdom and understanding

32

You have acquired riches for yourself

"Moreover, in their wailing they will And have acquired gold and silver for

take up a lamentation for you And

your treasuries.

lament over you: 'Who is like Tyre, Like

her who is silent in the midst of the sea?

5"By your great wisdom, by your trade 33

You have increased your riches And

'When your wares went out from the

your heart is lifted up because of your seas, You satisfied many peoples; With

riches--

the abundance of your wealth and your

merchandise You enriched the kings of

6

earth.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

'Because you have made your heart

34

Like the heart of God,

'Now that you are broken by the seas

In the depths of the waters, Your

7

merchandise and all your company

Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers

Have fallen in the midst of you.

upon you, The most ruthless of the

nations. And they will draw their swords

Against the beauty of your wisdom And 15"You were blameless in your ways defile your splendor.

From the day you were created Until

unrighteousness was found in you.

8'They will bring you down to the pit, And

you will die the death of those who are 16"By the abundance of your trade You slain In the heart of the seas.

were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you

9'Will you still say, "I am a god," In the as profane From the mountain of God.

presence of your slayer, Though you are

And I have destroyed you, O covering

a man and not God, In the hands of

cherub, From the midst of the stones of

those who wound you?

fire.

10

17

'You will die the death of the

"Your heart was lifted up because of uncircumcised By the hand of strangers,

your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom

For I have spoken!' declares the Lord

by reason of your splendor. I cast you to

GOD!"'"

the ground; I put you before kings, That

they may see you.

11Again the word of the LORD came to

18

me saying,

"By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You 12

profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I

"Son of man, take up a lamentation

have brought fire from the midst of you;

over the king of Tyre and say to him,

It has consumed you, And I have turned

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the

you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of

seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and

all who see you.

perfect in beauty.

19

13

"All who know you among the peoples

"You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Are appalled at you; You have become

Every precious stone was your covering:

terrified And you will cease to be

The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;

forever."'"

The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The

lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the

20

emerald; And the gold, the workmanship

And the word of the LORD came to me

of your settings and sockets, Was in you.

saying,

On the day that you were created They

were prepared.

21"Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her

14"You were the anointed cherub who

covers, And I placed you there. You

22and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

were on the holy mountain of God; You

"Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, And

walked in the midst of the stones of fire.

I will be glorified in your midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD when

I execute judgments in her, And I will

manifest My holiness in her.

23"For I will send pestilence to her And 4"I will put hooks in your jaws And make blood to her streets, And the wounded

the fish of your rivers cling to your

will fall in her midst By the sword upon scales. And I will bring you up out of the

her on every side; Then they will know

midst of your rivers, And all the fish of that I am the LORD.

your rivers will cling to your scales.

24"And there will be no more for the 5"I will abandon you to the wilderness, house of Israel a prickling brier or a you and all the fish of your rivers; You painful thorn from any round about them

will fall on the open field; you will not be

who scorned them; then they will know

brought together or gathered. I have

that I am the Lord GOD."

given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

25'Thus says the Lord GOD, "When I

gather the house of Israel from the

6"Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will peoples

among

whom

they

are

know that I am the LORD, Because they

scattered, and will manifest My holiness

have been only a staff made of reed to in them in the sight of the nations, then the house of Israel.

they will live in their land which I gave to

My servant Jacob.

7"When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their hands;

26"They will live in it securely; and they And when they leaned on you, You

will build houses, plant vineyards and

broke and made all their loins quake."

live securely when I execute judgments

upon all who scorn them round about

8'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

them. Then they will know that I am the

"Behold, I will bring upon you a sword LORD their God."'"

and I will cut off from you man and beast.

9

29

"The land of Egypt will become a

In the tenth year, in the tenth

desolation and waste. Then they will

month, on the twelfth of the month, the know that I am the LORD. Because you

word of the LORD came to me saying,

said, 'The Nile is mine, and I have made

it,'

2"Son of man, set your face against 10

Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy

therefore, behold, I am against you

against him and against all Egypt.

and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and

3"Speak and say, 'Thus says the Lord desolation, from Migdol to Syene and

GOD, "Behold, I am against you,

even to the border of Ethiopia.

Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great

11

monster that lies in the midst of his

"A man's foot will not pass through it, rivers, That has said, 'My Nile is mine, and the foot of a beast will not pass and I myself have made it.'

through it, and it will not be inhabited for

forty years.

12"So I will make the land of Egypt a 19Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, desolation in the midst of desolated

"Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to lands. And her cities, in the midst of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And

cities that are laid waste, will be

he will carry off her wealth and capture desolate forty years; and I will scatter her spoil and seize her plunder; and it the Egyptians among the nations and will be wages for his army.

disperse them among the lands."

20"I have given him the land of Egypt for 13'For thus says the Lord GOD, "At the his labor which he performed, because end of forty years I will gather the

they acted for Me," declares the Lord Egyptians from the peoples among

GOD.

whom they were scattered.

21"On that day I will make a horn sprout

14"I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and for the house of Israel, and I will open make them return to the land of Pathros, your mouth in their midst. Then they will

to the land of their origin, and there they

know that I am the LORD."

will be a lowly kingdom.

15"It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, 30The word of the LORD came

and it will never again lift itself up above

again to me saying,

the nations. And I will make them so

small that they will not rule over the

2

nations.

"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, " Wail, 'Alas for the

16

day!'

"And it will never again be the

confidence of the house of Israel,

3

bringing to mind the iniquity of their

"For the day is near, Even the day of having turned to Egypt. Then they will the LORD is near; It will be a day of know that I am the Lord GOD."'"

clouds, A time of doom for the nations.

4

17Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the

"A sword will come upon Egypt, And

first month, on the first of the month, the

anguish will be in Ethiopia; When the

word of the LORD came to me saying,

slain fall in Egypt, They take away her wealth, And her foundations are torn

18

down.

"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon made his army labor hard

5

against Tyre; every head was made

"Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya bald and every shoulder was rubbed

and the people of the land that is in

bare. But he and his army had no wages

league will fall with them by the sword."

from Tyre for the labor that he had

6

performed against it."

'Thus says the LORD, "Indeed, those

who support Egypt will fall And the pride

of her power will come down; From

Migdol to Syene They will fall within her 15"I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The by the sword," Declares the Lord GOD.

stronghold of Egypt; I will also cut off the

hordes of Thebes.

7"They will be desolate In the midst of the desolated lands; And her cities will 16"I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe be In the midst of the devastated cities.

in anguish, Thebes will be breached

And Memphis will have distresses daily.

8"And they will know that I am the LORD,

When I set a fire in Egypt And all her 17"The young men of On and of Pi-helpers are broken.

beseth Will fall by the sword, And the

women will go into captivity.

9"On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure

18"In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as

When I break there the yoke bars of

on the day of Egypt; for behold, it

Egypt. Then the pride of her power will comes!"

cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And

her daughters will go into captivity.

10'Thus says the Lord GOD, " I will also

make the hordes of Egypt cease By the

19"Thus I will execute judgments on

hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of

Egypt, And they will know that I am the Babylon.

LORD."'"

11"He and his people with him, The most

20In the eleventh year, in the first month,

ruthless of the nations, Will be brought on the seventh of the month, the word of

in to destroy the land; And they will draw

the LORD came to me saying,

their swords against Egypt And fill the

land with the slain.

21"Son of man, I have broken the arm of

Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it

12"Moreover, I will make the Nile canals

has not been bound up for healing or

dry And sell the land into the hands of wrapped with a bandage, that it may be

evil men. And I will make the land

strong to hold the sword.

desolate And all that is in it, By the hand

of strangers; I the LORD have spoken."

22"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of

13'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also Egypt and will break his arms, both the destroy the idols And make the images strong and the broken; and I will make

cease from Memphis. And there will no

the sword fall from his hand.

longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

23'I will scatter the Egyptians among the

nations and disperse them among the

14"I will make Pathros desolate, Set a lands.

fire in Zoan And execute judgments on

Thebes.

24'For I will strengthen the arms of the Because of many waters as it spread king of Babylon and put My sword in his

them out.

hand; and I will break the arms of

Pharaoh, so that he will groan before

6'All the birds of the heavens nested in him with the groanings of a wounded

its boughs, And under its branches all

man.

the beasts of the field gave birth, And all

great nations lived under its shade.

25'Thus I will strengthen the arms of the

king of Babylon, but the arms of

7'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know the length of its branches; For its roots that I am the LORD, when I put My

extended to many waters.

sword into the hand of the king of

Babylon and he stretches it out against

8'The cedars in God's garden could not

the land of Egypt.

match it; The cypresses could not

compare with its boughs, And the plane

26'When I scatter the Egyptians among

trees could not match its branches. No

the nations and disperse them among

tree in God's garden could compare with

the lands, then they will know that I am it in its beauty.

the LORD.'"

9'I made it beautiful with the multitude of

31

its branches, And all the trees of Eden, In the eleventh year, in the third

which were in the garden of God, were

month, on the first of the month, the

jealous of it.

word of the LORD came to me saying,

10'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

2"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of

"Because it is high in stature and has Egypt and to his hordes, 'Whom are you

set its top among the clouds, and its

like in your greatness?

heart is haughty in its loftiness,

3

11

'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in

therefore I will give it into the hand of a

Lebanon With beautiful branches and

despot of the nations; he will thoroughly

forest shade, And very high, And its top

deal with it. According to its wickedness

was among the clouds.

I have driven it away.

4

12

'The waters made it grow, the deep

" Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it made it high. With its rivers it continually

down and left it; on the mountains and in

extended all around its planting place,

all the valleys its branches have fallen And sent out its channels to all the trees

and its boughs have been broken in all

of the field.

the ravines of the land. And all the

peoples of the earth have gone down

5'Therefore its height was loftier than all

from its shade and left it.

the trees of the field And its boughs

became many and its branches long

13"On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field 32In the twelfth year, in the twelfth will be on its fallen branches month, on the first of the month, the

word of the LORD came to me saying,

14so that all the trees by the waters may

not be exalted in their stature, nor set 2"Son of man, take up a lamentation their top among the clouds, nor their over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to

well-watered mighty ones stand erect in

him, 'You compared yourself to a young

their height. For they have all been

lion of the nations, Yet you are like the given over to death, to the earth

monster in the seas; And you burst forth

beneath, among the sons of men, with

in your rivers And muddied the waters

those who go down to the pit."

with your feet And fouled their rivers.'"

15'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day

3Thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I will when it went down to Sheol I caused

spread My net over you With a company

lamentations; I closed the deep over it

of many peoples, And they shall lift you and held back its rivers. And its many

up in My net.

waters were stopped up, and I made

Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees 4

of the field wilted away on account of it.

"I will leave you on the land; I will cast you on the open field. And I will cause 16

all the birds of the heavens to dwell on

"I made the nations quake at the

you, And I will satisfy the beasts of the sound of its fall when I made it go down

whole earth with you.

to Sheol with those who go down to the

pit; and all the well-watered trees of

5

Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon,

"I will lay your flesh on the mountains were comforted in the earth beneath.

And fill the valleys with your refuse.

6

17"They also went down with it to Sheol

"I will also make the land drink the to those who were slain by the sword;

discharge of your blood As far as the

and those who were its strength lived

mountains, And the ravines will be full of

under its shade among the nations.

you.

7

18"To which among the trees of Eden

"And when I extinguish you, I will cover

are you thus equal in glory and

the heavens and darken their stars; I will

greatnessNULL Yet you will be brought

cover the sun with a cloud And the

down with the trees of Eden to the earth

moon will not give its light.

beneath; you will lie in the midst of the 8

uncircumcised, with those who were

"All the shining lights in the heavens I slain by the sword. So is Pharaoh and will darken over you And will set

all his hordes!"' declares the Lord GOD."

darkness on your land," Declares the Lord GOD.

9"I will also trouble the hearts of many 17In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of peoples when I bring your destruction the month, the word of the LORD came

among the nations, into lands which you

to me saying,

have not known.

18"Son of man, wail for the hordes of 10"I will make many peoples appalled at Egypt and bring it down, her and the

you, and their kings will be horribly

daughters of the powerful nations, to the

afraid of you when I brandish My sword

nether world, with those who go down to

before them; and they will tremble every

the pit;

moment, every man for his own life, on

the day of your fall."

19'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go

down and make your bed with the

11For thus says the Lord GOD, "The

uncircumcised.'

sword of the king of Babylon will come

upon you.

20"They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given

12"By the swords of the mighty ones I over to the sword; they have drawn her will cause your hordes to fall; all of them

and all her hordes away.

are tyrants of the nations, And they will devastate the pride of Egypt, And all its 21"The strong among the mighty ones hordes will be destroyed.

shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, 'They have gone

13"I will also destroy all its cattle from down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, beside many waters; And the foot of

slain by the sword.'

man will not muddy them anymore And

the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them.

22" Assyria is there and all her company; her graves are round about her. All of

14"Then I will make their waters settle them are slain, fallen by the sword,

And will cause their rivers to run like oil,"

Declares the Lord GOD.

23whose graves are set in the remotest

parts of the pit and her company is

15"When I make the land of Egypt a round about her grave. All of them are

desolation, And the land is destitute of slain, fallen by the sword, who spread

that which filled it, When I smite all

terror in the land of the living.

those who live in it, Then they shall

know that I am the LORD.

24" Elam is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them slain,

16"This is a lamentation and they shall fallen by the sword, who went down

chant it. The daughters of the nations

uncircumcised to the lower parts of the

shall chant it. Over Egypt and over all earth, who instilled their terror in the her hordes they shall chant it," declares land of the living and bore their disgrace the Lord GOD.

with those who went down to the pit.

25"They have made a bed for her among 31"These Pharaoh will see, and he will the slain with all her hordes. Her graves be comforted for all his hordes slain by are around it, they are all uncircumcised,

the sword, even Pharaoh and all his

slain by the sword (although their terror army," declares the Lord GOD.

was instilled in the land of the living), and they bore their disgrace with those 32"Though I instilled a terror of him in the who go down to the pit; they were put in

land of the living, yet he will be made to

the midst of the slain.

lie down among the uncircumcised

along with those slain by the sword,

26" Meshech, Tubal and all their hordes even Pharaoh and all his hordes,"

are there; their graves surround them.

declares the Lord GOD.

All of them were slain by the sword

uncircumcised, though they instilled

their terror in the land of the living.

33And the word of the LORD came

27

to me, saying,

" Nor do they lie beside the fallen heroes of the uncircumcised, who went

2

down to Sheol with their weapons of war

"Son of man, speak to the sons of your

and whose swords were laid under their

people and say to them, 'If I bring a

heads; but the punishment for their

sword upon a land, and the people of

iniquity rested on their bones, though

the land take one man from among

the terror of these heroes was once in

them and make him their watchman,

the land of the living.

3and he sees the sword coming upon

28"But in the midst of the uncircumcised

the land and blows on the trumpet and

you will be broken and lie with those

warns the people,

slain by the sword.

4then he who hears the sound of the

29"There also is Edom, its kings and all trumpet and does not take warning, and

its princes, who for all their might are a sword comes and takes him away, his

laid with those slain by the sword; they blood will be on his own head.

will lie with the uncircumcised and with 5

those who go down to the pit.

'He heard the sound of the trumpet but

did not take warning; his blood will be on

30"There also are the chiefs of the north, himself. But had he taken warning, he

all of them, and all the Sidonians, who in

would have delivered his life.

spite of the terror resulting from their 6

might, in shame went down with the

'But if the watchman sees the sword

slain. So they lay down uncircumcised

coming and does not blow the trumpet

with those slain by the sword and bore

and the people are not warned, and a

their disgrace with those who go down

sword comes and takes a person from

to the pit.

them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the

watchman's hand.'

7"Now as for you, son of man, I have 13"When I say to the righteous he will appointed you a watchman for the surely live, and he so trusts in his

house of Israel; so you will hear a

righteousness that he commits iniquity,

message from My mouth and give them

none of his righteous deeds will be

warning from Me.

remembered; but in that same iniquity of

his which he has committed he will die.

8"When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not

14"But when I say to the wicked, 'You will speak to warn the wicked from his way,

surely die,' and he turns from his sin and

that wicked man shall die in his iniquity,

practices justice and righteousness,

but his blood I will require from your

hand.

15if a wicked man restores a pledge,

pays back what he has taken by robbery,

9"But if you on your part warn a wicked walks by the statutes which ensure life man to turn from his way and he does

without committing iniquity, he shall

not turn from his way, he will die in his surely live; he shall not die.

iniquity, but you have delivered your life.

16" None of his sins that he has

10"Now as for you, son of man, say to committed will be remembered against

the house of Israel, 'Thus you have

him. He has practiced justice and

spoken,

saying,

"Surely

our

righteousness; he shall surely live.

transgressions and our sins are upon us,

and we are rotting away in them; how

17"Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way then can we survive?"'

of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right.

11"Say to them, ' As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the

18"When the righteous turns from his death of the wicked, but rather that the righteousness and commits iniquity, wicked turn from his way and live. Turn then he shall die in it.

back, turn back from your evil ways!

Why then will you die, O house of

19"But when the wicked turns from his Israel?'

wickedness and practices justice and

righteousness, he will live by them.

12"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a

20"Yet you say, ' The way of the Lord is

righteous man will not deliver him in the

not right.' O house of Israel, I will judge day of his transgression, and as for the each of you according to his ways."

wickedness of the wicked, he will not

stumble because of it in the day when

21

he turns from his wickedness; whereas

Now in the twelfth year of our exile, on

a righteous man will not be able to live the fifth of the tenth month, the refugees

by his righteousness on the day when

from Jerusalem came to me, saying, "

he commits sin.'

The city has been taken."

22Now the hand of the LORD had been 29"Then they will know that I am the upon me in the evening, before the LORD, when I make the land a

refugees came. And He opened my

desolation and a waste because of all

mouth at the time they came to me in

their abominations which they have

the morning; so my mouth was opened

committed."'

and I was no longer speechless.

30"But as for you, son of man, your 23Then the word of the LORD came to

fellow citizens who talk about you by the

me saying,

walls and in the doorways of the houses,

speak to one another, each to his

24"Son of man, they who live in these brother, saying, ' Come now and hear

waste places in the land of Israel are

what the message is which comes forth

saying, ' Abraham was only one, yet he

from the LORD.'

possessed the land; so to us who are

many the land has been given as a

31"They come to you as people come, possession.'

and sit before you as My people and

hear your words, but they do not do

25"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the

them, for they do the lustful desires

Lord GOD, "You eat meat with the blood

expressed by their mouth, and their

in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as heart goes after their gain.

you shed blood. Should you then

possess the land?

32"Behold, you are to them like a

sensual song by one who has a

26"You rely on your sword, you commit beautiful voice and plays well on an

abominations and each of you defiles

instrument; for they hear your words but

his neighbor's wife. Should you then

they do not practice them.

possess the land?"'

33"So when it comes to pass--as surely it 27"Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus will--then they will know that a prophet says the Lord GOD, "As I live, surely has been in their midst."

those who are in the waste places will

fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be 34Then the word of the LORD came devoured, and those who are in the

to me saying,

strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence.

2"Son of man, prophesy against the

28

shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say

"I will make the land a desolation and to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord

a waste, and the pride of her power will

GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who

cease; and the mountains of Israel will

have been feeding themselves! Should

be desolate so that no one will pass

not the shepherds feed the flock?

through.

3"You eat the fat and clothe yourselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from with the wool, you slaughter the fat

their mouth, so that they will not be food

sheep without feeding the flock.

for them."'"

4"Those who are sickly you have not 11For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold,

strengthened, the diseased you have

I Myself will search for My sheep and

not healed, the broken you have not

seek them out.

bound up, the scattered you have not

brought back, nor have you sought for

12" As a shepherd cares for his herd in the lost; but with force and with severity the day when he is among his scattered

you have dominated them.

sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to 5"They were scattered for lack of a which they were scattered on a cloudy shepherd, and they became food for

and gloomy day.

every beast of the field and were

scattered.

13"I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and

6"My flock wandered through all the

bring them to their own land; and I will mountains and on every high hill; My

feed them on the mountains of Israel, by

flock was scattered over all the surface the streams, and in all the inhabited

of the earth, and there was no one to

places of the land.

search or seek for them."'"

14"I will feed them in a good pasture, and 7Therefore, you shepherds, hear the

their grazing ground will be on the

word of the LORD:

mountain heights of Israel. There they

will lie down on good grazing ground

8"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, and feed in rich pasture on the

"surely because My flock has become a

mountains of Israel.

prey, My flock has even become food

for all the beasts of the field for lack of a

15"I will feed My flock and I will lead shepherd, and My shepherds did not

them to rest," declares the Lord GOD.

search for My flock, but rather the

shepherds fed themselves and did not

16"I will seek the lost, bring back the feed My flock;

scattered, bind up the broken and

strengthen the sick; but the fat and the 9therefore, you shepherds, hear the

strong I will destroy. I will feed them with

word of the LORD:

judgment.

10'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I 17"As for you, My flock, thus says the am against the shepherds, and I will Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will judge between

demand My sheep from them and make

one sheep and another, between the

them cease from feeding sheep. So the

rams and the male goats.

shepherds will not feed themselves

18'Is it too slight a thing for you that you 27"Also the tree of the field will yield its should feed in the good pasture, that fruit and the earth will yield its increase, you must tread down with your feet the

and they will be secure on their land.

rest of your pastures? Or that you

Then they will know that I am the LORD,

should drink of the clear waters, that you

when I have broken the bars of their

must foul the rest with your feet?

yoke and have delivered them from the

hand of those who enslaved them.

19'As for My flock, they must eat what

you tread down with your feet and drink

28"They will no longer be a prey to the what you foul with your feet!'"

nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live

20Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to

securely, and no one will make them

them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge afraid.

between the fat sheep and the lean

sheep.

29"I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again 21"Because you push with side and with

be victims of famine in the land, and

shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with

they will not endure the insults of the your horns until you have scattered

nations anymore.

them abroad,

30"Then they will know that I, the LORD

22therefore, I will deliver My flock, and their God, am with them, and that they, they will no longer be a prey; and I will the house of Israel, are My people,"

judge between one sheep and another.

declares the Lord GOD.

23

31

"Then I will set over them one

"As for you, My sheep, the sheep of shepherd, My servant David, and he will

My pasture, you are men, and I am your

feed them; he will feed them himself and

God," declares the Lord GOD.

be their shepherd.

24"And I, the LORD, will be their God, 35Moreover, the word of the LORD

and My servant David will be prince

came to me saying,

among them; I the LORD have spoken.

2"Son of man, set your face against 25"I will make a covenant of peace with Mount Seir, and prophesy against it them and eliminate harmful beasts from

the land so that they may live securely 3and say to it, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. "Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, And I will stretch out My hand against 26"I will make them and the places

you And make you a desolation and a

around My hill a blessing. And I will

waste.

cause showers to come down in their

season; they will be showers of blessing.

4"I will lay waste your cities And you will 12"Then you will know that I, the LORD, become a desolation. Then you will

have heard all your revilings which you

know that I am the LORD.

have spoken against the mountains of

Israel saying, 'They are laid desolate;

5"Because you have had everlasting

they are given to us for food.'

enmity and have delivered the sons of

Israel to the power of the sword at the 13"And you have spoken arrogantly

time of their calamity, at the time of the against Me and have multiplied your

punishment of the end,

words against Me; I have heard it."

6therefore as I live," declares the Lord 14'Thus says the Lord GOD, "As all the GOD, "I will give you over to bloodshed, earth rejoices, I will make you a

and bloodshed will pursue you; since

desolation.

you have not hated bloodshed, therefore

bloodshed will pursue you.

15"As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was 7"I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolate, so I will do to you. You will be

desolation and I will cut off from it the a desolation, O Mount Seir, and all

one who passes through and returns.

Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I

am the LORD."'

8"I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain by the sword 36"And you, son of man, prophesy to will fall.

the mountains of Israel and say, 'O

mountains of Israel, hear the word of the

9"I will make you an everlasting

LORD.

desolation and your cities will not be

inhabited. Then you will know that I am 2'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because

the LORD.

the enemy has spoken against you,

'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have

10"Because you have said, 'These two become our possession,'

nations and these two lands will be mine,

and we will possess them,' although the

3therefore prophesy and say, 'Thus says

LORD was there,

the Lord GOD, "For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed

11therefore as I live," declares the Lord you from every side, that you would GOD, "I will deal with you according to become a possession of the rest of the your anger and according to your envy

nations and you have been taken up in

which you showed because of your

the talk and the whispering of the

hatred against them; so I will make

people."'"

Myself known among them when I judge

you.

4'Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear

the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says

the Lord GOD to the mountains and to 11'I will multiply on you man and beast; the hills, to the ravines and to the and they will increase and be fruitful;

valleys, to the desolate wastes and to

and I will cause you to be inhabited as the forsaken cities which have become

you were formerly and will treat you

a prey and a derision to the rest of the better than at the first. Thus you will nations which are round about, know that I am the LORD.

5therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

12'Yes, I will cause men--My people

"Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have Israel--to walk on you and possess you, spoken against the rest of the nations,

so that you will become their inheritance

and against all Edom, who appropriated

and never again bereave them of

My land for themselves as a possession

children.'

with wholehearted joy and with scorn of

soul, to drive it out for a prey."

13"Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because

they say to you, "You are a devourer of 6'Therefore prophesy concerning the

men and have bereaved your nation of

land of Israel and say to the mountains children,"

and to the hills, to the ravines and to the

valleys, "Thus says the Lord GOD,

14therefore you will no longer devour

'Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy

men and no longer bereave your nation

and in My wrath because you have

of children,' declares the Lord GOD.

endured the insults of the nations.'

15"I will not let you hear insults from the 7"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'I nations anymore, nor will you bear have sworn that surely the nations

disgrace from the peoples any longer,

which are around you will themselves

nor will you cause your nation to

endure their insults.

stumble any longer," declares the Lord GOD.'"

8'But you, O mountains of Israel, you will

put forth your branches and bear your

16Then the word of the LORD came to

fruit for My people Israel; for they will me saying,

soon come.

17"Son of man, when the house of Israel

9'For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn

was living in their own land, they defiled

to you, and you will be cultivated and

it by their ways and their deeds; their sown.

way before Me was like the uncleanness

of a woman in her impurity.

10'I will multiply men on you, all the

house of Israel, all of it; and the cities 18"Therefore I poured out My wrath on will be inhabited and the waste places them for the blood which they had shed

will be rebuilt.

on the land, because they had defiled it

with their idols.

19"Also I scattered them among the 27"I will put My Spirit within you and nations and they were dispersed cause you to walk in My statutes, and

throughout the lands. According to their

you will be careful to observe My

ways and their deeds I judged them.

ordinances.

20"When they came to the nations where

28"You will live in the land that I gave to they went, they profaned My holy name,

your forefathers; so you will be My

because it was said of them, 'These are

people, and I will be your God.

the people of the LORD; yet they have

come out of His land.'

29"Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain

21"But I had concern for My holy name, and multiply it, and I will not bring a which the house of Israel had profaned famine on you.

among the nations where they went.

30"I will multiply the fruit of the tree and 22"Therefore say to the house of Israel, the produce of the field, so that you will 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for not receive again the disgrace of famine

your sake, O house of Israel, that I am among the nations.

about to act, but for My holy name,

which you have profaned among the

31"Then you will remember your evil

nations where you went.

ways and your deeds that were not

good, and you will loathe yourselves in

23"I will vindicate the holiness of My your own sight for your iniquities and great name which has been profaned

your abominations.

among the nations, which you have

profaned in their midst. Then the nations

32"I am not doing this for your sake,"

will know that I am the LORD," declares

declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known

the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself

to you. Be ashamed and confounded for

holy among you in their sight.

your ways, O house of Israel!"

24"For I will take you from the nations, 33'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day gather you from all the lands and bring that I cleanse you from all your iniquities,

you into your own land.

I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.

25"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you

34"The desolate land will be cultivated from all your filthiness and from all your instead of being a desolation in the sight

idols.

of everyone who passes by.

26"Moreover, I will give you a new heart

35"They will say, 'This desolate land has and put a new spirit within you; and I will

become like the garden of Eden; and

remove the heart of stone from your

the waste, desolate and ruined cities are

flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

fortified and inhabited.'

36"Then the nations that are left round and put breath in you that you may about you will know that I, the LORD,

come alive; and you will know that I am

have rebuilt the ruined places and

the LORD.'"

planted that which was desolate; I, the

LORD, have spoken and will do it."

7So I prophesied as I was commanded;

and as I prophesied, there was a noise,

37'Thus says the Lord GOD, "This also I

and behold, a rattling; and the bones

will let the house of Israel ask Me to do

came together, bone to its bone.

for them: I will increase their men like a

flock.

8And I looked, and behold, sinews were

on them, and flesh grew and skin

38"Like the flock for sacrifices, like the covered them; but there was no breath flock at Jerusalem during her appointed

in them.

feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know 9Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the that I am the LORD."'"

breath, prophesy, son of man, and say

to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

37

"Come from the four winds, O breath, The hand of the LORD was upon

and breathe on these slain, that they

come to life."'"

me, and He brought me out by the Spirit

of the LORD and set me down in the

10

middle of the valley; and it was full of So I prophesied as He commanded

bones.

me, and the breath came into them, and

they came to life and stood on their feet,

2

an exceedingly great army.

He caused me to pass among them

round about, and behold, there were

11

very many on the surface of the valley; Then He said to me, "Son of man,

and lo, they were very dry.

these bones are the whole house of

Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are 3He said to me, "Son of man, can these

dried up and our hope has perished. We

bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord are completely cut off.'

GOD, You know."

12"Therefore prophesy and say to them,

4

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will

Again He said to me, " Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry

open your graves and cause you to

bones, hear the word of the LORD.'

come up out of your graves, My people;

and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

5"Thus says the Lord GOD to these

13"Then you will know that I am the bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to

enter you that you may come to life.

LORD, when I have opened your graves

and caused you to come up out of your

6

graves, My people.

'I will put sinews on you, make flesh

grow back on you, cover you with skin

14"I will put My Spirit within you and you 22and I will make them one nation in the will come to life, and I will place you on land, on the mountains of Israel; and

your own land. Then you will know that I,

one king will be king for all of them; and

the LORD, have spoken and done it,"

they will no longer be two nations and

declares the LORD.'"

no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

15The word of the LORD came again to

23"They will no longer defile themselves me saying,

with their idols, or with their detestable things,

or

with

any

of

their

16"And you, son of man, take for yourself transgressions; but I will deliver them

one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and

from all their dwelling places in which

for the sons of Israel, his companions'; they have sinned, and will cleanse them.

then take another stick and write on it, And they will be My people, and I will be

'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all

their God.

the house of Israel, his companions.'

24"My servant David will be king over 17"Then join them for yourself one to them, and they will all have one another into one stick, that they may

shepherd; and they will walk in My

become one in your hand.

ordinances and keep My statutes and

observe them.

18"When the sons of your people speak 25

to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us

"They will live on the land that I gave what you mean by these?'

to Jacob My servant, in which your

fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, 19

and their sons and their sons' sons,

say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

forever; and David My servant will be

"Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, their prince forever.

which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the

tribes of Israel, his companions; and I

26

will put them with it, with the stick of

"I will make a covenant of peace with Judah, and make them one stick, and

them; it will be an everlasting covenant they will be one in My hand."'

with them. And I will place them and

multiply them, and will set My sanctuary

20

in their midst forever.

"The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.

27"My dwelling place also will be with 21

them; and I will be their God, and they

"Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord

will be My people.

GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where

28

they have gone, and I will gather them

"And the nations will know that I am from every side and bring them into their

the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when

own land;

My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"

9

38

"You will go up, you will come like a And the word of the LORD came

storm; you will be like a cloud covering to me saying,

the land, you and all your troops, and

many peoples with you."

2"Son of man, set your face toward Gog

10

of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh,

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will come

Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy

about on that day, that thoughts will

against him

come into your mind and you will devise

an evil plan,

3and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

11

"Behold, I am against you, O Gog,

and you will say, 'I will go up against prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.

the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls 4"I will turn you about and put hooks into and having no bars or gates, your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all

12

of them splendidly attired, a great

to capture spoil and to seize plunder,

company with buckler and shield, all of

to turn your hand against the waste

places which are now inhabited, and

them wielding swords;

against the people who are gathered

5

from the nations, who have acquired

Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all

cattle and goods, who live at the center of them with shield and helmet;

of the world.'

6Gomer with all its troops; Beth—

13" Sheba and Dedan and the merchants

togarmah from the remote parts of the

of Tarshish with all its villages will say to

north with all its troops--many peoples

you, 'Have you come to capture spoil?

with you.

Have you assembled your company to

seize plunder, to carry away silver and

7" Be prepared, and prepare yourself, gold, to take away cattle and goods, to you and all your companies that are capture great spoil?'"'

assembled about you, and be a guard

for them.

14"Therefore prophesy, son of man, and

say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,

8" After many days you will be

"On that day when My people Israel are

summoned; in the latter years you will

living securely, will you not know it?

come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been

15" You will come from your place out of

gathered from many nations to the

the remote parts of the north, you and

mountains of Israel which had been a

many peoples with you, all of them

continual waste; but its people were

riding on horses, a great assembly and

brought out from the nations, and they

a mighty army;

are living securely, all of them.

16and you will come up against My torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and people Israel like a cloud to cover the brimstone.

land. It shall come about in the last days

that I will bring you against My land, so 23"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, that the nations may know Me when I and make Myself known in the sight of

am sanctified through you before their

many nations; and they will know that I eyes, O Gog."

am the LORD."'

17'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Are you the

one of whom I spoke in former days

39"And you, son of man, prophesy through My servants the prophets of

Israel, who prophesied in those days for

against Gog and say, 'Thus says the

many years that I would bring you

Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O

against them?

Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and

Tubal;

18"It will come about on that day, when 2

Gog comes against the land of Israel,"

and I will turn you around, drive you on,

declares the Lord GOD, "that My fury take you up from the remotest parts of

will mount up in My anger.

the north and bring you against the

mountains of Israel.

19"In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I 3

declare that on that day there will surely

"I will strike your bow from your left be a great earthquake in the land of hand and dash down your arrows from

Israel.

your right hand.

4

20" The fish of the sea, the birds of the

"You will fall on the mountains of Israel, heavens, the beasts of the field, all the you and all your troops and the peoples creeping things that creep on the earth, who are with you; I will give you as food

and all the men who are on the face of to every kind of predatory bird and beast

the earth will shake at My presence; the

of the field.

mountains also will be thrown down, the

5

steep pathways will collapse and every

"You will fall on the open field; for it is I wall will fall to the ground.

who have spoken," declares the Lord

GOD.

21"I will call for a sword against him on 6

all My mountains," declares the Lord

"And I will send fire upon Magog and GOD. " Every man's sword will be

those who inhabit the coastlands in

against his brother.

safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.

22"With pestilence and with blood I will 7

enter into judgment with him; and I will

"My holy name I will make known in the

rain on him and on his troops, and on

midst of My people Israel; and I will not the many peoples who are with him, a

let My holy name be profaned anymore.

And the nations will know that I am the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

of seven months they will make a

search.

8"Behold, it is coming and it shall be done," declares the Lord GOD. "That is 15"As those who pass through the land the day of which I have spoken.

pass through and anyone sees a man's

bone, then he will set up a marker by it 9"Then those who inhabit the cities of until the buriers have buried it in the Israel will go out and make fires with the valley of Hamon-gog.

weapons and burn them, both shields

and bucklers, bows and arrows, war

16"And even the name of the city will be

clubs and spears, and for seven years

Hamonah. So they will cleanse the

they will make fires of them.

land."'

10"They will not take wood from the field 17"As for you, son of man, thus says the

or gather firewood from the forests, for Lord GOD, 'Speak to every kind of bird

they will make fires with the weapons;

and to every beast of the field,

and they will take the spoil of those who

"Assemble and come, gather from every

despoiled them and seize the plunder of

side to My sacrifice which I am going to

those who plundered them," declares

sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the Lord GOD.

the mountains of Israel, that you may

eat flesh and drink blood.

11"On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of 18"You will eat the flesh of mighty men those who pass by east of the sea, and

and drink the blood of the princes of the

it will block off those who would pass by.

earth, as though they were rams, lambs,

So they will bury Gog there with all his goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of horde, and they will call it the valley of Bashan.

Hamon-gog.

19"So you will eat fat until you are glutted, 12"For seven months the house of Israel and drink blood until you are drunk, from

will be burying them in order to cleanse My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for the land.

you.

13"Even all the people of the land will 20"You will be glutted at My table with bury them; and it will be to their renown horses and charioteers, with mighty men

on the day that I glorify Myself," declares and all the men of war," declares the the Lord GOD.

Lord GOD.

14"They will set apart men who will 21"And I will set My glory among the constantly pass through the land, nations; and all the nations will see My burying those who were passing through,

judgment which I have executed and My

even those left on the surface of the

hand which I have laid on them.

22"And the house of Israel will know that 29"I will not hide My face from them any I am the LORD their God from that day

longer, for I will have poured out My

onward.

Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

23"The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they

acted

treacherously

40In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, against Me, and I hid My face from them;

at the beginning of the year, on the tenth

so I gave them into the hand of their

of the month, in the fourteenth year after

adversaries, and all of them fell by the the city was taken, on that same day the

sword.

hand of the LORD was upon me and He

brought me there.

24" According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt 2In the visions of God He brought me with them, and I hid My face from

into the land of Israel and set me on a them."'"

very high mountain, and on it to the

south there was a structure like a city.

25Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

"Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob 3So He brought me there; and behold,

and have mercy on the whole house of

there was a man whose appearance

Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy was like the appearance of bronze, with

name.

a line of flax and a measuring rod in his

hand; and he was standing in the

26"They will forget their disgrace and all gateway.

their treachery which they perpetrated

against Me, when they live securely on

4The man said to me, " Son of man, see

their own land with no one to make them

with your eyes, hear with your ears, and

afraid.

give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought

27"When I bring them back from the

here in order to show it to you. Declare peoples and gather them from the lands

to the house of Israel all that you see."

of their enemies, then I shall be

sanctified through them in the sight of

5And behold, there was a wall on the

the many nations.

outside of the temple all around, and in the man's hand was a measuring rod of

28"Then they will know that I am the six cubits, each of which was a cubit

LORD their God because I made them

and a handbreadth. So he measured the

go into exile among the nations, and

thickness of the wall, one rod; and the then gathered them again to their own

height, one rod.

land; and I will leave none of them there

any longer.

6Then he went to the gate which faced

east, went up its steps and measured

the threshold of the gate, one rod in

width; and the other threshold was one 15From the front of the entrance gate to rod in width.

the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits.

7The guardroom was one rod long and

one rod wide; and there were five cubits

16There were shuttered windows looking

between the guardrooms. And the

toward the guardrooms, and toward

threshold of the gate by the porch of the

their side pillars within the gate all

gate facing inward was one rod.

around, and likewise for the porches.

And there were windows all around

8Then he measured the porch of the

inside; and on each side pillar were

gate facing inward, one rod.

palm tree ornaments.

9

17

He measured the porch of the gate,

Then he brought me into the outer

eight cubits; and its side pillars, two

court, and behold, there were chambers

cubits. And the porch of the gate was

and a pavement made for the court all

faced inward.

around; thirty chambers faced the

pavement.

10The guardrooms of the gate toward

18

the east numbered three on each side;

The pavement (that is, the lower

the three of them had the same

pavement) was by the side of the gates,

measurement. The side pillars also had

corresponding to the length of the gates.

the same measurement on each side.

19Then he measured the width from the

11And he measured the width of the

front of the lower gate to the front of the

gateway, ten cubits, and the length of

exterior of the inner court, a hundred

the gate, thirteen cubits.

cubits on the east and on the north.

12

20

There was a barrier wall one cubit

As for the gate of the outer court which

wide in front of the guardrooms on each

faced the north, he measured its length

side; and the guardrooms were six

and its width.

cubits square on each side.

21It had three guardrooms on each side;

13He measured the gate from the roof of

and its side pillars and its porches had the one guardroom to the roof of the

the same measurement as the first gate.

other, a width of twenty-five cubits from Its length was fifty cubits and the width one door to the door opposite.

twenty-five cubits.

14

22

He made the side pillars sixty cubits

Its windows and its porches and its

high; the gate extended round about to

palm tree ornaments had the same

the side pillar of the courtyard.

measurements as the gate which faced

toward the east; and it was reached by

seven steps, and its porch was in front of them.

23The inner court had a gate opposite its side pillars, and its stairway had eight the gate on the north as well as the gate

steps.

on the east; and he measured a

hundred cubits from gate to gate.

32He brought me into the inner court

toward the east. And he measured the

24Then he led me toward the south, and

gate

according

to

those

same

behold, there was a gate toward the

measurements.

south; and he measured its side pillars

and its porches according to those same

33Its guardrooms also, its side pillars

measurements.

and its porches were according to those

same measurements. And the gate and

25The gate and its porches had windows

its porches had windows all around; it

all around like those other windows; the

was fifty cubits long and twenty-five

length was fifty cubits and the width

cubits wide.

twenty-five cubits.

34Its porches were toward the outer

26There were seven steps going up to it,

court; and palm tree ornaments were on

and its porches were in front of them;

its side pillars, on each side, and its and it had palm tree ornaments on its

stairway had eight steps.

side pillars, one on each side.

35Then he brought me to the north gate;

27The inner court had a gate toward the

and he measured it according to those

south; and he measured from gate to

same measurements,

gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

36with its guardrooms, its side pillars and

28Then he brought me to the inner court

its porches. And the gate had windows

by the south gate; and he measured the

all around; the length was fifty cubits

south gate according to those same

and the width twenty-five cubits.

measurements.

37Its side pillars were toward the outer 29Its guardrooms also, its side pillars

court; and palm tree ornaments were on

and its porches were according to those

its side pillars on each side, and its

same measurements. And the gate and

stairway had eight steps.

its porches had windows all around; it

was fifty cubits long and twenty-five

38A chamber with its doorway was by

cubits wide.

the side pillars at the gates; there they rinse the burnt offering.

30There were porches all around,

twenty-five cubits long and five cubits

39In the porch of the gate were two

wide.

tables on each side, on which to

slaughter the burnt offering, the sin

31Its porches were toward the outer

offering and the guilt offering.

court; and palm tree ornaments were on

40On the outer side, as one went up to hundred cubits wide; and the altar was the gateway toward the north, were two

in front of the temple.

tables; and on the other side of the

porch of the gate were two tables.

48Then he brought me to the porch of

the temple and measured each side

41Four tables were on each side next to

pillar of the porch, five cubits on each the gate; or, eight tables on which they side; and the width of the gate was three slaughter sacrifices.

cubits on each side.

42For the burnt offering there were four 49The length of the porch was twenty

tables of hewn stone, a cubit and a half

cubits and the width eleven cubits; and

long, a cubit and a half wide and one

at the stairway by which it was

cubit high, on which they lay the

ascended were columns belonging to

instruments with which they slaughter

the side pillars, one on each side.

the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43The double hooks, one handbreadth in

41Then he brought me to the nave

length, were installed in the house all

and measured the side pillars; six cubits

around; and on the tables was the flesh

wide on each side was the width of the of the offering.

side pillar.

44From the outside to the inner gate

2The width of the entrance was ten

were chambers for the singers in the

cubits and the sides of the entrance

inner court, one of which was at the side

were five cubits on each side. And he

of the north gate, with its front toward measured the length of the nave, forty

the south, and one at the side of the

cubits, and the width, twenty cubits.

south gate facing toward the north.

3

45

Then he went inside and measured

He said to me, "This is the chamber each side pillar of the doorway, two

which faces toward the south, intended

cubits, and the doorway, six cubits high;

for the priests who keep charge of the

and the width of the doorway, seven

temple;

cubits.

46but the chamber which faces toward

4He measured its length, twenty cubits,

the north is for the priests who keep

and the width, twenty cubits, before the charge of the altar. These are the sons nave; and he said to me, "This is the of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi most holy place."

come near to the LORD to minister to

Him."

5Then he measured the wall of the

47

temple, six cubits; and the width of the He measured the court, a perfect

side chambers, four cubits, all around

square, a hundred cubits long and a

about the house on every side.

6The side chambers were in three all around, and its length was ninety stories, one above another, and thirty in

cubits.

each story; and the side chambers

extended to the wall which stood on

13Then he measured the temple, a

their inward side all around, that they

hundred cubits long; the separate area

might be fastened, and not be fastened

with the building and its walls were also

into the wall of the temple itself.

a hundred cubits long.

7The side chambers surrounding the

14Also the width of the front of the

temple were wider at each successive

temple and that of the separate areas

story.

Because

the

structure

along the east side totaled a hundred

surrounding the temple went upward by

cubits.

stages on all sides of the temple,

therefore the width of the temple

15He measured the length of the building

increased as it went higher; and thus

along the front of the separate area

one went up from the lowest story to the

behind it, with a gallery on each side, a highest by way of the second story.

hundred cubits; he also measured the

inner nave and the porches of the court.

8I saw also that the house had a raised

platform all around; the foundations of

16The thresholds, the latticed windows

the side chambers were a full rod of six

and the galleries round about their three

long cubits in height.

stories, opposite the threshold, were

paneled with wood all around, and from

9The thickness of the outer wall of the the ground to the windows (but the

side chambers was five cubits. But the

windows were covered),

free space between the side chambers

belonging to the temple

17over the entrance, and to the inner

house, and on the outside, and on all

10and the outer chambers was twenty

the wall all around inside and outside,

cubits in width all around the temple on by measurement.

every side.

18It was carved with cherubim and palm

11The doorways of the side chambers

trees; and a palm tree was between

toward the free space consisted of one

cherub and cherub, and every cherub

doorway toward the north and another

had two faces,

doorway toward the south; and the width

of the free space was five cubits all

19a man's face toward the palm tree on

around.

one side and a young lion's face toward

the palm tree on the other side; they

12The building that was in front of the were carved on all the house all around.

separate area at the side toward the

west was seventy cubits wide; and the

20From the ground to above the

wall of the building was five cubits thick entrance cherubim and palm trees were

carved, as well as on the wall of the 2Along the length, which was a hundred nave.

cubits, was the north door; the width

was fifty cubits.

21The doorposts of the nave were

square; as for the front of the sanctuary,

3Opposite the twenty cubits which

the appearance of one doorpost was

belonged to the inner court, and

like that of the other.

opposite the pavement which belonged

to

the

outer

court,

was

gallery

22The altar was of wood, three cubits

corresponding to gallery in three stories.

high and its length two cubits; its

corners, its base and its sides were of 4Before the chambers was an inner walk

wood. And he said to me, "This is the ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred table that is before the LORD."

cubits; and their openings were on the

north.

23The nave and the sanctuary each had

a double door.

5Now the upper chambers were smaller

because the galleries took more space

24Each of the doors had two leaves, two

away from them than from the lower and

swinging leaves; two leaves for one

middle ones in the building.

door and two leaves for the other.

6For they were in three stories and had

25Also there were carved on them, on

no pillars like the pillars of the courts; the doors of the nave, cherubim and

therefore the upper chambers were set

palm trees like those carved on the

back from the ground upward, more

walls; and there was a threshold of

than the lower and middle ones.

wood on the front of the porch outside.

7As for the outer wall by the side of the

26There were latticed windows and palm

chambers, toward the outer court facing

trees on one side and on the other, on the chambers, its length was fifty cubits.

the sides of the porch; thus were the

side chambers of the house and the

8For the length of the chambers which

thresholds.

were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing

the temple was a hundred cubits.

42Then he brought me out into the 9

outer court, the way toward the north;

Below

these

chambers

was

the

and he brought me to the chamber

entrance on the east side, as one enters

them from the outer court.

which was opposite the separate area

and opposite the building toward the

10

north.

In the thickness of the wall of the court

toward the east, facing the separate

area and facing the building, there were

chambers.

11The way in front of them was like the 18On the south side he measured five appearance of the chambers which

hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

were on the north, according to their

length so was their width, and all their 19He turned to the west side and

exits were both according to their

measured five hundred reeds with the

arrangements and openings.

measuring reed.

12Corresponding to the openings of the

20He measured it on the four sides; it

chambers which were toward the south

had a wall all around, the length five

was an opening at the head of the way,

hundred and the width five hundred, to

the way in front of the wall toward the divide between the holy and the profane.

east, as one enters them.

13Then he said to me, "The north

43Then he led me to the gate, the

chambers and the south chambers,

which are opposite the separate area,

gate facing toward the east;

they are the holy chambers where the

2

priests who are near to the LORD shall

and behold, the glory of the God of

eat the most holy things. There they

Israel was coming from the way of the

shall lay the most holy things, the grain east. And His voice was like the sound offering, the sin offering and the guilt of many waters; and the earth shone

offering; for the place is holy.

with His glory.

14

3

"When the priests enter, then they

And it was like the appearance of the

shall not go out into the outer court from

vision which I saw, like the vision which I

the sanctuary without laying there their

saw when He came to destroy the city.

garments in which they minister, for they

And the visions were like the vision

are holy. They shall put on other

which I saw by the river Chebar; and I garments; then they shall approach that

fell on my face.

which is for the people."

4And the glory of the LORD came into

15Now when he had finished measuring

the house by the way of the gate facing

the inner house, he brought me out by

toward the east.

the way of the gate which faced toward

the east and measured it all around.

5And the Spirit lifted me up and brought

me into the inner court; and behold, the

16He measured on the east side with the

glory of the LORD filled the house.

measuring reed five hundred reeds by

the measuring reed.

6Then I heard one speaking to me from

the house, while a man was standing

17He measured on the north side five

beside me.

hundred reeds by the measuring reed.

7He said to me, "Son of man, this is the

place of My throne and the place of the

soles of My feet, where I will dwell span; and this shall be the height of the among the sons of Israel forever. And

base of the altar.

the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their

14"From the base on the ground to the kings, by their harlotry and by the

lower ledge shall be two cubits and the corpses of their kings when they die,

width one cubit; and from the smaller

ledge to the larger ledge shall be four 8by setting their threshold by My

cubits and the width one cubit.

threshold and their door post beside My

door post, with only the wall between

15"The altar hearth shall be four cubits; Me and them. And they have defiled My

and from the altar hearth shall extend

holy name by their abominations which

upwards four horns.

they have committed. So I have

consumed them in My anger.

16"Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its

9"Now let them put away their harlotry four sides.

and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever.

17"The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides, 10"As for you, son of man, describe the the border around it shall be half a cubit temple to the house of Israel, that they and its base shall be a cubit round about;

may be ashamed of their iniquities; and

and its steps shall face the east."

let them measure the plan.

18And He said to me, " Son of man, thus

11"If they are ashamed of all that they says the Lord GOD, 'These are the

have done, make known to them the

statutes for the altar on the day it is built, design of the house, its structure, its

to offer burnt offerings on it and to

exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its sprinkle blood on it.

statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its 19'You shall give to the Levitical priests whole design and all its statutes and do who are from the offspring of Zadok,

them.

who draw near to Me to minister to Me,'

declares the Lord GOD, 'a young bull for

12"This is the law of the house: its entire a sin offering.

area on the top of the mountain all

around shall be most holy. Behold, this

20'You shall take some of its blood and is the law of the house.

put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge and on the border 13"And these are the measurements of round about; thus you shall cleanse it

the altar by cubits (the cubit being a

and make atonement for it.

cubit and a handbreadth): the base shall

be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its

21'You shall also take the bull for the sin

border on its edge round about one

offering, and it shall be burned in the

appointed place of the house, outside of Israel has entered by it; therefore it the sanctuary.

shall be shut.

22'On the second day you shall offer a

3"As for the prince, he shall sit in it as male goat without blemish for a sin prince to eat bread before the LORD; he

offering, and they shall cleanse the altar

shall enter by way of the porch of the as they cleansed it with the bull.

gate and shall go out by the same way."

23'When you have finished cleansing it,

4Then He brought me by way of the

you shall present a young bull without

north gate to the front of the house; and

blemish and a ram without blemish from

I looked, and behold, the glory of the

the flock.

LORD filled the house of the LORD, and

I fell on my face.

24'You shall present them before the

LORD, and the priests shall throw salt

5The LORD said to me, "Son of man, on them, and they shall offer them up as

mark well, see with your eyes and hear

a burnt offering to the LORD.

with your ears all that I say to you

concerning all the statutes of the house 25' For seven days you shall prepare

of the LORD and concerning all its laws;

daily a goat for a sin offering; also a and mark well the entrance of the house,

young bull and a ram from the flock,

with all exits of the sanctuary.

without blemish, shall be prepared.

6"You shall say to the rebellious ones, to 26'For seven days they shall make

the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord

atonement for the altar and purify it; so GOD, " Enough of all your abominations,

shall they consecrate it.

O house of Israel,

27

7

'When they have completed the days,

when

you brought in foreigners,

it shall be that on the eighth day and uncircumcised

in

heart

and

onward, the priests shall offer your burnt

uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My

offerings on the altar, and your peace

sanctuary to profane it, even My house,

offerings; and I will accept you,' declares

when you offered My food, the fat and

the Lord GOD."

the blood; for they made My covenant

void--this in addition to all your

abominations.

44Then He brought me back by the 8"And you have not kept charge of My way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, holy things yourselves, but you have set which faces the east; and it was shut.

foreigners to keep charge of My

sanctuary."

2The LORD said to me, "This gate shall

be shut; it shall not be opened, and no 9'Thus says the Lord GOD, " No

one shall enter by it, for the LORD God

foreigner uncircumcised in heart and

uncircumcised in flesh, of all the 16"They shall enter My sanctuary; they foreigners who are among the sons of shall come near to My table to minister Israel, shall enter My sanctuary.

to Me and keep My charge.

10"But the Levites who went far from Me

17"It shall be that when they enter at the when Israel went astray, who went

gates of the inner court, they shall be astray from Me after their idols, shall

clothed with linen garments; and wool

bear the punishment for their iniquity.

shall not be on them while they are

ministering in the gates of the inner

11"Yet they shall be ministers in My court and in the house.

sanctuary, having oversight at the gates

of the house and ministering in the

18"Linen turbans shall be on their heads

house; they shall slaughter the burnt

and linen undergarments shall be on

offering and the sacrifice for the people,

their

loins;

they

shall

not

gird

and they shall stand before them to

themselves with anything which makes

minister to them.

them sweat.

12"Because they ministered to them

19"When they go out into the outer court, before their idols and became a

into the outer court to the people, they stumbling block of iniquity to the house shall put off their garments in which they of Israel, therefore I have sworn against

have been ministering and lay them in

them," declares the Lord GOD, "that the holy chambers; then they shall put they shall bear the punishment for their on other garments so that they will not iniquity.

transmit holiness to the people with their

garments.

13"And they shall not come near to Me to

serve as a priest to Me, nor come near 20"Also they shall not shave their heads, to any of My holy things, to the things yet they shall not let their locks grow that are most holy; but they will bear long; they shall only trim the hair of their

their shame and their abominations

heads.

which they have committed.

21" Nor shall any of the priests drink wine 14"Yet I will appoint them to keep charge when they enter the inner court.

of the house, of all its service and of all

that shall be done in it.

22"And they shall not marry a widow or a

divorced woman but shall take virgins

15"But the Levitical priests, the sons of from the offspring of the house of Israel, Zadok,

who kept

charge

of

My

or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

sanctuary when the sons of Israel went

astray from Me, shall come near to Me

23"Moreover, they shall teach My people

to minister to Me; and they shall stand the difference between the holy and the

before Me to offer Me the fat and the

profane, and cause them to discern

blood," declares the Lord GOD.

between the unclean and the clean.

24"In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to 45"And when you divide by lot the My ordinances. They shall also keep My

land for inheritance, you shall offer an laws and My statutes in all My appointed

allotment to the LORD, a holy portion of

feasts and sanctify My sabbaths.

the land; the length shall be the length of 25,000 cubits, and the width shall be 25" They shall not go to a dead person to 20,000. It shall be holy within all its defile themselves; however, for father, boundary round about.

for mother, for son, for daughter, for

brother, or for a sister who has not had 2"Out of this there shall be for the holy a husband, they may defile themselves.

place a square round about five hundred

by five hundred cubits, and fifty cubits 26"After he is cleansed, seven days shall for its open space round about.

elapse for him.

3"From this area you shall measure a 27"On the day that he goes into the length of 25,000 cubits and a width of sanctuary, into the inner court to

10,000 cubits; and in it shall be the

minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer sanctuary, the most holy place.

his sin offering," declares the Lord GOD.

4"It shall be the holy portion of the land; 28"And it shall be with regard to an it shall be for the priests, the ministers of inheritance for them, that I am their

the sanctuary, who come near to

inheritance; and you shall give them no

minister to the LORD, and it shall be a possession

in

Israel--I

am

their

place for their houses and a holy place possession.

for the sanctuary.

29"They shall eat the grain offering, the 5"An area 25,000 cubits in length and sin offering and the guilt offering; and 10,000 in width shall be for the Levites, every devoted thing in Israel shall be the ministers of the house, and for their theirs.

possession cities to dwell in.

30"The first of all the first fruits of every 6"You shall give the city possession of kind and every contribution of every kind, an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000

from all your contributions, shall be for cubits long, alongside the allotment of

the priests; you shall also give to the the holy portion; it shall be for the whole

priest the first of your dough to cause a

house of Israel.

blessing to rest on your house.

7"The prince shall have land on either 31"The priests shall not eat any bird or side of the holy allotment and the beast that has died a natural death or

property of the city, adjacent to the holy

has been torn to pieces.

allotment and the property of the city, on

the west side toward the west and on

the east side toward the east, and in

length comparable to one of the portions, atonement for them," declares the Lord from the west border to the east border.

GOD.

8"This shall be his land for a possession 16" All the people of the land shall give to in Israel; so My princes shall no longer this offering for the prince in Israel.

oppress My people, but they shall give

the rest of the land to the house of Israel

17"It shall be the prince's part to provide according to their tribes."

the burnt offerings, the grain offerings

and the drink offerings, at the feasts, on

9'Thus says the Lord GOD, " Enough, the new moons and on the sabbaths, at

you princes of Israel; put away violence all the appointed feasts of the house of and destruction, and practice justice and Israel; he shall provide the sin offering, righteousness. Stop your expropriations

the grain offering, the burnt offering and

from My people," declares the Lord

the peace offerings, to make atonement

GOD.

for the house of Israel."

10"You shall have just balances, a just 18'Thus says the Lord GOD, "In the first ephah and a just bath.

month, on the first of the month, you

shall take a young bull without blemish

11"The ephah and the bath shall be the and cleanse the sanctuary.

same quantity, so that the bath will

contain a tenth of a homer and the

19"The priest shall take some of the ephah a tenth of a homer; their standard

blood from the sin offering and put it on

shall be according to the homer.

the door posts of the house, on the four

corners of the ledge of the altar and on 12"The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; the posts of the gate of the inner court.

twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and

fifteen shekels shall be your maneh.

20"Thus you shall do on the seventh day

of the month for everyone who goes

13"This is the offering that you shall offer: astray or is naive; so you shall make a sixth of an ephah from a homer of

atonement for the house.

wheat; a sixth of an ephah from a homer

of barley;

21"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the 14and the prescribed portion of oil

Passover, a feast of seven days;

(namely, the bath of oil), a tenth of a unleavened bread shall be eaten.

bath from each kor (which is ten baths

or a homer, for ten baths are a homer);

22"On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land

15and one sheep from each flock of two

a bull for a sin offering.

hundred from the watering places of

Israel--for a grain offering, for a burnt 23"During the seven days of the feast he

offering and for peace offerings, to make

shall provide as a burnt offering to the

LORD seven bulls and seven rams the lambs as much as he is able to give, without blemish on every day of the

and a hin of oil with an ephah.

seven days, and a male goat daily for a

sin offering.

6"On the day of the new moon he shall offer a young bull without blemish, also 24"He shall provide as a grain offering an six lambs and a ram, which shall be ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram without blemish.

and a hin of oil with an ephah.

7"And he shall provide a grain offering, 25"In the seventh month, on the fifteenth an ephah with the bull and an ephah day of the month, at the feast, he shall with the ram, and with the lambs as

provide like this, seven days for the sin much as he is able, and a hin of oil with

offering, the burnt offering, the grain

an ephah.

offering and the oil."

8"When the prince enters, he shall go in

46

by way of the porch of the gate and go

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "The

out by the same way.

gate of the inner court facing east shall 9

be shut the six working days; but it shall

"But when the people of the land come

be opened on the sabbath day and

before the LORD at the appointed feasts,

opened on the day of the new moon.

he who enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the

2"The prince shall enter by way of the south gate. And he who enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of

porch of the gate from outside and stand

the north gate. No one shall return by

by the post of the gate. Then the priests

shall provide his burnt offering and his way of the gate by which he entered but

peace offerings, and he shall worship at

shall go straight out.

the threshold of the gate and then go

10

out; but the gate shall not be shut until

"When they go in, the prince shall go the evening.

in among them; and when they go out,

he shall go out.

3"The people of the land shall also 11

worship at the doorway of that gate

"At the festivals and the appointed

before the LORD on the sabbaths and

feasts the grain offering shall be an

on the new moons.

ephah with a bull and an ephah with a

ram, and with the lambs as much as one

4"The burnt offering which the prince is able to give, and a hin of oil with an shall offer to the LORD on the sabbath ephah.

day shall be six lambs without blemish

12

and a ram without blemish;

"When the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace

5and the grain offering shall be an ephah

offerings as a freewill offering to the

with the ram, and the grain offering with

LORD, the gate facing east shall be

opened for him. And he shall provide his 19Then he brought me through the burnt offering and his peace offerings as

entrance, which was at the side of the

he does on the sabbath day. Then he

gate, into the holy chambers for the

shall go out, and the gate shall be shut priests, which faced north; and behold,

after he goes out.

there was a place at the extreme rear

toward the west.

13"And you shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering 20He said to me, "This is the place to the LORD daily; morning by morning where the priests shall boil the guilt

you shall provide it.

offering and the sin offering and where

they shall bake the grain offering, in

14"Also you shall provide a grain offering order that they may not bring them out

with it morning by morning, a sixth of an

into the outer court to transmit holiness ephah and a third of a hin of oil to

to the people."

moisten the fine flour, a grain offering to

the LORD continually by a perpetual

21Then he brought me out into the outer

ordinance.

court and led me across to the four

corners of the court; and behold, in

15"Thus they shall provide the lamb, the

every corner of the court there was a

grain offering and the oil, morning by

small court.

morning, for a continual burnt offering."

22In the four corners of the court there 16'Thus says the Lord GOD, "If the

were enclosed courts, forty cubits long

prince gives a gift out of his inheritance and thirty wide; these four in the corners

to any of his sons, it shall belong to his were the same size.

sons;

it

is

their

possession

by

inheritance.

23There was a row of masonry round

about in them, around the four of them, 17"But if he gives a gift from his and boiling places were made under the inheritance to one of his servants, it

rows round about.

shall be his until the year of liberty; then

it shall return to the prince. His

24Then he said to me, "These are the inheritance shall be only his sons'; it boiling places where the ministers of the

shall belong to them.

house shall boil the sacrifices of the

people."

18"The prince shall not take from the people's inheritance, thrusting them out

of their possession; he shall give his

47Then he brought me back to the

sons

inheritance

from

his

own

door of the house; and behold, water

possession so that My people will not be

was flowing from under the threshold of

scattered,

anyone

from

his

the house toward the east, for the house

possession."'"

faced east. And the water was flowing

down from under, from the right side of 9"It will come about that every living the house, from south of the altar.

creature which swarms in every place

where the river goes, will live. And there

2He brought me out by way of the north

will be very many fish, for these waters gate and led me around on the outside

go there and the others become fresh;

to the outer gate by way of the gate that

so everything will live where the river

faces east. And behold, water was

goes.

trickling from the south side.

10"And it will come about that fishermen

3When the man went out toward the

will stand beside it; from Engedi to

east with a line in his hand, he

Eneglaim there will be a place for the

measured a thousand cubits, and he led

spreading of nets. Their fish will be

me through the water, water reaching

according to their kinds, like the fish of the ankles.

the Great Sea, very many.

4

11

Again he measured a thousand and led

"But its swamps and marshes will not me through the water, water reaching

become fresh; they will be left for salt.

the knees. Again he measured a

thousand and led me through the water,

12" By the river on its bank, on one side water reaching the loins.

and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not

5Again he measured a thousand; and it

wither and their fruit will not fail. They was a river that I could not ford, for the will bear every month because their water had risen, enough water to swim

water flows from the sanctuary, and

in, a river that could not be forded.

their fruit will be for food and their leaves

for healing."

6He said to me, "Son of man, have you

13

seen this?" Then he brought me back to

Thus says the Lord GOD, "This shall the bank of the river.

be the boundary by which you shall

divide the land for an inheritance among

7

the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall Now when I had returned, behold, on

have two portions.

the bank of the river there were very

many trees on the one side and on the

14

other.

"You shall divide it for an inheritance, each one equally with the other; for I 8

swore to give it to your forefathers, and Then he said to me, "These waters go this land shall fall to you as an out toward the eastern region and go

inheritance.

down into the Arabah; then they go

toward the sea, being made to flow into

15

the sea, and the waters of the sea

"This shall be the boundary of the land:

become fresh.

on the north side, from the Great Sea by

the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of

Zedad;

16Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is 23"And in the tribe with which the alien between the border of Damascus and stays, there you shall give him his

the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon,

inheritance," declares the Lord GOD.

which is by the border of Hauran.

17"The boundary shall extend from the 48"Now these are the names of the

sea to Hazar-enan at the border of

tribes: from the northern extremity,

Damascus, and on the north toward the

beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo—

north is the border of Hamath. This is

hamath, as far as Hazar-enan at the

the north side.

border of Damascus, toward the north

beside Hamath, running from east to

18"The east side, from between Hauran,

west, Dan, one portion.

Damascus, Gilead and the land of Israel,

shall be the Jordan; from the north

2"Beside the border of Dan, from the border to the eastern sea you shall

east side to the west side, Asher, one

measure. This is the east side.

portion.

19"The south side toward the south shall

3"Beside the border of Asher, from the extend from Tamar as far as the waters

east side to the west side, Naphtali, one

of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of

portion.

Egypt and to the Great Sea. This is the

south side toward the south.

4"Beside the border of Naphtali, from the 20

east side to the west side, Manasseh,

"The west side shall be the Great Sea,

one portion.

from the south border to a point

opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west

5

side.

"Beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim,

21

one portion.

"So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of

6

Israel.

"Beside the border of Ephraim, from the

east side to the west side, Reuben, one

22

portion.

"You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among

yourselves

and

7

among the aliens who stay in your midst,

"Beside the border of Reuben, from the

who bring forth sons in your midst. And east side to the west side, Judah, one

they shall be to you as the native-born portion.

among the sons of Israel; they shall be 8

allotted an inheritance with you among

"And beside the border of Judah, from the tribes of Israel.

the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to

the west side; and the sanctuary shall 16"These shall be its measurements: the be in the middle of it.

north side 4,500 cubits, the south side

4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits,

9"The allotment that you shall set apart and the west side 4,500 cubits.

to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in

length and 10,000 in width.

17"The city shall have open spaces: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250

10"The holy allotment shall be for these, cubits, on the east 250 cubits, and on

namely for the priests, toward the north the west 250 cubits.

25,000 cubits in length, toward the west

10,000 in width, toward the east 10,000

18"The remainder of the length alongside

in width, and toward the south 25,000 in

the holy allotment shall be 10,000 cubits

length; and the sanctuary of the LORD

toward the east and 10,000 toward the

shall be in its midst.

west; and it shall be alongside the holy allotment. And its produce shall be food

11"It shall be for the priests who are for the workers of the city.

sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who

have kept My charge, who did not go

19"The workers of the city, out of all the astray when the sons of Israel went

tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.

astray as the Levites went astray.

20"The whole allotment shall be 25,000

12"It shall be an allotment to them from by 25,000 cubits; you shall set apart the the allotment of the land, a most holy

holy allotment, a square, with the

place, by the border of the Levites.

property of the city.

13"Alongside the border of the priests the 21"The remainder shall be for the prince, Levites shall have 25,000 cubits in on the one side and on the other of the length and 10,000 in width. The whole

holy allotment and of the property of the

length shall be 25,000 cubits and the

city; in front of the 25,000 cubits of the width 10,000.

allotment toward the east border and

westward in front of the 25,000 toward

14"Moreover, they shall not sell or

the west border, alongside the portions,

exchange any of it, or alienate this

it shall be for the prince. And the holy choice portion of land; for it is holy to the allotment and the sanctuary of the

LORD.

house shall be in the middle of it.

15

22

"The remainder, 5,000 cubits in width

"Exclusive of the property of the

and 25,000 in length, shall be for

Levites and the property of the city,

common use for the city, for dwellings

which are in the middle of that which

and for open spaces; and the city shall belongs to the prince, everything

be in its midst.

between the border of Judah and the

border of Benjamin shall be for the

prince.

23"As for the rest of the tribes: from the 30"These are the exits of the city: on the east side to the west side, Benjamin, north

side,

4,500

cubits

by

one portion.

measurement,

24"Beside the border of Benjamin, from 31shall be the gates of the city, named the east side to the west side, Simeon, for the tribes of Israel, three gates one portion.

toward the north: the gate of Reuben,

one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of

25"Beside the border of Simeon, from the

Levi, one.

east side to the west side, Issachar, one

portion.

32"On the east side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one;

26"Beside the border of Issachar, from the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of the east side to the west side, Zebulun, Dan, one.

one portion.

33"On the south side, 4,500 cubits by 27"Beside the border of Zebulun, from measurement, shall be three gates: the the east side to the west side, Gad, one

gate of Simeon, one; the gate of

portion.

Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.

28

34

"And beside the border of Gad, at the

"On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall south side toward the south, the border be three gates: the gate of Gad, one;

shall be from Tamar to the waters of

the gate of Asher, one; the gate of

Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt,

Naphtali, one.

to the Great Sea.

35"The city shall be 18,000 cubits round 29"This is the land which you shall divide about; and the name of the city from that by lot to the tribes of Israel for an

day shall be, 'The LORD is there.'"

inheritance, and these are their several

portions," declares the Lord GOD.

Daniel

7Then the commander of the officials

assigned new names to them; and to

1In the third year of the reign of Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Jehoiakim

king

of

Judah,

Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed—

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came

nego.

to Jerusalem and besieged it.

8

2

But Daniel made up his mind that he

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah

would not defile himself with the king's into his hand, along with some of the

choice food or with the wine which he

vessels of the house of God; and he

drank; so he sought permission from the

brought them to the land of Shinar, to

commander of the officials that he might

the house of his god, and he brought the

not defile himself.

vessels into the treasury of his god.

9

3

Now God granted Daniel favor and

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the

compassion

in

the

sight

of

the

chief of his officials, to bring in some of commander of the officials,

the sons of Israel, including some of the

royal family and of the nobles,

10and the commander of the officials

4

said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord youths in whom was no defect, who

the king, who has appointed your food

were good-looking, showing intelligence

and your drink; for why should he see

in every branch of wisdom, endowed

your faces looking more haggard than

with

understanding

and

discerning

the youths who are your own age? Then

knowledge, and who had ability for

you would make me forfeit my head to

serving in the king's court; and he

the king."

ordered him to teach them the literature

and language of the Chaldeans.

11But Daniel said to the overseer whom

the commander of the officials had

5The king appointed for them a daily

appointed

over

Daniel,

Hananiah,

ration from the king's choice food and

Mishael and Azariah,

from the wine which he drank, and

appointed that they should be educated

12

three years, at the end of which they

"Please test your servants for ten days,

and let us be given some vegetables to

were to enter the king's personal service. eat and water to drink.

6Now among them from the sons of

13

Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael

"Then let our appearance be observed

and Azariah.

in your presence and the appearance of

the youths who are eating the king's

choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."

2Now in the second year of the reign

of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar

14So he listened to them in this matter had dreams; and his spirit was troubled

and tested them for ten days.

and his sleep left him.

15At the end of ten days their

2Then the king gave orders to call in the

appearance seemed better and they

magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers

were fatter than all the youths who had and the Chaldeans to tell the king his

been eating the king's choice food.

dreams. So they came in and stood

before the king.

16So the overseer continued to withhold

their choice food and the wine they were

3The king said to them, "I had a dream to

drink,

and

kept

giving

them

and my spirit is anxious to understand

vegetables.

the dream."

17As for these four youths, God gave

4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king

them knowledge and intelligence in

in Aramaic: " O king, live forever! Tell every branch of literature and wisdom; the dream to your servants, and we will Daniel even understood all kinds of

declare the interpretation."

visions and dreams.

5The king replied to the Chaldeans, "The

18Then at the end of the days which the

command from me is firm: if you do not

king had specified for presenting them,

make known to me the dream and its

the

commander

of

the

officials

interpretation, you will be torn limb from presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.

19The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, 6"But if you declare the dream and its Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they interpretation, you will receive from me

entered the king's personal service.

gifts and a reward and great honor;

therefore declare to me the dream and

20As for every matter of wisdom and

its interpretation."

understanding about which the king

consulted them, he found them ten

7They answered a second time and said,

times better than all the magicians and

"Let the king tell the dream to his conjurers who were in all his realm.

servants, and we will declare the

interpretation."

21And Daniel continued until the first

year of Cyrus the king.

8The king replied, "I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch

as you have seen that the command

from me is firm,

9that if you do not make the dream order that he might declare the known to me, there is only one decree

interpretation to the king.

for you. For you have agreed together to

speak lying and corrupt words before

17Then Daniel went to his house and

me until the situation is changed;

informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael

therefore tell me the dream, that I may and Azariah, about the matter,

know that you can declare to me its

interpretation."

18so that they might request compassion

from the God of heaven concerning this

10The Chaldeans answered the king and

mystery, so that Daniel and his friends

said, "There is not a man on earth who would not be destroyed with the rest of could declare the matter for the king, the wise men of Babylon.

inasmuch as no great king or ruler has

ever asked anything like this of any

19Then the mystery was revealed to

magician, conjurer or Chaldean.

Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel

blessed the God of heaven;

11"Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one

20Daniel said, "Let the name of God be else who could declare it to the king blessed forever and ever, For wisdom

except gods, whose dwelling place is

and power belong to Him.

not with mortal flesh."

21

12

"It is He who changes the times and Because of this the king became

the epochs; He removes kings and

indignant and very furious and gave

establishes kings; He gives wisdom to

orders to destroy all the wise men of

wise men And knowledge to men of

Babylon.

understanding.

13So the decree went forth that the wise

22"It is He who reveals the profound and

men should be slain; and they looked for

hidden things; He knows what is in the

Daniel and his friends to kill them.

darkness, And the light dwells with Him.

14Then Daniel replied with discretion and

23"To You, O God of my fathers, I give discernment to Arioch, the captain of the

thanks and praise, For You have given

king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to

me wisdom and power; Even now You

slay the wise men of Babylon;

have made known to me what we

requested of You, For You have made

15he said to Arioch, the king's

known to us the king's matter."

commander, "For what reason is the

decree from the king so urgent?" Then 24Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch,

Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.

whom the king had appointed to destroy

the wise men of Babylon; he went and

16So Daniel went in and requested of the

spoke to him as follows: " Do not

king that he would give him time, in

destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take

me into the king's presence, and I will 31"You, O king, were looking and behold, declare the interpretation to the king."

there was a single great statue; that

statue,

which was large and of

25Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel

extraordinary splendor, was standing in

into the king's presence and spoke to

front of you, and its appearance was

him as follows: "I have found a man awesome.

among the exiles from Judah who can

make the interpretation known to the

32"The head of that statue was made of

king!"

fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver,

its belly and its thighs of bronze,

26The king said to Daniel, whose name

was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to

33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron make known to me the dream which I

and partly of clay.

have seen and its interpretation?"

34"You continued looking until a stone 27Daniel answered before the king and

was cut out without hands, and it struck

said, "As for the mystery about which the statue on its feet of iron and clay the king has inquired, neither wise men, and crushed them.

conjurers, magicians nor diviners are

able to declare it to the king.

35"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all 28"However, there is a God in heaven at the same time and became like chaff who reveals mysteries, and He has

from the summer threshing floors; and

made known to King Nebuchadnezzar

the wind carried them away so that not a

what will take place in the latter days.

trace of them was found. But the stone

This was your dream and the visions in

that struck the statue became a great

your mind while on your bed.

mountain and filled the whole earth.

29"As for you, O king, while on your bed

36"This was the dream; now we will tell your thoughts turned to what would take

its interpretation before the king.

place in the future; and He who reveals

mysteries has made known to you what

37"You, O king, are the king of kings, to will take place.

whom the God of heaven has given the

kingdom, the power, the strength and

30"But as for me, this mystery has not the glory;

been revealed to me for any wisdom

residing in me more than in any other

38and wherever the sons of men dwell,

living man, but for the purpose of

or the beasts of the field, or the birds of

making the interpretation known to the

the sky, He has given them into your

king, and that you may understand the

hand and has caused you to rule over

thoughts of your mind.

them all. You are the head of gold.

39"After you there will arise another the dream is true and its interpretation is kingdom inferior to you, then another

trustworthy."

third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.

46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his

face and did homage to Daniel, and

40"Then there will be a fourth kingdom gave orders to present to him an

as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron

offering and fragrant incense.

crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush 47The king answered Daniel and said, and break all these in pieces.

"Surely your God is a God of gods and a

Lord of kings and a revealer of

41"In that you saw the feet and toes, mysteries, since you have been able to partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it reveal this mystery."

will be a divided kingdom; but it will have

in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as 48Then the king promoted Daniel and

you saw the iron mixed with common

gave him many great gifts, and he made

clay.

him ruler over the whole province of

Babylon and chief prefect over all the

42"As the toes of the feet were partly of wise men of Babylon.

iron and partly of pottery, so some of the

kingdom will be strong and part of it will

49And Daniel made request of the king,

be brittle.

and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach

and Abed-nego over the administration

43"And in that you saw the iron mixed of the province of Babylon, while Daniel

with common clay, they will combine

was at the king's court.

with one another in the seed of men; but

they will not adhere to one another,

even as iron does not combine with

3Nebuchadnezzar the king made an

pottery.

image of gold, the height of which was

44

sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he

"In the days of those kings the God of

set it up on the plain of Dura in the heaven will set up a kingdom which will province of Babylon.

never be destroyed, and that kingdom

will not be left for another people; it will 2

crush and put an end to all these

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent

kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and

the

governors,

the

45

counselors, the treasurers, the judges,

"Inasmuch as you saw that a stone

the magistrates and all the rulers of the was cut out of the mountain without

provinces to come to the dedication of

hands and that it crushed the iron, the the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king

bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold,

had set up.

the great God has made known to the

king what will take place in the future; so

3Then the satraps, the prefects and the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and governors,

the

counselors,

the

bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall

treasurers, the judges, the magistrates

down and worship the golden image.

and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the

11"But whoever does not fall down and image that Nebuchadnezzar the king

worship shall be cast into the midst of a

had set up; and they stood before the

furnace of blazing fire.

image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

12"There are certain Jews whom you

4Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To

have appointed over the administration

you the command is given, O peoples,

of the province of Babylon, namely

nations and men of every language,

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

These men, O king, have disregarded

5that at the moment you hear the sound

you; they do not serve your gods or

of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, worship the golden image which you

bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are have set up."

to fall down and worship the golden

image that Nebuchadnezzar the king

13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and

has set up.

anger gave orders to bring Shadrach,

Meshach and Abed-nego; then these

6"But whoever does not fall down and men were brought before the king.

worship shall immediately be cast into

the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."

14Nebuchadnezzar responded and said

to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach 7Therefore at that time, when all the and Abed-nego, that you do not serve

peoples heard the sound of the horn,

my gods or worship the golden image

flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and that I have set up?

all kinds of music, all the peoples,

nations and men of every language fell

15"Now if you are ready, at the moment down and worshiped the golden image

you hear the sound of the horn, flute,

that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set

lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all

up.

kinds of music, to fall down and worship

the image that I have made, very well.

8For this reason at that time certain

But if you do not worship, you will

Chaldeans came forward and brought

immediately be cast into the midst of a charges against the Jews.

furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my

9They

responded

and

said

to

hands?"

Nebuchadnezzar the king: " O king, live

forever!

16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego

replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar,

10"You, O king, have made a decree that

we do not need to give you an answer

every man who hears the sound of the

concerning this matter.

17"If it be so, our God whom we serve is of the fire?" They replied to the king, able to deliver us from the furnace of "Certainly, O king."

blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of

your hand, O king.

25He said, "Look! I see four men loosed

and walking about in the midst of the fire

18" But even if He does not, let it be without harm, and the appearance of the

known to you, O king, that we are not

fourth is like a son of the gods!"

going to serve your gods or worship the

golden image that you have set up."

26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to

the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with

responded

and

said,

"Shadrach,

wrath, and his facial expression was

Meshach and Abed-nego, come out,

altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and

you servants of the Most High God, and

Abed-nego. He answered by giving

come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach

orders to heat the furnace seven times

and Abed-nego came out of the midst of

more than it was usually heated.

the fire.

20He

commanded

certain

valiant

27The satraps, the prefects, the

warriors who were in his army to tie up governors and the king's high officials

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in

gathered around and saw in regard to

order to cast them into the furnace of

these men that the fire had no effect on

blazing fire.

the bodies of these men nor was the

hair of their head singed, nor were their

21Then these men were tied up in their

trousers damaged, nor had the smell of

trousers, their coats, their caps and their

fire even come upon them.

other clothes, and were cast into the

midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said,

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach,

22For this reason, because the king's

Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent

command was urgent and the furnace

His angel and delivered His servants

had been made extremely hot, the flame

who put their trust in Him, violating the of the fire slew those men who carried king's command, and yielded up their

up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

bodies so as not to serve or worship any

god except their own God.

23But these three men, Shadrach,

29

Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the

"Therefore I make a decree that any midst of the furnace of blazing fire still people, nation or tongue that speaks tied up.

anything offensive against the God of

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego

24

shall be torn limb from limb and their

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was

houses reduced to a rubbish heap,

astounded and stood up in haste; he

inasmuch as there is no other god who

said to his high officials, "Was it not is able to deliver in this way."

three men we cast bound into the midst

30Then the king caused Shadrach, a spirit of the holy gods; and I related Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the dream to him, saying,

the province of Babylon.

9'O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians,

4

since I know that a spirit of the holy Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the

gods is in you and no mystery baffles

peoples, nations, and men of every

you, tell me the visions of my dream

language that live in all the earth: "May which I have seen, along with its

interpretation.

your peace abound!

10

2"It has seemed good to me to declare

'Now these were the visions in my

the signs and wonders which the Most

mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, High God has done for me.

and behold, there was a tree in the

midst of the earth and its height was

3

great.

"How great are His signs And how

mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is

11

an

everlasting

kingdom

And

His

'The tree grew large and became

dominion

is

from

generation

to

strong And its height reached to the sky,

And it was visible to the end of the

generation.

whole earth.

4"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my

12

house and flourishing in my palace.

'Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The

beasts of the field found shade under it,

5"I saw a dream and it made me fearful;

And the birds of the sky dwelt in its

and these fantasies as I lay on my bed branches, And all living creatures fed

and the visions in my mind kept

themselves from it.

alarming me.

13

6

'I was looking in the visions in my mind

"So I gave orders to bring into my as I lay on my bed, and behold, an

presence all the wise men of Babylon,

angelic watcher, a holy one, descended

that they might make known to me the

from heaven.

interpretation of the dream.

14

7

'He shouted out and spoke as follows:

"Then the magicians, the conjurers, the

" Chop down the tree and cut off its Chaldeans and the diviners came in and

branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter

I related the dream to them, but they

its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it

could not make its interpretation known

And the birds from its branches.

to me.

15

8

"Yet leave the stump with its roots in

"But finally Daniel came in before me, the ground, But with a band of iron and whose name is Belteshazzar according bronze around it In the new grass of the

to the name of my god, and in whom is

field; And let him be drenched with the

dew of heaven, And let him share with 22it is you, O king; for you have become the beasts in the grass of the earth.

great and grown strong, and your

majesty has become great and reached

16"Let his mind be changed from that of

to the sky and your dominion to the end

a man And let a beast's mind be given

of the earth.

to him, And let seven periods of time

pass over him.

23'In that the king saw an angelic

watcher, a holy one, descending from

17"This sentence is by the decree of the

heaven and saying, " Chop down the

angelic watchers And the decision is a

tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump command of the holy ones, In order that

with its roots in the ground, but with a the living may know That the Most High

band of iron and bronze around it in the

is ruler over the realm of mankind, And new grass of the field, and let him be bestows it on whom He wishes And sets drenched with the dew of heaven, and

over it the lowliest of men."

let him share with the beasts of the field

until seven periods of time pass over

18

him,"

'This is the dream which I, King

Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you,

24

Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation,

this is the interpretation, O king, and

inasmuch as none of the wise men of

this is the decree of the Most High,

my kingdom is able to make known to

which has come upon my lord the king:

me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.'

25that you be driven away from mankind

and your dwelling place be with the

19"Then Daniel, whose name is

beasts of the field, and you be given

Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while

grass to eat like cattle and be drenched

as his thoughts alarmed him. The king

with the dew of heaven; and seven

responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do

periods of time will pass over you, until not let the dream or its interpretation you recognize that the Most High is ruler

alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, ' My

over the realm of mankind and bestows

lord, if only the dream applied to those it on whomever He wishes.

who hate you and its interpretation to

your adversaries!

26'And in that it was commanded to

leave the stump with the roots of the

20'The tree that you saw, which became

tree, your kingdom will be assured to

large and grew strong, whose height

you after you recognize that it is Heaven

reached to the sky and was visible to all

that rules.

the earth

27'Therefore, O king, may my advice be

21and whose foliage was beautiful and

pleasing to you: break away now from

its fruit abundant, and in which was food

your sins by doing righteousness and

for all, under which the beasts of the

from your iniquities by showing mercy to

field dwelt and in whose branches the

the poor, in case there may be a

birds of the sky lodged--

prolonging of your prosperity.'

28"All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar everlasting dominion, And His kingdom the king.

endures from generation to generation.

29" Twelve months later he was walking

35" All the inhabitants of the earth are on the roof of the royal palace of accounted as nothing, But He does

Babylon.

according to His will in the host of

heaven And among the inhabitants of

30"The king reflected and said, 'Is this earth; And no one can ward off His hand

not Babylon the great, which I myself

Or say to Him, ' What have You done?'

have built as a royal residence by the

might of my power and for the glory of 36"At that time my reason returned to me.

my majesty?'

And my majesty and splendor were

restored to me for the glory of my

31"While the word was in the king's kingdom, and my counselors and my

mouth, a voice came from heaven,

nobles began seeking me out; so I was

saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it

reestablished in my sovereignty, and

is declared: sovereignty has been

surpassing greatness was added to me.

removed from you,

37"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt

32and you will be driven away from

and honor the King of heaven, for all His

mankind, and your dwelling place will be

works are true and His ways just, and

with the beasts of the field. You will be He is able to humble those who walk in

given grass to eat like cattle, and seven

pride."

periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler

over the realm of mankind and bestows

5Belshazzar the king held a great

it on whomever He wishes.'

feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of

33"Immediately the word concerning

the thousand.

Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he

was driven away from mankind and

2When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he

began eating grass like cattle, and his

gave orders to bring the gold and silver body was drenched with the dew of

vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his

heaven until his hair had grown like

father had taken out of the temple which

eagles' feathers and his nails like birds'

was in Jerusalem, so that the king and

claws.

his nobles, his wives and his concubines

might drink from them.

34"But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar,

raised

my

eyes

3Then they brought the gold vessels that

toward heaven and my reason returned

had been taken out of the temple, the

to me, and I blessed the Most High and

house of God which was in Jerusalem;

praised and honored Him who lives

and the king and his nobles, his wives

forever; For His dominion is an

and his concubines drank from them.

4They drank the wine and praised the the gods were found in him. And King gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your

wood and stone.

father the king, appointed him chief of

the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans

5Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand

and diviners.

emerged and began writing opposite the

lampstand on the plaster of the wall of 12"This was because an extraordinary

the king's palace, and the king saw the spirit,

knowledge

and

insight,

back of the hand that did the writing.

interpretation of dreams, explanation of

enigmas

and

solving

of

difficult

6Then the king's face grew pale and his

problems were found in this Daniel,

thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints

whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let

went slack and his knees began

Daniel now be summoned and he will

knocking together.

declare the interpretation."

7

13

The king called aloud to bring in the

Then Daniel was brought in before the

conjurers, the Chaldeans and the

king. The king spoke and said to Daniel,

diviners. The king spoke and said to the

"Are you that Daniel who is one of the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who exiles from Judah, whom my father the

can read this inscription and explain its king brought from Judah?

interpretation to me shall be clothed with

purple and have a necklace of gold

14"Now I have heard about you that a around his neck, and have authority as

spirit of the gods is in you, and that third ruler in the kingdom."

illumination, insight and extraordinary

wisdom have been found in you.

8Then all the king's wise men came in,

but they could not read the inscription or

15"Just now the wise men and the

make known its interpretation to the king. conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly make its interpretation known to me, but

alarmed, his face grew even paler, and

they could not declare the interpretation

his nobles were perplexed.

of the message.

10

16

The queen entered the banquet hall

"But I personally have heard about you,

because of the words of the king and his

that you are able to give interpretations nobles; the queen spoke and said, " O

and solve difficult problems. Now if you king, live forever! Do not let your

are able to read the inscription and

thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.

make its interpretation known to me, you

will be clothed with purple and wear a

11

necklace of gold around your neck, and

"There is a man in your kingdom in you will have authority as the third ruler whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in in the kingdom."

the days of your father, illumination,

insight and wisdom like the wisdom of

17Then Daniel answered and said before you, and you and your nobles, your the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself or wives and your concubines have been

give your rewards to someone else;

drinking wine from them; and you have

however, I will read the inscription to the

praised the gods of silver and gold, of king and make the interpretation known

bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do

to him.

not see, hear or understand. But the

God in whose hand are your life-breath

18"O king, the Most High God granted and all your ways, you have not glorified.

sovereignty,

grandeur,

glory

and

majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

24"Then the hand was sent from Him

and this inscription was written out.

19"Because of the grandeur which He

bestowed on him, all the peoples,

25"Now this is the inscription that was nations and men of every language

written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL,

feared

and

trembled

before

him;

UPHARSIN.'

whomever he wished he killed and

whomever he wished he spared alive;

26"This is the interpretation of the and whomever he wished he elevated

message: 'MENE'--God has numbered

and whomever he wished he humbled.

your kingdom and put an end to it.

20"But when his heart was lifted up and 27" 'TEKEL'--you have been weighed on

his spirit became so proud that he

the scales and found deficient.

behaved arrogantly, he was deposed

from his royal throne and his glory was 28" 'PERES'--your kingdom has been

taken away from him.

divided and given over to the Medes

and Persians."

21"He was also driven away from

mankind, and his heart was made like

29Then Belshazzar gave orders, and

that of beasts, and his dwelling place

they clothed Daniel with purple and put

was with the wild donkeys. He was

a necklace of gold around his neck, and

given grass to eat like cattle, and his issued a proclamation concerning him

body was drenched with the dew of

that he now had authority as the third

heaven until he recognized that the

ruler in the kingdom.

Most High God is ruler over the realm of

mankind and that He sets over it

30

whomever He wishes.

That same night Belshazzar the

Chaldean king was slain.

22"Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have 31

not humbled your heart, even though

So Darius the Mede received the

you knew all this,

kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

23but you have exalted yourself against

6

the Lord of heaven; and they have

It seemed good to Darius to appoint

brought the vessels of His house before

120 satraps over the kingdom, that they

would be in charge of the whole 8"Now, O king, establish the injunction kingdom, and sign the document so that it may

not be changed, according to the law of

2and over them three commissioners (of

the Medes and Persians, which may not

whom Daniel was one), that these

be revoked."

satraps might be accountable to them,

and that the king might not suffer loss.

9Therefore King Darius signed the

document, that is, the injunction.

3Then this Daniel began distinguishing

himself among the commissioners and

10Now when Daniel knew that the

satraps because he possessed an

document was signed, he entered his

extraordinary

spirit,

and

the

king

house (now in his roof chamber he had

planned to appoint him over the entire

windows open toward Jerusalem); and

kingdom.

he continued kneeling on his knees

three times a day, praying and giving

4Then the commissioners and satraps

thanks before his God, as he had been

began trying to find a ground of

doing previously.

accusation against Daniel in regard to

government affairs; but they could find

11Then these men came by agreement

no ground of accusation or evidence of

and found Daniel making petition and

corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful,

supplication before his God.

and no negligence or corruption was to

be found in him.

12Then they approached and spoke

before the king about the king's

5Then these men said, "We will not find

injunction, "Did you not sign an

any ground of accusation against this

injunction that any man who makes a

Daniel unless we find it against him with

petition to any god or man besides you,

regard to the law of his God."

O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into

the lions' den?" The king replied, "The 6Then these commissioners and satraps

statement is true, according to the law of

came by agreement to the king and

the Medes and Persians, which may not

spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, be revoked."

live forever!

13Then they answered and spoke before

7"All the commissioners of the kingdom,

the king, " Daniel, who is one of the the prefects and the satraps, the high exiles from Judah, pays no attention to

officials

and

the

governors

have

you, O king, or to the injunction which consulted together that the king should

you signed, but keeps making his

establish a statute and enforce an

petition three times a day."

injunction that anyone who makes a

petition to any god or man besides you,

14Then, as soon as the king heard this

O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into

statement, he was deeply distressed

the lions' den.

and set his mind on delivering Daniel;

and even until sunset he kept exerting 22"My God sent His angel and shut the himself to rescue him.

lions' mouths and they have not harmed

me, inasmuch as I was found innocent

15Then these men came by agreement

before Him; and also toward you, O king,

to the king and said to the king,

I have committed no crime."

"Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction

23Then the king was very pleased and

or statute which the king establishes

gave orders for Daniel to be taken up

may be changed."

out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever

16Then the king gave orders, and Daniel

was found on him, because he had

was brought in and cast into the lions'

trusted in his God.

den. The king spoke and said to Daniel,

" Your God whom you constantly serve 24The king then gave orders, and they

will Himself deliver you."

brought those men who had maliciously

accused Daniel, and they cast them,

17A stone was brought and laid over the

their children and their wives into the

mouth of the den; and the king sealed it

lions' den; and they had not reached the

with his own signet ring and with the

bottom of the den before the lions

signet rings of his nobles, so that

overpowered them and crushed all their

nothing would be changed in regard to

bones.

Daniel.

25Then Darius the king wrote to all the 18Then the king went off to his palace

peoples, nations and men of every

and spent the night fasting, and no

language who were living in all the land:

entertainment was brought before him;

" May your peace abound!

and his sleep fled from him.

26"I make a decree that in all the 19Then the king arose at dawn, at the

dominion of my kingdom men are to fear

break of day, and went in haste to the and tremble before the God of Daniel;

lions' den.

For He is the living God and enduring

forever, And His kingdom is one which

20

will not be destroyed, And His dominion

When he had come near the den to

will be forever.

Daniel, he cried out with a troubled

voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel,

27

"Daniel, servant of the living God, has

"He delivers and rescues and performs

your God, whom you constantly serve,

signs and wonders In heaven and on

been able to deliver you from the lions?"

earth, Who has also delivered Daniel

from the power of the lions."

21Then Daniel spoke to the king, " O

28

king, live forever!

So this Daniel enjoyed success in the

reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus

the Persian.

8

7

"While I was contemplating the horns, In the first year of Belshazzar king of

behold, another horn, a little one, came Babylon Daniel saw a dream and

up among them, and three of the first

horns were pulled out by the roots

visions in his mind as he lay on his bed;

before it; and behold, this horn

then he wrote the dream down and

related the following summary of it.

possessed eyes like the eyes of a man

and a mouth uttering great boasts.

2Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision 9"I kept looking Until thrones were set up, by night, and behold, the four winds of And the Ancient of Days took His seat; heaven were stirring up the great sea.

His vesture was like white snow And the

3

hair of His head like pure wool. His

"And four great beasts were coming up

throne was ablaze with flames, Its

from the sea, different from one another.

wheels were a burning fire.

4"The first was like a lion and had the 10"A river of fire was flowing And coming wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its out from before Him; Thousands upon

wings were plucked, and it was lifted up

thousands were attending Him, And

from the ground and made to stand on

myriads upon myriads were standing

two feet like a man; a human mind also

before Him; The court sat, And the

was given to it.

books were opened.

5"And behold, another beast, a second 11"Then I kept looking because of the one, resembling a bear. And it was sound of the boastful words which the

raised up on one side, and three ribs

horn was speaking; I kept looking until

were in its mouth between its teeth; and

the beast was slain, and its body was

thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much

destroyed and given to the burning fire.

meat!'

12"As for the rest of the beasts, their 6"After this I kept looking, and behold, dominion was taken away, but an another one, like a leopard, which had

extension of life was granted to them for

on its back four wings of a bird; the

an appointed period of time.

beast also had four heads, and

dominion was given to it.

13"I kept looking in the night visions, And 7

behold, with the clouds of heaven One

"After this I kept looking in the night like a Son of Man was coming, And He visions, and behold, a fourth beast,

came up to the Ancient of Days And

dreadful and terrifying and extremely

was presented before Him.

strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled

14"And to Him was given dominion,

down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that

Glory and a kingdom, That all the

were before it, and it had ten horns.

peoples, nations and men of every

language Might serve Him. His dominion

is an everlasting dominion Which will not

pass away; And His kingdom is one saints of the Highest One, and the time Which will not be destroyed.

arrived when the saints took possession

of the kingdom.

15"As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in 23"Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be my mind kept alarming me.

a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will

be different from all the other kingdoms 16"I approached one of those who were and will devour the whole earth and standing by and began asking him the

tread it down and crush it.

exact meaning of all this. So he told me

and

made

known

to

me

the

24'As for the ten horns, out of this

interpretation of these things:

kingdom ten kings will arise; and

another will arise after them, and he will

17'These great beasts, which are four in

be different from the previous ones and

number, are four kings who will arise

will subdue three kings.

from the earth.

25'He will speak out against the Most

18'But the saints of the Highest One will

High and wear down the saints of the

receive the kingdom and possess the

Highest One, and he will intend to make

kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'

alterations in times and in law; and they

will be given into his hand for a time, 19

times, and half a time.

"Then I desired to know the exact

meaning of the fourth beast, which was

26

different from all the others, exceedingly

'But the court will sit for judgment, and

dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its his dominion will be taken away,

claws of bronze, and which devoured,

annihilated and destroyed forever.

crushed

and

trampled

down

the

remainder with its feet,

27'Then the sovereignty, the dominion

and the greatness of all the kingdoms

20and the meaning of the ten horns that

under the whole heaven will be given to

were on its head and the other horn

the people of the saints of the Highest which came up, and before which three

One; His kingdom will be an everlasting

of them fell, namely, that horn which had

kingdom, and all the dominions will

eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts

serve and obey Him.'

and which was larger in appearance

than its associates.

28"At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly

21"I kept looking, and that horn was alarming me and my face grew pale, but

waging war with the saints and

I kept the matter to myself."

overpowering them

22until the Ancient of Days came and

8In the third year of the reign of judgment was passed in favor of the

Belshazzar the king a vision appeared

to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one 8Then the male goat magnified himself which appeared to me previously.

exceedingly. But as soon as he was

mighty, the large horn was broken; and

2I looked in the vision, and while I was in its place there came up four

looking I was in the citadel of Susa,

conspicuous horns toward the four

which is in the province of Elam; and I winds of heaven.

looked in the vision and I myself was

beside the Ulai Canal.

9Out of one of them came forth a rather

small horn which grew exceedingly

3Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and

great toward the south, toward the east,

behold, a ram which had two horns was

and toward the Beautiful Land.

standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was longer

10It grew up to the host of heaven and than the other, with the longer one

caused some of the host and some of

coming up last.

the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.

4I saw the ram butting westward,

northward, and southward, and no other

11It even magnified itself to be equal with

beasts could stand before him nor was

the Commander of the host; and it

there anyone to rescue from his power,

removed the regular sacrifice from Him,

but he did as he pleased and magnified

and the place of His sanctuary was

himself.

thrown down.

5While I was observing, behold, a male

12And on account of transgression the

goat was coming from the west over the

host will be given over to the horn along

surface of the whole earth without

with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling

touching the ground; and the goat had a

truth to the ground and perform its will conspicuous horn between his eyes.

and prosper.

6He came up to the ram that had the two

13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and

horns, which I had seen standing in front

another holy one said to that particular of the canal, and rushed at him in his one who was speaking, " How long will mighty wrath.

the vision about the regular sacrifice

apply, while the transgression causes

7I saw him come beside the ram, and he

horror, so as to allow both the holy place

was enraged at him; and he struck the

and the host to be trampled?"

ram and shattered his two horns, and

the ram had no strength to withstand

14He said to me, "For 2,300 evenings him. So he hurled him to the ground and

and mornings; then the holy place will

trampled on him, and there was none to

be properly restored."

rescue the ram from his power.

15When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I

sought to understand it; and behold,

standing before me was one who looked 24"His power will be mighty, but not by like a man.

his own power, And he will destroy to an

extraordinary degree And prosper and

16And I heard the voice of a man

perform his will; He will destroy mighty between the banks of Ulai, and he

men and the holy people.

called out and said, " Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision."

25"And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;

17So he came near to where I was

And he will magnify himself in his heart,

standing, and when he came I was

And he will destroy many while they are

frightened and fell on my face; but he

at ease. He will even oppose the Prince

said to me, "Son of man, understand of princes, But he will be broken without

that the vision pertains to the time of the

human agency.

end."

26"The vision of the evenings and

18Now while he was talking with me, I

mornings Which has been told is true;

sank into a deep sleep with my face to But keep the vision secret, For it

the ground; but he touched me and

pertains to many days in the future."

made me stand upright.

27Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and

19He said, "Behold, I am going to let you sick for days. Then I got up again and know what will occur at the final period carried on the king's business; but I was of the indignation, for it pertains to the astounded at the vision, and there was appointed time of the end.

none to explain it.

20"The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and

9In the first year of Darius the son of Persia.

Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was

made king over the kingdom of the

21"The shaggy goat represents the

Chaldeans--

kingdom of Greece, and the large horn

that is between his eyes is the first king.

2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the

22"The broken horn and the four horns years which was revealed as the word

that arose in its place represent four

of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for

kingdoms which will arise from his

the completion of the desolations of

nation, although not with his power.

Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

23"In the latter period of their rule, When 3So I gave my attention to the Lord God

the transgressors have run their course,

to seek Him by prayer and supplications,

A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

intrigue.

4I prayed to the LORD my God and poured out on us, along with the oath confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the which is written in the law of Moses the

great and awesome God, who keeps

servant of God, for we have sinned

His covenant and lovingkindness for

against Him.

those who love Him and keep His

commandments,

12"Thus He has confirmed His words

which He had spoken against us and

5we have sinned, committed iniquity,

against our rulers who ruled us, to bring

acted wickedly and rebelled, even

on us great calamity; for under the

turning aside from Your commandments

whole heaven there has not been done

and ordinances.

anything like what was done to

Jerusalem.

6"Moreover, we have not listened to

Your servants the prophets, who spoke

13"As it is written in the law of Moses, all in Your name to our kings, our princes, this calamity has come on us; yet we our fathers and all the people of the land. have not sought the favor of the LORD

our God by turning from our iniquity and

7" Righteousness belongs to You, O

giving attention to Your truth.

Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this

day--to

the

men

of

Judah,

the

14"Therefore the LORD has kept the

inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel,

calamity in store and brought it on us; those who are nearby and those who

for the LORD our God is righteous with

are far away in all the countries to which

respect to all His deeds which He has

You have driven them, because of their

done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

unfaithful deeds which they have

committed against You.

15"And now, O Lord our God, who have

brought Your people out of the land of

8"Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to

Egypt with a mighty hand and have

our kings, our princes and our fathers,

made a name for Yourself, as it is this because we have sinned against You.

day--we have sinned, we have been

wicked.

9"To the Lord our God belong

compassion and forgiveness, for we

16"O Lord, in accordance with all Your have rebelled against Him;

righteous acts, let now Your anger and

Your wrath turn away from Your city

10nor have we obeyed the voice of the

Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for

LORD our God, to walk in His teachings

because of our sins and the iniquities of

which He set before us through His

our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people

servants the prophets.

have become a reproach to all those

around us.

11"Indeed all Israel has transgressed 17

Your law and turned aside, not obeying

"So now, our God, listen to the prayer Your voice; so the curse has been

of Your servant and to his supplications,

and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to shine on Your desolate sanctuary.

bring in everlasting righteousness, to

seal up vision and prophecy and to

18"O my God, incline Your ear and hear!

anoint the most holy place.

Open

Your

eyes

and

see

our

desolations and the city which is called 25"So you are to know and discern that by Your name; for we are not presenting from the issuing of a decree to restore our supplications before You on account

and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the

of any merits of our own, but on account

Prince there will be seven weeks and

of Your great compassion.

sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of

19"O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, distress.

listen and take action! For Your own

sake, O my God, do not delay, because

26"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Your city and Your people are called by

Messiah will be cut off and have nothing,

Your name."

and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the

20Now while I was speaking and praying,

sanctuary. And its end will come with a and confessing my sin and the sin of my

flood; even to the end there will be war;

people Israel, and presenting my

desolations are determined.

supplication before the LORD my God in

behalf of the holy mountain of my God,

27"And he will make a firm covenant with

the many for one week, but in the

21while I was still speaking in prayer,

middle of the week he will put a stop to then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen

sacrifice and grain offering; and on the in the vision previously, came to me in wing of abominations will come one who my extreme weariness about the time of

makes desolate, even until a complete

the evening offering.

destruction, one that is decreed, is

poured out on the one who makes

22

desolate."

He gave me instruction and talked with

me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with

understanding.

10In the third year of Cyrus king of

Persia a message was revealed to

23"At the beginning of your supplications Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar;

the command was issued, and I have

and the message was true and one of

come to tell you, for you are highly

great conflict, but he understood the

esteemed; so give heed to the message

message and had an understanding of

and gain understanding of the vision.

the vision.

24"Seventy weeks have been decreed

2In those days, I, Daniel, had been

for your people and your holy city, to

mourning for three entire weeks.

finish the transgression, to make an end

3I did not eat any tasty food, nor did about to tell you and stand upright, for I meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I have now been sent to you." And when use any ointment at all until the entire he had spoken this word to me, I stood three weeks were completed.

up trembling.

4On the twenty-fourth day of the first

12Then he said to me, " Do not be afraid, month, while I was by the bank of the

Daniel, for from the first day that you set

great river, that is, the Tigris,

your heart on understanding this and on

humbling yourself before your God, your

5I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold,

words were heard, and I have come in

there was a certain man dressed in linen,

response to your words.

whose waist was girded with a belt of

pure gold of Uphaz.

13"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-6His body also was like beryl, his face one days; then behold, Michael, one of had the appearance of lightning, his

the chief princes, came to help me, for I

eyes were like flaming torches, his arms

had been left there with the kings of

and feet like the gleam of polished

Persia.

bronze, and the sound of his words like

the sound of a tumult.

14"Now I have come to give you an

understanding of what will happen to

7Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision,

your people in the latter days, for the while the men who were with me did not

vision pertains to the days yet future."

see the vision; nevertheless, a great

dread fell on them, and they ran away to

15When he had spoken to me according

hide themselves.

to these words, I turned my face toward

the ground and became speechless.

8So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for

16And behold, one who resembled a

my natural color turned to a deathly

human being was touching my lips; then

pallor, and I retained no strength.

I opened my mouth and spoke and said

to him who was standing before me, "O

9But I heard the sound of his words; and

my lord, as a result of the vision anguish

as soon as I heard the sound of his

has come upon me, and I have retained

words, I fell into a deep sleep on my

no strength.

face, with my face to the ground.

17"For how can such a servant of my 10Then behold, a hand touched me and

lord talk with such as my lord? As for me,

set me trembling on my hands and

there remains just now no strength in

knees.

me, nor has any breath been left in me."

11

18

He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high

Then this one with human appearance

esteem, understand the words that I am

touched me again and strengthened me.

19He said, "O man of high esteem, do sovereignty will be uprooted and given not be afraid. Peace be with you; take

to others besides them.

courage and be courageous!" Now as

soon as he spoke to me, I received

5"Then the king of the South will grow strength and said, "May my lord speak, strong, along with one of his princes for you have strengthened me."

who will gain ascendancy over him and

obtain dominion; his domain will be a

20Then he said, "Do you understand why

great dominion indeed.

I came to you? But I shall now return to

fight against the prince of Persia; so I 6"After some years they will form an am going forth, and behold, the prince of alliance, and the daughter of the king of

Greece is about to come.

the South will come to the king of the North

to

carry

out

a

peaceful

21"However, I will tell you what is arrangement. But she will not retain her inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there position of power, nor will he remain

is no one who stands firmly with me

with his power, but she will be given up,

against these forces except Michael

along with those who brought her in and

your prince.

the one who sired her as well as he who

supported her in those times.

11

7

"In the first year of Darius the

"But one of the descendants of her line

Mede, I arose to be an encouragement

will arise in his place, and he will come and a protection for him.

against their army and enter the fortress

of the king of the North, and he will deal

with them and display great strength.

2"And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in 8

Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more

"Also their gods with their metal images

riches than all of them; as soon as he and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to Egypt, becomes strong through his riches, he and he on his part will refrain from

will arouse the whole empire against the

realm of Greece.

attacking the king of the North for some

years.

3"And a mighty king will arise, and he 9"Then the latter will enter the realm of will rule with great authority and do as the king of the South, but will return to he pleases.

his own land.

4"But as soon as he has arisen, his 10

kingdom will be broken up and parceled

"His sons will mobilize and assemble a

multitude of great forces; and one of

out toward the four points of the

them will keep on coming and overflow

compass, though not to his own

descendants, nor according to his

and pass through, that he may again

authority which he wielded, for his

wage war up to his very fortress.

11"The king of the South will be enraged 18"Then he will turn his face to the and go forth and fight with the king of coastlands and capture many. But a the North. Then the latter will raise a commander will put a stop to his scorn

great multitude, but that multitude will be

against him; moreover, he will repay him

given into the hand of the former.

for his scorn.

12"When the multitude is carried away, 19"So he will turn his face toward the his heart will be lifted up, and he will fortresses of his own land, but he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he stumble and fall and be found no more.

will not prevail.

20"Then in his place one will arise who 13"For the king of the North will again will send an oppressor through the raise a greater multitude than the former,

Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few

and after an interval of some years he

days he will be shattered, though not in will press on with a great army and

anger nor in battle.

much equipment.

21"In his place a despicable person will 14"Now in those times many will rise up arise, on whom the honor of kingship against the king of the South; the violent

has not been conferred, but he will

ones among your people will also lift

come in a time of tranquility and seize themselves up in order to fulfill the

the kingdom by intrigue.

vision, but they will fall down.

22"The overflowing forces will be flooded 15"Then the king of the North will come,

away before him and shattered, and

cast up a siege ramp and capture a

also the prince of the covenant.

well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not

23"After an alliance is made with him he

even their choicest troops, for there will will practice deception, and he will go up

be no strength to make a stand.

and gain power with a small force of

people.

16"But he who comes against him will do

as he pleases, and no one will be able 24"In a time of tranquility he will enter the to withstand him; he will also stay for a richest parts of the realm, and he will time in the Beautiful Land, with accomplish what his fathers never did,

destruction in his hand.

nor his ancestors; he will distribute

plunder, booty and possessions among

17"He will set his face to come with the them, and he will devise his schemes power of his whole kingdom, bringing

against strongholds, but only for a time.

with him a proposal of peace which he

will put into effect; he will also give him 25"He will stir up his strength and the daughter of women to ruin it. But courage against the king of the South

she will not take a stand for him or be on

with a large army; so the king of the

his side.

South will mobilize an extremely large

and mighty army for war; but he will not 33" Those who have insight among the stand, for schemes will be devised people will give understanding to the

against him.

many; yet they will fall by sword and by

flame, by captivity and by plunder for

26"Those who eat his choice food will many days.

destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain.

34"Now when they fall they will be

granted a little help, and many will join 27"As for both kings, their hearts will be with them in hypocrisy.

intent on evil, and they will speak lies to

each other at the same table; but it will 35"Some of those who have insight will not succeed, for the end is still to come fall, in order to refine, purge and make at the appointed time.

them pure until the end time; because it

is still to come at the appointed time.

28"Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set 36"Then the king will do as he pleases, against the holy covenant, and he will and he will exalt and magnify himself

take action and then return to his own

above every god and will speak

land.

monstrous things against the God of

gods; and he will prosper until the

29"At the appointed time he will return indignation is finished, for that which is and come into the South, but this last decreed will be done.

time it will not turn out the way it did before.

37"He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, 30"For ships of Kittim will come against nor will he show regard for any other him; therefore he will be disheartened

god; for he will magnify himself above

and will return and become enraged at

them all.

the holy covenant and take action; so he

will come back and show regard for

38"But instead he will honor a god of those who forsake the holy covenant.

fortresses, a god whom his fathers did

not know; he will honor him with gold,

31"Forces from him will arise, desecrate silver, costly stones and treasures.

the sanctuary fortress, and do away with

the regular sacrifice. And they will set up

39"He will take action against the

the abomination of desolation.

strongest of fortresses with the help of a

foreign god; he will give great honor to 32"By smooth words he will turn to

those who acknowledge him and will

godlessness those who act wickedly

cause them to rule over the many, and

toward the covenant, but the people

will parcel out land for a price.

who know their God will display strength

and take action.

40"At the end time the king of the South

will collide with him, and the king of the

North will storm against him with 2" Many of those who sleep in the dust chariots, with horsemen and with many of the ground will awake, these to

ships; and he will enter countries,

everlasting life, but the others to

overflow them and pass through.

disgrace and everlasting contempt.

41"He will also enter the Beautiful Land, 3"Those who have insight will shine and many countries will fall; but these

brightly like the brightness of the

will be rescued out of his hand: Edom,

expanse of heaven, and those who lead

Moab and the foremost of the sons of

the many to righteousness, like the stars

Ammon.

forever and ever.

42"Then he will stretch out his hand 4"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these against other countries, and the land of words and seal up the book until the end Egypt will not escape.

of time; many will go back and forth, and

knowledge will increase."

43"But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and

5Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two

over all the precious things of Egypt;

others were standing, one on this bank

and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at

of the river and the other on that bank of

his heels.

the river.

44"But rumors from the East and from 6And one said to the man dressed in

the North will disturb him, and he will go

linen, who was above the waters of the

forth with great wrath to destroy and

river, " How long will it be until the end of annihilate many.

these wonders?"

45"He will pitch the tents of his royal 7I heard the man dressed in linen, who pavilion between the seas and the

was above the waters of the river, as he

beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will

raised his right hand and his left toward

come to his end, and no one will help

heaven, and swore by Him who lives

him.

forever that it would be for a time, times,

and half a time; and as soon as they

finish shattering the power of the holy

12"Now at that time Michael, the people, all these events will be completed.

great prince who stands guard over the

sons of your people, will arise. And

8

there will be a time of distress such as As for me, I heard but could not

never occurred since there was a nation

understand; so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?"

until that time; and at that time your

people, everyone who is found written in

9

the book, will be rescued.

He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for

these words are concealed and sealed

up until the end time.

10" Many will be purged, purified and 12"How blessed is he who keeps waiting refined, but the wicked will act wickedly;

and attains to the 1,335 days!

and none of the wicked will understand,

but those who have insight will

13"But as for you, go your way to the end; understand.

then you will enter into rest and rise

again for your allotted portion at the end

11"From the time that the regular

of the age."

sacrifice

is

abolished

and

the

abomination of desolation is set up,

there will be 1,290 days.

Hosea

them by bow, sword, battle, horses or

horsemen."

1The word of the LORD which came 8When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and

she conceived and gave birth to a son.

Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during

9

the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash,

And the LORD said, "Name him Lo—

king of Israel.

ammi, for you are not My people and I

am not your God."

2When the LORD first spoke through

10

Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, " Go, Yet the number of the sons of Israel

take to yourself a wife of harlotry and Will be like the sand of the sea, Which have children of harlotry; for the land cannot be measured or numbered; And

commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the

in the place Where it is said to them, LORD."

"You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living 3So he went and took Gomer the God."

daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived

11

and bore him a son.

And the sons of Judah and the sons of

Israel will be gathered together, And

4And the LORD said to him, "Name him

they will appoint for themselves one

Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will leader, And they will go up from the land, punish the house of Jehu for the

For great will be the day of Jezreel.

bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of

Israel.

2Say to your brothers, " Ammi," and to your sisters, " Ruhamah."

5"On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

2"Contend with your mother, contend,

For she is not my wife, and I am not her

6Then she conceived again and gave

husband; And let her put away her

birth to a daughter. And the LORD said

harlotry from her face And her adultery

to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will

from between her breasts,

no longer have compassion on the

house of Israel, that I would ever forgive

3Or I will strip her naked And expose her

them.

as on the day when she was born. I will

also make her like a wilderness, Make

7"But I will have compassion on the her like desert land And slay her with

house of Judah and deliver them by the

thirst.

LORD their God, and will not deliver

4"Also, I will have no compassion on her 12"I will destroy her vines and fig trees, children, Because they are children of Of which she said, 'These are my wages

harlotry.

Which my lovers have given me.' And I

will make them a forest, And the beasts

5"For their mother has played the harlot; of the field will devour them.

She who conceived them has acted

shamefully. For she said, ' I will go after

13"I will punish her for the days of the my lovers, Who give me my bread and Baals When she used to offer sacrifices

my water, My wool and my flax, my oil

to them And adorn herself with her

and my drink.'

earrings and jewelry, And follow her

lovers, so that she forgot Me," declares 6"Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her the LORD.

way with thorns, And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her 14"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, paths.

Bring her into the wilderness And speak

kindly to her.

7"She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek

15"Then I will give her her vineyards from them, but will not find them. Then she

there, And the valley of Achor as a door

will say, ' I will go back to my first of hope. And she will sing there as in the

husband, For it was better for me then

days of her youth, As in the day when

than now!'

she came up from the land of Egypt.

8"For she does not know that it was I 16"It will come about in that day,"

who gave her the grain, the new wine

declares the LORD, "That you will call and the oil, And lavished on her silver Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali.

and gold, Which they used for Baal.

17"For I will remove the names of the 9"Therefore, I will take back My grain at Baals from her mouth, So that they will harvest time And My new wine in its be mentioned by their names no more.

season. I will also take away My wool

and My flax Given to cover her

18"In that day I will also make a covenant nakedness.

for them With the beasts of the field,

The birds of the sky And the creeping

10"And then I will uncover her lewdness things of the ground. And I will abolish In the sight of her lovers, And no one the bow, the sword and war from the will rescue her out of My hand.

land, And will make them lie down in

safety.

11"I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her

19"I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I sabbaths And all her festal assemblies.

will betroth you to Me in righteousness

and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion,

20And I will betroth you to Me in 5Afterward the sons of Israel will return faithfulness. Then you will know the and seek the LORD their God and David

LORD.

their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the

21"It will come about in that day that I will last days.

respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

4Listen to the word of the LORD, O

sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case

22And the earth will respond to the grain,

against the inhabitants of the land,

to the new wine and to the oil, And they

Because there is no faithfulness or

will respond to Jezreel.

kindness Or knowledge of God in the

land.

23"I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who

2There is swearing, deception, murder,

had not obtained compassion, And I will

stealing and adultery. They employ

say to those who were not My people,

violence, so that bloodshed follows

'You are My people!' And they will say, bloodshed.

'You are my God!'"

3Therefore the land mourns, And

3

everyone who lives in it languishes

Then the LORD said to me, "Go

Along with the beasts of the field and

again, love a woman who is loved by

the birds of the sky, And also the fish of

her husband, yet an adulteress, even as

the sea disappear.

the LORD loves the sons of Israel,

though they turn to other gods and love

4Yet let no one find fault, and let none raisin cakes."

offer reproof; For your people are like

those who contend with the priest.

2So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half

5So you will stumble by day, And the

of barley.

prophet also will stumble with you by

night; And I will destroy your mother.

3Then I said to her, "You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play

6My people are destroyed for lack of

the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so

knowledge. Because you have rejected

I will also be toward you."

knowledge, I also will reject you from

being My priest. Since you have

4For the sons of Israel will remain for forgotten the law of your God, I also will

many days without king or prince,

forget your children.

without sacrifice or sacred pillar and

without ephod or household idols.

7The more they multiplied, the more they

sinned against Me; I will change their

glory into shame.

8They feed on the sin of My people And 16Since Israel is stubborn Like a direct their desire toward their iniquity.

stubborn heifer, Can the LORD now

pasture them Like a lamb in a large field?

9And it will be, like people, like priest; So

I will punish them for their ways And

17Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him

repay them for their deeds.

alone.

10They will eat, but not have enough;

18Their liquor gone, They play the harlot

They will play the harlot, but not

continually; Their rulers dearly love

increase, Because they have stopped

shame.

giving heed to the LORD.

19The wind wraps them in its wings, And

11Harlotry, wine and new wine take

they will be ashamed because of their

away the understanding.

sacrifices.

12My people consult their wooden idol,

and their diviner's wand informs them;

5Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O

For a spirit of harlotry has led them

house of Israel! Listen, O house of the astray, And they have played the harlot,

king! For the judgment applies to you,

departing from their God.

For you have been a snare at Mizpah

And a net spread out on Tabor.

13They offer sacrifices on the tops of the

mountains And burn incense on the hills,

2The revolters have gone deep in

Under

oak, poplar

and terebinth,

depravity, But I will chastise all of them.

Because their shade is pleasant.

Therefore your daughters play the harlot

3

And your brides commit adultery.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not

hidden from Me; For now, O Ephraim,

14

you have played the harlot, Israel has

I will not punish your daughters when

defiled itself.

they play the harlot Or your brides when

they commit adultery, For the men

4

themselves go apart with harlots And

Their deeds will not allow them To

offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes;

return to their God. For a spirit of

So the people without understanding are

harlotry is within them, And they do not ruined.

know the LORD.

5

15Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Do

Moreover, the pride of Israel testifies

not let Judah become guilty; Also do not

against him, And Israel and Ephraim

go to Gilgal, Or go up to Beth-aven And

stumble in their iniquity; Judah also has take the oath: "As the LORD lives!"

stumbled with them.

6They will go with their flocks and herds

To seek the LORD, but they will not find

Him; He has withdrawn from them.

7They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, For they have borne 6" Come, let us return to the LORD.

illegitimate children. Now the new moon

For He has torn us, but He will heal us;

will devour them with their land.

He has wounded us, but He will

bandage us.

8Blow the horn in Gibeah, The trumpet

in Ramah. Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:

2"He will revive us after two days; He will

" Behind you, Benjamin!"

raise us up on the third day, That we

may live before Him.

9Ephraim will become a desolation in the

day of rebuke; Among the tribes of

3"So let us know, let us press on to Israel I declare what is sure.

know the LORD. His going forth is as

certain as the dawn; And He will come

10The princes of Judah have become

to us like the rain, Like the spring rain like those who move a boundary; On

watering the earth."

them I will pour out My wrath like water.

4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?

11Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in

What shall I do with you, O Judah? For

judgment, Because he was determined

your loyalty is like a morning cloud And to follow man's command.

like the dew which goes away early.

12Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim

5Therefore I have hewn them in pieces

And like rottenness to the house of

by the prophets; I have slain them by

Judah.

the words of My mouth; And the

judgments on you are like the light that 13When Ephraim saw his sickness, And

goes forth.

Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to

Assyria And sent to King Jareb. But he

6For I delight in loyalty rather than

is unable to heal you, Or to cure you of sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God

your wound.

rather than burnt offerings.

14For I will be like a lion to Ephraim And

7But like Adam they have transgressed

like a young lion to the house of Judah. I,

the covenant; There they have dealt

even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I

treacherously against Me.

will carry away, and there will be none to

deliver.

8Gilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked

with bloody footprints.

15I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and

9And as raiders wait for a man, So a

seek My face; In their affliction they will band of priests murder on the way to earnestly seek Me.

Shechem; Surely they have committed

crime.

10In the house of Israel I have seen a 9Strangers devour his strength, Yet he horrible thing; Ephraim's harlotry is there,

does not know it; Gray hairs also are

Israel has defiled itself.

sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know

it.

11Also, O Judah, there is a harvest

appointed for you, When I restore the

10Though the pride of Israel testifies

fortunes of My people.

against him, Yet they have not returned

to the LORD their God, Nor have they

sought Him, for all this.

7When I would heal Israel, The iniquity 11

of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil

So Ephraim has become like a silly

deeds of Samaria, For they deal falsely;

dove, without sense; They call to Egypt,

The thief enters in, Bandits raid outside,

they go to Assyria.

12

2And they do not consider in their hearts

When they go, I will spread My net

That I remember all their wickedness.

over them; I will bring them down like

Now their deeds are all around them;

the birds of the sky. I will chastise them

They are before My face.

in accordance with the proclamation to

their assembly.

3With their wickedness they make the

13

king glad, And the princes with their lies.

Woe to them, for they have strayed

from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they 4

have rebelled against Me! I would

They are all adulterers, Like an oven

redeem them, but they speak lies

heated by the baker Who ceases to stir

against Me.

up the fire From the kneading of the

dough until it is leavened.

14And they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For

5On the day of our king, the princes

the sake of grain and new wine they

became sick with the heat of wine; He

assemble themselves, They turn away

stretched out his hand with scoffers,

from Me.

6For their hearts are like an oven As

15Although I trained and strengthened

they approach their plotting; Their anger

their arms, Yet they devise evil against smolders all night, In the morning it

Me.

burns like a flaming fire.

16

7

They turn, but not upward, They are

All of them are hot like an oven, And

like a deceitful bow; Their princes will they consume their rulers; All their kings

fall by the sword Because of the

have fallen. None of them calls on Me.

insolence of their tongue. This will be

their derision in the land of Egypt.

8Ephraim mixes himself with the nations;

Ephraim has become a cake not turned.

10

8

Even though they hire allies among

Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an

the nations, Now I will gather them up; eagle the enemy comes against the

And they will begin to diminish Because

of the burden of the king of princes.

house of the LORD, Because they have

transgressed My covenant And rebelled

11

against My law.

Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for

sin, They have become altars of sinning

2They cry out to Me, "My God, we of for him.

Israel know You!"

12Though I wrote for him ten thousand

3Israel has rejected the good; The

precepts of My law, They are regarded

enemy will pursue him.

as a strange thing.

13

4

As for My sacrificial gifts, They

They have set up kings, but not by Me;

They have appointed princes, but I did

sacrifice the flesh and eat it, But the not know it. With their silver and gold LORD has taken no delight in them.

they have made idols for themselves,

Now He will remember their iniquity,

That they might be cut off.

And punish them for their sins; They will

return to Egypt.

5He has rejected your calf, O Samaria,

14

saying, "My anger burns against them!"

For Israel has forgotten his Maker and

How long will they be incapable of

built palaces; And Judah has multiplied

innocence?

fortified cities, But I will send a fire on its cities that it may consume its palatial

6

dwellings.

For from Israel is even this! A

craftsman made it, so it is not God;

Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken

9

to pieces.

Do not rejoice, O Israel, with

exultation like the nations! For you have

7For they sow the wind And they reap

played the harlot, forsaking your God.

the whirlwind. The standing grain has no

You have loved harlots' earnings on

heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield,

every threshing floor.

strangers would swallow it up.

2Threshing floor and wine press will not

8Israel is swallowed up; They are now

feed them, And the new wine will fail

among the nations Like a vessel in

them.

which no one delights.

3They will not remain in the LORD'S

9For they have gone up to Assyria, Like

land, But Ephraim will return to Egypt,

a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has

And in Assyria they will eat unclean food.

hired lovers.

4They will not pour out drink offerings of

wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will

not please Him. Their bread will be like 12Though they bring up their children, mourners' bread; All who eat of it will be

Yet I will bereave them until not a man is

defiled, For their bread will be for

left. Yes, woe to them indeed when I

themselves alone; It will not enter the

depart from them!

house of the LORD.

13Ephraim, as I have seen, Is planted in

5What will you do on the day of the

a pleasant meadow like Tyre; But

appointed festival And on the day of the

Ephraim will bring out his children for

feast of the LORD?

slaughter.

6For behold, they will go because of

14Give them, O LORD--what will You

destruction; Egypt will gather them up,

give? Give them a miscarrying womb

Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take

and dry breasts.

over their treasures of silver; Thorns will

be in their tents.

15All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came

to hate them there! Because of the

7The days of punishment have come,

wickedness of their deeds I will drive

The days of retribution have come; Let

them out of My house! I will love them Israel know this! The prophet is a fool, no more; All their princes are rebels.

The inspired man is demented, Because

of the grossness of your iniquity, And

16Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried because your hostility is so great.

up, They will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the

8Ephraim was a watchman with my God,

precious ones of their womb.

a prophet; Yet the snare of a bird

catcher is in all his ways, And there is 17My God will cast them away Because

only hostility in the house of his God.

they have not listened to Him; And they

will be wanderers among the nations.

9They have gone deep in depravity As in

the days of Gibeah; He will remember

their iniquity, He will punish their sins.

10Israel is a luxuriant vine; He

10

produces fruit for himself. The more his I found Israel like grapes in the

fruit, The more altars he made; The

wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the

richer his land, The better he made the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first sacred pillars.

season. But they came to Baal-peor and

devoted themselves to shame, And they

2

became as detestable as that which

Their heart is faithless; Now they must

they loved.

bear their guilt. The LORD will break

down their altars And destroy their

11

sacred pillars.

As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away

like a bird-- No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!

3Surely now they will say, "We have no Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for king, For we do not revere the LORD.

himself.

As for the king, what can he do for us?"

12Sow with a view to righteousness,

4They speak mere words, With

Reap in accordance with kindness;

worthless oaths they make covenants;

Break up your fallow ground, For it is

And judgment sprouts like poisonous

time to seek the LORD Until He comes

weeds in the furrows of the field.

to rain righteousness on you.

5The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For

13You have plowed wickedness, you

the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people

have reaped injustice, You have eaten

will mourn for it, And its idolatrous

the fruit of lies. Because you have

priests will cry out over it, Over its glory,

trusted in your way, in your numerous

since it has departed from it.

warriors,

6The thing itself will be carried to Assyria

14Therefore a tumult will arise among

As tribute to King Jareb; Ephraim will be

your people, And all your fortresses will seized with shame And Israel will be

be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed

ashamed of its own counsel.

Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When

mothers were dashed in pieces with

7Samaria will be cut off with her king

their children.

Like a stick on the surface of the water.

15Thus it will be done to you at Bethel 8Also the high places of Aven, the sin of

because of your great wickedness. At

Israel, will be destroyed; Thorn and

dawn the king of Israel will be

thistle will grow on their altars; Then

completely cut off.

they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!"

11When Israel was a youth I loved

9From the days of Gibeah you have

him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

sinned, O Israel; There they stand! Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity

2The more they called them, The more

overtake them in Gibeah?

they went from them; They kept

sacrificing to the Baals And burning

10When it is My desire, I will chastise incense to idols.

them; And the peoples will be gathered

against them When they are bound for

3Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I

their double guilt.

took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them.

11Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, But I will come over her fair 4I led them with cords of a man, with neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim,

bonds of love, And I became to them as

one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them.

12Ephraim feeds on wind, And

pursues the east wind continually; He

5They will not return to the land of Egypt;

multiplies lies and violence. Moreover,

But Assyria--he will be their king

he makes a covenant with Assyria, And

Because they refused to return to Me.

oil is carried to Egypt.

6The sword will whirl against their cities,

2The LORD also has a dispute with

And will demolish their gate bars And

Judah, And will punish Jacob according

consume

them

because

of

their

to his ways; He will repay him according

counsels.

to his deeds.

7So My people are bent on turning from

3In the womb he took his brother by the

Me. Though they call them to the One

heel, And in his maturity he contended

on high, None at all exalts Him.

with God.

8How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

4Yes, he wrestled with the angel and

How can I surrender you, O Israel? How

prevailed; He wept and sought His favor.

can I make you like Admah? How can I

He found Him at Bethel And there He

treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is

spoke with us,

turned

over

within

Me,

All

My

compassions are kindled.

5Even the LORD, the God of hosts, The

LORD is His name.

9I will not execute My fierce anger; I will

not destroy Ephraim again. For I am

6Therefore, return to your God, Observe

God and not man, the Holy One in your

kindness and justice, And wait for your

midst, And I will not come in wrath.

God continually.

10They will walk after the LORD, He will

7A merchant, in whose hands are false

roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And balances, He loves to oppress.

His sons will come trembling from the

west.

8And Ephraim said, "Surely I have

11

become rich, I have found wealth for

They will come trembling like birds

myself; In all my labors they will find in from Egypt And like doves from the land

me No iniquity, which would be sin."

of Assyria; And I will settle them in their

houses, declares the LORD.

9But I have been the LORD your God

12

since the land of Egypt; I will make you Ephraim surrounds Me with lies And

live in tents again, As in the days of the

the house of Israel with deceit; Judah is

appointed festival.

also unruly against God, Even against

the Holy One who is faithful.

10I have also spoken to the prophets, 5I cared for you in the wilderness, In the And I gave numerous visions, And

land of drought.

through the prophets I gave parables.

6As they had their pasture, they became

11Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they

satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart

are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice

became proud; Therefore they forgot Me.

bulls, Yes, their altars are like the stone

heaps Beside the furrows of the field.

7So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside.

12Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram,

And Israel worked for a wife, And for a 8I will encounter them like a bear robbed

wife he kept sheep.

of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them

13But by a prophet the LORD brought

like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear

Israel from Egypt, And by a prophet he

them.

was kept.

9It is your destruction, O Israel, That you

14Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger;

are against Me, against your help.

So his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him And bring back his reproach to him.

10Where now is your king That he may

save you in all your cities, And your

13

judges of whom you requested, "Give

When Ephraim spoke, there was

me a king and princes"?

trembling. He exalted himself in Israel,

11

But through Baal he did wrong and died.

I gave you a king in My anger And

took him away in My wrath.

2And now they sin more and more, And

12

make for themselves molten images,

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;

Idols skillfully made from their silver, All His sin is stored up.

of them the work of craftsmen. They say

of them, "Let the men who sacrifice kiss

13The pains of childbirth come upon him;

the calves!"

He is not a wise son, For it is not the time that he should delay at the opening

3Therefore they will be like the morning

of the womb.

cloud And like dew which soon

disappears, Like chaff which is blown

14Shall I ransom them from the power of

away from the threshing floor And like

Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death?

smoke from a chimney.

O Death, where are your thorns? O

Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion

4Yet I have been the LORD your God

will be hidden from My sight.

Since the land of Egypt; And you were

not to know any god except Me, For

15Though he flourishes among the reeds,

there is no savior besides Me.

An east wind will come, The wind of the

LORD coming up from the wilderness; 4I will heal their apostasy, I will love And his fountain will become dry And his them freely, For My anger has turned

spring will be dried up; It will plunder his

away from them.

treasury of every precious article.

5I will be like the dew to Israel; He will 16Samaria will be held guilty, For she blossom like the lily, And he will take has rebelled against her God. They will

root like the cedars of Lebanon.

fall by the sword, Their little ones will be

dashed in pieces, And their pregnant

6His shoots will sprout, And his beauty

women will be ripped open.

will be like the olive tree And his

fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

14Return, O Israel, to the LORD 7Those who live in his shadow Will again your God, For you have stumbled raise grain, And they will blossom like

because of your iniquity.

the vine. His renown will be like the wine

of Lebanon.

2Take words with you and return to the

8

LORD. Say to Him, " Take away all

O Ephraim, what more have I to do with

iniquity And receive us graciously, That

idols? It is I who answer and look after we may present the fruit of our lips.

you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; From

Me comes your fruit.

3"Assyria will not save us, We will not 9

ride on horses; Nor will we say again, '

Whoever is wise, let him understand

Our god,' To the work of our hands; For

these things; Whoever is discerning, let

in You the orphan finds mercy."

him know them. For the ways of the

LORD are right, And the righteous will

walk in them, But transgressors will

stumble in them.

Joel

9The grain offering and the drink offering

are cut off From the house of the LORD.

1The word of the LORD that came to The priests mourn, The ministers of the LORD.

Joel, the son of Pethuel:

10

2

The field is ruined, The land mourns;

Hear this, O elders, And listen, all

For the grain is ruined, The new wine

inhabitants of the land. Has anything like

dries up, Fresh oil fails.

this happened in your days Or in your

fathers' days?

11Be ashamed, O farmers, Wail, O

3

vinedressers, For the wheat and the

Tell your sons about it, And let your

barley; Because the harvest of the field sons tell their sons, And their sons the is destroyed.

next generation.

12

4

The vine dries up And the fig tree fails;

What the gnawing locust has left, the

The pomegranate, the palm also, and

swarming locust has eaten; And what

the apple tree, All the trees of the field the swarming locust has left, the

dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up From

creeping locust has eaten; And what the

the sons of men.

creeping locust has left, the stripping

locust has eaten.

13Gird yourselves with sackcloth And

5

lament, O priests; Wail, O ministers of

Awake, drunkards, and weep; And wail,

the altar! Come, spend the night in

all you wine drinkers, On account of the

sackcloth O ministers of my God, For

sweet wine That is cut off from your

the grain offering and the drink offering mouth.

Are withheld from the house of your God.

6For a nation has invaded my land,

14Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn

Mighty and without number; Its teeth are

assembly; Gather the elders And all the

the teeth of a lion, And it has the fangs inhabitants of the land To the house of of a lioness.

the LORD your God, And cry out to the

LORD.

7It has made my vine a waste And my

fig tree splinters. It has stripped them 15Alas for the day! For the day of the bare and cast them away; Their LORD is near, And it will come as

branches have become white.

destruction from the Almighty.

8Wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth 16Has not food been cut off before our

For the bridegroom of her youth.

eyes, Gladness and joy from the house

of our God?

17The seeds shrivel under their clods; 4Their

appearance

is

like

the

The storehouses are desolate, The

appearance of horses; And like war

barns are torn down, For the grain is

horses, so they run.

dried up.

5With a noise as of chariots They leap

18How the beasts groan! The herds of

on the tops of the mountains, Like the

cattle wander aimlessly Because there

crackling of a flame of fire consuming

is no pasture for them; Even the flocks the stubble, Like a mighty people

of sheep suffer.

arranged for battle.

19To You, O LORD, I cry; For fire has

6Before them the people are in anguish;

devoured the pastures of the wilderness

All faces turn pale.

And the flame has burned up all the

trees of the field.

7They run like mighty men, They climb

the wall like soldiers; And they each

20Even the beasts of the field pant for march in line, Nor do they deviate from You; For the water brooks are dried up their paths.

And fire has devoured the pastures of

the wilderness.

8They do not crowd each other, They

march everyone in his path; When they

2

burst through the defenses, They do not

Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound

break ranks.

an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all

9

the inhabitants of the land tremble, For They rush on the city, They run on the the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it wall; They climb into the houses, They

is near,

enter through the windows like a thief.

2

10

A day of darkness and gloom, A day of

Before them the earth quakes, The

clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn

heavens tremble, The sun and the moon

is spread over the mountains, So there

grow dark And the stars lose their

is a great and mighty people; There has

brightness.

never been anything like it, Nor will

there be again after it To the years of 11The LORD utters His voice before His

many generations.

army; Surely His camp is very great, For

strong is he who carries out His word.

3A fire consumes before them And

The day of the LORD is indeed great

behind them a flame burns. The land is

and very awesome, And who can

like the garden of Eden before them But

endure it?

a desolate wilderness behind them, And

nothing at all escapes them.

12"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "

Return to Me with all your heart, And

with fasting, weeping and mourning;

13And rend your heart and not your parched and desolate land, And its garments." Now return to the LORD

vanguard into the eastern sea, And its

your God, For He is gracious and

rear guard into the western sea. And its

compassionate,

Slow

to

anger,

stench will arise and its foul smell will abounding

in

lovingkindness

And

come up, For it has done great things."

relenting of evil.

21Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be

14Who knows whether He will not turn

glad, For the LORD has done great

and relent And leave a blessing behind

things.

Him, Even a grain offering and a drink

offering For the LORD your God?

22Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the

pastures of the wilderness have turned

15Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a

green, For the tree has borne its fruit, fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

The fig tree and the vine have yielded in

full.

16Gather the people, sanctify the

congregation, Assemble the elders,

23So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be

Gather the children and the nursing

glad in the LORD your God; For He has

infants. Let the bridegroom come out of

given you the early rain for your

his room And the bride out of her bridal

vindication. And He has poured down

chamber.

for you the rain, The early and latter rain

as before.

17Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers,

Weep between the porch and the altar,

24The threshing floors will be full of grain,

And let them say, " Spare Your people, And the vats will overflow with the new O LORD, And do not make Your wine and oil.

inheritance a reproach, A byword

among the nations. Why should they

25"Then I will make up to you for the among the peoples say, ' Where is their

years That the swarming locust has

God?'"

eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping

locust and the gnawing locust, My great

18Then the LORD will be zealous for His

army which I sent among you.

land And will have pity on His people.

26"You will have plenty to eat and be 19The LORD will answer and say to His

satisfied And praise the name of the

people, "Behold, I am going to send you

LORD your God, Who has dealt

grain, new wine and oil, And you will be

wondrously with you; Then My people

satisfied in full with them; And I will will never be put to shame.

never again make you a reproach

among the nations.

27"Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD

20"But I will remove the northern army your God, And there is no other; And My

far from you, And I will drive it into a people will never be put to shame.

28" It will come about after this That I will 4"Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And

Sidon and all the regions of Philistia?

your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Are you rendering Me a recompense?

Your old men will dream dreams, Your

But if you do recompense Me, swiftly

young men will see visions.

and

speedily

I

will

return

your

recompense on your head.

29"Even on the male and female

servants I will pour out My Spirit in those

5"Since you have taken My silver and days.

My gold, brought My precious treasures

to your temples,

30"I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of

6and sold the sons of Judah and

smoke.

Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to

remove them far from their territory,

31"The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the

7behold, I am going to arouse them from

great and awesome day of the LORD

the place where you have sold them,

comes.

and return your recompense on your

head.

32"And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be 8"Also I will sell your sons and your delivered; For on Mount Zion and in

daughters into the hand of the sons of

Jerusalem There will be those who

Judah, and they will sell them to the

escape, As the LORD has said, Even

Sabeans, to a distant nation," for the among the survivors whom the LORD

LORD has spoken.

calls.

9Proclaim this among the nations:

3

Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men!

"For behold, in those days and at that

Let all the soldiers draw near, let them time, When I restore the fortunes of

come up!

Judah and Jerusalem,

10Beat your plowshares into swords And

2

your pruning hooks into spears; Let the

I will gather all the nations And bring weak say, "I am a mighty man."

them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.

Then I will enter into judgment with them

11

there On behalf of My people and My

Hasten and come, all you surrounding

inheritance, Israel, Whom they have

nations, And gather yourselves there.

scattered among the nations; And they

Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones.

have divided up My land.

12Let the nations be aroused And come

3"They have also cast lots for My people, up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For

Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl

there I will sit to judge All the

for wine that they may drink.

surrounding nations.

13Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.

18And in that day The mountains will drip

Come, tread, for the wine press is full; with sweet wine, And the hills will flow The vats overflow, for their wickedness with milk, And all the brooks of Judah

is great.

will flow with water; And a spring will go

out from the house of the LORD To

14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of water the valley of Shittim.

decision! For the day of the LORD is

near in the valley of decision.

19Egypt will become a waste, And Edom

will become a desolate wilderness,

15The sun and moon grow dark And the

Because of the violence done to the

stars lose their brightness.

sons of Judah, In whose land they have

shed innocent blood.

16The LORD roars from Zion And utters

20

His voice from Jerusalem, And the

But Judah will be inhabited forever

heavens and the earth tremble. But the

And Jerusalem for all generations.

LORD is a refuge for His people And a

stronghold to the sons of Israel.

21And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged, For the LORD dwells

17Then you will know that I am the

in Zion.

LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion, My

holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be

holy, And strangers will pass through it no more.

Amos

7"So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels.

1The words of Amos, who was among 8"I will also cut off the inhabitant from the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel

Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter,

in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and

from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My

in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash,

power upon Ekron, And the remnant of

king of Israel, two years before the

the Philistines will perish," Says the Lord GOD.

earthquake.

9

2He said, "The LORD roars from Zion Thus says the LORD, "For three

And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;

transgressions of Tyre and for four I will

And the shepherds' pasture grounds

not revoke its punishment, Because

they delivered up an entire population to

mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries

Edom And did not remember the

up."

covenant of brotherhood.

3Thus says the LORD, "For three

10

transgressions of Damascus and for

"So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre And it will consume her citadels."

four I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they threshed Gilead with

11

implements of sharp iron.

Thus says the LORD, "For three

transgressions of Edom and for four I

4"So I will send fire upon the house of will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword,

Hazael And it will consume the citadels

of Ben-hadad.

While he stifled his compassion; His

anger also tore continually, And he

5

maintained his fury forever.

"I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant

12"So I will send fire upon Teman And it

from the valley of Aven, And him who

holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So

will consume the citadels of Bozrah."

the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,"

13

Says the LORD.

Thus says the LORD, "For three

transgressions of the sons of Ammon

6

and for four I will not revoke its

Thus says the LORD, "For three

transgressions of Gaza and for four I will

punishment, Because they ripped open

not revoke its punishment, Because

the pregnant women of Gilead In order

they deported an entire population To

to enlarge their borders.

deliver it up to Edom.

14"So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah And it will consume her citadels Amid war cries on the day of battle, And same girl In order to profane My holy a storm on the day of tempest.

name.

15"Their king will go into exile, He and 8"On garments taken as pledges they his princes together," says the LORD.

stretch out beside every altar, And in the

house of their God they drink the wine of

those who have been fined.

2Thus says the LORD, "For three 9"Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because

before them, Though his height was like

he burned the bones of the king of

the height of cedars And he was strong

Edom to lime.

as the oaks; I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.

2"So I will send fire upon Moab And it 10

will consume the citadels of Kerioth; And

"It was I who brought you up from the Moab will die amid tumult, With war

land of Egypt, And I led you in the

cries and the sound of a trumpet.

wilderness forty years That you might

take possession of the land of the

Amorite.

3"I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him,"

11

says the LORD.

"Then I raised up some of your sons to

be prophets And some of your young

4

men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O

Thus says the LORD, "For three

sons of Israel?" declares the LORD.

transgressions of Judah and for four I

will not revoke its punishment, Because

12

they rejected the law of the LORD And

"But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

have not kept His statutes; Their lies

And you commanded the prophets

saying, 'You shall not prophesy!'

also have led them astray, Those after

which their fathers walked.

13"Behold, I am weighted down beneath

5"So I will send fire upon Judah And it you As a wagon is weighted down when

will consume the citadels of Jerusalem."

filled with sheaves.

14

6Thus says the LORD, "For three

" Flight will perish from the swift, And transgressions of Israel and for four I will the stalwart will not strengthen his

not revoke its punishment, Because

power, Nor the mighty man save his life.

they sell the righteous for money And

15

the needy for a pair of sandals.

"He who grasps the bow will not stand

his ground, The swift of foot will not

7"These who pant after the very dust of

escape, Nor will he who rides the horse

the earth on the head of the helpless

save his life.

Also turn aside the way of the humble;

And a man and his father resort to the

16"Even the bravest among the warriors tumults within her and the oppressions will flee naked in that day," declares the in her midst.

LORD.

10"But they do not know how to do what

3

is right," declares the LORD, "these who Hear this word which the LORD has

hoard up violence and devastation in

spoken against you, sons of Israel,

their citadels."

against the entire family which He

11

brought up from the land of Egypt:

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,

"An enemy, even one surrounding the

2" You only have I chosen among all the

land, Will pull down your strength from

families of the earth; Therefore I will

you And your citadels will be looted."

punish you for all your iniquities."

12Thus says the LORD, "Just as the

3Do two men walk together unless they

shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth

have made an appointment?

a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So

will the sons of Israel dwelling in

4

Samaria be snatched away-- With the

Does a lion roar in the forest when he corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!

has no prey? Does a young lion growl

from his den unless he has captured

13

something?

"Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the 5

God of hosts.

Does a bird fall into a trap on the

ground when there is no bait in it? Does

14

a trap spring up from the earth when it

"For on the day that I punish Israel's captures nothing at all?

transgressions, I will also punish the

altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the 6If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the ground.

people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a

city has not the LORD done it?

15"I will also smite the winter house 7

together with the summer house; The

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing

houses of ivory will also perish And the Unless He reveals His secret counsel

great houses will come to an end,"

To His servants the prophets.

Declares the LORD.

8A lion has roared! Who will not fear?

The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can

4Hear this word, you cows of Bashan

but prophesy?

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

9

Who oppress the poor, who crush the

Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and

needy, Who say to your husbands,

on the citadels in the land of Egypt and

"Bring now, that we may drink!"

say, "Assemble yourselves on the

mountains of Samaria and see the great

2The Lord GOD has sworn by His vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet holiness, "Behold, the days are coming you have not returned to Me," declares upon you When they will take you away the LORD.

with meat hooks, And the last of you

with fish hooks.

10"I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men

3"You will go out through breaches in by the sword along with your captured

the walls, Each one straight before her, horses, And I made the stench of your

And you will be cast to Harmon,"

camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you

declares the LORD.

have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

4"Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply

transgression!

Bring

your

11"I overthrew you, as God overthrew sacrifices every morning, Your tithes

Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were

every three days.

like a firebrand snatched from a blaze;

Yet you have not returned to Me,"

5"Offer a thank offering also from that declares the LORD.

which is leavened, And proclaim freewill

offerings, make them known. For so you

12"Therefore thus I will do to you, O

love to do, you sons of Israel," Declares Israel; Because I will do this to you,

the Lord GOD.

Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

6"But I gave you also cleanness of teeth

13For behold, He who forms mountains

in all your cities And lack of bread in all and creates the wind And declares to

your places, Yet you have not returned

man what are His thoughts, He who

to Me," declares the LORD.

makes dawn into darkness And treads

on the high places of the earth, The

7"Furthermore, I withheld the rain from LORD God of hosts is His name.

you While there were still three months

until harvest. Then I would send rain on

one city And on another city I would not

5Hear this word which I take up for send rain; One part would be rained on,

you as a dirge, O house of Israel:

While the part not rained on would dry

up.

2She has fallen, she will not rise again--

8

The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on

"So two or three cities would stagger to

her land; There is none to raise her up.

another city to drink water, But would

not be satisfied; Yet you have not

3

returned to Me," declares the LORD.

For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand strong Will 9

have a hundred left, And the one which

"I smote you with scorching wind and goes forth a hundred strong Will have

mildew;

And

the

caterpillar

was

ten left to the house of Israel."

devouring Your many gardens and

4For thus says the LORD to the house of distress the righteous and accept bribes Israel, " Seek Me that you may live.

And turn aside the poor in the gate.

5"But do not resort to Bethel And do not

13Therefore at such a time the prudent

come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to

person keeps silent, for it is an evil time.

Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go

into captivity And Bethel will come to

14Seek good and not evil, that you may

trouble.

live; And thus may the LORD God of

hosts be with you, Just as you have said!

6" Seek the LORD that you may live, Or

He will break forth like a fire, O house of

15Hate evil, love good, And establish

Joseph, And it will consume with none

justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD

to quench it for Bethel,

God of hosts May be gracious to the

remnant of Joseph.

7For those who turn justice into

wormwood And cast righteousness

16Therefore thus says the LORD God of

down to the earth."

hosts, the Lord, "There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they 8He who made the Pleiades and Orion say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the

And changes deep darkness into

farmer to mourning And professional

morning, Who also darkens day into

mourners to lamentation.

night, Who calls for the waters of the

sea And pours them out on the surface

17"And in all the vineyards there is of the earth, The LORD is His name.

wailing, Because I will pass through the

midst of you," says the LORD.

9It is He who flashes forth with

destruction upon the strong, So that

18Alas, you who are longing for the day

destruction comes upon the fortress.

of the LORD, For what purpose will the

day of the LORD be to you? It will be 10They hate him who reproves in the

darkness and not light;

gate, And they abhor him who speaks

with integrity.

19As when a man flees from a lion And a

bear meets him, Or goes home, leans

11Therefore because you impose heavy

his hand against the wall And a snake

rent on the poor And exact a tribute of bites him.

grain from them, Though you have built

houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will

20Will not the day of the LORD be

not live in them; You have planted

darkness instead of light, Even gloom

pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink

with no brightness in it?

their wine.

21"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I 12For I know your transgressions are

delight in your solemn assemblies.

many and your sins are great, You who

22"Even though you offer up to Me burnt 4Those who recline on beds of ivory And offerings and your grain offerings, I will sprawl on their couches, And eat lambs

not accept them; And I will not even look

from the flock And calves from the midst

at the peace offerings of your fatlings.

of the stall,

23"Take away from Me the noise of your

5Who improvise to the sound of the harp,

songs; I will not even listen to the sound

And like David have composed songs

of your harps.

for themselves,

24"But let justice roll down like waters 6Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls And righteousness like an ever-flowing

While they anoint themselves with the

stream.

finest of oils, Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

25" Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for 7Therefore, they will now go into exile at forty years, O house of Israel?

the head of the exiles, And the

sprawlers' banqueting will pass away.

26" You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star 8The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself,

of your gods which you made for

the LORD God of hosts has declared: "I

yourselves.

loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And

detest his citadels; Therefore I will

27"Therefore, I will make you go into deliver up the city and all it contains."

exile beyond Damascus," says the

LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.

9And it will be, if ten men are left in one

house, they will die.

6

10

Woe to those who are at ease in Zion

Then one's uncle, or his undertaker,

And to those who feel secure in the

will lift him up to carry out his bones mountain of Samaria, The distinguished

from the house, and he will say to the men of the foremost of nations, To

one who is in the innermost part of the whom the house of Israel comes.

house, "Is anyone else with you?" And that one will say, "No one." Then he will 2

answer, " Keep quiet. For the name of Go over to Calneh and look, And go

the LORD is not to be mentioned."

from there to Hamath the great, Then go

down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they

11

better than these kingdoms, Or is their

For behold, the LORD is going to

command that the great house be

territory greater than yours?

smashed to pieces and the small house

3

to fragments.

Do you put off the day of calamity, And

would you bring near the seat of

12

violence?

Do horses run on rocks? Or does one

plow them with oxen? Yet you have

turned justice into poison And the fruit of 7Thus He showed me, and behold, the righteousness into wormwood,

Lord was standing by a vertical wall with

a plumb line in His hand.

13You who rejoice in Lodebar, And say,

"Have we not by our own strength taken

8The LORD said to me, " What do you Karnaim for ourselves?"

see, Amos?" And I said, "A plumb line."

Then the Lord said, "Behold I am about 14"For behold, I am going to raise up a to put a plumb line In the midst of My nation against you, O house of Israel,"

people Israel. I will spare them no longer.

declares the LORD God of hosts, "And they will afflict you from the entrance of 9"The high places of Isaac will be Hamath To the brook of the Arabah."

desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel

laid waste. Then I will rise up against the

house of Jeroboam with the sword."

7Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and 10

behold, He was forming a locust-swarm

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel,

when the spring crop began to sprout.

sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel,

And behold, the spring crop was after

saying, "Amos has conspired against

you in the midst of the house of Israel; the king's mowing.

the land is unable to endure all his

2

words.

And it came about, when it had finished

eating the vegetation of the land, that I 11

said, " Lord GOD, please pardon! How

"For thus Amos says, 'Jeroboam will

die by the sword and Israel will certainly

can Jacob stand, For he is small?"

go from its land into exile.'"

3The LORD changed His mind about

12

this. "It shall not be," said the LORD.

Then Amaziah said to Amos, " Go, you

seer, flee away to the land of Judah and

4

there eat bread and there do your

Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and

prophesying!

behold, the Lord GOD was calling to

contend with them by fire, and it

13

consumed the great deep and began to

"But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal consume the farm land.

residence."

5Then I said, " Lord GOD, please stop!

14

How can Jacob stand, for he is small?"

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a

prophet; for I am a herdsman and a

6The LORD changed His mind about

grower of sycamore figs.

this. "This too shall not be," said the Lord GOD.

15"But the LORD took me from following

the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go

prophesy to My people Israel.'

16"Now hear the word of the LORD: you that we may sell the refuse of the are saying, 'You shall not prophesy

wheat?"

against Israel nor shall you speak

against the house of Isaac.'

7The LORD has sworn by the pride of

Jacob, "Indeed, I will never forget any of 17"Therefore, thus says the LORD, 'Your

their deeds.

wife will become a harlot in the city, your

sons and your daughters will fall by the 8"Because of this will not the land quake sword, your land will be parceled up by And everyone who dwells in it mourn?

a measuring line and you yourself will

Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile, die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel And it will be tossed about And subside

will certainly go from its land into exile.'"

like the Nile of Egypt.

9

8

"It will come about in that day,"

Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and

declares the Lord GOD, "That I will behold, there was a basket of summer

make the sun go down at noon And

fruit.

make the earth dark in broad daylight.

2

10

He said, "What do you see, Amos?"

"Then I will turn your festivals into And I said, "A basket of summer fruit."

mourning And all your songs into

Then the LORD said to me, "The end lamentation; And I will bring sackcloth

has come for My people Israel. I will

on everyone's loins And baldness on

spare them no longer.

every head. And I will make it like a time

of mourning for an only son, And the

3

end of it will be like a bitter day.

"The songs of the palace will turn to wailing in that day," declares the Lord 11

GOD. "Many will be the corpses; in

"Behold, days are coming," declares every place they will cast them forth in the Lord GOD, "When I will send a silence."

famine on the land, Not a famine for

bread or a thirst for water, But rather for

4Hear this, you who trample the needy,

hearing the words of the LORD.

to do away with the humble of the land,

12"People will stagger from sea to sea 5

And from the north even to the east;

saying, "When will the new moon be

over, So that we may sell grain, And the

They will go to and fro to seek the word

sabbath, that we may open the wheat

of the LORD, But they will not find it.

market, To make the bushel smaller and

13

the shekel bigger, And to cheat with

"In that day the beautiful virgins And dishonest scales,

the young men will faint from thirst.

6

14

So as to buy the helpless for money

"As for those who swear by the guilt of

And the needy for a pair of sandals, And

Samaria, Who say, 'As your god lives, O

Dan,' And, 'As the way of Beersheba 7"Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to lives,' They will fall and not rise again."

Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the 9I saw the Lord standing beside the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break

8

them on the heads of them all! Then I

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are

on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy

will slay the rest of them with the sword;

it

from

the

face

of

the

earth;

They will not have a fugitive who will flee,

Or a refugee who will escape.

Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy

the house of Jacob," Declares the

2

LORD.

"Though they dig into Sheol, From

there will My hand take them; And

9"For behold, I am commanding, And I though they ascend to heaven, From

there will I bring them down.

will shake the house of Israel among all

nations As grain is shaken in a sieve,

3

But not a kernel will fall to the ground.

"Though they hide on the summit of

Carmel, I will search them out and take 10"All the sinners of My people will die by them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on

the sword, Those who say, ' The

the floor of the sea, From there I will calamity will not overtake or confront us.'

command the serpent and it will bite

11

them.

"In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; 4"And though they go into captivity

I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it

before their enemies, From there I will

as in the days of old;

command the sword that it slay them,

12

And I will set My eyes against them for That they may possess the remnant of

evil and not for good."

Edom And all the nations who are called

by My name," Declares the LORD who

5The Lord GOD of hosts, The One who

does this.

touches the land so that it melts, And all

13

those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it

"Behold, days are coming," declares rises up like the Nile And subsides like the LORD, "When the plowman will the Nile of Egypt;

overtake the reaper And the treader of

grapes him who sows seed; When the

6The One who builds His upper

mountains will drip sweet wine And all

the hills will be dissolved.

chambers in the heavens And has

founded His vaulted dome over the

14

earth, He who calls for the waters of the

"Also I will restore the captivity of My sea And pours them out on the face of people Israel, And they will rebuild the the earth, The LORD is His name.

ruined cities and live in them; They will

also plant vineyards and drink their wine, 15"I will also plant them on their land, And make gardens and eat their fruit.

And they will not again be rooted out

from their land Which I have given

them," Says the LORD your God.

Obadiah

8"Will I not on that day," declares the LORD, " Destroy wise men from Edom 1The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the And understanding from the mountain of Esau?

Lord GOD concerning Edom-- We have

heard a report from the LORD, And an

9

envoy has been sent among the nations

"Then your mighty men will be

saying, " Arise and let us go against her dismayed, O Teman, So that everyone

for battle"--

may be cut off from the mountain of

Esau by slaughter.

2"Behold, I will make you small among 10

the nations; You are greatly despised.

"Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame,

3

And you will be cut off forever.

"The arrogance of your heart has

deceived you, You who live in the clefts

11

of the rock, In the loftiness of your

"On the day that you stood aloof, On dwelling place, Who say in your heart, '

the day that strangers carried off his

Who will bring me down to earth?'

wealth, And foreigners entered his gate

And cast lots for Jerusalem-- You too

were as one of them.

4"Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the

12

stars, From there I will bring you down,"

" Do not gloat over your brother's day,

declares the LORD.

The day of his misfortune. And do not

rejoice over the sons of Judah In the

5

day of their destruction; Yes, do not

"If thieves came to you, If robbers by boast In the day of their distress.

night-- O how you will be ruined!--

Would they not steal only until they had

13

enough? If grape gatherers came to you,

"Do not enter the gate of My people In

the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do Would they not leave some gleanings?

not gloat over their calamity In the day 6

of their disaster. And do not loot their

"O how Esau will be ransacked, And

wealth In the day of their disaster.

his hidden treasures searched out!

14"Do not stand at the fork of the road To 7"All the men allied with you Will send cut down their fugitives; And do not you forth to the border, And the men at imprison their survivors In the day of

peace with you Will deceive you and

their distress.

overpower you. They who eat your

bread Will set an ambush for you.

15"For the day of the LORD draws near (There is no understanding in him.)

on all the nations. As you have done, it

will be done to you. Your dealings will survivor of the house of Esau," For the return on your own head.

LORD has spoken.

16"Because just as you drank on My holy

19Then those of the Negev will possess

mountain, All the nations will drink

the mountain of Esau, And those of the

continually. They will drink and swallow

Shephelah the Philistine plain; Also,

And become as if they had never

possess the territory of Ephraim and the

existed.

territory of Samaria, And Benjamin will

possess Gilead.

17"But on Mount Zion there will be those

who escape, And it will be holy. And the

20And the exiles of this host of the sons

house of Jacob will possess their

of

Israel,

Who

are

among

the

possessions.

Canaanites as far as Zarephath, And

the exiles of Jerusalem who are in

18"Then the house of Jacob will be a fire Sepharad Will possess the cities of the

And the house of Joseph a flame; But

Negev.

the house of Esau will be as stubble.

And they will set them on fire and

21The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion

consume them, So that there will be no

To judge the mountain of Esau, And the

kingdom will be the LORD'S.

Jonah

8Then they said to him, " Tell us, now!

On whose account has this calamity

1The word of the LORD came to struck us? What is your occupation?

And where do you come from? What is

Jonah the son of Amittai saying,

your country? From what people are

you?"

2"Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has 9He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I come up before Me."

fear the LORD God of heaven who

made the sea and the dry land."

3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish

from the presence of the LORD. So he

10Then the men became extremely

went down to Joppa, found a ship which

frightened and they said to him, "How was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and

could you do this?" For the men knew went down into it to go with them to

that he was fleeing from the presence of

Tarshish from the presence of the

the LORD, because he had told them.

LORD.

11

4

So they said to him, "What should we The LORD hurled a great wind on the

do to you that the sea may become

sea and there was a great storm on the

calm for us?"--for the sea was becoming

sea so that the ship was about to break

increasingly stormy.

up.

12

5

He said to them, "Pick me up and

Then the sailors became afraid and

throw me into the sea. Then the sea will

every man cried to his god, and they

become calm for you, for I know that on

threw the cargo which was in the ship

account of me this great storm has

into the sea to lighten it for them. But come upon you."

Jonah had gone below into the hold of

the ship, lain down and fallen sound

13However, the men rowed desperately

asleep.

to return to land but they could not, for 6

the sea was becoming even stormier

So the captain approached him and

against them.

said, "How is it that you are sleeping?

Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your

14Then they called on the LORD and

god will be concerned about us so that

we will not perish."

said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this

7

man's life and do not put innocent blood

Each man said to his mate, "Come, let on us; for You, O LORD, have done as

us cast lots so we may learn on whose

You have pleased."

account this calamity has struck us." So

they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

15So they picked up Jonah, threw him 7"While I was fainting away, I into the sea, and the sea stopped its

remembered the LORD, And my prayer

raging.

came to You, Into Your holy temple.

16Then the men feared the LORD

8"Those who regard vain idols Forsake greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to their faithfulness, the LORD and made vows.

9But I will sacrifice to You With the voice

17And the LORD appointed a great fish

of thanksgiving. That which I have

to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the

vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the stomach of the fish three days and three

LORD."

nights.

10Then the LORD commanded the fish,

2

and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his

land.

God from the stomach of the fish,

2

3

and he said, "I called out of my distress Now the word of the LORD came to

to the LORD, And He answered me. I

Jonah the second time, saying,

cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

2"Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I

3"For You had cast me into the deep, am going to tell you."

Into the heart of the seas, And the

current engulfed me. All Your breakers

3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh

and billows passed over me.

according to the word of the LORD. Now

Nineveh was an exceedingly great city,

4"So I said, 'I have been expelled from a three days' walk.

Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again

toward Your holy temple.'

4Then Jonah began to go through the

city one day's walk; and he cried out and

5" Water encompassed me to the point said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be of death. The great deep engulfed me, overthrown."

Weeds were wrapped around my head.

5Then the people of Nineveh believed in

6"I descended to the roots of the

God; and they called a fast and put on mountains. The earth with its bars was

sackcloth from the greatest to the least around me forever, But You have

of them.

brought up my life from the pit, O LORD

my God.

6When the word reached the king of

Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid

aside his robe from him, covered himself

with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.

7He issued a proclamation and it said, 5Then Jonah went out from the city and "In Nineveh by the decree of the king sat east of it. There he made a shelter and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, for himself and sat under it in the shade

herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let until he could see what would happen in

them eat or drink water.

the city.

8"But both man and beast must be

6So the LORD God appointed a plant

covered with sackcloth; and let men call

and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade

on God earnestly that each may turn

over his head to deliver him from his

from his wicked way and from the

discomfort. And Jonah was extremely

violence which is in his hands.

happy about the plant.

9" Who knows, God may turn and relent

7But God appointed a worm when dawn

and withdraw His burning anger so that

came the next day and it attacked the

we will not perish."

plant and it withered.

10When God saw their deeds, that they

8When the sun came up God appointed

turned from their wicked way, then God

a scorching east wind, and the sun beat

relented concerning the calamity which

down on Jonah's head so that he

He had declared He would bring upon

became faint and begged with all his

them. And He did not do it.

soul to die, saying, " Death is better to me than life."

4

9

But it greatly displeased Jonah and

Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have

good reason to be angry about the

he became angry.

plant?" And he said, "I have good 2

reason to be angry, even to death."

He prayed to the LORD and said,

"Please LORD, was not this what I said 10Then the LORD said, "You had

while I was still in my own country?

Therefore in order to forestall this I fled compassion on the plant for which you to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a did not work and which you did not

gracious and compassionate God, slow

cause to grow, which came up overnight

to anger and abundant in lovingkindness,

and perished overnight.

and

one

who

relents

concerning

11

calamity.

"Should I not have compassion on

Nineveh, the great city in which there

3"Therefore now, O LORD, please take are more than 120,000 persons who do

my life from me, for death is better to me

not know the difference between their

right and left hand, as well as many

than life."

animalsNULL"

4The LORD said, "Do you have good

reason to be angry?"

Micah

8Because of this I must lament and wail,

I must go barefoot and naked; I must

1The word of the LORD which came make a lament like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches.

to Micah of Moresheth in the days of

Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of

9

Judah, which he saw concerning

For her wound is incurable, For it has

Samaria and Jerusalem.

come to Judah; It has reached the gate

of my people, Even to Jerusalem.

2Hear, O peoples, all of you; Listen, O

10

earth and all it contains, And let the Lord

Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all. At GOD be a witness against you, The

Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.

Lord from His holy temple.

11Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir,

3

in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant

For behold, the LORD is coming forth

from His place. He will come down and

of Zaanan does not escape. The

tread on the high places of the earth.

lamentation of Beth-ezel: "He will take from you its support."

4The mountains will melt under Him And

12For the inhabitant of Maroth Becomes

the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep

weak waiting for good, Because a

place.

calamity has come down from the LORD

To the gate of Jerusalem.

5All this is for the rebellion of Jacob And

13

for the sins of the house of Israel. What

Harness the chariot to the team of

is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not

horses, O inhabitant of Lachish-- She

Samaria? What is the high place of

was the beginning of sin To the

Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

daughter of Zion-- Because in you were

found The rebellious acts of Israel.

6For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins

14

in the open country, Planting places for Therefore you will give parting gifts On

a vineyard. I will pour her stones down behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses

into the valley And will lay bare her

of Achzib will become a deception To

the kings of Israel.

foundations.

15

7All of her idols will be smashed, All of Moreover, I will bring on you The one her earnings will be burned with fire And

who takes possession, O inhabitant of

all of her images I will make desolate, Mareshah. The glory of Israel will enter Adullam.

For she collected them from a harlot's

earnings, And to the earnings of a harlot

they will return.

16Make yourself bald and cut off your these His doings?' Do not My words do hair, Because of the children of your

good To the one walking uprightly?

delight; Extend your baldness like the

eagle, For they will go from you into

8"Recently My people have arisen as an

exile.

enemy-- You strip the robe off the

garment From unsuspecting passers-by,

2

From those returned from war.

Woe to those who scheme iniquity,

9

Who work out evil on their beds! When

"The women of My people you evict,

morning comes, they do it, For it is in Each one from her pleasant house.

the power of their hands.

From her children you take My splendor

forever.

2They covet fields and then seize them,

10

And houses, and take them away. They

"Arise and go, For this is no place of rob a man and his house, A man and his

rest Because of the uncleanness that

inheritance.

brings

on

destruction,

A

painful

destruction.

3Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold,

11

I am planning against this family a

"If a man walking after wind and

calamity From which you cannot remove

falsehood Had told lies and said, 'I will your necks; And you will not walk

speak out to you concerning wine and

haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

liquor,' He would be spokesman to this

people.

4"On that day they will take up against 12

you a taunt And utter a bitter

"I will surely assemble all of you, lamentation and say, 'We are completely

Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of

destroyed! He exchanges the portion of

Israel. I will put them together like sheep

my people; How He removes it from me!

in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its

To the apostate He apportions our

pasture They will be noisy with men.

fields.'

13"The breaker goes up before them;

5"Therefore you will have no one

They break out, pass through the gate

stretching a measuring line For you by

and go out by it. So their king goes on lot in the assembly of the LORD.

before them, And the LORD at their

head."

6' Do not speak out,' so they speak out.

But if they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be

3And I said, " Hear now, heads of turned back.

Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel.

Is it not for you to know justice?

7"Is it being said, O house of Jacob: 'Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are 2"You who hate good and love evil, Who 10Who build Zion with bloodshed And tear off their skin from them And their Jerusalem with violent injustice.

flesh from their bones,

11Her leaders pronounce judgment for a

3Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip

bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And

off their skin from them, Break their

her prophets divine for money. Yet they

bones And chop them up as for the pot

lean on the LORD saying, " Is not the And as meat in a kettle."

LORD in our midst? Calamity will not

come upon us."

4Then they will cry out to the LORD, But

He will not answer them. Instead, He will

12Therefore, on account of you Zion will

hide His face from them at that time

be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will

Because they have practiced evil deeds.

become a heap of ruins, And the

mountain of the temple will become high

5Thus says the LORD concerning the

places of a forest.

prophets who lead my people astray;

When they have something to bite with

their teeth, They cry, "Peace," But 4And it will come about in the last against him who puts nothing in their days That the mountain of the house of

mouths They declare holy war.

the LORD Will be established as the

chief of the mountains. It will be raised 6Therefore it will be night for you--

above the hills, And the peoples will

without vision, And darkness for you--

stream to it.

without divination. The sun will go down

on the prophets, And the day will

2Many nations will come and say, "

become dark over them.

Come and let us go up to the mountain

of the LORD And to the house of the

7The seers will be ashamed And the

God of Jacob, That He may teach us

diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed,

about His ways And that we may walk in

they will all cover their mouths Because

His paths." For from Zion will go forth there is no answer from God.

the law, Even the word of the LORD

from Jerusalem.

8On the other hand I am filled with

power-- With the Spirit of the LORD--

3And He will judge between many

And with justice and courage To make

peoples And render decisions for mighty,

known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even

distant nations. Then they will hammer

to Israel his sin.

their swords into plowshares And their

spears into pruning hooks; Nation will

9Now hear this, heads of the house of

not lift up sword against nation, And

Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel,

never again will they train for war.

Who abhor justice And twist everything

that is straight,

4Each of them will sit under his vine And

under his fig tree, With no one to make

them afraid, For the mouth of the LORD

12"But they do not know the thoughts of

of hosts has spoken.

the LORD, And they do not understand

His purpose; For He has gathered them

5Though all the peoples walk Each in

like sheaves to the threshing floor.

the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the LORD our God

13"Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, forever and ever.

For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may

6"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will pulverize many peoples, That you may assemble the lame And gather the

devote to the LORD their unjust gain

outcasts, Even those whom I have

And their wealth to the Lord of all the afflicted.

earth.

7"I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the

5"Now muster yourselves in troops, LORD will reign over them in Mount

daughter of troops; They have laid siege

Zion From now on and forever.

against us; With a rod they will smite the

judge of Israel on the cheek.

8"As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will 2"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, come-- Even the former dominion will

Too little to be among the clans of

come, The kingdom of the daughter of

Judah, From you One will go forth for

Jerusalem.

Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth

are from long ago, From the days of

9"Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is eternity."

there no king among you, Or has your

counselor perished, That agony has

3Therefore He will give them up until the

gripped you like a woman in childbirth?

time When she who is in labor has

borne a child. Then the remainder of His

10" Writhe and labor to give birth, brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.

Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in

childbirth; For now you will go out of the

4And He will arise and shepherd His

city, Dwell in the field, And go to

flock In the strength of the LORD, In the

Babylon. There you will be rescued;

majesty of the name of the LORD His

There the LORD will redeem you From

God. And they will remain, Because at

the hand of your enemies.

that time He will be great To the ends of

the earth.

11"And now many nations have been

assembled against you Who say, 'Let

5This One will be our peace. When the

her be polluted, And let our eyes gloat Assyrian invades our land, When he

over Zion.'

tramples on our citadels, Then we will

raise against him Seven shepherds and

eight leaders of men.

6They will shepherd the land of Assyria 15"And I will execute vengeance in anger with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its

and wrath On the nations which have

entrances; And He will deliver us from

not obeyed."

the Assyrian When he attacks our land

And when he tramples our territory.

6Hear now what the LORD is saying,

7Then the remnant of Jacob Will be

"Arise, plead your case before the

among many peoples Like dew from the

mountains, And let the hills hear your

LORD, Like showers on vegetation

voice.

Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men.

2"Listen, you mountains, to the

8

indictment of the LORD, And you

The remnant of Jacob Will be among

enduring foundations of the earth,

the nations, Among many peoples Like

Because the LORD has a case against

a lion among the beasts of the forest,

His people; Even with Israel He will

Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

dispute.

Which, if he passes through, Tramples

down and tears, And there is none to

3

rescue.

" My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer

9

Me.

Your hand will be lifted up against your

adversaries, And all your enemies will

4

be cut off.

"Indeed, I brought you up from the land

of Egypt And ransomed you from the

10

house of slavery, And I sent before you

"It will be in that day," declares the Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

LORD, " That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your

5

chariots.

"My people, remember now What Balak

king of Moab counseled And what

11

Balaam son of Beor answered him, And

"I will also cut off the cities of your land from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might

And tear down all your fortifications.

know the righteous acts of the LORD."

12"I will cut off sorceries from your hand, 6With what shall I come to the LORD

And you will have fortune-tellers no

And bow myself before the God on high?

more.

Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,

With yearling calves?

13" I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So

7Does the LORD take delight in

that you will no longer bow down To the

thousands of rams, In ten thousand

work of your hands.

rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn

for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my 14"I will root out your Asherim from body for the sin of my soul?

among you And destroy your cities.

8He has told you, O man, what is good; derision, And you will bear the reproach And what does the LORD require of you

of My people."

But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

7Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit 9The voice of the LORD will call to the pickers, like the grape gatherers. There city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear

is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has first-ripe fig which I crave.

appointed its time?

2

10

The godly person has perished from

"Is there yet a man in the wicked

the land, And there is no upright person

house,

Along

with

treasures

of

among men. All of them lie in wait for wickedness And a short measure that is

bloodshed; Each of them hunts the

cursed?

other with a net.

11"Can I justify wicked scales And a bag

3Concerning evil, both hands do it well.

of deceptive weights?

The prince asks, also the judge, for a

bribe, And a great man speaks the

12"For the rich men of the city are full of desire of his soul; So they weave it

violence, Her residents speak lies, And

together.

their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

4The best of them is like a briar, The 13"So also I will make you sick, striking most upright like a thorn hedge. The day you down, Desolating you because of

when you post your watchmen, Your

your sins.

punishment will come. Then their

confusion will occur.

14"You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in 5Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have

your midst. You will try to remove for

confidence in a friend. From her who

safekeeping, But you will not preserve

lies in your bosom Guard your lips.

anything, And what you do preserve I

will give to the sword.

6For son treats father contemptuously,

Daughter rises up against her mother,

15"You will sow but you will not reap.

Daughter-in-law against her mother-in—

You will tread the olive but will not

law; A man's enemies are the men of his

anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, own household.

but you will not drink wine.

7But as for me, I will watch expectantly 16"The statutes of Omri And all the for the LORD; I will wait for the God of works of the house of Ahab are my salvation. My God will hear me.

observed; And in their devices you walk.

Therefore I will give you up for

destruction And your inhabitants for

8Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.

In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the

darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

days of old.

9I will bear the indignation of the LORD

15"As in the days when you came out Because I have sinned against Him,

from the land of Egypt, I will show you Until He pleads my case and executes

miracles."

justice for me. He will bring me out to the

light,

And

I

will

see

His

16Nations will see and be ashamed Of

righteousness.

all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, Their ears will be deaf.

10Then my enemy will see, And shame

will cover her who said to me, "Where is

17They will lick the dust like a serpent, the LORD your God?" My eyes will look

Like reptiles of the earth. They will come

on her; At that time she will be trampled

trembling out of their fortresses; To the down Like mire of the streets.

LORD our God they will come in dread

And they will be afraid before You.

11It will be a day for building your walls.

On that day will your boundary be

18Who is a God like You, who pardons

extended.

iniquity And passes over the rebellious

act of the remnant of His possession?

12It will be a day when they will come to

He does not retain His anger forever,

you From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,

Because He delights in unchanging love.

From Egypt even to the Euphrates,

Even from sea to sea and mountain to

19He will again have compassion on us;

mountain.

He will tread our iniquities under foot.

Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the 13And the earth will become desolate

depths of the sea.

because of her inhabitants, On account

of the fruit of their deeds.

20You will give truth to Jacob And

unchanging love to Abraham, Which

14Shepherd Your people with Your

You swore to our forefathers From the

scepter, The flock of Your possession

days of old.

Which dwells by itself in the woodland,

Nahum

9Whatever you devise against the LORD,

He will make a complete end of it.

1The oracle of Nineveh. The book of Distress will not rise up twice.

the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

10Like tangled thorns, And like those

2

who are drunken with their drink, They

A jealous and avenging God is the

are consumed As stubble completely

LORD; The LORD is avenging and

withered.

wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance

on His adversaries, And He reserves

11

wrath for His enemies.

From you has gone forth One who

plotted evil against the LORD, A wicked

3

counselor.

The LORD is slow to anger and great in

power, And the LORD will by no means

12Thus says the LORD, "Though they

leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind

and storm is His way, And clouds are

are at full strength and likewise many,

the dust beneath His feet.

Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will

4

afflict you no longer.

He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;

He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and

13

Carmel

wither;

The

blossoms

of

"So now, I will break his yoke bar from

Lebanon wither.

upon you, And I will tear off your

shackles."

5Mountains quake because of Him And

14

the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is

The LORD has issued a command

upheaved by His presence, The world

concerning you: "Your name will no

and all the inhabitants in it.

longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods.

I will prepare your grave, For you are

6Who can stand before His indignation?

contemptible."

Who can endure the burning of His

anger? His wrath is poured out like fire 15

And the rocks are broken up by Him.

Behold, on the mountains the feet of

him who brings good news, Who

announces peace! Celebrate your feasts,

7The LORD is good, A stronghold in the

O Judah; Pay your vows. For never

day of trouble, And He knows those who

again will the wicked one pass through

take refuge in Him.

you; He is cut off completely.

8But with an overflowing flood He will

make a complete end of its site, And will

2The one who scatters has come up

pursue His enemies into darkness.

against you. Man the fortress, watch the

road; Strengthen your back, summon all 10She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate your strength.

and waste! Hearts are melting and

knees knocking! Also anguish is in the

2For the LORD will restore the splendor

whole body And all their faces are

of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel,

grown pale!

Even

though

devastators

have

devastated them And destroyed their

11Where is the den of the lions And the

vine branches.

feeding place of the young lions, Where

the lion, lioness and lion's cub prowled, 3The shields of his mighty men are

With nothing to disturb them?

colored red, The warriors are dressed in

scarlet, The chariots are enveloped in

12The lion tore enough for his cubs,

flashing steel When he is prepared to

Killed enough for his lionesses, And

march, And the cypress spears are

filled his lairs with prey And his dens brandished.

with torn flesh.

4The chariots race madly in the streets,

13"Behold, I am against you," declares They rush wildly in the squares, Their the LORD of hosts. "I will burn up her appearance is like torches, They dash to

chariots in smoke, a sword will devour

and fro like lightning flashes.

your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the 5He remembers his nobles; They

voice of your messengers be heard."

stumble in their march, They hurry to

her wall, And the mantelet is set up.

3Woe to the bloody city, completely 6The gates of the rivers are opened And

full of lies and pillage; Her prey never the palace is dissolved.

departs.

7It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried

2The noise of the whip, The noise of the

away, And her handmaids are moaning

rattling of the wheel, Galloping horses

like the sound of doves, Beating on their

And bounding chariots!

breasts.

3Horsemen charging, Swords flashing,

8Though Nineveh was like a pool of

spears gleaming, Many slain, a mass of

water throughout her days, Now they

corpses, And countless dead bodies--

are fleeing; "Stop, stop," But no one They stumble over the dead bodies!

turns back.

4All because of the many harlotries of

9Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For

the harlot, The charming one, the

there is no limit to the treasure-- Wealth

mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations

from every kind of desirable object.

by her harlotries And families by her

sorceries.

5"Behold, I am against you," declares 13Behold, your people are women in the LORD of hosts; "And I will lift up your midst! The gates of your land are your skirts over your face, And show to opened wide to your enemies; Fire

the nations your nakedness And to the

consumes your gate bars.

kingdoms your disgrace.

14Draw for yourself water for the siege!

6"I will throw filth on you And make you Strengthen your fortifications! Go into

vile, And set you up as a spectacle.

the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold

of the brick mold!

7"And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say,

15There fire will consume you, The

'Nineveh is devastated! Who will grieve

sword will cut you down; It will consume

for her?' Where will I seek comforters for

you as the locust does. Multiply yourself

you?"

like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself

like the swarming locust.

8Are you better than No-amon, Which

was situated by the waters of the Nile, 16You have increased your traders more

With water surrounding her, Whose

than the stars of heaven-- The creeping

rampart was the sea, Whose wall

locust strips and flies away.

consisted of the sea?

17Your guardsmen are like the swarming

9Ethiopia was her might, And Egypt too,

locust. Your marshals are like hordes of

without limits. Put and Lubim were

grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls

among her helpers.

on a cold day. The sun rises and they

flee, And the place where they are is not

10Yet she became an exile, She went

known.

into captivity; Also her small children

were dashed to pieces At the head of

18Your shepherds are sleeping, O king

every street; They cast lots for her

of Assyria; Your nobles are lying down.

honorable men, And all her great men

Your people are scattered on the

were bound with fetters.

mountains And there is no one to

regather them.

11You too will become drunk, You will be

hidden. You too will search for a refuge 19There is no relief for your breakdown,

from the enemy.

Your wound is incurable. All who hear

about you Will clap their hands over you,

12All your fortifications are fig trees with For on whom has not your evil passed

ripe fruit-- When shaken, they fall into continuallyNULL

the eater's mouth.

Habakkuk

9"All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They

1The oracle which Habakkuk the collect captives like sand.

prophet saw.

10"They mock at kings And rulers are a 2

laughing matter to them. They laugh at

How long, O LORD, will I call for help, every fortress And heap up rubble to

And You will not hear? I cry out to You,

capture it.

"Violence!" Yet You do not save.

11

3

"Then they will sweep through like the

Why do You make me see iniquity, And

wind and pass on. But they will be held cause me to look on wickedness? Yes,

guilty, They whose strength is their god."

destruction and violence are before me;

Strife exists and contention arises.

12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD,

4

my God, my Holy One? We will not die.

Therefore the law is ignored And justice

You, O LORD, have appointed them to

is never upheld. For the wicked

judge; And

You, O Rock, have

surround

the

righteous;

Therefore

established them to correct.

justice comes out perverted.

13

5

Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,

" Look among the nations! Observe! Be

And You can not look on wickedness

astonished! Wonder! Because I am

with favor. Why do You look with favor

doing something in your days-- You

On those who deal treacherously? Why

would not believe if you were told.

are You silent when the wicked swallow

up Those more righteous than they?

6"For behold, I am raising up the

Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous

14Why have You made men like the fish

people Who march throughout the earth

of the sea, Like creeping things without To seize dwelling places which are not

a ruler over them?

theirs.

15

7

The Chaldeans bring all of them up

"They are dreaded and feared; Their

with a hook, Drag them away with their

justice and authority originate with

net, And gather them together in their

themselves.

fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and

are glad.

8"Their horses are swifter than leopards

And keener than wolves in the evening.

16Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their

Their horsemen come galloping, Their

net And burn incense to their fishing net;

horsemen come from afar; They fly like

Because through these things their

an eagle swooping down to devour.

catch is large, And their food is plentiful.

17Will they therefore empty their net And 8"Because you have looted many continually

slay

nations

without

nations, All the remainder of the peoples

sparingNULL

will loot you-- Because of human

bloodshed and violence done to the land,

To the town and all its inhabitants.

2I will stand on my guard post And 9

station myself on the rampart; And I will

"Woe to him who gets evil gain for his keep watch to see what He will speak to

house To put his nest on high, To be

delivered from the hand of calamity!

me, And how I may reply when I am

reproved.

10"You have devised a shameful thing 2Then the LORD answered me and said,

for your house By cutting off many

" Record the vision And inscribe it on peoples; So you are sinning against

yourself.

tablets, That the one who reads it may

run.

11"Surely the stone will cry out from the 3"For the vision is yet for the appointed wall, And the rafter will answer it from time; It hastens toward the goal and it the framework.

will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; 12

For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with

4"Behold, as for the proud one, His soul

violence!

is not right within him; But the righteous

13

will live by his faith.

"Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And

5"Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty

nations grow weary for nothing?

man, So that he does not stay at home.

14

He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And

"For the earth will be filled With the he is like death, never satisfied. He also

knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As

gathers to himself all nations And

the waters cover the sea.

collects to himself all peoples.

15"Woe to you who make your neighbors

6"Will not all of these take up a taunt-drink, Who mix in your venom even to song against him, Even mockery and

make them drunk So as to look on their

insinuations against him And say, ' Woe

nakedness!

to him who increases what is not his--

For how long-- And makes himself rich

16"You will be filled with disgrace rather with loans?'

than honor. Now you yourself drink and

expose your own nakedness. The cup in

7"Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, the LORD'S right hand will come around

And those who collect from you awaken?

to you, And utter disgrace will come

Indeed, you will become plunder for

upon your glory.

them.

17"For the violence done to Lebanon will 6He stood and surveyed the earth; He overwhelm you, And the devastation of

looked and startled the nations. Yes, the

its beasts by which you terrified them,

perpetual mountains were shattered,

Because of human bloodshed and

The ancient hills collapsed. His ways

violence done to the land, To the town

are everlasting.

and all its inhabitants.

7I saw the tents of Cushan under

18"What profit is the idol when its maker distress, The tent curtains of the land of

has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of

Midian were trembling.

falsehood? For its maker trusts in his

own handiwork When he fashions

8Did the LORD rage against the rivers,

speechless idols.

Or was Your anger against the rivers, Or

was Your wrath against the sea, That

19"Woe to him who says to a piece of You rode on Your horses, On Your

wood, ' Awake!' To a mute stone, 'Arise!'

chariots of salvation?

And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there 9Your bow was made bare, The rods of is no breath at all inside it.

chastisement were sworn. Selah. You

cleaved the earth with rivers.

20"But the LORD is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth be silent before Him."

10The mountains saw You and quaked;

The downpour of waters swept by. The

3

deep uttered forth its voice, It lifted high

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet,

its hands.

according to Shigionoth.

11Sun and moon stood in their places;

2LORD, I have heard the report about

They went away at the light of Your

arrows, At the radiance of Your

You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your

gleaming spear.

work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In

12

wrath remember mercy.

In indignation You marched through

the earth; In anger You trampled the

3

nations.

God comes from Teman, And the Holy

One from Mount Paran. Selah. His

13

splendor covers the heavens, And the

You went forth for the salvation of

earth is full of His praise.

Your people, For the salvation of Your

anointed. You struck the head of the

4

house of the evil To lay him open from His radiance is like the sunlight; He has

thigh to neck. Selah.

rays flashing from His hand, And there

is the hiding of His power.

14You pierced with his own spears The

5Before Him goes pestilence, And

head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; Their exultation was like

plague comes after Him.

those Who devour the oppressed in should fail And the fields produce no secret.

food, Though the flock should be cut off

from the fold And there be no cattle in 15You trampled on the sea with Your

the stalls,

horses, On the surge of many waters.

18Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will 16I heard and my inward parts trembled,

rejoice in the God of my salvation.

At the sound my lips quivered. Decay

enters my bones, And in my place I

19The Lord GOD is my strength, And He

tremble. Because I must wait quietly for

has made my feet like hinds' feet, And

the day of distress, For the people to

makes me walk on my high places. For

arise who will invade us.

the choir director, on my stringed

instruments.

17Though the fig tree should not

blossom And there be no fruit on the

vines, Though the yield of the olive

Zephaniah

8"Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will punish 1The word of the LORD which came the princes, the king's sons And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.

to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of

Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of

9

Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of

"And I will punish on that day all who Amon, king of Judah:

leap on the temple threshold, Who fill

the house of their lord with violence and

deceit.

2"I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth," declares the 10

LORD.

"On that day," declares the LORD,

"There will be the sound of a cry from 3

the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second

"I will remove man and beast; I will Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills.

remove the birds of the sky And the fish

of the sea, And the ruins along with the

11

wicked; And I will cut off man from the

"Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For

face of the earth," declares the LORD.

all the people of Canaan will be silenced;

All who weigh out silver will be cut off.

4"So I will stretch out My hand against 12

Judah And against all the inhabitants of

"It will come about at that time That I Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I

of Baal from this place, And the names

will punish the men Who are stagnant in

of the idolatrous priests along with the spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The

LORD will not do good or evil!'

priests.

13

5"And those who bow down on the

"Moreover, their wealth will become

housetops to the host of heaven, And

plunder And their houses desolate; Yes,

they will build houses but not inhabit

those who bow down and swear to the

them, And plant vineyards but not drink

LORD and yet swear by Milcom,

their wine."

6And those who have turned back from

14

following the LORD, And those who

Near is the great day of the LORD,

Near and coming very quickly; Listen,

have not sought the LORD or inquired of

the day of the LORD! In it the warrior Him."

cries out bitterly.

7Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the

15

day of the LORD is near, For the LORD

A day of wrath is that day, A day of

trouble

and

distress,

A

day

of

has prepared a sacrifice, He has

destruction and desolation, A day of

consecrated His guests.

darkness and gloom, A day of clouds 5Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, and thick darkness,

The nation of the Cherethites! The word

of the LORD is against you, O Canaan,

16A day of trumpet and battle cry Against

land of the Philistines; And I will destroy

the fortified cities And the high corner you So that there will be no inhabitant.

towers.

6So the seacoast will be pastures, With

17I will bring distress on men So that

caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.

they will walk like the blind, Because

they have sinned against the LORD;

7And the coast will be For the remnant

And their blood will be poured out like of the house of Judah, They will pasture

dust And their flesh like dung.

on it. In the houses of Ashkelon they will

lie down at evening; For the LORD their

18Neither their silver nor their gold Will God will care for them And restore their

be able to deliver them On the day of

fortune.

the LORD'S wrath; And all the earth will

be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, 8"I have heard the taunting of Moab And

For He will make a complete end,

the revilings of the sons of Ammon, With

Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the

which they have taunted My people And

inhabitants of the earth.

become arrogant against their territory.

9

2

"Therefore, as I live," declares the Gather yourselves together, yes,

LORD of hosts, The God of Israel,

"Surely Moab will be like Sodom And the

gather, O nation without shame,

sons of Ammon like Gomorrah-- A place

2

possessed by nettles and salt pits, And

Before the decree takes effect-- The

a perpetual desolation. The remnant of

day passes like the chaff-- Before the

My people will plunder them And the

burning anger of the LORD comes upon

remainder of My nation will inherit

you, Before the day of the LORD'S

them."

anger comes upon you.

10

3

This they will have in return for their Seek the LORD, All you humble of the

pride, because they have taunted and

earth Who have carried out His

become arrogant against the people of

ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek

the LORD of hosts.

humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In

the day of the LORD'S anger.

11The LORD will be terrifying to them,

4

for He will starve all the gods of the For Gaza will be abandoned And

earth; and all the coastlands of the

Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod will be

nations will bow down to Him, everyone

driven out at noon And Ekron will be

from his own place.

uprooted.

12"You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain 5The LORD is righteous within her; He by My sword."

will do no injustice. Every morning He

brings His justice to light; He does not 13And He will stretch out His hand

fail. But the unjust knows no shame.

against the north And destroy Assyria,

And He will make Nineveh a desolation,

6"I have cut off nations; Their corner Parched like the wilderness.

towers are in ruins. I have made their

streets desolate, With no one passing

14Flocks will lie down in her midst, All by; Their cities are laid waste, Without a

beasts which range in herds; Both the

man, without an inhabitant.

pelican and the hedgehog Will lodge in

the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in 7"I said, 'Surely you will revere Me, the window, Desolation will be on the Accept instruction.' So her dwelling will threshold; For He has laid bare the

not be cut off According to all that I have

cedar work.

appointed concerning her. But they were

eager to corrupt all their deeds.

15This is the exultant city Which dwells securely, Who says in her heart, " I am,

8"Therefore wait for Me," declares the and there is no one besides me." How LORD, "For the day when I rise up as a she has become a desolation, A resting

witness. Indeed, My decision is to

place for beasts! Everyone who passes

gather nations, To assemble kingdoms,

by her will hiss And wave his hand in

To pour out on them My indignation, All

contempt.

My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal.

3

9

Woe to her who is rebellious and

"For then I will give to the peoples defiled, The tyrannical city!

purified lips, That all of them may call on

the name of the LORD, To serve Him

shoulder to shoulder.

2She heeded no voice, She accepted no

instruction. She did not trust in the

10

LORD, She did not draw near to her

"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My

God.

worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will

bring My offerings.

3Her princes within her are roaring lions,

11

Her judges are wolves at evening; They

"In that day you will feel no shame leave nothing for the morning.

Because of all your deeds By which you

have rebelled against Me; For then I will

4

remove from your midst Your proud,

Her prophets are reckless, treacherous

exulting ones, And you will never again

men; Her priests have profaned the

be haughty On My holy mountain.

sanctuary. They have done violence to

the law.

12"But I will leave among you A humble 17"The LORD your God is in your midst, and lowly people, And they will take

A victorious warrior. He will exult over refuge in the name of the LORD.

you with joy, He will be quiet in His love,

He will rejoice over you with shouts of 13"The remnant of Israel will do no joy.

wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a

deceitful tongue Be found in their

18"I will gather those who grieve about mouths; For they will feed and lie down the appointed feasts-- They came from With no one to make them tremble."

you, O Zion; The reproach of exile is a burden on them.

14Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and

19"Behold, I am going to deal at that time exult with all your heart, O daughter of With all your oppressors, I will save the Jerusalem!

lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown

15The LORD has taken away His

In all the earth.

judgments against you, He has cleared

away your enemies. The King of Israel,

20"At that time I will bring you in, Even at the LORD, is in your midst; You will fear

the time when I gather you together;

disaster no more.

Indeed, I will give you renown and

praise Among all the peoples of the

16In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:

earth, When I restore your fortunes

" Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let before your eyes," Says the LORD.

your hands fall limp.

Haggai

pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD.

1In the second year of Darius the king, 9" You look for much, but behold, it on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet comes to little; when you bring it home, I

Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

blow it away. Why?" declares the LORD

Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to

of hosts, "Because of My house which Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high

lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

priest, saying,

10

2"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This

"Therefore, because of you the sky

people says, "The time has not come, has withheld its dew and the earth has

even the time for the house of the LORD

withheld its produce.

to be rebuilt."'"

11"I called for a drought on the land, on 3Then the word of the LORD came by

the mountains, on the grain, on the new

Haggai the prophet, saying,

wine, on the oil, on what the ground

produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands."

4"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house

12

lies desolate?"

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,

and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the

5

high priest, with all the remnant of the Now therefore, thus says the LORD of

people, obeyed the voice of the LORD

hosts, "Consider your ways!

their God and the words of Haggai the

prophet, as the LORD their God had

6"You have sown much, but harvest little; sent him. And the people showed

you eat, but there is not enough to be reverence for the LORD.

satisfied; you drink, but there is not

enough to become drunk; you put on

13Then Haggai, the messenger of the

clothing, but no one is warm enough;

LORD, spoke by the commission of the

and he who earns, earns wages to put

LORD to the people saying, " ' I am with

into a purse with holes."

you,' declares the LORD."

7Thus says the LORD of hosts,

14So the LORD stirred up the spirit of

"Consider your ways!

Zerubbabel

the

son

of

Shealtiel,

governor of Judah, and the spirit of

8"Go up to the mountains, bring wood Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high

and rebuild the temple, that I may be

priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of

the people; and they came and worked

on the house of the LORD of hosts, their I will fill this house with glory,' says the God, LORD of hosts.

15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth

8'The silver is Mine and the gold is

month in the second year of Darius the

Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

king.

9'The latter glory of this house will be 2

greater than the former,' says the LORD

On the twenty-first of the seventh

of hosts, 'and in this place I will give month, the word of the LORD came by

peace,' declares the LORD of hosts."

Haggai the prophet saying,

10On the twenty-fourth of the ninth

2

month, in the second year of Darius, the

"Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of word of the LORD came to Haggai the

Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to

Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high

prophet, saying,

priest, and to the remnant of the people

11

saying,

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, ' Ask now the priests for a ruling:

3'Who is left among you who saw this

12

temple in its former glory? And how do

'If a man carries holy meat in the fold you see it now? Does it not seem to you

of his garment, and touches bread with

like nothing in comparison?

this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?'"

4

And the priests answered, "No."

'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,'

declares the LORD, 'take courage also,

13

Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high

Then Haggai said, " If one who is

priest, and all you people of the land

unclean from a corpse touches any of

take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and

these, will the latter become unclean?"

work; for I am with you,' declares the

And the priests answered, "It will

LORD of hosts.

become unclean."

5

14

'As for the promise which I made you

Then Haggai said, " ' So is this people.

when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit

And so is this nation before Me,'

is abiding in your midst; do not fear!'

declares the LORD, 'and so is every

work of their hands; and what they offer

6"For thus says the LORD of hosts, '

there is unclean.

Once more in a little while, I am going to

15

shake the heavens and the earth, the

'But now, do consider from this day

sea also and the dry land.

onward: before one stone was placed

on another in the temple of the LORD,

7'I will shake all the nations; and they will

16

come with the wealth of all nations, and

from that time when one came to a

grain heap of twenty measures, there

would be only ten; and when one came 20Then the word of the LORD came a to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, second time to Haggai on the twenty-there would be only twenty.

fourth day of the month, saying,

17'I smote you and every work of your

21"Speak to Zerubbabel governor of

hands with blasting wind, mildew and

Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the

hail; yet you did not come back to Me,'

heavens and the earth.

declares the LORD.

22'I will overthrow the thrones of

18'Do consider from this day onward,

kingdoms and destroy the power of the

from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth

kingdoms of the nations; and I will

month; from the day when the temple of

overthrow the chariots and their riders,

the LORD was founded, consider:

and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of

19'Is the seed still in the barn? Even

another.'

including the vine, the fig tree, the

pomegranate and the olive tree, it has

23'On that day,' declares the LORD of

not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will

hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son bless you.'"

of Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the

LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet

ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah

8I saw at night, and behold, a man was

riding on a red horse, and he was

1In the eighth month of the second standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and year of Darius, the word of the LORD

white horses behind him.

came to Zechariah the prophet, the son

of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying,

9Then I said, "My lord, what are these?"

2

And the angel who was speaking with

"The LORD was very angry with your

me said to me, "I will show you what fathers.

these are."

3"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the

10And the man who was standing among

LORD of hosts, " Return to Me,"

the myrtle trees answered and said,

declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may

"These are those whom the LORD has

return to you," says the LORD of hosts.

sent to patrol the earth."

4"Do not be like your fathers, to whom 11So they answered the angel of the

the former prophets proclaimed, saying,

LORD who was standing among the

'Thus says the LORD of hosts, " Return

myrtle trees and said, "We have

now from your evil ways and from your

patrolled the earth, and behold, all the evil deeds."' But they did not listen or earth is peaceful and quiet."

give heed to Me," declares the LORD.

12

5

Then the angel of the LORD said, "O

"Your fathers, where are they? And the

LORD of hosts, how long will You have

prophets, do they live forever?

no compassion for Jerusalem and the

cities of Judah, with which You have

6"But did not My words and My statutes,

been indignant these seventy years?"

which I commanded My servants the

prophets, overtake your fathers? Then

13The LORD answered the angel who

they repented and said, ' As the LORD

was speaking with me with gracious

of hosts purposed to do to us in

words, comforting words.

accordance with our ways and our

deeds, so He has dealt with us.'"'"

14So the angel who was speaking with

7

me said to me, " Proclaim, saying, 'Thus

On the twenty-fourth day of the

says the LORD of hosts, "I am

eleventh month, which is the month

exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and

Shebat, in the second year of Darius,

Zion.

the word of the LORD came to

Zechariah the prophet, the son of

Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:

15"But I am very angry with the nations 2So I said, "Where are you going?" And who are at ease; for while I was only a he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, little angry, they furthered the disaster."

to see how wide it is and how long it is."

16'Therefore thus says the LORD, "I will 3And behold, the angel who was

return to Jerusalem with compassion;

speaking with me was going out, and

My house will be built in it," declares the another angel was coming out to meet

LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line him,

will be stretched over Jerusalem."'

4and said to him, "Run, speak to that 17"Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thus says young man, saying, ' Jerusalem will be the LORD of hosts, "My cities will again inhabited without walls because of the

overflow with prosperity, and the LORD

multitude of men and cattle within it.

will again comfort Zion and again

choose Jerusalem."'"

5'For I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the 18Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, glory in her midst.'"

and behold, there were four horns.

6"Ho there! Flee from the land of the 19So I said to the angel who was

north," declares the LORD, "for I have speaking with me, "What are these?"

dispersed you as the four winds of the

And he answered me, "These are the

heavens," declares the LORD.

horns which have scattered Judah,

Israel and Jerusalem."

7"Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon."

20Then the LORD showed me four

craftsmen.

8For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After

glory He has sent me against the

21I said, "What are these coming to nations which plunder you, for he who

doNULL" And he said, "These are the touches you, touches the apple of His horns which have scattered Judah so

eye.

that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to 9"For behold, I will wave My hand over throw down the horns of the nations who

them so that they will be plunder for

have lifted up their horns against the

their slaves. Then you will know that the

land of Judah in order to scatter it."

LORD of hosts has sent Me.

10

2

" Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter

Then I lifted up my eyes and looked,

of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will

and behold, there was a man with a

dwell in your midst," declares the LORD.

measuring line in his hand.

11" Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your 7"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you midst, and you will know that the LORD

will walk in My ways and if you will

of hosts has sent Me to you.

perform My service, then you will also

govern My house and also have charge

12"The LORD will possess Judah as His

of My courts, and I will grant you free portion in the holy land, and will again access among these who are standing choose Jerusalem.

here.

13

8

" Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD;

'Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you

for He is aroused from His holy

and your friends who are sitting in front habitation."

of you--indeed they are men who are a

symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.

3Then he showed me Joshua the high 9'For behold, the stone that I have set priest standing before the angel of the before Joshua; on one stone are seven

LORD, and Satan standing at his right

eyes. Behold, I will engrave an

hand to accuse him.

inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of 2The LORD said to Satan, " The LORD

that land in one day.

rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD

who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!

10'In that day,' declares the LORD of

Is this not a brand plucked from the

hosts, 'every one of you will invite his fire?"

neighbor to sit under his vine and under

his fig tree.'"

3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy

garments and standing before the angel.

4Then the angel who was speaking

4He spoke and said to those who were

with me returned and roused me, as a

standing before him, saying, " Remove man who is awakened from his sleep.

the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your 2

iniquity away from you and will clothe

He said to me, " What do you see?"

you with festal robes."

And I said, "I see, and behold, a

lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the

5

top of it, and its seven lamps on it with Then I said, "Let them put a clean seven spouts belonging to each of the turban on his head." So they put a clean

lamps which are on the top of it;

turban on his head and clothed him with

garments, while the angel of the LORD

3

was standing by.

also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on 6

its left side."

And

the

angel

of

the

LORD

admonished Joshua, saying,

4Then I said to the angel who was golden pipes, which empty the golden speaking with me saying, "What are

oil from themselves?"

these, my lord?"

13So he answered me, saying, " Do you

5So the angel who was speaking with

not know what these are?" And I said, me answered and said to me, " Do you "No, my lord."

not know what these are?" And I said,

"No, my lord."

14Then he said, "These are the two

anointed ones who are standing by the

6Then he said to me, "This is the word of Lord of the whole earth."

the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ' Not by

might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'

says the LORD of hosts.

5Then I lifted up my eyes again and

7

looked, and behold, there was a flying

'What are you, O great mountain?

scroll.

Before Zerubbabel you will become a

plain; and he will bring forth the top

2

stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to And he said to me, " What do you it!"'"

see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its 8

width ten cubits."

Also the word of the LORD came to me,

saying,

3Then he said to me, "This is the curse

9

that is going forth over the face of the

"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the

whole land; surely everyone who steals

foundation of this house, and his hands

will be purged away according to the

will finish it. Then you will know that the

writing on one side, and everyone who

LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

swears will be purged away according to

the writing on the other side.

10"For who has despised the day of

small things? But these seven will be

4"I will make it go forth," declares the glad when they see the plumb line in the LORD of hosts, "and it will enter the hand of Zerubbabel--these are the eyes

house of the thief and the house of the of the LORD which range to and fro

one who swears falsely by My name;

throughout the earth."

and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber

11Then I said to him, "What are these and stones."

two olive trees on the right of the

lampstand and on its left?"

5Then the angel who was speaking with

me went out and said to me, "Lift up 12And I answered the second time and

now your eyes and see what this is

said to him, "What are the two olive going forth."

branches which are beside the two

6I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This 4Then I spoke and said to the angel who is the ephah going forth." Again he said, was speaking with me, " What are these,

"This is their appearance in all the land my lord?"

7(and behold, a lead cover was lifted up);

5The angel replied to me, "These are the

and this is a woman sitting inside the

four spirits of heaven, going forth after ephah."

standing before the Lord of all the earth,

8Then he said, "This is Wickedness!"

6with one of which the black horses are

And he threw her down into the middle

going forth to the north country; and the

of the ephah and cast the lead weight

white ones go forth after them, while the

on its opening.

dappled ones go forth to the south

country.

9Then I lifted up my eyes and looked,

and there two women were coming out

7"When the strong ones went out, they with the wind in their wings; and they were eager to go to patrol the earth."

had wings like the wings of a stork, and

And He said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they lifted up the ephah between the they patrolled the earth.

earth and the heavens.

8Then He cried out to me and spoke to

10I said to the angel who was speaking

me saying, "See, those who are going to

with me, "Where are they taking the the land of the north have appeased My

ephah?"

wrath in the land of the north."

11Then he said to me, "To build a temple

9The word of the LORD also came to me,

for her in the land of Shinar; and when it

saying,

is prepared, she will be set there on her

own pedestal."

10" Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go

6

the same day and enter the house of

Now I lifted up my eyes again and

Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where

looked, and behold, four chariots were

they have arrived from Babylon.

coming forth from between the two

11

mountains; and the mountains were

"Take silver and gold, make an ornate

bronze mountains.

crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

2With the first chariot were red horses, 12

with the second chariot black horses,

"Then say to him, 'Thus says the

LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose 3with the third chariot white horses, and

name is Branch, for He will branch out

with the fourth chariot strong dappled

from where He is; and He will build the horses.

temple of the LORD.

13"Yes, it is He who will build the temple 6'When you eat and drink, do you not of the LORD, and He who will bear the

eat for yourselves and do you not drink honor and sit and rule on His throne.

for yourselves?

Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be

7'Are not these the words which the

between the two offices."'

LORD

proclaimed

by

the

former

prophets,

when

Jerusalem

was

14"Now the crown will become a

inhabited and prosperous along with its

reminder in the temple of the LORD to

cities around it, and the Negev and the Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the

foothills were inhabited?'"

son of Zephaniah.

8Then the word of the LORD came to

15" Those who are far off will come and

Zechariah saying,

build the temple of the LORD." Then you

will know that the LORD of hosts has

9"Thus has the LORD of hosts said, '

sent me to you. And it will take place if Dispense true justice and practice

you completely obey the LORD your

kindness and compassion each to his

God.

brother;

10

7

and do not oppress the widow or the

In the fourth year of King Darius, the

orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do

word of the LORD came to Zechariah on

not devise evil in your hearts against

the fourth day of the ninth month, which

one another.'

is Chislev.

11"But they refused to pay attention and

2Now the town of Bethel had sent

turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped

Sharezer and Regemmelech and their

their ears from hearing.

men to seek the favor of the LORD,

12"They made their hearts like flint so 3speaking to the priests who belong to that they could not hear the law and the

the house of the LORD of hosts, and to

words which the LORD of hosts had

the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in sent by His Spirit through the former

the fifth month and abstain, as I have

prophets; therefore great wrath came

done these many years?"

from the LORD of hosts.

4

13

Then the word of the LORD of hosts

"And just as He called and they would

came to me, saying,

not listen, so they called and I would not

listen," says the LORD of hosts;

5"Say to all the people of the land and to 14

the priests, 'When you fasted and

"but I scattered them with a storm wind

mourned in the fifth and seventh months

among all the nations whom they have

these seventy years, was it actually for not known. Thus the land is desolated

Me that you fasted?

behind them so that no one went back

and forth, for they made the pleasant 9"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Let land desolate."

your hands be strong, you who are

listening in these days to these words

from the mouth of the prophets, those

8Then the word of the LORD of hosts who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was came, saying,

laid, to the end that the temple might be

built.

2"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with

10'For before those days there was no

great wrath I am jealous for her.'

wage for man or any wage for animal;

and for him who went out or came in

3"Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to there was no peace because of his

Zion and will dwell in the midst of

enemies, and I set all men one against

Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be

another.

called the City of Truth, and the

mountain of the LORD of hosts will be

11'But now I will not treat the remnant of

called the Holy Mountain.'

this people as in the former days,'

declares the LORD of hosts.

4"Thus says the LORD of hosts, ' Old men and old women will again sit in the

12'For there will be peace for the seed: streets of Jerusalem, each man with his

the vine will yield its fruit, the land will staff in his hand because of age.

yield its produce and the heavens will

give their dew; and I will cause the

5'And the streets of the city will be filled

remnant of this people to inherit all

with boys and girls playing in its streets.'

these things.

6"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is 13'It will come about that just as you too difficult in the sight of the remnant of

were a curse among the nations, O

this people in those days, will it also be house of Judah and house of Israel, so I

too difficult in My sight?' declares the will save you that you may become a

LORD of hosts.

blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be

strong.'

7"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold,

I am going to save My people from the

14"For thus says the LORD of hosts, land of the east and from the land of the

'Just as I purposed to do harm to you

west;

when your fathers provoked Me to

wrath,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and I

8and I will bring them back and they will

have not relented,

live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their 15so I have again purposed in these God in truth and righteousness.'

days to do good to Jerusalem and to the

house of Judah. Do not fear!

16'These are the things which you should Damascus as its resting place (for the do: speak the truth to one another;

eyes of men, especially of all the tribes judge with truth and judgment for peace

of Israel, are toward the LORD),

in your gates.

2And Hamath also, which borders on it;

17'Also let none of you devise evil in your

Tyre and Sidon, though they are very

heart against another, and do not love

wise.

perjury; for all these are what I hate,'

declares the LORD."

3For Tyre built herself a fortress And

piled up silver like dust, And gold like 18Then the word of the LORD of hosts

the mire of the streets.

came to me, saying,

4Behold, the Lord will dispossess her

19"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'The And cast her wealth into the sea; And

fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the she will be consumed with fire.

fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness,

5Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza

and cheerful feasts for the house of

too will writhe in great pain; Also Ekron,

Judah; so love truth and peace.'

for

her

expectation

has

been

confounded. Moreover, the king will

20"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'It will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not

yet be that peoples will come, even the be inhabited.

inhabitants of many cities.

6And a mongrel race will dwell in

21'The inhabitants of one will go to

Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the

another, saying, "Let us go at once to Philistines.

entreat the favor of the LORD, and to

seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go."

7And I will remove their blood from their

mouth And their detestable things from

22'So many peoples and mighty nations

between their teeth. Then they also will will come to seek the LORD of hosts in be a remnant for our God, And be like a Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of

clan in Judah, And Ekron like a Jebusite.

the LORD.'

8But I will camp around My house

23"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In because of an army, Because of him

those days ten men from all the nations

who passes by and returns; And no

will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying,

oppressor will pass over them anymore,

"Let us go with you, for we have heard For now I have seen with My eyes.

that God is with you."'"

9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

9

Shout in triumph, O daughter of

The burden of the word of the LORD

Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming

to you; He is just and endowed with

is against the land of Hadrach, with

salvation, Humble, and mounted on a 17For what comeliness and beauty will donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a

be theirs! Grain will make the young

donkey.

men flourish, and new wine the virgins.

10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the

10Ask rain from the LORD at the

bow of war will be cut off. And He will time of the spring rain-- The LORD who

speak peace to the nations; And His

makes the storm clouds; And He will

dominion will be from sea to sea, And

give them showers of rain, vegetation in

from the River to the ends of the earth.

the field to each man.

11As for you also, because of the blood

2For the teraphim speak iniquity, And

of My covenant with you, I have set your

the diviners see lying visions And tell

prisoners free from the waterless pit.

false dreams; They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wander like sheep,

12Return to the stronghold, O prisoners

They are afflicted, because there is no

who have the hope; This very day I am

shepherd.

declaring that I will restore double to you.

3"My anger is kindled against the

13For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will

shepherds, And I will punish the male

fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir goats; For the LORD of hosts has

up your sons, O Zion, against your sons,

visited His flock, the house of Judah,

O Greece; And I will make you like a

And will make them like His majestic

warrior's sword.

horse in battle.

14Then the LORD will appear over them,

4"From them will come the cornerstone,

And His arrow will go forth like lightning;

From them the tent peg, From them the

And the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,

bow of battle, From them every ruler, all

And will march in the storm winds of the

of them together.

south.

5"They will be as mighty men, Treading 15The LORD of hosts will defend them.

down the enemy in the mire of the

And they will devour and trample on the

streets in battle; And they will fight, for sling stones; And they will drink and be the LORD will be with them; And the boisterous as with wine; And they will be

riders on horses will be put to shame.

filled like a sacrificial basin, Drenched like the corners of the altar.

6"I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, 16And the LORD their God will save

And I will bring them back, Because I

them in that day As the flock of His

have had compassion on them; And

people; For they are as the stones of a they will be as though I had not rejected

crown, Sparkling in His land.

them, For I am the LORD their God and

I will answer them.

7"Ephraim will be like a mighty man, And 3There is a sound of the shepherds' wail, their heart will be glad as if from wine; For their glory is ruined; There is a Indeed, their children will see it and be sound of the young lions' roar, For the glad, Their heart will rejoice in the LORD. pride of the Jordan is ruined.

8"I will whistle for them to gather them 4Thus says the LORD my God, "Pasture together, For I have redeemed them;

the flock doomed to slaughter.

And they will be as numerous as they

were before.

5"Those who buy them slay them and go

unpunished, and each of those who sell

9"When I scatter them among the

them says, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I

peoples, They will remember Me in far

have become rich!' And their own

countries, And they with their children

shepherds have no pity on them.

will live and come back.

6"For I will no longer have pity on the 10"I will bring them back from the land of inhabitants of the land," declares the Egypt And gather them from Assyria; LORD; "but behold, I will cause the men

And I will bring them into the land of to fall, each into another's power and

Gilead and Lebanon Until no room can

into the power of his king; and they will be found for them.

strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their power."

11"And they will pass through the sea of

distress And He will strike the waves in 7So I pastured the flock doomed to

the sea, So that all the depths of the slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock.

Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria

And I took for myself two staffs: the one

will be brought down And the scepter of

I called Favor and the other I called

Egypt will depart.

Union; so I pastured the flock.

12"And I will strengthen them in the 8Then I annihilated the three shepherds

LORD, And in His name they will walk,"

in one month, for my soul was impatient

declares the LORD.

with them, and their soul also was weary

of me.

11

9

Open your doors, O Lebanon,

Then I said, "I will not pasture you.

That a fire may feed on your cedars.

What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and 2

let those who are left eat one another's Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has

flesh."

fallen, Because the glorious trees have

been destroyed; Wail, O oaks of Bashan,

10

For the impenetrable forest has come

I took my staff Favor and cut it in

down.

pieces, to break my covenant which I

had made with all the peoples.

11So it was broken on that day, and thus earth, and forms the spirit of man within the afflicted of the flock who were

him,

watching me realized that it was the

word of the LORD.

2"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem

a cup that causes reeling to all the

12I said to them, "If it is good in your peoples around; and when the siege is sight, give me my wages; but if not,

against Jerusalem, it will also be against

never mind!" So they weighed out thirty Judah.

shekels of silver as my wages.

3"It will come about in that day that I will 13Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all to the potter, that magnificent price at the peoples; all who lift it will be severely

which I was valued by them." So I took injured. And all the nations of the earth the thirty shekels of silver and threw will be gathered against it.

them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

4"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment 14Then I cut in pieces my second staff

and his rider with madness. But I will

Union,

to

break

the

brotherhood

watch over the house of Judah, while I

between Judah and Israel.

strike every horse of the peoples with

blindness.

15The LORD said to me, "Take again for

yourself the equipment of a foolish

5"Then the clans of Judah will say in shepherd.

their hearts, 'A strong support for us are

the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the

16"For behold, I am going to raise up a LORD of hosts, their God.'

shepherd in the land who will not care

for the perishing, seek the scattered,

6"In that day I will make the clans of heal the broken, or sustain the one

Judah like a firepot among pieces of

standing, but will devour the flesh of the

wood and a flaming torch among

fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.

sheaves, so they will consume on the

right hand and on the left all the

17" Woe to the worthless shepherd Who

surrounding

peoples,

while

the

leaves the flock! A sword will be on his inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on

arm And on his right eye! His arm will be

their own sites in Jerusalem.

totally withered And his right eye will be

blind."

7"The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the

12The burden of the word of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.

LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares

the LORD who stretches out the

heavens, lays the foundation of the

8"In that day the LORD will defend the the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one

for impurity.

who is feeble among them in that day

will be like David, and the house of

2"It will come about in that day,"

David will be like God, like the angel of declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will the LORD before them.

cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be

9"And in that day I will set about to remembered; and I will also remove the

destroy all the nations that come against

prophets and the unclean spirit from the

Jerusalem.

land.

10"I will pour out on the house of David 3"And if anyone still prophesies, then his and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the father and mother who gave birth to him

Spirit of grace and of supplication, so

will say to him, 'You shall not live, for that they will look on Me whom they

you have spoken falsely in the name of

have pierced; and they will mourn for

the LORD'; and his father and mother

Him, as one mourns for an only son,

who gave birth to him will pierce him

and they will weep bitterly over Him like

through when he prophesies.

the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

4"Also it will come about in that day that 11"In that day there will be great

the prophets will each be ashamed of

mourning

in

Jerusalem,

like

the

his vision when he prophesies, and they

mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain

will not put on a hairy robe in order to of Megiddo.

deceive;

12"The land will mourn, every family by 5but he will say, 'I am not a prophet; I itself; the family of the house of David by am a tiller of the ground, for a man sold

itself and their wives by themselves; the

me as a slave in my youth.'

family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves;

6"And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?'

13the family of the house of Levi by itself

Then he will say, 'Those with which I

and their wives by themselves; the

was wounded in the house of my

family of the Shimeites by itself and their

friends.'

wives by themselves;

7"Awake, O sword, against My

14all the families that remain, every

Shepherd, And against the man, My

family by itself and their wives by

Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts.

themselves.

" Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My

hand against the little ones.

13"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for 8"It will come about in all the land,"

Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will

Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it

come, and all the holy ones with Him!

will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it.

6In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle.

9"And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, 7For it will be a unique day which is

And test them as gold is tested. They

known to the LORD, neither day nor

will call on My name, And I will answer night, but it will come about that at

them; I will say, 'They are My people,'

evening time there will be light.

And they will say, 'The LORD is my

God.'"

8And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward

14

the eastern sea and the other half

Behold, a day is coming for the

toward the western sea; it will be in

LORD when the spoil taken from you

summer as well as in winter.

will be divided among you.

9And the LORD will be king over all the

2For I will gather all the nations against earth; in that day the LORD will be the Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be only one, and His name the only one.

captured, the houses plundered, the

women ravished and half of the city

10All the land will be changed into a plain

exiled, but the rest of the people will not

from Geba to Rimmon south of

be cut off from the city.

Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and

remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate

3Then the LORD will go forth and fight

as far as the place of the First Gate to against those nations, as when He fights

the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of

on a day of battle.

Hananel to the king's wine presses.

4

11

In that day His feet will stand on the People will live in it, and there will no Mount of Olives, which is in front of longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will

Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of

dwell in security.

Olives will be split in its middle from east

to west by a very large valley, so that 12Now this will be the plague with which

half of the mountain will move toward

the LORD will strike all the peoples who

the north and the other half toward the have gone to war against Jerusalem;

south.

their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their 5You will flee by the valley of My sockets, and their tongue will rot in their

mountains, for the valley of the

mouth.

mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you

will flee just as you fled before the

13It will come about in that day that a earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of

great panic from the LORD will fall on

them; and they will seize one another's 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or hand, and the hand of one will be lifted enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will against the hand of another.

be the plague with which the LORD

smites the nations who do not go up to 14Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and

celebrate the Feast of Booths.

the wealth of all the surrounding nations

will be gathered, gold and silver and

19This will be the punishment of Egypt,

garments in great abundance.

and the punishment of all the nations

who do not go up to celebrate the Feast

15So also like this plague will be the

of Booths.

plague on the horse, the mule, the

camel, the donkey and all the cattle that

20In that day there will be inscribed on will be in those camps.

the bells of the horses, " HOLY TO THE

LORD." And the cooking pots in the

16Then it will come about that any who

LORD'S house will be like the bowls

are left of all the nations that went

before the altar.

against Jerusalem will go up from year

to year to worship the King, the LORD of

21Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in

hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of

Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts;

Booths.

and all who sacrifice will come and take

of them and boil in them. And there will 17And it will be that whichever of the no longer be a Canaanite in the house

families of the earth does not go up to of the LORD of hosts in that day.

Jerusalem to worship the King, the

LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.

Malachi

8"But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you 1The oracle of the word of the LORD present the lame and sick, is it not evil?

Why not offer it to your governor? Would

to Israel through Malachi.

he be pleased with you? Or would he

receive you kindly?" says the LORD of 2"I have loved you," says the LORD. But hosts.

you say, "How have You loved us?"

"Was not Esau Jacob's brother?"

9"But now will you not entreat God's declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved favor, that He may be gracious to us?

Jacob;

With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the 3but I have hated Esau, and I have LORD of hosts.

made his mountains a desolation and

appointed his inheritance for the jackals

10"Oh that there were one among you of the wilderness."

who would shut the gates, that you

might not uselessly kindle fire on My

4Though Edom says, "We have been

altar! I am not pleased with you," says beaten down, but we will return and

the LORD of hosts, " nor will I accept an build up the ruins"; thus says the LORD

offering from you.

of hosts, "They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked

11"For from the rising of the sun even to territory, and the people toward whom

its setting, My name will be great among

the LORD is indignant forever."

the nations, and in every place incense

is going to be offered to My name, and a

5Your eyes will see this and you will say,

grain offering that is pure; for My name

" The LORD be magnified beyond the

will be great among the nations," says border of Israel!"

the LORD of hosts.

6" 'A son honors his father, and a 12"But you are profaning it, in that you servant his master. Then if I am a father, say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and

where is My honor? And if I am a master,

as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'

where is My respect?' says the LORD of

hosts to you, O priests who despise My

13"You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!'

name. But you say, 'How have we

And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the despised Your name?'

LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was

taken by robbery and what is lame or

7"You are presenting defiled food upon sick; so you bring the offering! Should I My altar. But you say, 'How have we receive that from your hand?" says the defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table

LORD.

of the LORD is to be despised.'

14"But cursed be the swindler who has a instruction from his mouth; for he is the male in his flock and vows it, but messenger of the LORD of hosts.

sacrifices a blemished animal to the

Lord, for I am a great King," says the 8"But as for you, you have turned aside LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared

from the way; you have caused many to

among the nations."

stumble by the instruction; you have

corrupted the covenant of Levi," says 2

the LORD of hosts.

"And now this commandment is for

9

you, O priests.

"So I also have made you despised and

abased before all the people, just as you

2"If you do not listen, and if you do not are not keeping My ways but are

take it to heart to give honor to My

showing partiality in the instruction.

name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I 10

will send the curse upon you and I will

"Do we not all have one father? Has curse your blessings; and indeed, I have

not one God created us? Why do we

cursed them already, because you are

deal treacherously each against his

not taking it to heart.

brother so as to profane the covenant of

our fathers?

3"Behold, I am going to rebuke your 11

offspring, and I will spread refuse on

"Judah has dealt treacherously, and

your faces, the refuse of your feasts;

an abomination has been committed in

and you will be taken away with it.

Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has

profaned the sanctuary of the LORD

4

which He loves and has married the

"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My

daughter of a foreign god.

covenant may continue with Levi," says 12

the LORD of hosts.

"As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob

5"My covenant with him was one of life everyone who awakes and answers, or

and peace, and I gave them to him as

who presents an offering to the LORD of

an object of reverence; so he revered

hosts.

Me and stood in awe of My name.

13"This is another thing you do: you 6" True instruction was in his mouth and

cover the altar of the LORD with tears, unrighteousness was not found on his

with

weeping

and

with

groaning,

lips; he walked with Me in peace and

because He no longer regards the

uprightness, and he turned many back

offering or accepts it with favor from

your hand.

from iniquity.

14

7"For the lips of a priest should preserve

"Yet you say, 'For what reason?'

knowledge, and men should seek

Because the LORD has been a witness

between you and the wife of your youth,

against

whom

you

have

dealt

that they may present to the LORD

treacherously, though she is your

offerings in righteousness.

companion and your wife by covenant.

4"Then the offering of Judah and

15"But not one has done so who has a Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD

remnant of the Spirit. And what did that as in the days of old and as in former one do while he was seeking a godly years.

offspring? Take heed then to your spirit,

and let no one deal treacherously

5"Then I will draw near to you for against the wife of your youth.

judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the

16"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, adulterers and against those who swear

the God of Israel, "and him who covers falsely, and against those who oppress his garment with wrong," says the LORD

the wage earner in his wages, the

of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, widow and the orphan, and those who

that you do not deal treacherously."

turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,"

says the LORD of hosts.

17You have wearied the LORD with your

words. Yet you say, "How have we

6"For I, the LORD, do not change;

wearied HimNULL" In that you say, "

therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not

Everyone who does evil is good in the

consumed.

sight of the LORD, and He delights in

them," or, " Where is the God of 7"From the days of your fathers you justiceNULL"

have turned aside from My statutes and

have not kept them. Return to Me, and I

3

will return to you," says the LORD of

" Behold, I am going to send My

hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we

messenger, and he will clear the way

return?'

before Me. And the Lord, whom you

8

seek, will suddenly come to His temple;

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are

and the messenger of the covenant, in

robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we

whom you delight, behold, He is

robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

coming," says the LORD of hosts.

9"You are cursed with a curse, for you 2"But who can endure the day of His are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!

coming? And who can stand when He

appears? For He is like a refiner's fire 10" Bring the whole tithe into the

and like fullers' soap.

storehouse, so that there may be food in

My house, and test Me now in this,"

3"He will sit as a smelter and purifier of says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi open for you the windows of heaven and

and refine them like gold and silver, so pour out for you a blessing until it

overflows.

11"Then I will rebuke the devourer for 18So you will again distinguish between you, so that it will not destroy the fruits the righteous and the wicked, between of the ground; nor will your vine in the one who serves God and one who does

field cast its grapes," says the LORD of not serve Him.

hosts.

12" All the nations will call you blessed, 4"For behold, the day is coming, for you shall be a delightful land," says burning like a furnace; and all the the LORD of hosts.

arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff;

and the day that is coming will set them

13"Your words have been arrogant

ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you that it will leave them neither root nor say, 'What have we spoken against branch."

You?'

2"But for you who fear My name, the sun

14"You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; of righteousness will rise with healing in

and what profit is it that we have kept its wings; and you will go forth and skip

His charge, and that we have walked in

about like calves from the stall.

mourning before the LORD of hosts?

3"You will tread down the wicked, for 15'So now we call the arrogant blessed; they will be ashes under the soles of

not only are the doers of wickedness

your feet on the day which I am

built up but they also test God and

preparing," says the LORD of hosts.

escape.'"

4" Remember the law of Moses My

16Then those who feared the LORD

servant,

even

the

statutes

and

spoke to one another, and the LORD

ordinances which I commanded him in

gave attention and heard it, and a book Horeb for all Israel.

of remembrance was written before Him

for those who fear the LORD and who

5"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah

esteem His name.

the prophet before the coming of the

great and terrible day of the LORD.

17"They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own 6"He will restore the hearts of the fathers possession, and I will spare them as a to their children and the hearts of the man spares his own son who serves

children to their fathers, so that I will not

him."

come and smite the land with a curse."

Matthew

10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon, and

1The record of the genealogy of Jesus Amon the father of Josiah.

the Messiah, the son of David, the son

11

of Abraham:

Josiah became the father of Jeconiah

and his brothers, at the time of the

2

deportation to Babylon.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac

the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father

12After the deportation to Babylon:

of Judah and his brothers.

Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,

3

and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.

Judah was the father of Perez and

Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of

13Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud,

Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim

4

the father of Azor.

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and

14

Nahshon the father of Salmon.

Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok

the father of Achim, and Achim the

5

father of Eliud.

Salmon was the father of Boaz by

Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by

15

Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan, and

Matthan the father of Jacob.

6Jesse was the father of David the king.

David was the father of Solomon by

16

Bathsheba who had been the wife of

Jacob was the father of Joseph the

Uriah.

husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was

born, who is called the Messiah.

7Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

17

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and

So all the generations from Abraham

Abijah the father of Asa.

to David are fourteen generations; from

David to the deportation to Babylon,

fourteen generations; and from the

8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

deportation to Babylon to the Messiah,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and

fourteen generations.

Joram the father of Uzziah.

18

9

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as

Uzziah was the father of Jotham,

follows: when His mother Mary had

Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the

been betrothed to Joseph, before they

father of Hezekiah.

came together she was found to be with

child by the Holy Spirit.

19And Joseph her husband, being a 3When Herod the king heard this, he righteous man and not wanting to

was troubled, and all Jerusalem with

disgrace her, planned to send her away

him.

secretly.

4Gathering together all the chief priests 20But when he had considered this,

and scribes of the people, he inquired of

behold, an angel of the Lord appeared

them where the Messiah was to be born.

to him in a dream, saying, " Joseph, son

of David, do not be afraid to take Mary 5They said to him, " In Bethlehem of as your wife; for the Child who has been Judea; for this is what has been written conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

by the prophet:

21"She will bear a Son; and you shall call 6' AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF

His name Jesus, for He will save His

JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST

people from their sins."

AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;

FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME

22Now all this took place to fulfill what FORTH

A

RULER

WHO

WILL

was spoken by the Lord through the

SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"

prophet:

7Then Herod secretly called the magi

23" BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE

and determined from them the exact

WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A

time the star appeared.

SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS

NAME IMMANUEL," which translated

8And he sent them to Bethlehem and

means, " GOD WITH US."

said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him,

24And Joseph awoke from his sleep and

report to me, so that I too may come

did as the angel of the Lord commanded

and worship Him."

him, and took Mary as his wife,

9After hearing the king, they went their 25but kept her a virgin until she gave

way; and the star, which they had seen

birth to a Son; and he called His name in the east, went on before them until it Jesus.

came and stood over the place where

the Child was.

2

10

Now after Jesus was born in

When they saw the star, they rejoiced

Bethlehem of Judea in the days of

exceedingly with great joy.

Herod the king, magi from the east

11

arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

After coming into the house they saw

the Child with Mary His mother; and

2"Where is He who has been born King

they fell to the ground and worshiped

of the Jews? For we saw His star in the

Him. Then, opening their treasures, they

east and have come to worship Him."

presented

to

Him

gifts

of

gold,

19But when Herod died, behold, an

frankincense, and myrrh.

angel of the Lord appeared in a dream

to Joseph in Egypt, and said,

12And having been warned by God in a

dream not to return to Herod, the magi

20"Get up, take the Child and His mother, left for their own country by another way. and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."

13Now when they had gone, behold, an

angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in

21So Joseph got up, took the Child and

a dream and said, "Get up! Take the His mother, and came into the land of

Child and His mother and flee to Egypt,

Israel.

and remain there until I tell you; for

Herod is going to search for the Child to

22But when he heard that Archelaus was

destroy Him."

reigning over Judea in place of his

father Herod, he was afraid to go there.

14So Joseph got up and took the Child

Then after being warned by God in a

and His mother while it was still night, dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,

and left for Egypt.

23and came and lived in a city called

15He remained there until the death of

Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was

Herod. This was to fulfill what had been

spoken through the prophets: "He shall spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

be called a Nazarene."

" OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

16Then when Herod saw that he had

3Now in those days John the Baptist

been tricked by the magi, he became

came, preaching in the wilderness of

very enraged, and sent and slew all the

Judea, saying,

male children who were in Bethlehem

and all its vicinity, from two years old 2

and under, according to the time which

" Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is he had determined from the magi.

at hand."

3

17Then what had been spoken through

For this is the one referred to by Isaiah

Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

the prophet when he said, " THE VOICE

OF

ONE

CRYING

IN

THE

18

WILDERNESS, ' MAKE READY THE

" A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,

WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS

WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,

PATHS STRAIGHT!'"

RACHEL

WEEPING

FOR

HER

CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO

4

BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY

Now John himself had a garment of

WERE NO MORE."

camel's hair and a leather belt around

his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5Then Jerusalem was going out to him, 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, and all Judea and all the district around

"I have need to be baptized by You, and

the Jordan;

do You come to me?"

6and they were being baptized by him in

15But Jesus answering said to him,

the Jordan River, as they confessed

"Permit it at this time; for in this way it is their sins.

fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

Then he permitted Him.

7But when he saw many of the

Pharisees and Sadducees coming for

16After being baptized, Jesus came up

baptism, he said to them, "You brood of

immediately from the water; and behold,

vipers, who warned you to flee from the

the heavens were opened, and he saw

wrath to come?

the Spirit of God descending as a dove

and lighting on Him,

8" Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

17and behold, a voice out of the heavens

said, " This is My beloved Son, in whom

9and do not suppose that you can say to

I am well-pleased."

yourselves, ' We have Abraham for our

father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children 4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit to Abraham.

into the wilderness to be tempted by the

devil.

10"The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does 2And after He had fasted forty days and

not bear good fruit is cut down and

forty nights, He then became hungry.

thrown into the fire.

3

11

And the tempter came and said to Him,

"As for me, I baptize you with water for

"If You are the Son of God, command repentance, but He who is coming after

that these stones become bread."

me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to

remove His sandals; He will baptize you

4

with the Holy Spirit and fire.

But He answered and said, "It is written,

' MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD

12

ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT

"His winnowing fork is in His hand, and

PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF

He will thoroughly clear His threshing

GOD.'"

floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff 5

with unquenchable fire."

Then the devil took Him into the holy

city and had Him stand on the pinnacle

13

of the temple,

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the

Jordan coming to John, to be baptized

6

by him.

and said to Him, "If You are the Son of

God, throw Yourself down; for it is

written, ' HE WILL COMMAND HIS

THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN,

ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON

GALILEE OF THE GENTILES--

their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU

UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE

16" THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING

YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"

IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT,

AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN

7Jesus said to him, "On the other hand,

THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH,

it is written, ' YOU SHALL NOT PUT

UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED."

THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE

TEST.'"

17From that time Jesus began to preach

and say, " Repent, for the kingdom of 8Again, the devil took Him to a very high

heaven is at hand."

mountain and showed Him all the

kingdoms of the world and their glory;

18Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea

of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon

9and he said to Him, " All these things I who was called Peter, and Andrew his

will give You, if You fall down and

brother, casting a net into the sea; for worship me."

they were fishermen.

10Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan!

19And He said to them, "Follow Me, and

For it is written, ' YOU SHALL

I will make you fishers of men."

WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD,

AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

20Immediately they left their nets and

followed Him.

11Then the devil left Him; and behold,

angels came and began to minister to

21Going on from there He saw two other

Him.

brothers, James the son of Zebedee,

and John his brother, in the boat with

12Now when Jesus heard that John had

Zebedee their father, mending their nets;

been taken into custody, He withdrew

and He called them.

into Galilee;

22Immediately they left the boat and their

13and leaving Nazareth, He came and

father, and followed Him.

settled in Capernaum, which is by the

sea, in the region of Zebulun and

23Jesus was going throughout all Galilee,

Naphtali.

teaching in their synagogues and

proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,

14This was to fulfill what was spoken

and healing every kind of disease and

through Isaiah the prophet:

every kind of sickness among the

people.

15" THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE

LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF

24The

news

about

Him

spread

throughout all Syria; and they brought to

Him all who were ill, those suffering with righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom various diseases and pains, demoniacs,

of heaven.

epileptics, paralytics; and He healed

them.

11"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say

25Large crowds followed Him from

all kinds of evil against you because of Galilee

and

the

Decapolis

and

Me.

Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond

the Jordan.

12"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way 5

they persecuted the prophets who were

When Jesus saw the crowds, He

before you.

went up on the mountain; and after He

13

sat down, His disciples came to Him.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be

2He opened His mouth and began to

made salty again? It is no longer good

teach them, saying,

for anything, except to be thrown out

and trampled under foot by men.

3" Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 14

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they

15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it

shall be comforted.

under a basket, but on the lampstand,

5

and it gives light to all who are in the

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall house.

inherit the earth.

16"Let your light shine before men in 6"Blessed are those who hunger and

such a way that they may see your good

thirst for righteousness, for they shall be

works, and glorify your Father who is in satisfied.

heaven.

7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall 17"Do not think that I came to abolish the receive mercy.

Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

18"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they

letter or stroke shall pass from the Law shall be called sons of God.

until all is accomplished.

10"Blessed are those who have been

19"Whoever then annuls one of the least

persecuted

for

the

sake

of

of these commandments, and teaches

others to do the same, shall be called 26"Truly I say to you, you will not come least in the kingdom of heaven; but out of there until you have paid up the whoever keeps and teaches them, he

last cent.

shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

27" You have heard that it was said, '

YOU

SHALL

NOT

COMMIT

20"For I say to you that unless your ADULTERY';

righteousness surpasses that of the

scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter

28but I say to you that everyone who

the kingdom of heaven.

looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in

21" You have heard that the ancients his heart.

were told, ' YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT

MURDER'

and

'Whoever

commits

29" If your right eye makes you stumble,

murder shall be liable to the court.'

tear it out and throw it from you; for it is

better for you to lose one of the parts of

22"But I say to you that everyone who is

your body, than for your whole body to

angry with his brother shall be guilty

be thrown into hell.

before the court; and whoever says to

his brother, ' You good-for-nothing,' shall

30" If your right hand makes you stumble, be guilty before the supreme court; and

cut it off and throw it from you; for it is whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty better for you to lose one of the parts of enough to go into the fiery hell.

your body, than for your whole body to

go into hell.

23"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember

31"It was said, ' WHOEVER SENDS HIS

that your brother has something against

WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A

you,

CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE';

24leave your offering there before the

32but I say to you that everyone who

altar and go; first be reconciled to your divorces his wife, except for the reason brother, and then come and present of unchastity, makes her commit

your offering.

adultery;

and

whoever

marries

a

divorced woman commits adultery.

25" Make friends quickly with your

opponent at law while you are with him

33"Again, you have heard that the

on the way, so that your opponent may

ancients were told, ' YOU SHALL NOT

not hand you over to the judge, and the

MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL

judge to the officer, and you be thrown FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.'

into prison.

34"But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of 46"For if you love those who love you, His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE

what reward do you have? Do not even

CITY OF THE GREAT KING.

the tax collectors do the same?

36"Nor shall you make an oath by your 47"If you greet only your brothers, what head, for you cannot make one hair more are you doing than others? Do not

white or black.

even the Gentiles do the same?

37"But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes'

48"Therefore you are to be perfect, as or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of your heavenly Father is perfect.

evil.

38" You have heard that it was said, ' AN

6"Beware of practicing your

EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH

righteousness before men to be noticed

FOR A TOOTH.'

by them; otherwise you have no reward

with your Father who is in heaven.

39"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your

2"So when you give to the poor, do not right cheek, turn the other to him also.

sound a trumpet before you, as the

hypocrites do in the synagogues and in

40"If anyone wants to sue you and take the streets, so that they may be honored

your shirt, let him have your coat also.

by men. Truly I say to you, they have

their reward in full.

41"Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

3"But when you give to the poor, do not

let your left hand know what your right 42" Give to him who asks of you, and do

hand is doing,

not turn away from him who wants to

borrow from you.

4so that your giving will be in secret; and

your Father who sees what is done in

43" You have heard that it was said, '

secret will reward you.

YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

and hate your enemy.'

5"When you pray, you are not to be like

the hypocrites; for they love to stand

44"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray in the synagogues and on the and pray for those who persecute you,

street corners so that they may be seen

by men. Truly I say to you, they have

45so that you may be sons of your

their reward in full.

Father who is in heaven; for He causes

6

His sun to rise on the evil and the good,

"But you, when you pray, go into your and sends rain on the righteous and the

inner room, close your door and pray to

unrighteous.

your Father who is in secret, and your

Father who sees what is done in secret 17"But you, when you fast, anoint your will reward you.

head and wash your face

7"And when you are praying, do not use

18so that your fasting will not be noticed

meaningless repetition as the Gentiles

by men, but by your Father who is in

do, for they suppose that they will be

secret; and your Father who sees what

heard for their many words.

is done in secret will reward you.

8"So do not be like them; for your Father 19" Do not store up for yourselves

knows what you need before you ask

treasures on earth, where moth and rust

Him.

destroy, and where thieves break in and

steal.

9" Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your

20"But store up for yourselves treasures name.

in heaven, where neither moth nor rust

destroys, and where thieves do not

10' Your kingdom come. Your will be

break in or steal;

done, On earth as it is in heaven.

21for where your treasure is, there your 11' Give us this day our daily bread.

heart will be also.

12

22

'And forgive us our debts, as we also

" The eye is the lamp of the body; so have forgiven our debtors.

then if your eye is clear, your whole

body will be full of light.

13'And do not lead us into temptation,

23

but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the

"But if your eye is bad, your whole kingdom and the power and the glory

body will be full of darkness. If then the forever. Amen.]'

light that is in you is darkness, how

great is the darkness!

14" For if you forgive others for their 24

transgressions, your heavenly Father

" No one can serve two masters; for will also forgive you.

either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and 15

despise the other. You cannot serve

"But if you do not forgive others, then God and wealth.

your Father will not forgive your

transgressions.

25" For this reason I say to you, do not 16

be worried about your life, as to what

" Whenever you fast, do not put on a you will eat or what you will drink; nor for gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for

your body, as to what you will put on. Is

they neglect their appearance so that

not life more than food, and the body

they will be noticed by men when they

more than clothing?

are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have

their reward in full.

26" Look at the birds of the air, that they 2"For in the way you judge, you will be do not sow, nor reap nor gather into judged; and by your standard of

barns, and yet your heavenly Father

measure, it will be measured to you.

feeds them. Are you not worth much

more than they?

3"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the

27"And who of you by being worried can

log that is in your own eye?

add a single hour to his life?

4" Or how can you say to your brother, 28"And why are you worried about 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'

clothing? Observe how the lilies of the

and behold, the log is in your own eye?

field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

5"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see

29yet I say to you that not even Solomon

clearly to take the speck out of your

in all his glory clothed himself like one of

brother's eye.

these.

6" Do not give what is holy to dogs, and

30"But if God so clothes the grass of the do not throw your pearls before swine,

field, which is alive today and tomorrow or they will trample them under their feet,

is thrown into the furnace, will He not and turn and tear you to pieces.

much more clothe you? You of little faith!

7" Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, 31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will and you will find; knock, and it will be we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or opened to you.

'What will we wear for clothing?'

8"For everyone who asks receives, and 32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all he who seeks finds, and to him who these things; for your heavenly Father

knocks it will be opened.

knows that you need all these things.

9"Or what man is there among you who,

33"But seek first His kingdom and His when his son asks for a loaf, will give righteousness, and all these things will him a stone?

be added to you.

10"Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give 34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for him a snake, will he?

tomorrow will care for itself. Each day

has enough trouble of its own.

11"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how 7

much more will your Father who is in

" Do not judge so that you will not be

heaven give what is good to those who

ask Him!

judged.

12"In everything, therefore, treat people 23"And then I will declare to them, 'I the same way you want them to treat never knew you; DEPART FROM ME,

you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. YOU

WHO

PRACTICE

LAWLESSNESS.'

13" Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad 24"Therefore everyone who hears these that leads to destruction, and there are words of Mine and acts on them, may many who enter through it.

be compared to a wise man who built

his house on the rock.

14"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are 25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, few who find it.

and the winds blew and slammed

against that house; and yet it did not fall,

15"Beware of the false prophets, who for it had been founded on the rock.

come to you in sheep's clothing, but

inwardly are ravenous wolves.

26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be 16"You will know them by their fruits.

like a foolish man who built his house on

Grapes are not gathered from thorn

the sand.

bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

27"The rain fell, and the floods came, 17"So every good tree bears good fruit, and the winds blew and slammed but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

against that house; and it fell--and great

was its fall."

18"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit,

28

nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

When Jesus had finished these words,

the crowds were amazed at His

19

teaching;

" Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

29for He was teaching them as one

20

having authority, and not as their scribes.

"So then, you will know them by their fruits.

21

8

" Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord,

When Jesus came down from the

Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, mountain, large crowds followed Him.

but he who does the will of My Father

who is in heaven will enter.

2And a leper came to Him and bowed

down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You

22" Many will say to Me on that day, are willing, You can make me clean."

'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your

name, and in Your name cast out

3Jesus stretched out His hand and

demons, and in Your name perform

touched him, saying, "I am willing; be many miracles?'

cleansed." And immediately his leprosy place there will be weeping and was cleansed.

gnashing of teeth."

4And Jesus said to him, " See that you 13And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it tell no one; but go, show yourself to the shall be done for you as you have

priest and present the offering that

believed." And the servant was healed Moses commanded, as a testimony to

that very moment.

them."

14When Jesus came into Peter's home,

5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a

He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in

centurion came to Him, imploring Him,

bed with a fever.

6and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying 15He touched her hand, and the fever

paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."

left her; and she got up and waited on Him.

7Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

16When evening came, they brought to

Him many who were demon-possessed;

8But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not and He cast out the spirits with a word, worthy for You to come under my roof, and healed all who were ill.

but just say the word, and my servant

will be healed.

17This was to fulfill what was spoken

through Isaiah the prophet: " HE

9"For I also am a man under authority, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES

with soldiers under me; and I say to this

AND

CARRIED

AWAY

OUR

one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, DISEASES."

'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave,

'Do this!' and he does it."

18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around

Him, He gave orders to depart to the

10Now when Jesus heard this, He

other side of the sea.

marveled and said to those who were

following, "Truly I say to you, I have not 19Then a scribe came and said to Him, found such great faith with anyone in

"Teacher, I will follow You wherever You

Israel.

go."

11"I say to you that many will come from

20Jesus said to him, "The foxes have east and west, and recline at the table holes and the birds of the air have nests, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the

but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay

kingdom of heaven;

His head."

12but the sons of the kingdom will be

21Another of the disciples said to Him,

cast out into the outer darkness; in that

"Lord, permit me first to go and bury my

father."

22But Jesus said to him, " Follow Me, 32And He said to them, "Go!" And they and allow the dead to bury their own came out and went into the swine, and

dead."

the whole herd rushed down the steep

bank into the sea and perished in the

23When He got into the boat, His

waters.

disciples followed Him.

33The herdsmen ran away, and went to

24And behold, there arose a great storm

the

city

and

reported

everything,

on the sea, so that the boat was being including what had happened to the

covered with the waves; but Jesus

demoniacs.

Himself was asleep.

34And behold, the whole city came out to

25And they came to Him and woke Him,

meet Jesus; and when they saw Him,

saying, " Save us, Lord; we are

they implored Him to leave their region.

perishing!"

26He said to them, "Why are you afraid,

9Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed you men of little faith?" Then He got up over the sea and came to His own city.

and rebuked the winds and the sea, and

it became perfectly calm.

2And they brought to Him a paralytic

lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus

27The men were amazed, and said,

said to the paralytic, " Take courage,

"What kind of a man is this, that even son; your sins are forgiven."

the winds and the sea obey Him?"

3And some of the scribes said to

28When He came to the other side into

themselves, "This fellow blasphemes."

the country of the Gadarenes, two men

who were demon-possessed met Him

4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said,

as they were coming out of the tombs.

"Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

They were so extremely violent that no

one could pass by that way.

5"Which is easier, to say, ' Your sins are 29

forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?

And they cried out, saying, " What

business do we have with each other,

6

Son of God? Have You come here to

"But so that you may know that the Son

torment us before the time?"

of Man has authority on earth to forgive

sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Get 30

up, pick up your bed and go home."

Now there was a herd of many swine

feeding at a distance from them.

7And he got up and went home.

31The demons began to entreat Him,

saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."

8But when the crowds saw this, they 16"But no one puts a patch of unshrunk were awestruck, and glorified God, who cloth on an old garment; for the patch

had given such authority to men.

pulls away from the garment, and a

worse tear results.

9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a

man called Matthew, sitting in the tax

17"Nor do people put new wine into old collector's booth; and He said to him, "

wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst,

Follow Me!" And he got up and followed

and the wine pours out and the

Him.

wineskins are ruined; but they put new

wine into fresh wineskins, and both are

10Then it happened that as Jesus was

preserved."

reclining at the table in the house,

behold, many tax collectors and sinners

18While He was saying these things to

came and were dining with Jesus and

them, a synagogue official came and

His disciples.

bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and

11When the Pharisees saw this, they

lay Your hand on her, and she will live."

said to His disciples, " Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors

19Jesus got up and began to follow him,

and sinners?"

and so did His disciples.

12But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It 20And a woman who had been suffering

is not those who are healthy who need a

from a hemorrhage for twelve years,

physician, but those who are sick.

came up behind Him and touched the

fringe of His cloak;

13"But go and learn what this means: ' I

DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT

21for she was saying to herself, "If I only SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call touch His garment, I will get well."

the righteous, but sinners."

22But Jesus turning and seeing her said,

14Then the disciples of John came to

"Daughter, take courage; your faith has Him, asking, "Why do we and the

made you well." At once the woman was

Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not

made well.

fast?"

23When Jesus came into the official's

15And Jesus said to them, "The

house, and saw the flute-players and

attendants of the bridegroom cannot

the crowd in noisy disorder,

mourn as long as the bridegroom is with

them, can they? But the days will come

24He said, "Leave; for the girl has not when the bridegroom is taken away

died, but is asleep." And they began from them, and then they will fast.

laughing at Him.

25But when the crowd had been sent out, of the kingdom, and healing every kind He entered and took her by the hand,

of disease and every kind of sickness.

and the girl got up.

36Seeing the people, He felt compassion

26This news spread throughout all that

for them, because they were distressed

land.

and dispirited like sheep without a

shepherd.

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind

men followed Him, crying out, "Have

37Then He said to His disciples, " The mercy on us, Son of David!"

harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

28When He entered the house, the blind

men came up to Him, and Jesus said to

38"Therefore beseech the Lord of the them, "Do you believe that I am able to harvest to send out workers into His do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

harvest."

29Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your

10Jesus summoned His twelve

faith."

disciples and gave them authority over

unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to

30And their eyes were opened. And

heal every kind of disease and every

Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no

kind of sickness.

one knows about this!"

2Now the names of the twelve apostles

31But they went out and spread the

are these: The first, Simon, who is

news about Him throughout all that land.

called Peter, and Andrew his brother;

and James the son of Zebedee, and

32As they were going out, a mute,

John his brother;

demon-possessed man was brought to

Him.

3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and

Matthew the tax collector; James the

33After the demon was cast out, the

son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

mute man spoke; and the crowds were

amazed, and were saying, " Nothing like

4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot,

this has ever been seen in Israel."

the one who betrayed Him.

34But the Pharisees were saying, "He 5These twelve Jesus sent out after

casts out the demons by the ruler of the

instructing them: "Do not go in the way demons."

of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city

of the Samaritans;

35Jesus was going through all the cities and

villages,

teaching

in

their

6but rather go to the lost sheep of the synagogues and proclaiming the gospel

house of Israel.

7"And as you go, preach, saying, ' The 18and you will even be brought before kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

governors and kings for My sake, as a

testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

8"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you

19" But when they hand you over, do not

received, freely give.

worry about how or what you are to say;

for it will be given you in that hour what 9" Do not acquire gold, or silver, or you are to say.

copper for your money belts,

20"For it is not you who speak, but it is 10or a bag for your journey, or even two the Spirit of your Father who speaks in coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the

you.

worker is worthy of his support.

21" Brother will betray brother to death, 11"And whatever city or village you enter, and a father his child; and children will inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at rise up against parents and cause them his house until you leave that city.

to be put to death.

12

22

"As you enter the house, give it your

" You will be hated by all because of greeting.

My name, but it is the one who has

endured to the end who will be saved.

13"If the house is worthy, give it your 23

blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy,

"But whenever they persecute you in

take back your blessing of peace.

one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the

14

cities of Israel until the Son of Man

"Whoever does not receive you, nor

comes.

heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off

24

your feet.

" A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

15"Truly I say to you, it will be more 25

tolerable for the land of Sodom and

"It is enough for the disciple that he Gomorrah in the day of judgment than

become like his teacher, and the slave

for that city.

like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much

16

more will they malign the members of

" Behold, I send you out as sheep in his household!

the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as

serpents and innocent as doves.

26"Therefore do not fear them, for there 17

is nothing concealed that will not be

"But beware of men, for they will hand

revealed, or hidden that will not be

you over to the courts and scourge you

known.

in their synagogues;

27" What I tell you in the darkness, speak who loves son or daughter more than in the light; and what you hear

Me is not worthy of Me.

whispered in your ear, proclaim upon

the housetops.

38"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

28"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather 39" He who has found his life will lose it, fear Him who is able to destroy both

and he who has lost his life for My sake

soul and body in hell.

will find it.

29" Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?

40" He who receives you receives Me, And yet not one of them will fall to the and he who receives Me receives Him ground apart from your Father.

who sent Me.

30"But the very hairs of your head are all 41" He who receives a prophet in the numbered.

name of a prophet shall receive a

prophet's reward; and he who receives a

31"So do not fear; you are more valuable

righteous man in the name of a

than many sparrows.

righteous man shall receive a righteous

man's reward.

32"Therefore everyone who confesses

Me before men, I will also confess him

42"And whoever in the name of a disciple

before My Father who is in heaven.

gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to 33"But whoever denies Me before men, I you, he shall not lose his reward."

will also deny him before My Father who

is in heaven.

11When Jesus had finished giving

34" Do not think that I came to bring instructions to His twelve disciples, He peace on the earth; I did not come to

departed from there to teach and preach

bring peace, but a sword.

in their cities.

35"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST

2Now when John, while imprisoned,

HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER

heard of the works of Christ, he sent

AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A

word by his disciples

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER

MOTHER-IN-LAW;

3and said to Him, "Are You the Expected

One, or shall we look for someone

36and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE

else?"

MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

4Jesus answered and said to them, "Go

37" He who loves father or mother more

and report to John what you hear and

than Me is not worthy of Me; and he

see:

5the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the 14"And if you are willing to accept it, lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and John himself is Elijah who was to come.

the deaf hear, the dead are raised up,

and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL

15" He who has ears to hear, let him PREACHED TO THEM.

hear.

6"And blessed is he who does not take 16"But to what shall I compare this offense at Me."

generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the 7As these men were going away, Jesus

other children,

began to speak to the crowds about

John, "What did you go out into the 17and say, 'We played the flute for you,

wilderness to see? A reed shaken by

and you did not dance; we sang a dirge,

the wind?

and you did not mourn.'

8"But what did you go out to see? A man

18"For John came neither eating nor

dressed in soft clothing? Those who

drinking, and they say, ' He has a

wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces!

demon!'

9"But what did you go out to see? A 19"The Son of Man came eating and

prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is

drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a

more than a prophet.

gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend

of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet

10"This is the one about whom it is wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

written, ' BEHOLD, I SEND MY

MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO

20Then He began to denounce the cities

WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE

in which most of His miracles were done,

YOU.'

because they did not repent.

11"Truly I say to you, among those born

21" Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, of women there has not arisen anyone

Bethsaida! For if the miracles had

greater than John the Baptist! Yet the

occurred in Tyre and Sidon which

one who is least in the kingdom of

occurred in you, they would have

heaven is greater than he.

repented long ago in sackcloth and

ashes.

12" From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers

22"Nevertheless I say to you, it will be violence, and violent men take it by more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the

force.

day of judgment than for you.

13"For all the prophets and the Law 23"And you, Capernaum, will not be

prophesied until John.

exalted to heaven, will you? You will

descend to Hades; for if the miracles

had occurred in Sodom which occurred 2But when the Pharisees saw this, they in you, it would have remained to this

said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do day.

what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath."

24"Nevertheless I say to you that it will 3But He said to them, "Have you not be more tolerable for the land of Sodom read what David did when he became

in the day of judgment, than for you."

hungry, he and his companions,

25At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, 4how he entered the house of God, and

Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that

they ate the consecrated bread, which

You have hidden these things from the

was not lawful for him to eat nor for

wise and intelligent and have revealed

those with him, but for the priests alone?

them to infants.

5"Or have you not read in the Law, that

26"Yes, Father, for this way was well-on the Sabbath the priests in the temple

pleasing in Your sight.

break the Sabbath and are innocent?

27" All things have been handed over to

6"But I say to you that something greater Me by My Father; and no one knows the

than the temple is here.

Son except the Father; nor does anyone

know the Father except the Son, and

7"But if you had known what this means,

anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal

' I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A

Him.

SACRIFICE,' you would not have

condemned the innocent.

28" Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

8"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

29"Take My yoke upon you and learn

from Me, for I am gentle and humble in 9Departing from there, He went into their

heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR

synagogue.

YOUR SOULS.

10And a man was there whose hand was

30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is

withered. And they questioned Jesus,

light."

asking, " Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse 12

Him.

At that time Jesus went through

11

the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His

And He said to them, " What man is disciples became hungry and began to

there among you who has a sheep, and

pick the heads of grain and eat.

if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?

12" How much more valuable then is a Jesus, and He healed him, so that the man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful mute man spoke and saw.

to do good on the Sabbath."

23All the crowds were amazed, and were

13Then He said to the man, "Stretch out

saying, "This man cannot be the Son of

your hand!" He stretched it out, and it David, can he?"

was restored to normal, like the other.

24But when the Pharisees heard this,

14But the Pharisees went out and

they said, "This man casts out demons conspired against Him, as to how they

only by Beelzebul the ruler of the

might destroy Him.

demons."

15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew

25And knowing their thoughts Jesus said

from there. Many followed Him, and He

to them, "Any kingdom divided against healed them all,

itself is laid waste; and any city or house

divided against itself will not stand.

16and warned them not to tell who He

was.

26"If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his

17This was to fulfill what was spoken

kingdom stand?

through Isaiah the prophet:

27"If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by

18" BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I

whom do your sons cast them out? For

HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN

this reason they will be your judges.

WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I

WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND

28"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO

of God, then the kingdom of God has

THE GENTILES.

come upon you.

19" HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR

29"Or how can anyone enter the strong CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR

man's house and carry off his property,

HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

unless he first binds the strong man?

And then he will plunder his house.

20" A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT

OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE

30" He who is not with Me is against Me;

WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE

and he who does not gather with Me

LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

scatters.

21" AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES

31" Therefore I say to you, any sin and WILL HOPE."

blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but

blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be

22Then a demon-possessed man who

forgiven.

was blind and mute was brought to

32" Whoever speaks a word against the 41" The men of Nineveh will stand up Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but with this generation at the judgment,

whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit,

and will condemn it because they

it shall not be forgiven him, either in this

repented at the preaching of Jonah; and

age or in the age to come.

behold, something greater than Jonah is

here.

33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit 42" The Queen of the South will rise up bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

with this generation at the judgment and

will condemn it, because she came from

34" You brood of vipers, how can you, the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom

being evil, speak what is good? For the of Solomon; and behold, something

mouth speaks out of that which fills the greater than Solomon is here.

heart.

43"Now when the unclean spirit goes out

35" The good man brings out of his good

of a man, it passes through waterless

treasure what is good; and the evil man

places seeking rest, and does not find it.

brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

44"Then it says, 'I will return to my house 36"But I tell you that every careless word from which I came'; and when it comes, that people speak, they shall give an

it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in accounting for it in the day of judgment.

order.

37

45

"For by your words you will be justified,

"Then it goes and takes along with it and by your words you will be

seven other spirits more wicked than

condemned."

itself, and they go in and live there; and

the last state of that man becomes

38

worse than the first. That is the way it Then some of the scribes and

will also be with this evil generation."

Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we

want to see a sign from You."

46While He was still speaking to the

39

crowds,

behold,

His

mother

and

But He answered and said to them, "

brothers were standing outside, seeking

An evil and adulterous generation

to speak to Him.

craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be

given to it but the sign of Jonah the

47

prophet;

Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your

mother and Your brothers are standing

40

outside seeking to speak to You."

for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS

AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY

48

OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the

But Jesus answered the one who was

Son of Man be three days and three

telling Him and said, "Who is My mother

nights in the heart of the earth.

and who are My brothers?"

49And stretching out His hand toward 10And the disciples came and said to His disciples, He said, "Behold My

Him, "Why do You speak to them in

mother and My brothers!

parables?"

50"For whoever does the will of My

11Jesus answered them, " To you it has

Father who is in heaven, he is My

been granted to know the mysteries of

brother and sister and mother."

the kingdom of heaven, but to them it

has not been granted.

13

12

That day Jesus went out of the

" For whoever has, to him more shall house and was sitting by the sea.

be given, and he will have an

abundance; but whoever does not have,

2

even what he has shall be taken away

And large crowds gathered to Him, so

from him.

He got into a boat and sat down, and

the whole crowd was standing on the

13

beach.

"Therefore I speak to them in parables;

because while seeing they do not see,

3

and while hearing they do not hear, nor And He spoke many things to them in

do they understand.

parables, saying, "Behold, the sower

went out to sow;

14"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is 4

being fulfilled, which says, ' YOU WILL

and as he sowed, some seeds fell

KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT

beside the road, and the birds came and

UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON

ate them up.

SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

5"Others fell on the rocky places, where

15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE

they did not have much soil; and

HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR

immediately they sprang up, because

EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND

they had no depth of soil.

THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,

OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE

6"But when the sun had risen, they were

WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH

scorched; and because they had no root,

THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND

they withered away.

WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,

AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

7"Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

16" But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they

8"And others fell on the good soil and hear.

yielded a crop, some a hundredfold,

some sixty, and some thirty.

17"For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to

9" He who has ears, let him hear."

see what you see, and did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, and did not 25"But while his men were sleeping, his hear it.

enemy came and sowed tares among

the wheat, and went away.

18" Hear then the parable of the sower.

26"But when the wheat sprouted and

19"When anyone hears the word of the bore grain, then the tares became

kingdom and does not understand it, the

evident also.

evil one comes and snatches away what

has been sown in his heart. This is the 27"The slaves of the landowner came

one on whom seed was sown beside

and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow the road.

good seed in your field? How then does

it have tares?'

20"The one on whom seed was sown on

the rocky places, this is the man who

28"And he said to them, 'An enemy has hears

the

word

and

immediately

done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do receives it with joy;

you want us, then, to go and gather

them up?'

21yet he has no firm root in himself, but

is only temporary, and when affliction or

29"But he said, 'No; for while you are persecution arises because of the word,

gathering up the tares, you may uproot

immediately he falls away.

the wheat with them.

22"And the one on whom seed was sown

30'Allow both to grow together until the among the thorns, this is the man who

harvest; and in the time of the harvest I

hears the word, and the worry of the

will say to the reapers, "First gather up world and the deceitfulness of wealth the tares and bind them in bundles to

choke the word, and it becomes

burn them up; but gather the wheat into

unfruitful.

my barn."'"

23"And the one on whom seed was sown

31He presented another parable to them,

on the good soil, this is the man who

saying, " The kingdom of heaven is like hears the word and understands it; who

a mustard seed, which a man took and

indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some

sowed in his field;

a hundredfold, some sixty, and some

thirty."

32and this is smaller than all other seeds,

but when it is full grown, it is larger than

24Jesus presented another parable to

the garden plants and becomes a tree,

them, saying, " The kingdom of heaven so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come

may be compared to a man who sowed

and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."

good seed in his field.

33He spoke another parable to them, "

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,

which a woman took and hid in three 43" Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL

pecks of flour until it was all leavened."

SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the

kingdom of their Father. He who has

34All these things Jesus spoke to the

ears, let him hear.

crowds in parables, and He did not

speak to them without a parable.

44" The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man

35This was to fulfill what was spoken

found and hid again; and from joy over it

through the prophet: " I WILL OPEN MY

he goes and sells all that he has and

MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER

buys that field.

THINGS

HIDDEN

SINCE

THE

FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."

45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

36Then He left the crowds and went into

the house. And His disciples came to

46and upon finding one pearl of great

Him and said, " Explain to us the

value, he went and sold all that he had parable of the tares of the field."

and bought it.

37And He said, "The one who sows the 47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a good seed is the Son of Man, dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering

fish of every kind;

38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the

48and when it was filled, they drew it up

kingdom; and the tares are the sons of

on the beach; and they sat down and

the evil one;

gathered the good fish into containers,

but the bad they threw away.

39and the enemy who sowed them is the

devil, and the harvest is the end of the 49"So it will be at the end of the age; the age; and the reapers are angels.

angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

40"So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the 50and will throw them into the furnace of

end of the age.

fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

41" The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His 51"Have you understood all these kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those

things?" They said to Him, "Yes."

who commit lawlessness,

52And Jesus said to them, "Therefore 42and will throw them into the furnace of

every scribe who has become a disciple

fire; in that place there will be weeping of the kingdom of heaven is like a head

and gnashing of teeth.

of a household, who brings out of his

treasure things new and old."

53When Jesus had finished these 5Although Herod wanted to put him to parables, He departed from there.

death, he feared the crowd, because

they regarded John as a prophet.

54He came to His hometown and began

teaching them in their synagogue, so

6But when Herod's birthday came, the

that they were astonished, and said,

daughter of Herodias danced before

"Where did this man get this wisdom them and pleased Herod,

and these miraculous powers?

7so much that he promised with an oath

55"Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not to give her whatever she asked.

His mother called Mary, and His

brothers, James and Joseph and Simon

8Having been prompted by her mother,

and Judas?

she said, "Give me here on a platter the

head of John the Baptist."

56"And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all 9Although he was grieved, the king

these things?"

commanded it to be given because of

his oaths, and because of his dinner

57And they took offense at Him. But

guests.

Jesus said to them, " A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown

10He sent and had John beheaded in the

and in his own household."

prison.

58And He did not do many miracles

11And his head was brought on a platter

there because of their unbelief.

and given to the girl, and she brought it

to her mother.

14At that time Herod the tetrarch 12His disciples came and took away the heard the news about Jesus, body and buried it; and they went and

reported to Jesus.

2and said to his servants, " This is John 13

the Baptist; he has risen from the dead,

Now when Jesus heard about John,

and that is why miraculous powers are

He withdrew from there in a boat to a

at work in him."

secluded place by Himself; and when

the people heard of this, they followed

3For when Herod had John arrested, he

Him on foot from the cities.

bound him and put him in prison

14

because of Herodias, the wife of his

When He went ashore, He saw a large

brother Philip.

crowd, and felt compassion for them

and healed their sick.

4For John had been saying to him, " It is 15

not lawful for you to have her."

When it was evening, the disciples

came to Him and said, "This place is

desolate and the hour is already late; so 25And in the fourth watch of the night He send the crowds away, that they may go

came to them, walking on the sea.

into the villages and buy food for

themselves."

26When the disciples saw Him walking

on the sea, they were terrified, and said,

16But Jesus said to them, "They do not

"It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

need to go away; you give them

something to eat!"

27But immediately Jesus spoke to them,

saying, " Take courage, it is I; do not be 17They said to Him, "We have here only

afraid."

five loaves and two fish."

28Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, 18And He said, "Bring them here to Me."

command me to come to You on the

water."

19Ordering the people to sit down on the

grass, He took the five loaves and the

29And He said, "Come!" And Peter got two fish, and looking up toward heaven,

out of the boat, and walked on the water

He blessed the food, and breaking the

and came toward Jesus.

loaves He gave them to the disciples,

and the disciples gave them to the

30But seeing the wind, he became

crowds,

frightened, and beginning to sink, he

cried out, "Lord, save me!"

20and they all ate and were satisfied.

They picked up what was left over of the

31Immediately Jesus stretched out His

broken pieces, twelve full baskets.

hand and took hold of him, and said to him, " You of little faith, why did you 21There were about five thousand men doubt?"

who ate, besides women and children.

32When they got into the boat, the wind

22Immediately He made the disciples get

stopped.

into the boat and go ahead of Him to the

other side, while He sent the crowds

33And those who were in the boat

away.

worshiped Him, saying, "You are

certainly God's Son!"

23After He had sent the crowds away,

He went up on the mountain by Himself

34When they had crossed over, they

to pray; and when it was evening, He

came to land at Gennesaret.

was there alone.

35And when the men of that place

24But the boat was already a long

recognized Him, they sent word into all

distance from the land, battered by the

that surrounding district and brought to

waves; for the wind was contrary.

Him all who were sick;

36and they implored Him that they might 10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as

He said to them, "Hear and understand.

many as touched it were cured.

11" It is not what enters into the mouth 15

that defiles the man, but what proceeds

Then some Pharisees and scribes

out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

12Then the disciples came and said to

2

Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees

"Why do Your disciples break the

tradition of the elders? For they do not were offended when they heard this

wash their hands when they eat bread."

statement?"

13

3

But He answered and said, " Every

And He answered and said to them,

plant which My heavenly Father did not

"Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of

plant shall be uprooted.

your tradition?

14"Let them alone; they are blind guides

4

of the blind. And if a blind man guides a

"For God said, ' HONOR YOUR

blind man, both will fall into a pit."

FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, ' HE

WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR

15

MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'

Peter said to Him, " Explain the

parable to us."

5"But you say, 'Whoever says to his 16

father or mother, "Whatever I have that Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in would help you has been given to God,"

understanding also?

6

17

he is not to honor his father or his

"Do

you

not

understand

that

mother .' And by this you invalidated the

everything that goes into the mouth

word of God for the sake of your

passes into the stomach, and is

tradition.

eliminated?

7

18

"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah

"But the things that proceed out of the

prophesy of you:

mouth come from the heart, and those

defile the man.

8' THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH

19

THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS

" For out of the heart come evil

FAR AWAY FROM ME.

thoughts,

murders,

adulteries,

fornications,

thefts,

false

witness,

9'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,

slanders.

TEACHING

AS

DOCTRINES

THE

20

PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

"These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands

does not defile the man."

21Jesus went away from there, and and they laid them down at His feet; and withdrew into the district of Tyre and

He healed them.

Sidon.

31So the crowd marveled as they saw

22And a Canaanite woman from that

the mute speaking, the crippled restored,

region came out and began to cry out,

and the lame walking, and the blind

saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son seeing; and they glorified the God of

of David; my daughter is cruelly demon—

Israel.

possessed."

32And Jesus called His disciples to Him,

23But He did not answer her a word. And

and said, " I feel compassion for the His disciples came and implored Him,

people, because they have remained

saying, "Send her away, because she

with Me now three days and have

keeps shouting at us."

nothing to eat; and I do not want to send

them away hungry, for they might faint

24But He answered and said, "I was sent

on the way."

only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

33The disciples said to Him, "Where

would we get so many loaves in this

25But she came and began to bow down

desolate place to satisfy such a large

before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

crowd?"

26

34

And He answered and said, "It is not And Jesus said to them, "How many

good to take the children's bread and

loaves do you have?" And they said, throw it to the dogs."

"Seven, and a few small fish."

27

35

But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the

And He directed the people to sit down

dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from

on the ground;

their masters' table."

36and He took the seven loaves and the

28Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, fish; and giving thanks, He broke them

your faith is great; it shall be done for and started giving them to the disciples,

you as you wish." And her daughter was

and the disciples gave them to the

healed at once.

people.

29

37

Departing from there, Jesus went

And they all ate and were satisfied,

along by the Sea of Galilee, and having

and they picked up what was left over of

gone up on the mountain, He was sitting

the broken pieces, seven large baskets

there.

full.

30

38

And large crowds came to Him,

And those who ate were four thousand

bringing with them those who were lame,

men, besides women and children.

crippled, blind, mute, and many others,

39And sending away the crowds, Jesus thousand, and how many baskets full got into the boat and came to the region

you picked up?

of Magadan.

10"Or the seven loaves of the four

16

thousand, and how many large baskets

The Pharisees and Sadducees

full you picked up?

came up, and testing Jesus, they asked

11

Him to show them a sign from heaven.

"How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning 2But He replied to them, " When it is bread? But beware of the leaven of the evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather,

Pharisees and Sadducees."

for the sky is red.'

12Then they understood that He did not

3

say to beware of the leaven of bread,

"And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and

but of the teaching of the Pharisees and

threatening.' Do you know how to

Sadducees.

discern the appearance of the sky, but

13

cannot discern the signs of the times?

Now when Jesus came into the district

of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His

4" An evil and adulterous generation disciples, "Who do people say that the seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be Son of Man is?"

given it, except the sign of Jonah." And 14

He left them and went away.

And they said, "Some say John the

Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still

5And the disciples came to the other

others, Jeremiah, or one of the

side of the sea, but they had forgotten to

prophets."

bring any bread.

15He said to them, "But who do you say

6And Jesus said to them, "Watch out that I am?"

and beware of the leaven of the

16

Pharisees and Sadducees."

Simon Peter answered, "You are the

Christ, the Son of the living God."

7They began to discuss this among

17

themselves, saying, "He said that

And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are because we did not bring any bread."

you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and

blood did not reveal this to you, but My 8

Father who is in heaven.

But Jesus, aware of this, said, " You men of little faith, why do you discuss 18

among yourselves that you have no

"I also say to you that you are Peter, bread?

and upon this rock I will build My church;

and the gates of Hades will not

9

overpower it.

"Do you not yet understand or

remember the five loaves of the five

19"I will give you the keys of the kingdom and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN

of heaven; and whatever you bind on

ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

earth shall have been bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth shall

28"Truly I say to you, there are some of have been loosed in heaven."

those who are standing here who will

not taste death until they see the Son of

20Then He warned the disciples that

Man coming in His kingdom."

they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

17Six days later Jesus took with Him

21From that time Jesus began to show

Peter and James and John his brother,

His disciples that He must go to

and led them up on a high mountain by

Jerusalem, and suffer many things from

themselves.

the elders and chief priests and scribes,

and be killed, and be raised up on the 2

third day.

And He was transfigured before them;

and His face shone like the sun, and His

22

garments became as white as light.

Peter took Him aside and began to

rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord!

3

This shall never happen to You."

And

behold,

Moses

and

Elijah

appeared to them, talking with Him.

23But He turned and said to Peter, "Get

4

behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for block to Me; for you are not setting your

us to be here; if You wish, I will make mind on God's interests, but man's."

three tabernacles here, one for You, and

one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

24Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If 5

anyone wishes to come after Me, he

While he was still speaking, a bright

must deny himself, and take up his

cloud overshadowed them, and behold,

cross and follow Me.

a voice out of the cloud said, " This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-25

pleased; listen to Him!"

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for

6

My sake will find it.

When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were

26

terrified.

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or

7

what will a man give in exchange for his

And Jesus came to them and touched

soul?

them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid."

27"For the Son of Man is going to come

8

in the glory of His Father with His angels,

And lifting up their eyes, they saw no

one except Jesus Himself alone.

9As they were coming down from the 19Then the disciples came to Jesus mountain, Jesus commanded them,

privately and said, "Why could we not saying, " Tell the vision to no one until drive it out?"

the Son of Man has risen from the

dead."

20And He said to them, "Because of the

littleness of your faith; for truly I say to 10And His disciples asked Him, "Why you, if you have faith the size of a

then do the scribes say that Elijah must

mustard seed, you will say to this

come first?"

mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and

it will move; and nothing will be

11And He answered and said, "Elijah is impossible to you.

coming and will restore all things;

21[" But this kind does not go out except 12but I say to you that Elijah already

by prayer and fasting."]

came, and they did not recognize him,

but did to him whatever they wished. So

22And while they were gathering

also the Son of Man is going to suffer at

together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, their hands."

"The Son of Man is going to be

delivered into the hands of men;

13Then the disciples understood that He

had spoken to them about John the

23and they will kill Him, and He will be Baptist.

raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved.

14When they came to the crowd, a man

came up to Jesus, falling on his knees

24When they came to Capernaum, those

before Him and saying,

who collected the two-drachma tax

came to Peter and said, "Does your

15"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is

teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?"

a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls

into the fire and often into the water.

25He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,

16"I brought him to Your disciples, and saying, "What do you think, Simon?

they could not cure him."

From whom do the kings of the earth

collect customs or poll-tax, from their

17

sons or from strangers?"

And Jesus answered and said, "You

unbelieving and perverted generation,

26

how long shall I be with you? How long When Peter said, "From strangers,"

shall I put up with you? Bring him here Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are to Me."

exempt.

18

27

And Jesus rebuked him, and the

"However, so that we do not offend

demon came out of him, and the boy

them, go to the sea and throw in a hook,

was cured at once.

and take the first fish that comes up;

and when you open its mouth, you will 9" If your eye causes you to stumble, find a shekel. Take that and give it to pluck it out and throw it from you. It is them for you and Me."

better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

18At that time the disciples came to 10

Jesus and said, " Who then is greatest

"See that you do not despise one of in the kingdom of heaven?"

these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see

2

the face of My Father who is in heaven.

And He called a child to Himself and

set him before them,

11[" For the Son of Man has come to 3

save that which was lost.]

and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like

12

children, you will not enter the kingdom

"What do you think? If any man has a

of heaven.

hundred sheep, and one of them has

gone astray, does he not leave the

4

ninety-nine on the mountains and go

"Whoever then humbles himself as this

and search for the one that is straying?

child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

13"If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say 5

to you, he rejoices over it more than

"And whoever receives one such child over the ninety-nine which have not

in My name receives Me;

gone astray.

6but whoever causes one of these little

14"So it is not the will of your Father who ones who believe in Me to stumble, it

is in heaven that one of these little ones

would be better for him to have a heavy

perish.

millstone hung around his neck, and to

be drowned in the depth of the sea.

15" If your brother sins , go and show 7

him his fault in private; if he listens to

"Woe to the world because of its

you, you have won your brother.

stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that

stumbling blocks come; but woe to that

16

man through whom the stumbling block

"But if he does not listen to you, take comes!

one or two more with you, so that BY

THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE

8

WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE

" If your hand or your foot causes you CONFIRMED.

to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life 17

crippled or lame, than to have two

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to hands or two feet and be cast into the the church; and if he refuses to listen eternal fire.

even to the church, let him be to you as

a Gentile and a tax collector.

18"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind 27"And the lord of that slave felt on earth shall have been bound in

compassion and released him and

heaven; and whatever you loose on

forgave him the debt.

earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

28"But that slave went out and found one

19"Again I say to you, that if two of you of his fellow slaves who owed him a agree on earth about anything that they

hundred denarii; and he seized him and

may ask, it shall be done for them by My

began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back

Father who is in heaven.

what you owe.'

20"For where two or three have gathered

29"So his fellow slave fell to the ground together in My name, I am there in their and began to plead with him, saying,

midst."

'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

21Then Peter came and said to Him,

"Lord, how often shall my brother sin 30"But he was unwilling and went and against me and I forgive him? Up to threw him in prison until he should pay seven times?"

back what was owed.

22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, 31"So when his fellow slaves saw what up to seven times, but up to seventy had happened, they were deeply

times seven.

grieved and came and reported to their

lord all that had happened.

23"For this reason the kingdom of

heaven may be compared to a king who

32"Then summoning him, his lord said to

wished to settle accounts with his slaves. him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

24"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents

33' Should you not also have had mercy

was brought to him.

on your fellow slave, in the same way

that I had mercy on you?'

25"But since he did not have the means

to repay, his lord commanded him to be

34"And his lord, moved with anger,

sold, along with his wife and children

handed him over to the torturers until he

and all that he had, and repayment to be

should repay all that was owed him.

made.

35" My heavenly Father will also do the 26"So the slave fell to the ground and same to you, if each of you does not prostrated himself before him, saying,

forgive his brother from your heart."

'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

19When Jesus had finished these

words, He departed from Galilee and

came into the region of Judea beyond 11But He said to them, " Not all men can the Jordan;

accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.

2and large crowds followed Him, and He

healed them there.

12"For there are eunuchs who were born

that way from their mother's womb; and

3Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing

there are eunuchs who were made

Him and asking, " Is it lawful for a man eunuchs by men; and there are also to divorce his wife for any reason at all?"

eunuchs

who

made

themselves

eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of

4

heaven. He who is able to accept this,

And He answered and said, "Have you

let him accept it."

not read that He who created them from

the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND

13

FEMALE,

Then some children were brought to

Him so that He might lay His hands on

5

them and pray; and the disciples

and said, ' FOR THIS REASON A MAN

rebuked them.

SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND

MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS

14

WIFE,

AND

THE

TWO

SHALL

But Jesus said, " Let the children alone, BECOME ONE FLESH'?

and do not hinder them from coming to

Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs

6

to such as these."

"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined

15

together, let no man separate."

After laying His hands on them, He

departed from there.

7They said to Him, " Why then did

16

Moses command to GIVE HER A

And someone came to Him and said,

CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND

"Teacher, what good thing shall I do that SEND her AWAY?"

I may obtain eternal life?"

8

17

He said to them, "Because of your

And He said to him, "Why are you

hardness of heart Moses permitted you

asking Me about what is good? There is

to divorce your wives; but from the

only One who is good; but if you wish to

beginning it has not been this way.

enter

into

life,

keep

the

commandments."

9"And I say to you, whoever divorces his

18

wife, except for immorality, and marries

Then he said to Him, "Which ones?"

another woman commits adultery."

And Jesus said, " YOU SHALL NOT

COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT

10

COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL

The disciples said to Him, "If the

NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR

relationship of the man with his wife is FALSE WITNESS;

like this, it is better not to marry."

19HONOR

YOUR

FATHER

AND

shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging

MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE

the twelve tribes of Israel.

YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

29"And everyone who has left houses or

20The young man said to Him, "All these

brothers or sisters or father or mother or

things I have kept; what am I still

children or farms for My name's sake,

lacking?"

will receive many times as much, and

will inherit eternal life.

21Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions 30" But many who are first will be last; and give to the poor, and you will have and the last, first.

treasure in heaven; and come, follow

Me."

20"For the kingdom of heaven is like 22But when the young man heard this

a landowner who went out early in the

statement, he went away grieving; for he

morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

was one who owned much property.

2

23

"When he had agreed with the laborers

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly

for a denarius for the day, he sent them

I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to into his vineyard.

enter the kingdom of heaven.

3

24

"And he went out about the third hour

"Again I say to you, it is easier for a and saw others standing idle in the camel to go through the eye of a needle,

market place;

than for a rich man to enter the kingdom

of God."

4and to those he said, 'You also go into

25

the vineyard, and whatever is right I will

When the disciples heard this, they

give you.' And so they went.

were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?"

5"Again he went out about the sixth and

26

the ninth hour, and did the same thing.

And looking at them Jesus said to

them, " With people this is impossible, 6

but with God all things are possible."

"And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around;

27

and he said to them, 'Why have you

Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we been standing here idle all day long?'

have left everything and followed You;

what then will there be for us?"

7"They said to him, 'Because no one 28

hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to

the vineyard too.'

you, that you who have followed Me, in

the regeneration when the Son of Man

will sit on His glorious throne, you also

8"When evening came, the owner of the 18"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the

and the Son of Man will be delivered to laborers and pay them their wages,

the chief priests and scribes, and they

beginning with the last group to the first.'

will condemn Him to death,

9"When those hired about the eleventh 19and will hand Him over to the Gentiles

hour came, each one received a

to mock and scourge and crucify Him,

denarius.

and on the third day He will be raised up."

10"When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more;

20Then the mother of the sons of

but each of them also received a

Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons,

denarius.

bowing down and making a request of

Him.

11"When they received it, they grumbled

at the landowner,

21And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that 12saying, 'These last men have worked in Your kingdom these two sons of mine

only one hour, and you have made them

may sit one on Your right and one on

equal to us who have borne the burden

Your left."

and the scorching heat of the day.'

22But Jesus answered, "You do not

13"But he answered and said to one of know what you are asking. Are you able

them, ' Friend, I am doing you no wrong;

to drink the cup that I am about to

did you not agree with me for a denarius? drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."

14

23

'Take what is yours and go, but I wish

He said to them, " My cup you shall to give to this last man the same as to drink; but to sit on My right and on My you.

left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by 15

My Father."

'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish

with what is my own? Or is your eye

24

envious because I am generous?'

And hearing this, the ten became

indignant with the two brothers.

16"So the last shall be first, and the first 25

last."

But Jesus called them to Himself and

said, "You know that the rulers of the 17

Gentiles lord it over them, and their

As Jesus was about to go up to

great men exercise authority over them.

Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples

aside by themselves, and on the way He

26

said to them,

"It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among

you shall be your servant,

27and whoever wishes to be first among 3"If anyone says anything to you, you you shall be your slave; shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,'

and immediately he will send them."

28just as the Son of Man did not come to

be served, but to serve, and to give His

4This took place to fulfill what was

life a ransom for many."

spoken through the prophet:

29As they were leaving Jericho, a large

5" SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,

crowd followed Him.

'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO

YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A

30And two blind men sitting by the road,

DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE

hearing that Jesus was passing by,

FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son

of David!"

6The disciples went and did just as

Jesus had instructed them,

31The crowd sternly told them to be quiet,

but they cried out all the more, "Lord, 7and brought the donkey and the colt, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

and laid their coats on them; and He sat

on the coats.

32And Jesus stopped and called them,

and said, "What do you want Me to do 8Most of the crowd spread their coats in

for you?"

the road, and others were cutting

branches from the trees and spreading

33They said to Him, "Lord, we want our them in the road.

eyes to be opened."

9The crowds going ahead of Him, and

34Moved with compassion, Jesus

those who followed, were shouting,

touched their eyes; and immediately

"Hosanna to the Son of David;

they regained their sight and followed

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE

Him.

NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the

highest!"

21

10

When

they

had

approached

When He had entered Jerusalem, all

the city was stirred, saying, "Who is Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage,

this?"

at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent

two disciples,

11And the crowds were saying, "This is 2

the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in

saying to them, "Go into the village Galilee."

opposite you, and immediately you will

find a donkey tied there and a colt with 12

her; untie them and bring them to Me.

And Jesus entered the temple and

drove out all those who were buying and

selling in the temple, and overturned the

tables of the money changers and the 21And Jesus answered and said to them, seats of those who were selling doves.

"Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what 13And He said to them, "It is written, ' MY

was done to the fig tree, but even if you

HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE

say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and

OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a

cast into the sea,' it will happen.

ROBBERS' DEN."

22"And all things you ask in prayer, 14And the blind and the lame came to

believing, you will receive."

Him in the temple, and He healed them.

23When He entered the temple, the chief

15But when the chief priests and the

priests and the elders of the people

scribes saw the wonderful things that He

came to Him while He was teaching,

had done, and the children who were

and said, "By what authority are You shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the

doing these things, and who gave You

Son of David," they became indignant

this authority?"

16

24

and said to Him, "Do You hear what Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you

these children are saying?" And Jesus one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also

said to them, "Yes; have you never read,

tell you by what authority I do these

' OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS

things.

AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE

PREPARED

PRAISE

FOR

25"The baptism of John was from what YOURSELF'?"

source, from heaven or from men?" And

they

began

reasoning

among

17And He left them and went out of the themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From city to Bethany, and spent the night heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did

there.

you not believe him?'

18

26

Now in the morning, when He was

"But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the

returning to the city, He became hungry.

people; for they all regard John as a

prophet."

19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He

27

came to it and found nothing on it

And answering Jesus, they said, "We

except leaves only; and He said to it,

do not know." He also said to them,

"No longer shall there ever be any fruit

"Neither will I tell you by what authority I from you." And at once the fig tree do these things.

withered.

28"But what do you think? A man had 20Seeing this, the disciples were

two sons, and he came to the first and amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree

said, 'Son, go work today in the

wither all at once?"

vineyard.'

29"And he answered, 'I will not'; but 38"But when the vine-growers saw the afterward he regretted it and went.

son, they said among themselves, 'This

is the heir; come, let us kill him and 30"The man came to the second and

seize his inheritance.'

said the same thing; and he answered, 'I

will, sir'; but he did not go.

39"They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

31"Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus 40"Therefore when the owner of the said to them, "Truly I say to you that the vineyard comes, what will he do to those

tax collectors and prostitutes will get into

vine-growers?"

the kingdom of God before you.

41They said to Him, "He will bring those

32"For John came to you in the way of wretches to a wretched end, and will

righteousness and you did not believe

rent out the vineyard to other vine—

him;

but

the

tax

collectors

and

growers who will pay him the proceeds

prostitutes did believe him; and you,

at the proper seasons."

seeing this, did not even feel remorse

afterward so as to believe him.

42Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, ' THE STONE

33"Listen to another parable. There was WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

a

landowner

who

PLANTED

A

THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER

VINEYARD

AND

PUT

A

WALL

stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE

AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS

LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN

IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and

OUR EYES'?

rented it out to vine-growers and went

on a journey.

43"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and

34"When the harvest time approached,

given to a people, producing the fruit of he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to

it.

receive his produce.

44"And he who falls on this stone will be 35"The vine-growers took his slaves and

broken to pieces; but on whomever it

beat one, and killed another, and stoned

falls, it will scatter him like dust."

a third.

45When the chief priests and the

36"Again he sent another group of slaves

Pharisees heard His parables, they

larger than the first; and they did the understood that He was speaking about

same thing to them.

them.

37"But afterward he sent his son to them, 46When they sought to seize Him, they

saying, 'They will respect my son.'

feared

the people,

because they

considered Him to be a prophet.

11

22

"But when the king came in to look Jesus spoke to them again in

over the dinner guests, he saw a man

parables, saying,

there who was not dressed in wedding

clothes,

2" The kingdom of heaven may be

12

compared to a king who gave a wedding

and he said to him, ' Friend, how did

feast for his son.

you come in here without wedding

clothes?' And the man was speechless.

3"And he sent out his slaves to call 13

those who had been invited to the

"Then the king said to the servants, wedding feast, and they were unwilling

'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him

to come.

into the outer darkness; in that place

there will be weeping and gnashing of

teeth.'

4"Again he sent out other slaves saying,

'Tell those who have been invited,

14

"Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my

"For many are called, but few are

oxen and my fattened livestock are all

chosen."

butchered and everything is ready;

15

come to the wedding feast."'

Then the Pharisees went and plotted

together how they might trap Him in

5"But they paid no attention and went what He said.

their way, one to his own farm, another 16

to his business,

And they sent their disciples to Him,

along with the Herodians, saying,

6and the rest seized his slaves and

"Teacher, we know that You are truthful

mistreated them and killed them.

and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any.

7"But the king was enraged, and he sent

his

armies

and

destroyed

those

17

murderers and set their city on fire.

"Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or 8

not?"

"Then he said to his slaves, 'The

wedding is ready, but those who were

18

invited were not worthy.

But Jesus perceived their malice, and

said, "Why are you testing Me, you

9

hypocrites?

'Go therefore to the main highways,

and as many as you find there, invite to

19"Show Me the coin used for the poll-the wedding feast.'

tax." And they brought Him a denarius.

10"Those slaves went out into the streets 20

and gathered together all they found,

And He said to them, "Whose likeness

and inscription is this?"

both evil and good; and the wedding hall

was filled with dinner guests.

21They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He 32' I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND

said to them, " Then render to Caesar THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD

the things that are Caesar's; and to God

OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the

the things that are God's."

dead but of the living."

22And hearing this, they were amazed,

33When the crowds heard this, they

and leaving Him, they went away.

were astonished at His teaching.

23On that day some Sadducees (who

34But when the Pharisees heard that

say there is no resurrection) came to

Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they

Jesus and questioned Him,

gathered themselves together.

24asking, "Teacher, Moses said, ' IF A 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a

MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN,

question, testing Him,

HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN

SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE

36"Teacher,

which

is

the

great

UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.'

commandment in the Law?"

25"Now there were seven brothers with 37And He said to him, " ' YOU SHALL

us; and the first married and died, and LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH

having no children left his wife to his ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL

brother;

YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR

MIND.'

26so also the second, and the third,

down to the seventh.

38"This is the great and foremost

commandment.

27"Last of all, the woman died.

39"The second is like it, ' YOU SHALL

28"In the resurrection, therefore, whose LOVE

YOUR

NEIGHBOR

AS

wife of the seven will she be? For they YOURSELF.'

all had married her."

40" On these two commandments

29But Jesus answered and said to them,

depend the whole Law and the

"You are mistaken, not understanding

Prophets."

the Scriptures nor the power of God.

41Now while the Pharisees were

30"For in the resurrection they neither gathered together, Jesus asked them a

marry nor are given in marriage, but are

question:

like angels in heaven.

42"What do you think about the Christ, 31"But regarding the resurrection of the whose son is He?" They said to Him, "

dead, have you not read what was

The son of David."

spoken to you by God:

43He said to them, "Then how does 7and respectful greetings in the market David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying, places, and being called Rabbi by men.

44' THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT

8"But do not be called Rabbi; for One is

AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT

your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR

FEET"'?

9"Do not call anyone on earth your

father; for One is your Father, He who is

45"If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is in heaven.

He his son?"

10"Do not be called leaders; for One is 46No one was able to answer Him a

your Leader, that is, Christ.

word, nor did anyone dare from that day

on to ask Him another question.

11" But the greatest among you shall be

your servant.

23Then Jesus spoke to the crowds 12" Whoever exalts himself shall be and to His disciples, humbled; and whoever humbles himself

shall be exalted.

2saying: " The scribes and the Pharisees

13

have seated themselves in the chair of

" But woe to you, scribes and

Moses;

Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut

off the kingdom of heaven from people;

3therefore all that they tell you, do and for you do not enter in yourselves, nor observe, but do not do according to their do you allow those who are entering to

deeds; for they say things and do not do

go in.

them.

14[" Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

4" They tie up heavy burdens and lay hypocrites, because you devour widows'

them on men's shoulders, but they

houses, and for a pretense you make

themselves are unwilling to move them

long prayers; therefore you will receive

greater condemnation.]

with so much as a finger.

15

5"But they do all their deeds to be

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

noticed by men; for they broaden their

hypocrites, because you travel around

phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of

on sea and land to make one proselyte;

and when he becomes one, you make

their garments.

him twice as much a son of hell as

6

yourselves.

"They love the place of honor at

banquets and the chief seats in the

16

synagogues,

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, '

Whoever swears by the temple, that is

nothing; but whoever swears by the gold 26"You blind Pharisee, first clean the of the temple is obligated.'

inside of the cup and of the dish, so that

the outside of it may become clean also.

17"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple

27" Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, that sanctified the gold?

hypocrites!

For

you

are

like

whitewashed tombs which on the

18"And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, outside appear beautiful, but inside they

that is nothing, but whoever swears by

are full of dead men's bones and all

the offering on it, he is obligated.'

uncleanness.

19

28

"You blind men, which is more

"So you, too, outwardly

appear

important, the offering, or the altar that righteous to men, but inwardly you are

sanctifies the offering?

full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

20

29

"Therefore, whoever swears by the

" Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, altar, swears both by the altar and by

hypocrites! For you build the tombs of

everything on it.

the prophets and adorn the monuments

of the righteous,

21"And whoever swears by the temple, 30

swears both by the temple and by Him

and say, 'If we had been living in the who dwells within it.

days of our fathers, we would not have

been partners with them in shedding the

22

blood of the prophets.'

"And whoever swears by heaven,

swears both by the throne of God and

31

by Him who sits upon it.

"So you testify against yourselves, that

you are sons of those who murdered the

23

prophets.

" Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill

32

and cummin, and have neglected the

"Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt weightier provisions of the law: justice of your fathers.

and mercy and faithfulness; but these

are the things you should have done

33"You serpents, you brood of vipers, without neglecting the others.

how will you escape the sentence of hell?

24"You blind guides, who strain out a 34" Therefore, behold, I am sending you gnat and swallow a camel!

prophets and wise men and scribes;

some of them you will kill and crucify, 25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, and some of them you will scourge in hypocrites! For you clean the outside of your synagogues, and persecute from

the cup and of the dish, but inside they city to city,

are full of robbery and self-indulgence.

35so that upon you may fall the guilt of 4And Jesus answered and said to them, all the righteous blood shed on earth,

" See to it that no one misleads you.

from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood

of

Zechariah,

the

son

of

5"For many will come in My name,

Berechiah,

whom

you

murdered

saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead

between the temple and the altar.

many.

36"Truly I say to you, all these things will 6"You will be hearing of wars and come upon this generation.

rumors of wars. See that you are not

frightened, for those things must take

37" Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the place, but that is not yet the end.

prophets and stones those who are sent

to her! How often I wanted to gather

7"For nation will rise against nation, and your children together, the way a hen

kingdom against kingdom, and in

gathers her chicks under her wings, and

various places there will be famines and

you were unwilling.

earthquakes.

38"Behold, your house is being left to 8" But all these things are merely the you desolate!

beginning of birth pangs.

39"For I say to you, from now on you will 9" Then they will deliver you to tribulation, not see Me until you say, ' BLESSED IS

and will kill you, and you will be hated by

HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF

all nations because of My name.

THE LORD!'"

10"At that time many will fall away and 24

will betray one another and hate one

Jesus came out from the temple

another.

and was going away when His disciples

came up to point out the temple

11"Many false prophets will arise and will buildings to Him.

mislead many.

2And He said to them, "Do you not see 12"Because lawlessness is increased,

all these things? Truly I say to you, not most people's love will grow cold.

one stone here will be left upon another,

which will not be torn down."

13" But the one who endures to the end,

he will be saved.

3As He was sitting on the Mount of

Olives, the disciples came to Him

14"This gospel of the kingdom shall be privately, saying, "Tell us, when will preached in the whole world as a these things happen, and what will be

testimony to all the nations, and then the

the sign of Your coming, and of the end

end will come.

of the age?"

15"Therefore when you see the 26"So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in ABOMINATION

OF

DESOLATION

the wilderness,' do not go out, or,

which was spoken of through Daniel the

'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not

prophet, standing in the holy place ( let believe them.

the reader understand),

27" For just as the lightning comes from 16then those who are in Judea must flee

the east and flashes even to the west,

to the mountains.

so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

17"Whoever is on the housetop must not

28" Wherever the corpse is, there the go down to get the things out that are in

vultures will gather.

his house.

29"But immediately after the tribulation of 18"Whoever is in the field must not turn those days THE SUN WILL BE

back to get his cloak.

DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL

NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE

19"But woe to those who are pregnant STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and

and to those who are nursing babies in

the powers of the heavens will be

those days!

shaken.

20

30

"But pray that your flight will not be in

"And then the sign of the Son of Man the winter, or on a Sabbath.

will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they 21

will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON

"For then there will be a great

THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power

tribulation, such as has not occurred

and great glory.

since the beginning of the world until

now, nor ever will.

31"And He will send forth His angels with 22

A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL

"Unless those days had been cut short,

GATHER TOGETHER His elect from

no life would have been saved; but for

the four winds, from one end of the sky the sake of the elect those days will be to the other.

cut short.

32

23

"Now learn the parable from the fig

" Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold,

tree: when its branch has already

here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do become tender and puts forth its leaves,

not believe him.

you know that summer is near;

24"For false Christs and false prophets 33so, you too, when you see all these will arise and will show great signs and things, recognize that He is near, right at

wonders, so as to mislead, if possible,

the door.

even the elect.

25"Behold, I have told you in advance.

34"Truly I say to you, this generation will 45" Who then is the faithful and sensible not pass away until all these things take slave whom his master put in charge of

place.

his household to give them their food at

the proper time?

35" Heaven and earth will pass away, but

My words will not pass away.

46"Blessed is that slave whom his

master finds so doing when he comes.

36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,

47"Truly I say to you that he will put him nor the Son, but the Father alone.

in charge of all his possessions.

37"For the coming of the Son of Man will

48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, be just like the days of Noah.

'My master is not coming for a long

time,'

38"For as in those days before the flood

they were eating and drinking, marrying

49and begins to beat his fellow slaves

and giving in marriage, until the day that

and eat and drink with drunkards;

Noah entered the ark,

50the master of that slave will come on a

39and they did not understand until the

day when he does not expect him and at

flood came and took them all away; so

an hour which he does not know,

will the coming of the Son of Man be.

51and will cut him in pieces and assign 40"Then there will be two men in the field; him a place with the hypocrites; in that one will be taken and one will be left.

place there will be weeping and

gnashing of teeth.

41" Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

25"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took

42"Therefore be on the alert, for you do their lamps and went out to meet the not know which day your Lord is coming. bridegroom.

43"But be sure of this, that if the head of 2"Five of them were foolish, and five the house had known at what time of the were prudent.

night the thief was coming, he would

have been on the alert and would not

3"For when the foolish took their lamps, have allowed his house to be broken

they took no oil with them,

into.

4

44

but the prudent took oil in flasks along

"For this reason you also must be

with their lamps.

ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

5"Now while the bridegroom was 16"Immediately the one who had delaying, they all got drowsy and began

received the five talents went and traded

to sleep.

with them, and gained five more talents.

6"But at midnight there was a shout, 17"In the same manner the one who had

'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to

received the two talents gained two

meet him.'

more.

7"Then all those virgins rose and

18"But he who received the one talent trimmed their lamps.

went away, and dug a hole in the

ground and hid his master's money.

8"The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are 19"Now after a long time the master of going out.'

those slaves came and settled accounts

with them.

9"But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; 20"The one who had received the five go instead to the dealers and buy some talents came up and brought five more

for yourselves.'

talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted

five talents to me. See, I have gained

10"And while they were going away to five more talents.'

make the purchase, the bridegroom

came, and those who were ready went

21"His master said to him, 'Well done, in with him to the wedding feast; and the

good and faithful slave. You were

door was shut.

faithful with a few things, I will put you in

charge of many things; enter into the joy

11"Later the other virgins also came, of your master.'

saying, ' Lord, lord, open up for us.'

22"Also the one who had received the 12"But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I two talents came up and said, 'Master, do not know you.'

you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'

13" Be on the alert then, for you do not 23

know the day nor the hour.

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were

14

faithful with a few things, I will put you in

" For it is just like a man about to go on charge of many things; enter into the joy

a journey, who called his own slaves

of your master.'

and entrusted his possessions to them.

24

15

"And the one also who had received

"To one he gave five talents, to

the one talent came up and said,

another, two, and to another, one, each

'Master, I knew you to be a hard man,

according to his own ability; and he went

on his journey.

reaping where you did not sow and 34"Then the King will say to those on His gathering where you scattered no seed.

right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My

Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for

25'And I was afraid, and went away and

you from the foundation of the world.

hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'

35'For I was hungry, and you gave Me

something to eat; I was thirsty, and you 26"But his master answered and said to gave Me something to drink; I was a him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew

stranger, and you invited Me in;

that I reap where I did not sow and

gather where I scattered no seed.

36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick,

and you visited Me; I was in prison, and

27'Then you ought to have put my money

you came to Me.'

in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with

37"Then the righteous will answer Him, interest.

'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and

feed You, or thirsty, and give You

28'Therefore take away the talent from

something to drink?

him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'

38'And when did we see You a stranger,

and invite You in, or naked, and clothe 29" For to everyone who has, more shall

You?

be given, and he will have an

abundance; but from the one who does

39'When did we see You sick, or in

not have, even what he does have shall

prison, and come to You?'

be taken away.

40" The King will answer and say to them, 30"Throw out the worthless slave into the

'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you

outer darkness; in that place there will did it to one of these brothers of Mine, be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

31"But when the Son of Man comes in 41"Then He will also say to those on His

His glory, and all the angels with Him, left, ' Depart from Me, accursed ones,

then He will sit on His glorious throne.

into the eternal fire which has been

prepared for the devil and his angels;

32"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from

42for I was hungry, and you gave Me

one another, as the shepherd separates

nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you

the sheep from the goats;

gave Me nothing to drink;

33and He will put the sheep on His right,

43I was a stranger, and you did not invite

and the goats on the left.

Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me;

sick, and in prison, and you did not visit 7a woman came to Him with an Me.'

alabaster vial of very costly perfume,

and she poured it on His head as He

44"Then they themselves also will

reclined at the table.

answer, 'Lord, when did we see You

hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or

8But the disciples were indignant when

naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not they saw this, and said, "Why this waste?

take care of You?'

9"For this perfume might have been sold

45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say for a high price and the money given to

to you, to the extent that you did not do

the poor."

it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them,

"Why do you bother the woman? For

46"These will go away into eternal

she has done a good deed to Me.

punishment, but the righteous into

eternal life."

11"For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.

26When Jesus had finished all these 12"For when she poured this perfume on words, He said to His disciples, My body, she did it to prepare Me for

burial.

2" You know that after two days the 13

Passover is coming, and the Son of Man

"Truly I say to you, wherever this

is to be handed over for crucifixion."

gospel is preached in the whole world,

what this woman has done will also be

3Then the chief priests and the elders of

spoken of in memory of her."

the people were gathered together in

14

the court of the high priest, named

Then one of the twelve, named Judas

Caiaphas;

Iscariot, went to the chief priests

4

15

and they plotted together to seize

and said, "What are you willing to give

Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.

5But they were saying, "Not during the 16

festival, otherwise a riot might occur

From then on he began looking for a

among the people."

good opportunity to betray Jesus.

6

17

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at

Now on the first day of Unleavened

the home of Simon the leper,

Bread the disciples came to Jesus and

asked, "Where do You want us to

prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

18And He said, "Go into the city to a 27And when He had taken a cup and certain man, and say to him, 'The

given thanks, He gave it to them, saying,

Teacher says, " My time is near; I am to

"Drink from it, all of you;

keep the Passover at your house with

My disciples."'"

28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for

19The disciples did as Jesus had

forgiveness of sins.

directed them; and they prepared the

Passover.

29"But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that 20Now when evening came, Jesus was day when I drink it new with you in My reclining at the table with the twelve

Father's kingdom."

disciples.

30After singing a hymn, they went out to

21As they were eating, He said, " Truly I the Mount of Olives.

say to you that one of you will betray Me."

31Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it

22Being deeply grieved, they each one

is written, ' I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE

began to say to Him, "Surely not I, SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF

Lord?"

THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.'

23And He answered, " He who dipped

32"But after I have been raised, I will go his hand with Me in the bowl is the one ahead of you to Galilee."

who will betray Me.

33But Peter said to Him, "Even though all 24"The Son of Man is to go, just as it is may fall away because of You, I will written of Him; but woe to that man by never fall away."

whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It

would have been good for that man if he

34Jesus said to him, " Truly I say to you had not been born."

that this very night, before a rooster

crows, you will deny Me three times."

25And Judas, who was betraying Him,

said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" Jesus 35Peter said to Him, " Even if I have to said to him, " You have said it yourself."

die with You, I will not deny You." All the disciples said the same thing too.

26While they were eating, Jesus took

some bread, and after a blessing, He

36Then Jesus came with them to a place

broke it and gave it to the disciples, and

called Gethsemane, and said to His

said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

37And He took with Him Peter and the 47While He was still speaking, behold, two sons of Zebedee, and began to be

Judas, one of the twelve, came up

grieved and distressed.

accompanied by a large crowd with

swords and clubs, who came from the

38Then He said to them, " My soul is chief priests and elders of the people.

deeply grieved, to the point of death;

remain here and keep watch with Me."

48Now he who was betraying Him gave

them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, 39And He went a little beyond them, and

He is the one; seize Him."

fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My

Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass

49Immediately Judas went to Jesus and

from Me; yet not as I will, but as You said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.

will."

50And Jesus said to him, " Friend, do 40And He came to the disciples and

what you have come for." Then they

found them sleeping, and said to Peter,

came and laid hands on Jesus and

"So, you men could not keep watch with

seized Him.

Me for one hour?

51And behold, one of those who were

41" Keep watching and praying that you with Jesus reached and drew out his

may not enter into temptation; the spirit sword, and struck the slave of the high is willing, but the flesh is weak."

priest and cut off his ear.

42He went away again a second time

52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this sword back into its place; for all those cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your who take up the sword shall perish by

will be done."

the sword.

43Again He came and found them

53"Or do you think that I cannot appeal sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

to My Father, and He will at once put at

My disposal more than twelve legions of

44And He left them again, and went

angels?

away and prayed a third time, saying the

same thing once more.

54"How then will the Scriptures be

fulfilled, which say that it must happen 45Then He came to the disciples and

this way?"

said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and

55At that time Jesus said to the crowds,

the Son of Man is being betrayed into

"Have you come out with swords and

the hands of sinners.

clubs to arrest Me as you would against

a robber? Every day I used to sit in the 46"Get up, let us be going; behold, the temple teaching and you did not seize one who betrays Me is at hand!"

Me.

56"But all this has taken place to fulfill OF POWER, and COMING ON THE

the Scriptures of the prophets." Then all CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

the disciples left Him and fled.

65Then the high priest tore his robes and

57Those who had seized Jesus led Him

said, "He has blasphemed! What further

away to Caiaphas, the high priest,

need do we have of witnesses? Behold,

where the scribes and the elders were

you have now heard the blasphemy;

gathered together.

66what do you think?" They answered, "

58But Peter was following Him at a

He deserves death!"

distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat

67Then they spat in His face and beat

down with the officers to see the

Him with their fists; and others slapped outcome.

Him,

59Now the chief priests and the whole

68and said, " Prophesy to us, You Christ; Council kept trying to obtain false

who is the one who hit You?"

testimony against Jesus, so that they

might put Him to death.

69Now Peter was sitting outside in the

courtyard, and a servant-girl came to

60They did not find any, even though

him and said, "You too were with Jesus

many false witnesses came forward. But

the Galilean."

later on two came forward,

70But he denied it before them all,

61and said, "This man stated, ' I am able saying, "I do not know what you are to destroy the temple of God and to talking about."

rebuild it in three days.'"

71When he had gone out to the gateway,

62The high priest stood up and said to

another servant-girl saw him and said to

Him, "Do You not answer? What is it those who were there, "This man was that these men are testifying against with Jesus of Nazareth."

You?"

72And again he denied it with an oath, "I 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high

do not know the man."

priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You 73A little later the bystanders came up

are the Christ, the Son of God."

and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk 64Jesus said to him, " You have said it gives you away."

yourself;

nevertheless

I

tell

you,

hereafter you will see THE SON OF

74Then he began to curse and swear, "I

MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND

do not know the man!" And immediately

a rooster crowed.

75And Peter remembered the word PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF

which Jesus had said, " Before a rooster

THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN

crows, you will deny Me three times."

SET by the sons of Israel;

And he went out and wept bitterly.

10AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE

27

POTTER'S FIELD, AS THE LORD

Now when morning came, all the

DIRECTED ME."

chief priests and the elders of the

11

people conferred together against Jesus

Now Jesus stood before the governor,

to put Him to death;

and the governor questioned Him,

saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"

2and they bound Him, and led Him away

And Jesus said to him, " It is as you and delivered Him to Pilate the governor. say."

12

3Then when Judas, who had betrayed

And while He was being accused by

Him, saw that He had been condemned,

the chief priests and elders, He did not he felt remorse and returned the thirty

answer.

pieces of silver to the chief priests and 13

elders,

Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify

4saying, "I have sinned by betraying against You?"

innocent blood." But they said, "What is 14

that to us? See to that yourself!"

And He did not answer him with regard

to even a single charge, so the governor

5And he threw the pieces of silver into was quite amazed.

the temple sanctuary and departed; and

15

he went away and hanged himself.

Now at the feast the governor was

accustomed to release for the people

6The chief priests took the pieces of

any one prisoner whom they wanted.

silver and said, "It is not lawful to put 16

them into the temple treasury, since it is

At that time they were holding a

the price of blood."

notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

7

17

And they conferred together and with

So when the people gathered together,

the money bought the Potter's Field as a

Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want

burial place for strangers.

me to release for you? Barabbas, or

Jesus who is called Christ?"

8For this reason that field has been

18

called the Field of Blood to this day.

For he knew that because of envy they

had handed Him over.

9Then that which was spoken through

19

Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "

While he was sitting on the judgment

AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY

seat, his wife sent him a message,

saying, "Have nothing to do with that reed in His right hand; and they knelt righteous Man; for last night I suffered down before Him and mocked Him,

greatly in a dream because of Him."

saying, " Hail, King of the Jews!"

20But the chief priests and the elders

30They spat on Him, and took the reed

persuaded the crowds to ask for

and began to beat Him on the head.

Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.

31After they had mocked Him, they took

21But the governor said to them, "Which

the scarlet robe off Him and put His own

of the two do you want me to release for

garments back on Him, and led Him

you?" And they said, "Barabbas."

away to crucify Him.

22Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I 32As they were coming out, they found a

do with Jesus who is called Christ?"

man of Cyrene named Simon, whom

They all said, "Crucify Him!"

they pressed into service to bear His

cross.

23And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the 33And when they came to a place called more, saying, "Crucify Him!"

Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull,

24When Pilate saw that he was

34they gave Him wine to drink mixed

accomplishing nothing, but rather that a

with gall; and after tasting it, He was riot was starting, he took water and

unwilling to drink.

washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's 35And when they had crucified Him, they blood; see to that yourselves."

divided

up

His

garments

among

themselves by casting lots.

25And all the people said, " His blood shall be on us and on our children!"

36And sitting down, they began to keep

watch over Him there.

26Then he released Barabbas for them;

but after having Jesus scourged, he

37And above His head they put up the

handed Him over to be crucified.

charge against Him which read, " THIS

IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

27Then the soldiers of the governor took

Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered

38At that time two robbers were crucified

the whole Roman cohort around Him.

with Him, one on the right and one on

the left.

28They stripped Him and put a scarlet

robe on Him.

39And those passing by were hurling

abuse at Him, wagging their heads

29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a

40and saying, " You who are going to 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud destroy the temple and rebuild it in three

voice, and yielded up His spirit.

days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

51And behold, the veil of the temple was

torn in two from top to bottom; and the 41In the same way the chief priests also,

earth shook and the rocks were split.

along with the scribes and elders, were

mocking Him and saying,

52The tombs were opened, and many

bodies of the saints who had fallen

42" He saved others; He cannot save asleep were raised;

Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him

now come down from the cross, and we

53and coming out of the tombs after His

will believe in Him.

resurrection they entered the holy city

and appeared to many.

43" HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD

RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS

54Now the centurion, and those who

IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of were with him keeping guard over Jesus,

God.'"

when they saw the earthquake and the

things that were happening, became

44The robbers who had been crucified

very frightened and said, "Truly this was with Him were also insulting Him with

the Son of God!"

the same words.

55Many women were there looking on

45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell

from a distance, who had followed

upon all the land until the ninth hour.

Jesus from Galilee while ministering to

Him.

46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out

with a loud voice, saying, " ELI, ELI, 56Among them was Mary Magdalene,

LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY

and Mary the mother of James and

GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU

Joseph, and the mother of the sons of

FORSAKEN ME?"

Zebedee.

47And some of those who were standing

57When it was evening, there came a

there, when they heard it, began saying,

rich man from Arimathea, named

"This man is calling for Elijah."

Joseph, who himself had also become a

disciple of Jesus.

48Immediately one of them ran, and

taking a sponge, he filled it with sour 58This man went to Pilate and asked for

wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him

the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it

a drink.

to be given to him.

49But the rest of them said, "Let us see 59And Joseph took the body and

whether Elijah will come to save Him ."

wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60and laid it in his own new tomb, which 3And his appearance was like lightning, he had hewn out in the rock; and he

and his clothing as white as snow.

rolled a large stone against the entrance

of the tomb and went away.

4The guards shook for fear of him and

became like dead men.

61And Mary Magdalene was there, and

the other Mary, sitting opposite the

5The angel said to the women, " Do not

grave.

be afraid; for I know that you are looking

for Jesus who has been crucified.

62Now on the next day, the day after the

preparation, the chief priests and the

6"He is not here, for He has risen, just Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, as He said. Come, see the place where

He was lying.

63and said, "Sir, we remember that when

He was still alive that deceiver said, '

7"Go quickly and tell His disciples that After three days I am to rise again.'

He has risen from the dead; and behold,

He is going ahead of you into Galilee,

64"Therefore, give orders for the grave to there you will see Him; behold, I have

be made secure until the third day,

told you."

otherwise His disciples may come and

steal Him away and say to the people,

8And they left the tomb quickly with fear

'He has risen from the dead,' and the

and great joy and ran to report it to His last deception will be worse than the disciples.

first."

9And behold, Jesus met them and

65Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; greeted them. And they came up and

go, make it as secure as you know

took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

how."

10Then Jesus said to them, " Do not be

66And they went and made the grave

afraid; go and take word to My brethren

secure, and along with the guard they

to leave for Galilee, and there they will set a seal on the stone.

see Me."

11

28

Now while they were on their way,

Now after the Sabbath, as it

some of the guard came into the city

began to dawn toward the first day of

and reported to the chief priests all that the week, Mary Magdalene and the

had happened.

other Mary came to look at the grave.

12And when they had assembled with

2And behold, a severe earthquake had

the elders and consulted together, they

occurred, for an angel of the Lord

gave a large sum of money to the

descended from heaven and came and

soldiers,

rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

13and said, "You are to say, 'His 17When they saw Him, they worshiped disciples came by night and stole Him

Him; but some were doubtful.

away while we were asleep.'

18And Jesus came up and spoke to

14"And if this should come to the

them, saying, " All authority has been governor's ears, we will win him over

given to Me in heaven and on earth.

and keep you out of trouble."

19" Go therefore and make disciples of 15And they took the money and did as

all the nations, baptizing them in the

they had been instructed; and this story name of the Father and the Son and the

was widely spread among the Jews, and

Holy Spirit,

is to this day.

20teaching them to observe all that I

16But the eleven disciples proceeded to

commanded you; and lo, I am with you

Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus

always, even to the end of the age."

had designated.

Mark

9In those days Jesus came from

Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus John in the Jordan.

Christ, the Son of God.

10Immediately coming up out of the

2

water, He saw the heavens opening,

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "

and the Spirit like a dove descending

BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER

upon Him;

AHEAD

OF

YOU,

WHO

WILL

PREPARE YOUR WAY;

11and a voice came out of the heavens: "

3

You are My beloved Son, in You I am

THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE

well-pleased."

WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE

WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS

12Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to

PATHS STRAIGHT.'"

go out into the wilderness.

4John the Baptist appeared in the

13

wilderness preaching a baptism of

And He was in the wilderness forty

days being tempted by Satan; and He

repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

was with the wild beasts, and the angels

5

were ministering to Him.

And all the country of Judea was going

out to him, and all the people of

14

Jerusalem;

and

they

were

being

Now after John had been taken into

custody, Jesus came into Galilee,

baptized by him in the Jordan River,

confessing their sins.

preaching the gospel of God,

15

6John was clothed with camel's hair and

and saying, " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent wore a leather belt around his waist, and

and believe in the gospel."

his diet was locusts and wild honey.

16

7And he was preaching, and saying,

As He was going along by the Sea of

"After me One is coming who is mightier

Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the

brother of Simon, casting a net in the

than I, and I am not fit to stoop down sea; for they were fishermen.

and untie the thong of His sandals.

17

8"I baptized you with water; but He will And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

and I will make you become fishers of

men."

18Immediately they left their nets and 28Immediately the news about Him followed Him.

spread

everywhere

into

all

the

surrounding district of Galilee.

19Going on a little farther, He saw James

the son of Zebedee, and John his

29And immediately after they came out

brother, who were also in the boat

of the synagogue, they came into the

mending the nets.

house of Simon and Andrew, with

James and John.

20Immediately He called them; and they

left their father Zebedee in the boat with

30Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying

the hired servants, and went away to

sick with a fever; and immediately they

follow Him.

spoke to Jesus about her.

21They went into Capernaum; and

31And He came to her and raised her up,

immediately on the Sabbath He entered

taking her by the hand, and the fever left

the synagogue and began to teach.

her, and she waited on them.

22They were amazed at His teaching; for

32When evening came, after the sun had

He was teaching them as one having

set, they began bringing to Him all who authority, and not as the scribes.

were ill and those who were demon-possessed.

23Just then there was a man in their

synagogue with an unclean spirit; and

33And the whole city had gathered at the

he cried out,

door.

24saying, " What business do we have 34And He healed many who were ill with

with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?

various diseases, and cast out many

Have You come to destroy us? I know

demons; and He was not permitting the

who You are-- the Holy One of God!"

demons to speak, because they knew

who He was.

25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

35In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and 26Throwing him into convulsions, the went away to a secluded place, and was

unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice

praying there.

and came out of him.

36Simon and his companions searched

27They were all amazed, so that they

for Him;

debated among themselves, saying,

"What is this? A new teaching with

37they found Him, and said to Him,

authority! He commands even the

"Everyone is looking for You."

unclean spirits, and they obey Him."

38He said to them, "Let us go 2And many were gathered together, so somewhere else to the towns nearby, so

that there was no longer room, not even

that I may preach there also; for that is near the door; and He was speaking the

what I came for."

word to them.

39And He went into their synagogues

3And they came, bringing to Him a

throughout all Galilee, preaching and

paralytic, carried by four men.

casting out the demons.

4Being unable to get to Him because of

40And a leper came to Jesus,

the crowd, they removed the roof above

beseeching Him and falling on his knees

Him; and when they had dug an opening,

before Him, and saying, "If You are they let down the pallet on which the

willing, You can make me clean."

paralytic was lying.

41Moved with compassion, Jesus

5And Jesus seeing their faith said to the

stretched out His hand and touched him,

paralytic, " Son, your sins are forgiven."

and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

6But some of the scribes were sitting

there and reasoning in their hearts,

42Immediately the leprosy left him and

he was cleansed.

7"Why does this man speak that way?

He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins

43And He sternly warned him and

but God alone?"

immediately sent him away,

8Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit

44and He said to him, " See that you say

that they were reasoning that way within

nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself

themselves, said to them, "Why are you

to the priest and offer for your cleansing

reasoning about these things in your

what

Moses

commanded,

as

a

hearts?

testimony to them."

9"Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 45But he went out and began to proclaim

'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get it freely and to spread the news around,

up, and pick up your pallet and walk'?

to such an extent that Jesus could no

longer publicly enter a city, but stayed 10"But so that you may know that the out in unpopulated areas; and they were Son of Man has authority on earth to

coming to Him from everywhere.

forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic,

11

2

"I say to you, get up, pick up your When He had come back to

pallet and go home."

Capernaum several days afterward, it

was heard that He was at home.

12And he got up and immediately picked

up the pallet and went out in the sight of

everyone, so that they were all amazed So long as they have the bridegroom and were glorifying God, saying, " We with them, they cannot fast.

have never seen anything like this."

20"But the days will come when the

13And He went out again by the

bridegroom is taken away from them,

seashore; and all the people were

and then they will fast in that day.

coming to Him, and He was teaching

them.

21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk

cloth on an old garment; otherwise the

14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son

patch pulls away from it, the new from

of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and

the old, and a worse tear results.

He said to him, " Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.

22"No one puts new wine into old

wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst

15And it happened that He was reclining

the skins, and the wine is lost and the at the table in his house, and many tax skins as well; but one puts new wine collectors and sinners were dining with

into fresh wineskins."

Jesus and His disciples; for there were

many of them, and they were following

23And it happened that He was passing

Him.

through the grainfields on the Sabbath,

and His disciples began to make their

16When the scribes of the Pharisees

way along while picking the heads of

saw that He was eating with the sinners

grain.

and tax collectors, they said to His

disciples, " Why is He eating and

24The Pharisees were saying to Him,

drinking

with

tax

collectors

and

"Look, why are they doing what is not sinners?"

lawful on the Sabbath?"

17And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "

25And He said to them, "Have you never

It is not those who are healthy who need

read what David did when he was in

a physician, but those who are sick; I did

need and he and his companions

not come to call the righteous, but

became hungry;

sinners."

26how he entered the house of God in

18John's disciples and the Pharisees

the time of Abiathar the high priest, and

were fasting; and they came and said to

ate the consecrated bread, which is not

Him, "Why do John's disciples and the lawful for anyone to eat except the

disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your

priests, and he also gave it to those who

disciples do not fast?"

were with him?"

19And Jesus said to them, "While the 27Jesus said to them, " The Sabbath bridegroom is with them, the attendants was made for man, and not man for the

of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they?

Sabbath.

28"So the Son of Man is Lord even of the the crowd, so that they would not crowd Sabbath."

Him;

10

3

for He had healed many, with the

He entered again into a synagogue;

result that all those who had afflictions and a man was there whose hand was

pressed around Him in order to touch

withered.

Him.

11

2

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him,

They were watching Him to see if He

would heal him on the Sabbath, so that

they would fall down before Him and

they might accuse Him.

shout, "You are the Son of God!"

12

3

And He earnestly warned them not to

He said to the man with the withered

tell who He was.

hand, "Get up and come forward!"

13

4And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do And He went up on the mountain and

good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to

summoned those whom He Himself

wanted, and they came to Him.

save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

14

5After looking around at them with anger,

And He appointed twelve, so that they

grieved at their hardness of heart, He

would be with Him and that He could

said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

send them out to preach,

And he stretched it out, and his hand

15

was restored.

and to have authority to cast out the

demons.

6The

Pharisees

went

out

and

16

immediately began conspiring with the

And He appointed the twelve: Simon

Herodians against Him, as to how they

(to whom He gave the name Peter),

might destroy Him.

17and James, the son of Zebedee, and

7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His

John the brother of James (to them He

disciples; and a great multitude from

gave the name Boanerges, which

Galilee followed; and also from Judea,

means, "Sons of Thunder");

8

18

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea,

and

Andrew,

and

Philip,

and

and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity

Bartholomew,

and

Matthew,

and

of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of

Thomas, and James the son of

people heard of all that He was doing

Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon

and came to Him.

the Zealot;

9

19

And He told His disciples that a boat

and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

should stand ready for Him because of

20And He came home, and the crowd 30because they were saying, "He has an gathered again, to such an extent that

unclean spirit."

they could not even eat a meal.

31Then His mother and His brothers

21When His own people heard of this,

arrived, and standing outside they sent

they went out to take custody of Him; for

word to Him and called Him.

they were saying, " He has lost His senses."

32A crowd was sitting around Him, and

they said to Him, "Behold, Your mother 22The scribes who came down from

and Your brothers are outside looking

Jerusalem

were

saying,

"He

is

for You."

possessed by Beelzebul," and " He casts out the demons by the ruler of the

33Answering them, He said, "Who are

demons."

My mother and My brothers?"

23And He called them to Himself and

34Looking about at those who were

began speaking to them in parables,

sitting around Him, He said, " Behold My

"How can Satan cast out Satan?

mother and My brothers!

24"If a kingdom is divided against itself, 35"For whoever does the will of God, he that kingdom cannot stand.

is My brother and sister and mother."

25"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

4He began to teach again by the sea.

26

And such a very large crowd gathered to

"If Satan has risen up against himself Him that He got into a boat in the sea and is divided, he cannot stand, but he and sat down; and the whole crowd was is finished!

by the sea on the land.

27" But no one can enter the strong 2And He was teaching them many things

man's house and plunder his property

in parables, and was saying to them in

unless he first binds the strong man,

His teaching,

and then he will plunder his house.

3

28

"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went

" Truly I say to you, all sins shall be out to sow;

forgiven the sons of men, and whatever

blasphemies they utter;

4as he was sowing, some seed fell

29

beside the road, and the birds came and

but whoever blasphemes against the

ate it up.

Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is

guilty of an eternal sin"--

5"Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and

immediately it sprang up because it had when they hear, immediately Satan no depth of soil.

comes and takes away the word which

has been sown in them.

6"And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it

16"In a similar way these are the ones on withered away.

whom seed was sown on the rocky

places, who, when they hear the word,

7"Other seed fell among the thorns, and

immediately receive it with joy;

the thorns came up and choked it, and it

yielded no crop.

17and they have no firm root in

themselves, but are only temporary;

8"Other seeds fell into the good soil, and then, when affliction or persecution

as they grew up and increased, they

arises because of the word, immediately

yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty,

they fall away.

and a hundredfold."

18"And others are the ones on whom

9And He was saying, " He who has ears

seed was sown among the thorns; these

to hear, let him hear."

are the ones who have heard the word,

10

19

As soon as He was alone, His

but the worries of the world, and the

followers, along with the twelve, began

deceitfulness of riches, and the desires

asking Him about the parables.

for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

11And He was saying to them, "To you 20

has been given the mystery of the

"And those are the ones on whom

kingdom of God, but those who are

seed was sown on the good soil; and

outside get everything in parables,

they hear the word and accept it and

bear

fruit,

thirty,

sixty,

and

a

12

hundredfold."

so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY

SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND

21

WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR

And He was saying to them, " A lamp AND

NOT

UNDERSTAND,

is not brought to be put under a basket,

OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN

is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to

AND BE FORGIVEN."

be put on the lampstand?

13

22

And He said to them, "Do you not

" For nothing is hidden, except to be understand this parable? How will you

revealed; nor has anything been secret,

understand all the parables?

but that it would come to light.

14

23

"The sower sows the word.

" If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

15"These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and

24And He was saying to them, "Take 33With many such parables He was care what you listen to. By your

speaking the word to them, so far as

standard of measure it will be measured

they were able to hear it;

to you; and more will be given you

besides.

34and He did not speak to them without

a parable; but He was explaining

25" For whoever has, to him more shall everything privately to His own disciples.

be given; and whoever does not have,

even what he has shall be taken away

35On that day, when evening came, He

from him."

said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."

26And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon

36Leaving the crowd, they took Him

the soil;

along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and

37And there arose a fierce gale of wind,

grows--how, he himself does not know.

and the waves were breaking over the

boat so much that the boat was already

28"The soil produces crops by itself; first filling up.

the blade, then the head, then the

mature grain in the head.

38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep

on the cushion; and they woke Him and

29"But when the crop permits, he

said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care immediately puts in the sickle, because that we are perishing?"

the harvest has come."

39And He got up and rebuked the wind

30And He said, "How shall we picture the

and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And kingdom of God, or by what parable

the wind died down and it became

shall we present it?

perfectly calm.

31"It is like a mustard seed, which, when 40And He said to them, "Why are you sown upon the soil, though it is smaller afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

41They became very much afraid and

32yet when it is sown, it grows up and said to one another, "Who then is this, becomes larger than all the garden that even the wind and the sea obey

plants and forms large branches; so that

HimNULL"

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST

UNDER ITS SHADE."

5They came to the other side of the

sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.

2When He got out of the boat, 12The demons implored Him, saying,

immediately a man from the tombs with

"Send us into the swine so that we may

an unclean spirit met Him,

enter them."

3and he had his dwelling among the

13Jesus gave them permission. And

tombs. And no one was able to bind him

coming out, the unclean spirits entered

anymore, even with a chain;

the swine; and the herd rushed down

the steep bank into the sea, about two

4because he had often been bound with

thousand of them; and they were

shackles and chains, and the chains

drowned in the sea.

had been torn apart by him and the

shackles broken in pieces, and no one

14Their herdsmen ran away and

was strong enough to subdue him.

reported it in the city and in the country.

And the people came to see what it was

5Constantly, night and day, he was

that had happened.

screaming among the tombs and in the

mountains, and gashing himself with

15They came to Jesus and observed the

stones.

man who had been demon-possessed

sitting down, clothed and in his right

6Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran

mind, the very man who had had the "

up and bowed down before Him;

legion"; and they became frightened.

7

16

and shouting with a loud voice, he said,

Those who had seen it described to

" What business do we have with each them how it had happened to the

other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

demon-possessed man, and all about

I implore You by God, do not torment

the swine.

me!"

17And they began to implore Him to

8For He had been saying to him, "Come

leave their region.

out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

18As He was getting into the boat, the

9And He was asking him, "What is your

man who had been demon-possessed

name?" And he said to Him, "My name was imploring Him that he might

is Legion; for we are many."

accompany Him.

10

19

And he began to implore Him

And He did not let him, but He said to

earnestly not to send them out of the

him, " Go home to your people and

country.

report to them what great things the

Lord has done for you, and how He had

11

mercy on you."

Now there was a large herd of swine

feeding nearby on the mountain.

20And he went away and began to

proclaim in Decapolis what great things

Jesus had done for him; and everyone the crowd and said, "Who touched My was amazed.

garments?"

21When Jesus had crossed over again in

31And His disciples said to Him, "You the boat to the other side, a large crowd

see the crowd pressing in on You, and

gathered around Him; and so He stayed

You say, 'Who touched Me?'"

by the seashore.

32And He looked around to see the

22One of the synagogue officials named

woman who had done this.

Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell

at His feet

33But the woman fearing and trembling,

aware of what had happened to her,

23and implored Him earnestly, saying,

came and fell down before Him and told

"My little daughter is at the point of Him the whole truth.

death; please come and lay Your hands

on her, so that she will get well and live."

34And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace

24And He went off with him; and a large

and be healed of your affliction."

crowd was following Him and pressing

in on Him.

35While He was still speaking, they

came from the house of the synagogue

25A woman who had had a hemorrhage

official, saying, "Your daughter has died; for twelve years,

why trouble the Teacher anymore?"

26and had endured much at the hands of

36But Jesus, overhearing what was

many physicians, and had spent all that

being spoken, said to the synagogue

she had and was not helped at all, but official, " Do not be afraid any longer, rather had grown worse--

only believe."

27after hearing about Jesus, she came

37And He allowed no one to accompany

up in the crowd behind Him and touched

Him, except Peter and James and John

His cloak.

the brother of James.

28For she thought, "If I just touch His 38They came to the house of the

garments, I will get well."

synagogue official; and He saw a

commotion, and people loudly weeping

29Immediately the flow of her blood was

and wailing.

dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

39And entering in, He said to them, "Why

make a commotion and weep? The child

30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in

has not died, but is asleep."

Himself that the power proceeding from

Him had gone forth, turned around in

40They began laughing at Him. But 5And He could do no miracle there putting them all out, He took along the except that He laid His hands on a few child's father and mother and His own sick people and healed them.

companions, and entered the room

where the child was.

6And He wondered at their unbelief. And

He was going around the villages

41Taking the child by the hand, He said

teaching.

to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!").

7And He summoned the twelve and

began to send them out in pairs, and

42Immediately the girl got up and began

gave them authority over the unclean

to walk, for she was twelve years old.

spirits;

And immediately they were completely

astounded.

8and He instructed them that they

should take nothing for their journey,

43And He gave them strict orders that no

except a mere staff--no bread, no bag,

one should know about this, and He

no money in their belt--

said that something should be given her

to eat.

9but to wear sandals; and He added,

"Do not put on two tunics."

6Jesus went out from there and came 10And He said to them, "Wherever you into His hometown; and His disciples enter a house, stay there until you leave

followed Him.

town.

2

11

When the Sabbath came, He began to

"Any place that does not receive you teach in the synagogue; and the many

or listen to you, as you go out from there,

listeners

were

astonished,

saying,

shake the dust off the soles of your feet

"Where did this man get these things, for a testimony against them."

and what is this wisdom given to Him,

and such miracles as these performed

12They went out and preached that men

by His hands?

should repent.

3"Is not this the carpenter, the son of 13And they were casting out many

Mary, and brother of James and Joses

demons and were anointing with oil

and Judas and Simon? Are not His

many sick people and healing them.

sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him.

14And King Herod heard of it, for His

name had become well known; and

4Jesus said to them, " A prophet is not people were saying, " John the Baptist without honor except in his hometown has risen from the dead, and that is why

and among his own relatives and in his

these miraculous powers are at work in

own household."

Him."

15But others were saying, "He is Elijah."

24And she went out and said to her

And others were saying, "He is a

mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she prophet, like one of the prophets of old."

said, "The head of John the Baptist."

16But when Herod heard of it, he kept

25Immediately she came in a hurry to the

saying, "John, whom I beheaded, has

king and asked, saying, "I want you to risen!"

give me at once the head of John the

Baptist on a platter."

17For Herod himself had sent and had

John arrested and bound in prison on

26And although the king was very sorry,

account of Herodias, the wife of his

yet because of his oaths and because of

brother Philip, because he had married

his dinner guests, he was unwilling to

her.

refuse her.

18For John had been saying to Herod, "

27Immediately the king sent an

It is not lawful for you to have your

executioner and commanded him to

brother's wife."

bring back his head. And he went and

had him beheaded in the prison,

19Herodias had a grudge against him

and wanted to put him to death and

28and brought his head on a platter, and

could not do so;

gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing

that he was a righteous and holy man,

29When his disciples heard about this,

and he kept him safe. And when he

they came and took away his body and

heard him, he was very perplexed; but

laid it in a tomb.

he used to enjoy listening to him.

30The apostles gathered together with

21A strategic day came when Herod on

Jesus; and they reported to Him all that

his birthday gave a banquet for his lords

they had done and taught.

and military commanders and the

leading men of Galilee;

31And He said to them, "Come away by

yourselves to a secluded place and rest

22and when the daughter of Herodias

a while." (For there were many people herself came in and danced, she

coming and going, and they did not

pleased Herod and his dinner guests;

even have time to eat.)

and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to 32They went away in the boat to a you."

secluded place by themselves.

23And he swore to her, "Whatever you 33The people saw them going, and many

ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half

recognized them and ran there together

of my kingdom."

on foot from all the cities, and got there 42They all ate and were satisfied, ahead of them.

43and they picked up twelve full baskets

34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a

of the broken pieces, and also of the fish.

large crowd, and He felt compassion for

them because they were like sheep

44There were five thousand men who

without a shepherd; and He began to

ate the loaves.

teach them many things.

45Immediately Jesus made His disciples

35When it was already quite late, His

get into the boat and go ahead of Him to

disciples came to Him and said, "This the other side to Bethsaida, while He

place is desolate and it is already quite Himself was sending the crowd away.

late;

46After bidding them farewell, He left for

36send them away so that they may go

the mountain to pray.

into the surrounding countryside and

villages and buy themselves something

47When it was evening, the boat was in

to eat."

the middle of the sea, and He was alone

on the land.

37But He answered them, "You give

them something to eat!" And they said to

48Seeing them straining at the oars, for Him, "Shall we go and spend two

the wind was against them, at about the

hundred denarii on bread and give them

fourth watch of the night He came to

something to eat?"

them, walking on the sea; and He

intended to pass by them.

38And He said to them, "How many

loaves do you have? Go look!" And

49But when they saw Him walking on the

when they found out, they said, "Five, sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and two fish."

and cried out;

39And He commanded them all to sit

50for they all saw Him and were terrified.

down by groups on the green grass.

But immediately He spoke with them

and said to them, " Take courage; it is I, 40They sat down in groups of hundreds

do not be afraid."

and of fifties.

51Then He got into the boat with them,

41And He took the five loaves and the

and the wind stopped; and they were

two fish, and looking up toward heaven,

utterly astonished,

He blessed the food and broke the

loaves and He kept giving them to the

52for they had not gained any insight

disciples to set before them; and He

from the incident of the loaves, but their

divided up the two fish among them all.

heart was hardened.

53When they had crossed over they according to the tradition of the elders, came to land at Gennesaret, and but eat their bread with impure hands?"

moored to the shore.

6And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah 54When they got out of the boat,

prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is

immediately the people recognized Him,

written: ' THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME

WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART

55and ran about that whole country and

IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

began to carry here and there on their

pallets those who were sick, to the place

7' BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP

they heard He was.

ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE

PRECEPTS OF MEN.'

56Wherever He entered villages, or cities,

or countryside, they were laying the sick

8"Neglecting the commandment of God,

in the market places, and imploring Him

you hold to the tradition of men."

that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it

9He was also saying to them, "You are were being cured.

experts

at

setting

aside

the

commandment of God in order to keep

7

your tradition.

The Pharisees and some of the

10

scribes gathered around Him when they

"For Moses said, ' HONOR YOUR

had come from Jerusalem,

FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, '

HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER

2and had seen that some of His

OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO

disciples were eating their bread with

DEATH';

impure hands, that is, unwashed.

11but you say, 'If a man says to his

3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do

father or his mother, whatever I have

not eat unless they carefully wash their that would help you is Corban (that is to

hands, thus observing the traditions of

say, given to God),'

the elders;

12you no longer permit him to do

4and when they come from the market

anything for his father or his mother;

place, they do not eat unless they

13

cleanse themselves; and there are

thus invalidating the word of God by

many other things which they have

your tradition which you have handed

received in order to observe, such as

down; and you do many things such as

the washing of cups and pitchers and

that."

copper pots.)

14After He called the crowd to Him again,

5The Pharisees and the scribes asked

He began saying to them, "Listen to Me,

Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk all of you, and understand:

15there is nothing outside the man which 25But after hearing of Him, a woman can defile him if it goes into him; but the

whose little daughter had an unclean

things which proceed out of the man are

spirit immediately came and fell at His

what defile the man.

feet.

16[" If anyone has ears to hear, let him 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of the

hear."]

Syrophoenician race. And she kept

asking Him to cast the demon out of her

17When he had left the crowd and

daughter.

entered

the

house,

His

disciples

questioned Him about the parable.

27And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not 18And He said to them, "Are you so good to take the children's bread and lacking in understanding also? Do you

throw it to the dogs."

not understand that whatever goes into

the man from outside cannot defile him,

28But she answered and said to Him,

"Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the

19because it does not go into his heart, table feed on the children's crumbs."

but into his stomach, and is eliminated?"

(Thus He declared all foods clean.)

29And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of 20And He was saying, " That which

your daughter."

proceeds out of the man, that is what

defiles the man.

30And going back to her home, she

found the child lying on the bed, the

21"For from within, out of the heart of demon having left.

men,

proceed

the

evil

thoughts,

fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,

31Again He went out from the region of

Tyre, and came through Sidon to the

22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as

Sea of Galilee, within the region of

well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,

Decapolis.

pride and foolishness.

32They brought to Him one who was

23"All these evil things proceed from deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they within and defile the man."

implored Him to lay His hand on him.

24

33

Jesus got up and went away from

Jesus took him aside from the crowd,

there to the region of Tyre . And when by himself, and put His fingers into his He had entered a house, He wanted no ears, and after spitting, He touched his one to know of it; yet He could not

tongue with the saliva;

escape notice.

34and looking up to heaven with a deep 6And He directed the people to sit down sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that on the ground; and taking the seven is, "Be opened!"

loaves, He gave thanks and broke them,

and started giving them to His disciples 35And his ears were opened, and the

to serve to them, and they served them

impediment of his tongue was removed,

to the people.

and he began speaking plainly.

7They also had a few small fish; and

36And He gave them orders not to tell

after He had blessed them, He ordered

anyone; but the more He ordered them,

these to be served as well.

the more widely they continued to

proclaim it.

8And they ate and were satisfied; and

they picked up seven large baskets full

37They were utterly astonished, saying,

of what was left over of the broken

"He has done all things well; He makes pieces.

even the deaf to hear and the mute to

speak."

9About four thousand were there; and

He sent them away.

8

10

In those days, when there was again

And immediately He entered the boat

a large crowd and they had nothing to

with His disciples and came to the

eat, Jesus called His disciples and said district of Dalmanutha.

to them,

11The Pharisees came out and began to

2" I feel compassion for the people argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign

because they have remained with Me

from heaven, to test Him.

now three days and have nothing to eat.

12Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, 3"If I send them away hungry to their "Why does this generation seek for a homes, they will faint on the way; and

sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be some of them have come from a great

given to this generation."

distance."

13Leaving them, He again embarked and

4And His disciples answered Him,

went away to the other side.

"Where will anyone be able to find

14

enough bread here in this desolate

And they had forgotten to take bread,

place to satisfy these people?"

and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.

5And He was asking them, "How many

15

loaves do you have?" And they said, And He was giving orders to them,

"Seven."

saying, " Watch out! Beware of the

leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven

of Herod."

16They began to discuss with one restored, and began to see everything another the fact that they had no bread.

clearly.

17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them,

26And He sent him to his home, saying,

"Why do you discuss the fact that you

"Do not even enter the village."

have no bread? Do you not yet see or

understand? Do you have a hardened

27Jesus went out, along with His

heart?

disciples, to the villages of Caesarea

Philippi; and on the way He questioned

18" HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE?

His disciples, saying to them, "Who do AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT

people say that I am?"

HEAR? And do you not remember,

28They told Him, saying, "John the

19when I broke the five loaves for the

Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others,

five thousand, how many baskets full of

one of the prophets."

broken pieces you picked up?" They

said to Him, "Twelve."

29And He continued by questioning them,

"But who do you say that I am?" Peter 20"When I broke the seven for the four answered and said to Him, "You are the thousand, how many large baskets full

Christ."

of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven."

30And He warned them to tell no one

about Him.

21And He was saying to them, " Do you

not yet understand?"

31And He began to teach them that the

Son of Man must suffer many things and

22And they came to Bethsaida. And they

be rejected by the elders and the chief brought a blind man to Jesus and

priests and the scribes, and be killed,

implored Him to touch him.

and after three days rise again.

23Taking the blind man by the hand, He

32And He was stating the matter plainly.

brought him out of the village; and after And Peter took Him aside and began to

spitting on his eyes and laying His

rebuke Him.

hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"

33But turning around and seeing His

disciples, He rebuked Peter and said,

24And he looked up and said, "I see men,

"Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not for I see them like trees, walking

setting your mind on God's interests, but

around."

man's."

25Then again He laid His hands on his

34And He summoned the crowd with His

eyes; and he looked intently and was

disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny

himself, and take up his cross and follow tabernacles, one for You, and one for Me.

Moses, and one for Elijah."

35"For whoever wishes to save his life 6For he did not know what to answer; for

will lose it, but whoever loses his life for

they became terrified.

My sake and the gospel's will save it.

7Then a cloud formed, overshadowing

36"For what does it profit a man to gain them, and a voice came out of the cloud,

the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

" This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!"

37"For what will a man give in exchange

8All at once they looked around and saw

for his soul?

no one with them anymore, except

Jesus alone.

38"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful

9As they were coming down from the

generation, the Son of Man will also be mountain, He gave them orders not to

ashamed of him when He comes in the

relate to anyone what they had seen,

glory of His Father with the holy angels."

until the Son of Man rose from the dead.

10

9

They seized upon that statement,

And Jesus was saying to them, "

discussing with one another what rising

Truly I say to you, there are some of

from the dead meant.

those who are standing here who will

11

not taste death until they see the

They asked Him, saying, "Why is it

kingdom of God after it has come with

that the scribes say that Elijah must

power."

come first?"

2

12

Six days later, Jesus took with Him

And He said to them, "Elijah does first

Peter and James and John, and brought

come and restore all things. And yet

them up on a high mountain by

how is it written of the Son of Man that themselves. And He was transfigured

He will suffer many things and be

before them;

treated with contempt?

3

13

and His garments became radiant and

"But I say to you that Elijah has indeed

exceedingly white, as no launderer on

come, and they did to him whatever they

earth can whiten them.

wished, just as it is written of him."

4

14

Elijah appeared to them along with

When they came back to the disciples,

Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them.

5Peter said to Jesus, " Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three

15Immediately, when the entire crowd 24Immediately the boy's father cried out saw Him, they were amazed and began

and said, "I do believe; help my

running up to greet Him.

unbelief."

16And He asked them, "What are you

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was

discussing with them?"

rapidly gathering, He rebuked the

unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf 17And one of the crowd answered Him,

and mute spirit, I command you, come

"Teacher, I brought You my son,

out of him and do not enter him again."

possessed with a spirit which makes

him mute;

26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the

18and whenever it seizes him, it slams

boy became so much like a corpse that

him to the ground and he foams at the

most of them said, "He is dead!"

mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, 27But Jesus took him by the hand and and they could not do it."

raised him; and he got up.

19And He answered them and said, "O

28When He came into the house, His

unbelieving generation, how long shall I

disciples

began

questioning

Him

be with you? How long shall I put up

privately, "Why could we not drive it with you? Bring him to Me!"

out?"

20They brought the boy to Him. When he

29And He said to them, "This kind cannot

saw Him, immediately the spirit threw

come out by anything but prayer."

him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and

30From there they went out and began to

foaming at the mouth.

go through Galilee, and He did not want

anyone to know about it.

21And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And 31For He was teaching His disciples and he said, "From childhood.

telling them, " The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and 22"It has often thrown him both into the they will kill Him; and when He has been

fire and into the water to destroy him.

killed, He will rise three days later."

But if You can do anything, take pity on

us and help us!"

32But they did not understand this

statement, and they were afraid to ask

23And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?'

Him.

All things are possible to him who

believes."

33They came to Capernaum; and when

He was in the house, He began to

question

them,

"What

were

you

43" If your hand causes you to stumble, discussing on the way?"

cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to 34But they kept silent, for on the way

go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

they had discussed with one another

which of them was the greatest.

44[ where THEIR WORM DOES NOT

DIE,

AND

THE

FIRE

IS

NOT

35Sitting down, He called the twelve and

QUENCHED.]

said to them, " If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of 45"If your foot causes you to stumble, cut all."

it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast 36Taking a child, He set him before them,

into hell,

and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

46[ where THEIR WORM DOES NOT

DIE,

AND

THE

FIRE

IS

NOT

37" Whoever receives one child like this QUENCHED.]

in My name receives Me; and whoever

receives Me does not receive Me, but

47" If your eye causes you to stumble, Him who sent Me."

throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than,

38John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw having two eyes, to be cast into hell,

someone casting out demons in Your

name, and we tried to prevent him

48where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE,

because he was not following us."

AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

39But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for 49"For everyone will be salted with fire.

there is no one who will perform a

miracle in My name, and be able soon

50"Salt is good; but if the salt becomes afterward to speak evil of Me.

unsalty, with what will you make it salty againNULL Have salt in yourselves, and

40" For he who is not against us is for us.

be at peace with one another."

41"For whoever gives you a cup of water

to drink because of your name as

10Getting up, He went from there to

followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he

the region of Judea and beyond the

will not lose his reward.

Jordan; crowds gathered around Him

again, and, according to His custom, He

42" Whoever causes one of these little once more began to teach them.

ones who believe to stumble, it would be

better for him if, with a heavy millstone 2Some Pharisees came up to Jesus,

hung around his neck, he had been cast

testing Him, and began to question Him

into the sea.

whether it was lawful for a man to 14But when Jesus saw this, He was divorce a wife.

indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder 3And He answered and said to them,

them; for the kingdom of God belongs to

"What did Moses command you?"

such as these.

4

15

They said, " Moses permitted a man

"Truly I say to you, whoever does not TO WRITE A

CERTIFICATE OF

receive the kingdom of God like a child DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY."

will not enter it at all."

5

16

But Jesus said to them, " Because of And He took them in His arms and

your hardness of heart he wrote you this

began blessing them, laying His hands

commandment.

on them.

6

17

"But from the beginning of creation, As He was setting out on a journey, a

God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what 7

shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

" FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL

LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER ,

18And Jesus said to him, "Why do you 8

call Me good? No one is good except

AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE

God alone.

FLESH; so they are no longer two, but

one flesh.

19"You know the commandments, ' DO

9

NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT

"What therefore God has joined

ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT

together, let no man separate."

BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not

defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND

10In the house the disciples began

MOTHER.'"

questioning Him about this again.

20And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have 11And He said to them, " Whoever kept all these things from my youth up."

divorces his wife and marries another

woman commits adultery against her;

21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: 12and if she herself divorces her go and sell all you possess and give to husband and marries another man, she

the poor, and you will have treasure in is committing adultery."

heaven; and come, follow Me."

13And they were bringing children to Him

22But at these words he was saddened,

so that He might touch them; but the

and he went away grieving, for he was

disciples rebuked them.

one who owned much property.

23And Jesus, looking around, said to His ahead of them; and they were amazed, disciples, " How hard it will be for those and those who followed were fearful.

who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of

And again He took the twelve aside and

God!"

began to tell them what was going to

happen to Him,

24The disciples were amazed at His

words. But Jesus answered again and

33saying, "Behold, we are going up to said to them, "Children, how hard it is to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be enter the kingdom of God!

delivered to the chief priests and the

scribes; and they will condemn Him to

25" It is easier for a camel to go through death and will hand Him over to the

the eye of a needle than for a rich man Gentiles.

to enter the kingdom of God."

34"They will mock Him and spit on Him, 26They were even more astonished and

and scourge Him and kill Him, and three

said to Him, "Then who can be saved?"

days later He will rise again."

27

35

Looking at them, Jesus said, " With James and John, the two sons of

people it is impossible, but not with God;

Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying,

for all things are possible with God."

"Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You."

28Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, 36

we have left everything and followed

And He said to them, "What do you

You."

want Me to do for you?"

29

37

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is They said to Him, "Grant that we may no one who has left house or brothers or sit, one on Your right and one on Your sisters or mother or father or children or

left, in Your glory."

farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

38But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able

30but that he will receive a hundred

to drink the cup that I drink, or to be times as much now in the present age,

baptized with the baptism with which I

houses and brothers and sisters and

am baptized?"

mothers and children and farms, along

with persecutions; and in the age to

39They said to Him, "We are able." And come, eternal life.

Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be

31"But many who are first will be last, baptized with the baptism with which I and the last, first."

am baptized.

32They were on the road going up to

Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on

40"But to sit on My right or on My left, 50Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped this is not Mine to give; but it is for those

up and came to Jesus.

for whom it has been prepared."

51And answering him, Jesus said, "What

41Hearing this, the ten began to feel

do you want Me to do for you?" And the

indignant with James and John.

blind man said to Him, " Rabboni, I want

to regain my sight!"

42Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to

them, "You know that those who are

52And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith

recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord

has made you well." Immediately he

it over them; and their great men

regained his sight and began following

exercise authority over them.

Him on the road.

43"But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among

11As they approached Jerusalem, at

you shall be your servant;

Bethphage and Bethany, near the

Mount of Olives, He sent two of His

44and whoever wishes to be first among

disciples,

you shall be slave of all.

2and said to them, "Go into the village 45"For even the Son of Man did not opposite you, and immediately as you come to be served, but to serve, and to

enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on

give His life a ransom for many."

which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

46Then they came to Jericho. And as He

was leaving Jericho with His disciples

3"If anyone says to you, 'Why are you and a large crowd, a blind beggar

doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need

named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,

of it'; and immediately he will send it was sitting by the road.

back here."

47When he heard that it was Jesus the

4They went away and found a colt tied at

Nazarene, he began to cry out and say,

the door, outside in the street; and they

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on untied it.

me!"

5Some of the bystanders were saying to

48Many were sternly telling him to be

them, "What are you doing, untying the quiet, but he kept crying out all the more,

colt?"

" Son of David, have mercy on me!"

6They spoke to them just as Jesus had

49And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him

told them, and they gave them

here." So they called the blind man, permission.

saying to him, " Take courage, stand up!

He is calling for you."

7They brought the colt to Jesus and put 17And He began to teach and say to their coats on it; and He sat on it.

them, "Is it not written, ' MY HOUSE

SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF

8And many spread their coats in the

PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'?

road, and others spread leafy branches

But you have made it a ROBBERS'

which they had cut from the fields.

DEN."

9

18

Those who went in front and those who

The chief priests and the scribes heard

followed were shouting: "Hosanna!

this, and began seeking how to destroy

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE

Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the

NAME OF THE LORD;

whole crowd was astonished at His

teaching.

10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our

19

father David; Hosanna in the highest!"

When evening came, they would go

out of the city.

11Jesus entered Jerusalem and came

20

into the temple; and after looking around

As they were passing by in the

at everything, He left for Bethany with

morning, they saw the fig tree withered

the twelve, since it was already late.

from the roots up.

12

21

On the next day, when they had left

Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "

Bethany, He became hungry.

Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You

cursed has withered."

13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf,

22

He went to see if perhaps He would find

And Jesus answered saying to them, "

anything on it; and when He came to it,

Have faith in God.

He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

23" Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into 14He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart,

from you again!" And His disciples were

but believes that what he says is going listening.

to happen, it will be granted him.

15

24

Then they came to Jerusalem. And He

"Therefore I say to you, all things for entered the temple and began to drive which you pray and ask, believe that

out those who were buying and selling

you have received them, and they will

in the temple, and overturned the tables

be granted you.

of the money changers and the seats of

those who were selling doves;

25"Whenever you stand praying, forgive,

if you have anything against anyone, so

16and He would not permit anyone to

that your Father who is in heaven will

carry merchandise through the temple.

also forgive you your transgressions.

26[" But if you do not forgive, neither will TOWER, and rented it out to vine-your Father who is in heaven forgive growers and went on a journey.

your transgressions."]

2"At the harvest time he sent a slave to

27They came again to Jerusalem. And

the vine-growers, in order to receive

as He was walking in the temple, the

some of the produce of the vineyard

chief priests and the scribes and the

from the vine-growers.

elders came to Him,

3"They took him, and beat him and sent

28and began saying to Him, "By what him away empty-handed.

authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these

4"Again he sent them another slave, and

things?"

they wounded him in the head, and

treated him shamefully.

29And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and

5"And he sent another, and that one then I will tell you by what authority I do

they killed; and so with many others,

these things.

beating some and killing others.

30"Was the baptism of John from heaven,

6"He had one more to send, a beloved or from men? Answer Me."

son; he sent him last of all to them,

saying, 'They will respect my son.'

31They

began

reasoning

among

themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From 7"But those vine-growers said to one heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you another, 'This is the heir; come, let us not believe him?'

kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'

32"But shall we say, 'From men'?"--they 8"They took him, and killed him and were afraid of the people, for everyone threw him out of the vineyard.

considered John to have been a real

prophet.

9"What will the owner of the vineyard do?

He will come and destroy the vine—

33Answering Jesus, they said, "We do growers, and will give the vineyard to

not know." And Jesus said to them, "Nor others.

will I tell you by what authority I do these

things."

10"Have you not even read this Scripture:

' THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS

12

REJECTED,

THIS

BECAME

THE

And He began to speak to them in

CHIEF CORNER stone;

parables: " A man PLANTED A

VINEYARD

AND

PUT

A

WALL

11THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE

AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER

LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN

THE WINE PRESS AND BUILT A

OUR EYES'?"

12And they were seeking to seize Him, 20"There were seven brothers; and the and yet they feared the people, for they first took a wife, and died leaving no

understood that He spoke the parable

children.

against them. And so they left Him and

went away.

21"The second one married her, and

died leaving behind no children; and the

13Then they sent some of the Pharisees

third likewise;

and Herodians to Him in order to trap

Him in a statement.

22and so all seven left no children. Last

of all the woman died also.

14They came and said to Him, "Teacher,

we know that You are truthful and defer

23"In the resurrection, when they rise to no one; for You are not partial to any,

again, which one's wife will she be? For

but teach the way of God in truth. Is it all seven had married her."

lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

24Jesus said to them, "Is this not the 15"Shall we pay or shall we not pay?"

reason you are mistaken, that you do

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to

not understand the Scriptures or the

them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring power of God?

Me a denarius to look at."

25"For when they rise from the dead, 16They brought one. And He said to

they neither marry nor are given in

them, "Whose likeness and inscription is

marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's."

26"But regarding the fact that the dead 17And Jesus said to them, " Render to rise again, have you not read in the Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and

book of Moses, in the passage about

to God the things that are God's." And the burning bush, how God spoke to him,

they were amazed at Him.

saying, ' I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM,

AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God

18Some Sadducees (who say that there

of Jacob'?

is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and

began questioning Him, saying,

27" He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken."

19"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A

MAN'S BROTHER DIES and leaves

28One of the scribes came and heard

behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD,

them arguing, and recognizing that He

HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE

had answered them well, asked Him,

WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO

"What commandment is the foremost of HIS BROTHER.

all?"

29Jesus answered, "The foremost is, '

37"David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR

what sense is He his son?" And the GOD IS ONE LORD;

large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD

38In His teaching He was saying:

YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,

"Beware of the scribes who like to walk AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND

around in long robes, and like respectful

WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH

greetings in the market places,

ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'

39and chief seats in the synagogues and

31"The second is this, ' YOU SHALL

places of honor at banquets,

LOVE

YOUR

NEIGHBOR

AS

YOURSELF.'

There

is

no

other

40who devour widows' houses, and for

commandment greater than these."

appearance's sake offer long prayers;

these

will

receive

greater

32The scribe said to Him, "Right,

condemnation."

Teacher; You have truly stated that HE

IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE

41And He sat down opposite the treasury,

ELSE BESIDES HIM;

and began observing how the people

were putting money into the treasury;

33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE

and many rich people were putting in

HEART

AND

WITH

ALL

THE

large sums.

UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL

THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE

42A poor widow came and put in two

ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is

small copper coins, which amount to a

much more than all burnt offerings and

cent.

sacrifices."

43Calling His disciples to Him, He said to

34When Jesus saw that he had

them, "Truly I say to you, this poor answered intelligently, He said to him,

widow put in more than all the

"You are not far from the kingdom of contributors to the treasury;

God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

44for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she 35And Jesus began to say, as He taught

owned, all she had to live on."

in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

13As He was going out of the temple,

36"David himself said in the Holy Spirit, '

THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT

one of His disciples said to Him,

AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT

"Teacher, behold what wonderful stones

YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR

and what wonderful buildings!"

FEET."'

2And Jesus said to him, "Do you see given you in that hour; for it is not you these great buildings? Not one stone will who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

be left upon another which will not be

torn down."

12"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will 3As He was sitting on the Mount of rise up against parents and have them

Olives opposite the temple, Peter and

put to death.

James and John and Andrew were

questioning Him privately,

13" You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to 4"Tell us, when will these things be, and the end, he will be saved.

what will be the sign when all these

things are going to be fulfilled?"

14"But when you see the ABOMINATION

OF DESOLATION standing where it

5And Jesus began to say to them, "See

should

not

be

(let

the

reader

to it that no one misleads you.

understand), then those who are in

Judea must flee to the mountains.

6"Many will come in My name, saying, ' I

am He!' and will mislead many.

15" The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get

7"When you hear of wars and rumors of

anything out of his house;

wars, do not be frightened; those things

must take place; but that is not yet the 16and the one who is in the field must end.

not turn back to get his coat.

8"For nation will rise up against nation, 17"But woe to those who are pregnant and kingdom against kingdom; there will and to those who are nursing babies in

be earthquakes in various places; there

those days!

will also be famines. These things are

merely the beginning of birth pangs.

18"But pray that it may not happen in the winter.

9"But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be

19"For those days will be a time of flogged in the synagogues, and you will

tribulation such as has not occurred

stand before governors and kings for My

since the beginning of the creation

sake, as a testimony to them.

which God created until now, and never

will.

10" The gospel must first be preached to

all the nations.

20"Unless the Lord had shortened those

days, no life would have been saved;

11" When they arrest you and hand you but for the sake of the elect, whom He over, do not worry beforehand about chose, He shortened the days.

what you are to say, but say whatever is

21"And then if anyone says to you, 31"Heaven and earth will pass away, but 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold, My words will not pass away.

He is there'; do not believe him;

32" But of that day or hour no one knows, 22for false Christs and false prophets will

not even the angels in heaven, nor the

arise, and will show signs and wonders,

Son, but the Father alone.

in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

33"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you

do not know when the appointed time

23"But take heed; behold, I have told you will come.

everything in advance.

34" It is like a man away on a journey, 24"But in those days, after that tribulation, who upon leaving his house and putting THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND

his slaves in charge, assigning to each

THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS

one his task, also commanded the

LIGHT,

doorkeeper to stay on the alert.

25AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING

35"Therefore, be on the alert--for you do from heaven, and the powers that are in

not know when the master of the house

the heavens will be shaken.

is coming, whether in the evening, at

midnight, or when the rooster crows, or

26"Then they will see THE SON OF MAN

in the morning--

COMING IN CLOUDS with great power

and glory.

36in case he should come suddenly and

find you asleep.

27"And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from

37"What I say to you I say to all, ' Be on the four winds, from the farthest end of the alert!'"

the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

28"Now learn the parable from the fig 14Now the Passover and

tree: when its branch has already

Unleavened Bread were two days away;

become tender and puts forth its leaves,

and the chief priests and the scribes

you know that summer is near.

were seeking how to seize Him by

stealth and kill Him;

29"Even so, you too, when you see these

things happening, recognize that He is

2for they were saying, "Not during the near, right at the door.

festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people."

30"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take

3While He was in Bethany at the home

place.

of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an

alabaster vial of very costly perfume of

"Where do You want us to go and

pure nard; and she broke the vial and

prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

poured it over His head.

13And He sent two of His disciples and

4But some were indignantly remarking to

said to them, "Go into the city, and a one another, "Why has this perfume man will meet you carrying a pitcher of been wasted?

water; follow him;

5"For this perfume might have been sold

14and wherever he enters, say to the

for over three hundred denarii, and the

owner of the house, 'The Teacher says,

money given to the poor." And they

"Where is My guest room in which I may

were scolding her.

eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

6But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do

15"And he himself will show you a large you bother her? She has done a good

upper room furnished and ready;

deed to Me.

prepare for us there."

7"For you always have the poor with you,

16The disciples went out and came to

and whenever you wish you can do

the city, and found it just as He had told

good to them; but you do not always

them; and they prepared the Passover.

have Me.

17When it was evening He came with the

8"She has done what she could; she has

twelve.

anointed My body beforehand for the

burial.

18As they were reclining at the table and

eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you 9"Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel that one of you will betray Me--one who is preached in the whole world, what this

is eating with Me."

woman has done will also be spoken of

in memory of her."

19They began to be grieved and to say

to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"

10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of

the twelve, went off to the chief priests 20And He said to them, "It is one of the in order to betray Him to them.

twelve, one who dips with Me in the

bowl.

11They were glad when they heard this,

and promised to give him money. And

21"For the Son of Man is to go just as it he began seeking how to betray Him at

is written of Him; but woe to that man by

an opportune time.

whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It

would have been good for that man if he

12On the first day of Unleavened Bread,

had not been born."

when the Passover lamb was being

sacrificed, His disciples said to Him,

22While they were eating, He took some 32They came to a place named

bread, and after a blessing He broke it, Gethsemane; and He said to His

and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed."

this is My body."

33And He took with Him Peter and

23And when He had taken a cup and

James and John, and began to be very

given thanks, He gave it to them, and

distressed and troubled.

they all drank from it.

34And He said to them, " My soul is 24And He said to them, "This is My blood deeply grieved to the point of death;

of the covenant, which is poured out for

remain here and keep watch."

many.

35And He went a little beyond them, and

25"Truly I say to you, I will never again fell to the ground and began to pray that drink of the fruit of the vine until that day

if it were possible, the hour might pass when I drink it new in the kingdom of

Him by.

God."

36And He was saying, " Abba! Father! All

26After singing a hymn, they went out to

things are possible for You; remove this

the Mount of Olives.

cup from Me; yet not what I will, but

what You will."

27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, ' I WILL

37And He came and found them

STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND

sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are

THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.'

you asleep? Could you not keep watch

for one hour?

28"But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

38" Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit 29But Peter said to Him, "Even though all is willing, but the flesh is weak."

may fall away, yet I will not."

39Again He went away and prayed,

30And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to saying the same words.

you, that this very night, before a rooster

crows twice, you yourself will deny Me

40And again He came and found them

three times."

sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy;

and they did not know what to answer

31But Peter kept saying insistently,

Him.

"Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the

41And He came the third time, and said

same thing also.

to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come;

behold, the Son of Man is being 52But he pulled free of the linen sheet betrayed into the hands of sinners.

and escaped naked.

42"Get up, let us be going; behold, the 53They led Jesus away to the high priest;

one who betrays Me is at hand!"

and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

43Immediately while He was still

speaking, Judas, one of the twelve,

54Peter had followed Him at a distance,

came up accompanied by a crowd with

right into the courtyard of the high priest;

swords and clubs, who were from the

and he was sitting with the officers and chief priests and the scribes and the

warming himself at the fire.

elders.

55Now the chief priests and the whole

44Now he who was betraying Him had

Council kept trying to obtain testimony

given them a signal, saying, "Whomever

against Jesus to put Him to death, and

I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead

they were not finding any.

Him away under guard."

56For many were giving false testimony

45After coming, Judas immediately went

against Him, but their testimony was not

to Him, saying, " Rabbi!" and kissed Him. consistent.

46They laid hands on Him and seized

57Some stood up and began to give

Him.

false testimony against Him, saying,

47But one of those who stood by drew

58"We heard Him say, ' I will destroy this his sword, and struck the slave of the

temple made with hands, and in three

high priest and cut off his ear.

days I will build another made without

hands.'"

48And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to

59Not even in this respect was their

arrest Me, as you would against a

testimony consistent.

robber?

60The high priest stood up and came

49"Every day I was with you in the forward and questioned Jesus, saying,

temple teaching, and you did not seize

"Do You not answer? What is it that Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the

these men are testifying against You?"

Scriptures."

61But He kept silent and did not answer.

50And they all left Him and fled.

Again the high priest was questioning

Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the 51A young man was following Him,

Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

wearing nothing but a linen sheet over

his naked body; and they seized him.

62And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall 71But he began to curse and swear, "I do see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT

not know this man you are talking

THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and

about!"

COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF

HEAVEN."

72Immediately a rooster crowed a

second time. And Peter remembered

63Tearing his clothes, the high priest

how Jesus had made the remark to him,

said, "What further need do we have of

"Before a rooster crows twice, you will witnesses?

deny Me three times." And he began to weep.

64"You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of 15Early in the morning the chief

death.

priests with the elders and scribes and

the whole Council, immediately held a

65Some began to spit at Him, and to

consultation; and binding Jesus, they

blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their

led Him away and delivered Him to

fists, and to say to Him, " Prophesy!"

Pilate.

And the officers received Him with slaps

in the face.

2Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered

66As Peter was below in the courtyard,

him, "It is as you say."

one of the servant-girls of the high priest

came,

3The chief priests began to accuse Him

harshly.

67and seeing Peter warming himself, she

looked at him and said, "You also were 4Then Pilate questioned Him again,

with Jesus the Nazarene."

saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!"

68But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are

5But Jesus made no further answer; so

talking about." And he went out onto the

Pilate was amazed.

porch.

6

69

Now at the feast he used to release for

The servant-girl saw him, and began

them any one prisoner whom they

once more to say to the bystanders,

requested.

"This is one of them!"

7

70

The man named Barabbas had been

But again he denied it. And after a little

imprisoned with the insurrectionists who

while the bystanders were again saying

had

committed

murder

in

the

to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, insurrection.

for you are a Galilean too."

8The crowd went up and began asking 19They kept beating His head with a him to do as he had been accustomed

reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling

to do for them.

and bowing before Him.

9Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you

20After they had mocked Him, they took

want me to release for you the King of the purple robe off Him and put His own

the Jews?"

garments on Him. And they led Him out

to crucify Him.

10For he was aware that the chief priests

had handed Him over because of envy.

21They pressed into service a passer-by

coming from the country, Simon of

11But the chief priests stirred up the

Cyrene (the father of Alexander and

crowd to ask him to release Barabbas

Rufus), to bear His cross.

for them instead.

22Then they brought Him to the place

12Answering again, Pilate said to them,

Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a

"Then what shall I do with Him whom Skull.

you call the King of the Jews?"

23They tried to give Him wine mixed with

13They shouted back, "Crucify Him!"

myrrh; but He did not take it.

14

24

But Pilate said to them, "Why, what And they crucified Him, and divided up

evil has He done?" But they shouted all His

garments

among

themselves,

the more, "Crucify Him!"

casting lots for them to decide what

each man should take.

15Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate

25

released Barabbas for them, and after

It was the third hour when they

having Jesus scourged, he handed Him

crucified Him.

over to be crucified.

26The inscription of the charge against

16The soldiers took Him away into the

Him read, " THE KING OF THE JEWS."

palace (that is, the Praetorium), and

they called together the whole Roman

27They crucified two robbers with Him,

cohort.

one on His right and one on His left.

17They dressed Him up in purple, and

28[ And the Scripture was fulfilled which

after twisting a crown of thorns, they put

says, "And He was numbered with

it on Him;

transgressors."]

18and they began to acclaim Him, "Hail,

29Those passing by were hurling abuse

King of the Jews!"

at Him, wagging their heads, and saying,

"Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

30save Yourself, and come down from breathed His last, he said, "Truly this the cross!"

man was the Son of God!"

31In the same way the chief priests also,

40There were also some women looking

along with the scribes, were mocking

on from a distance, among whom were

Him among themselves and saying, "

Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother

He saved others; He cannot save

of James the Less and Joses, and

Himself.

Salome.

32"Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now 41When He was in Galilee, they used to

come down from the cross, so that we

follow Him and minister to Him; and

may see and believe!" Those who were there were many other women who

crucified with Him were also insulting

came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Him.

42When evening had already come,

33When the sixth hour came, darkness

because it was the preparation day, that

fell over the whole land until the ninth is, the day before the Sabbath,

hour.

43Joseph of Arimathea came, a

34At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a

prominent member of the Council, who

loud voice, " ELOI, ELOI, LAMA

himself was waiting for the kingdom of

SABACHTHANI?" which is translated,

God; and he gathered up courage and

"MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU

went in before Pilate, and asked for the FORSAKEN ME?"

body of Jesus.

35When some of the bystanders heard it,

44Pilate wondered if He was dead by this

they began saying, "Behold, He is

time, and summoning the centurion, he

calling for Elijah."

questioned him as to whether He was

already dead.

36Someone ran and filled a sponge with

sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave

45And ascertaining this from the

Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether

centurion, he granted the body to

Elijah will come to take Him down."

Joseph.

37And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and

46Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him

breathed His last.

down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth

and laid Him in a tomb which had been

38And the veil of the temple was torn in

hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a

two from top to bottom.

stone against the entrance of the tomb.

39

47

When the centurion, who was standing

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother

right in front of Him, saw the way He

of Joses were looking on to see where

He was laid.

10

16

She went and reported to those who

When the Sabbath was over,

had been with Him, while they were

Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother

mourning and weeping.

of James, and Salome, bought spices,

11

so that they might come and anoint Him.

When they heard that He was alive

and had been seen by her, they refused

2Very early on the first day of the week,

to believe it.

they came to the tomb when the sun

12

had risen.

After that, He appeared in a different

form to two of them while they were

3They were saying to one another, "Who

walking along on their way to the

will roll away the stone for us from the country.

entrance of the tomb?"

13They went away and reported it to the

4Looking up, they saw that the stone

others, but they did not believe them

had been rolled away, although it was

either.

extremely large.

14Afterward He appeared to the eleven

5

themselves as they were reclining at the

Entering the tomb, they saw a young

man sitting at the right, wearing a white table; and He reproached them for their

robe; and they were amazed.

unbelief and hardness of heart, because

they had not believed those who had

6

seen Him after He had risen.

And he said to them, " Do not be

amazed; you are looking for Jesus the

15

Nazarene, who has been crucified. He

And He said to them, " Go into all the has risen; He is not here; behold, here is world and preach the gospel to all

the place where they laid Him.

creation.

16

7"But go, tell His disciples and Peter, '

" He who has believed and has been He is going ahead of you to Galilee;

baptized shall be saved; but he who has

there you will see Him, just as He told disbelieved shall be condemned.

you.'"

17"These signs will accompany those

8They went out and fled from the tomb,

who have believed: in My name they will

for trembling and astonishment had

cast out demons, they will speak with

gripped them; and they said nothing to

new tongues;

anyone, for they were afraid.

18they will pick up serpents, and if they 9[ Now after He had risen early on the drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt first day of the week, He first appeared them; they will lay hands on the sick, to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had

and they will recover."

cast out seven demons.

19So then, when the Lord Jesus had them, and confirmed the word by the spoken to them, He was received up

signs that followed.] [ And they promptly

into heaven and sat down at the right

reported all these instructions to Peter

hand of God.

and his companions. And after that,

Jesus Himself sent out through them

20And they went out and preached

from east to west the sacred and

everywhere, while the Lord worked with

imperishable proclamation of eternal

salvation.]

Luke

9according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the

1Inasmuch as many have undertaken temple of the Lord and burn incense.

to compile an account of the things

10

accomplished among us,

And the whole multitude of the people

were in prayer outside at the hour of the

2

incense offering.

just as they were handed down to us by

those who from the beginning were

11And an angel of the Lord appeared to

eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

him, standing to the right of the altar of 3

incense.

it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from

12Zacharias was troubled when he saw

the beginning, to write it out for you in the angel, and fear gripped him.

consecutive

order,

most

excellent

Theophilus;

13But the angel said to him, " Do not be

4so that you may know the exact truth

afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has

been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will

about the things you have been taught.

bear you a son, and you will give him

5

the name John.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea,

there was a priest named Zacharias, of

14

the division of Abijah; and he had a wife

"You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

from the daughters of Aaron, and her

name was Elizabeth.

15"For he will be great in the sight of the 6They were both righteous in the sight of

Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor,

and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit God, walking blamelessly in all the

while yet in his mother's womb.

commandments and requirements of the

Lord.

16"And he will turn many of the sons of 7But they had no child, because

Israel back to the Lord their God.

Elizabeth was barren, and they were

17

both advanced in years.

"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of 8Now it happened that while he was

Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF

performing his priestly service before

THE

FATHERS

BACK

TO

THE

CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the

God in the appointed order of his

attitude of the righteous, so as to make division,

ready a people prepared for the Lord."

18Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose know this for certain? For I am an old name was Joseph, of the descendants

man and my wife is advanced in years."

of David; and the virgin's name was

Mary.

19The angel answered and said to him,

"I am Gabriel, who stands in the

28And coming in, he said to her,

presence of God, and I have been sent

"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is to speak to you and to bring you this

with you."

good news.

29But she was very perplexed at this

20"And behold, you shall be silent and statement, and kept pondering what

unable to speak until the day when

kind of salutation this was.

these things take place, because you

did not believe my words, which will be 30The angel said to her, " Do not be fulfilled in their proper time."

afraid, Mary; for you have found favor

with God.

21The people were waiting for Zacharias,

and were wondering at his delay in the

31"And behold, you will conceive in your

temple.

womb and bear a son, and you shall

name Him Jesus.

22But when he came out, he was unable

to speak to them; and they realized that

32"He will be great and will be called the he had seen a vision in the temple; and

Son of the Most High; and the Lord God

he kept making signs to them, and

will give Him the throne of His father

remained mute.

David;

23When the days of his priestly service

33and He will reign over the house of

were ended, he went back home.

Jacob forever, and His kingdom will

have no end."

24After these days Elizabeth his wife

became pregnant, and she kept herself

34Mary said to the angel, "How can this in seclusion for five months, saying,

be, since I am a virgin?"

25"This is the way the Lord has dealt 35The angel answered and said to her, "

with me in the days when He looked

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and

with favor upon me, to take away my

the power of the Most High will

disgrace among men."

overshadow you; and for that reason the

holy Child shall be called the Son of

26Now in the sixth month the angel

God.

Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

36"And behold, even your relative

Elizabeth has also conceived a son in

her old age; and she who was called 47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my barren is now in her sixth month.

Savior.

37"For nothing will be impossible with 48"For He has had regard for the humble

God."

state of His bondslave; For behold, from

this time on all generations will count me

38And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave

blessed.

of the Lord; may it be done to me

according to your word." And the angel 49"For the Mighty One has done great departed from her.

things for me; And holy is His name.

39Now at this time Mary arose and went

50" AND HIS MERCY IS UPON

in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of GENERATION AFTER GENERATION

Judah,

TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

40and entered the house of Zacharias

51" He has done mighty deeds with His and greeted Elizabeth.

arm; He has scattered those who were

proud in the thoughts of their heart.

41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,

the baby leaped in her womb; and

52"He has brought down rulers from their

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

thrones, And has exalted those who

were humble.

42And she cried out with a loud voice

and said, "Blessed are you among

53" HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY

women, and blessed is the fruit of your WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away

womb!

the rich empty-handed.

43"And how has it happened to me, that

54"He has given help to Israel His

the mother of my Lord would come to

servant, In remembrance of His mercy,

me?

55As He spoke to our fathers, To

44"For behold, when the sound of your Abraham and his descendants forever."

greeting reached my ears, the baby

leaped in my womb for joy.

56And Mary stayed with her about three

months, and then returned to her home.

45"And blessed is she who believed that

there would be a fulfillment of what had 57Now the time had come for Elizabeth

been spoken to her by the Lord."

to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

46And Mary said: " My soul exalts the 58Her neighbors and her relatives heard

Lord,

that the Lord had displayed His great

mercy toward her; and they were

rejoicing with her.

59And it happened that on the eighth day 69And has raised up a horn of salvation they came to circumcise the child, and

for us In the house of David His servant—

they were going to call him Zacharias,

-

after his father.

70As He spoke by the mouth of His holy

60But his mother answered and said,

prophets from of old--

"No indeed; but he shall be called John."

71Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And

61And they said to her, "There is no one

FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE

among your relatives who is called by

US;

that name."

72To show mercy toward our fathers,

62And they made signs to his father, as

And to remember His holy covenant,

to what he wanted him called.

73The oath which He swore to Abraham

63And he asked for a tablet and wrote as

our father,

follows, " His name is John." And they were all astonished.

74To grant us that we, being rescued

from the hand of our enemies, Might

64And at once his mouth was opened

serve Him without fear,

and his tongue loosed, and he began to

speak in praise of God.

75In holiness and righteousness before

Him all our days.

65Fear came on all those living around

them; and all these matters were being

76"And you, child, will be called the talked about in all the hill country of prophet of the Most High; For you will go Judea.

on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE

HIS WAYS;

66All who heard them kept them in mind,

saying, "What then will this child turn out 77To give to His people the knowledge of

to be?" For the hand of the Lord was salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

certainly with him.

78Because of the tender mercy of our

67And his father Zacharias was filled

God, With which the Sunrise from on

with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,

high will visit us,

saying:

79TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT

68" Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF

For He has visited us and accomplished

DEATH, To guide our feet into the way

redemption for His people,

of peace."

80And the child continued to grow and to

become strong in spirit, and he lived in

the deserts until the day of his public 10But the angel said to them, " Do not be appearance to Israel.

afraid; for behold, I bring you good news

of great joy which will be for all the people;

2Now in those days a decree went out 11

from Caesar Augustus, that a census be

for today in the city of David there has

taken of all the inhabited earth.

been born for you a Savior, who is

Christ the Lord.

2This was the first census taken while

12

Quirinius was governor of Syria.

" This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying 3

in a manger."

And everyone was on his way to

register for the census, each to his own

13And suddenly there appeared with the

city.

angel a multitude of the heavenly host

4

praising God and saying,

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from

the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city

14" Glory to God in the highest, And on of David which is called Bethlehem,

earth peace among men with whom He

because he was of the house and family

of David,

is pleased."

15

5in order to register along with Mary,

When the angels had gone away from

them into heaven, the shepherds began

who was engaged to him, and was with

saying to one another, "Let us go

child.

straight to Bethlehem then, and see this

6

thing that has happened which the Lord

While they were there, the days were

has made known to us."

completed for her to give birth.

16

7

So they came in a hurry and found

And she gave birth to her firstborn son;

their way to Mary and Joseph, and the

and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid

baby as He lay in the manger.

Him in a manger, because there was no

room for them in the inn.

17When they had seen this, they made

8

known the statement which had been

In the same region there were some

told them about this Child.

shepherds staying out in the fields and

keeping watch over their flock by night.

18And all who heard it wondered at the

9

things which were told them by the

And an angel of the Lord suddenly

shepherds.

stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were

19

terribly frightened.

But Mary treasured all these things,

pondering them in her heart.

20The shepherds went back, glorifying 28then he took Him into his arms, and and praising God for all that they had

blessed God, and said,

heard and seen, just as had been told

them.

29"Now Lord, You are releasing Your

bond-servant to depart in peace,

21And when eight days had passed,

According to Your word;

before His circumcision, His name was

then called Jesus, the name given by

30For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

the angel before He was conceived in

the womb.

31Which You have prepared in the

presence of all peoples,

22And when the days for their

purification according to the law of

32A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE

Moses were completed, they brought

GENTILES, And the glory of Your

Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to

people Israel."

the Lord

33

23

And His father and mother were

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "

amazed at the things which were being

EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS

said about Him.

THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY

TO THE LORD"),

34And Simeon blessed them and said to

24

Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is and to offer a sacrifice according to appointed for the fall and rise of many in

what was said in the Law of the Lord, "

Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--

A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO

YOUNG PIGEONS."

35and a sword will pierce even your own

25

soul--to the end that thoughts from

And there was a man in Jerusalem

many hearts may be revealed."

whose name was Simeon; and this man

was righteous and devout, looking for

36

the consolation of Israel; and the Holy

And there was a prophetess, Anna the

Spirit was upon him.

daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of

Asher. She was advanced in years and

26

had lived with her husband seven years

And it had been revealed to him by the

after her marriage,

Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

37and then as a widow to the age of

27

eighty-four. She never left the temple,

And he came in the Spirit into the

serving night and day with fastings and

temple; and when the parents brought in

prayers.

the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the

custom of the Law,

38At that very moment she came up and

began giving thanks to God, and

continued to speak of Him to all those

who were looking for the redemption of Behold, Your father and I have been Jerusalem.

anxiously looking for You."

39When they had performed everything

49And He said to them, "Why is it that according to the Law of the Lord, they you were looking for Me? Did you not

returned to Galilee, to their own city of know that I had to be in My Father's

Nazareth.

house?"

40The Child continued to grow and

50But they did not understand the

become strong, increasing in wisdom;

statement which He had made to them.

and the grace of God was upon Him.

51And He went down with them and

41Now His parents went to Jerusalem

came to Nazareth, and He continued in

every year at the Feast of the Passover.

subjection to them; and His mother

treasured all these things in her heart.

42And when He became twelve, they

went up there according to the custom

52And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom

of the Feast;

and stature, and in favor with God and

men.

43and as they were returning, after

spending the full number of days, the

boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.

3Now in the fifteenth year of the reign But His parents were unaware of it,

of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate

was governor of Judea, and Herod was

44but supposed Him to be in the caravan,

tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip

and went a day's journey; and they

was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and

began looking for Him among their

Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch

relatives and acquaintances.

of Abilene,

45When they did not find Him, they

2in the high priesthood of Annas and

returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.

Caiaphas, the word of God came to

John, the son of Zacharias, in the

46Then, after three days they found Him

wilderness.

in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and

3And he came into all the district around

asking them questions.

the Jordan, preaching a baptism of

repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

47And all who heard Him were amazed

at His understanding and His answers.

4as it is written in the book of the words

of Isaiah the prophet, " THE VOICE OF

48When they saw Him, they were

ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

astonished; and His mother said to Him,

'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE

"Son, why have You treated us this way?

LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

5' EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, we do?" And he said to them, "Do not AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL

take money from anyone by force, or

WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE

accuse anyone falsely, and be content

CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT,

with your wages."

AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

15Now while the people were in a state

6AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE

of expectation and all were wondering in

SALVATION OF GOD.'"

their hearts about John, as to whether

he was the Christ,

7So he began saying to the crowds who

were going out to be baptized by him, "

16John answered and said to them all,

You brood of vipers, who warned you to

"As for me, I baptize you with water; but flee from the wrath to come?

One is coming who is mightier than I,

and I am not fit to untie the thong of His

8"Therefore bear fruits in keeping with sandals; He will baptize you with the

repentance, and do not begin to say to

Holy Spirit and fire.

yourselves, ' We have Abraham for our

father,' for I say to you that from these 17"His winnowing fork is in His hand to stones God is able to raise up children thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to Abraham.

to gather the wheat into His barn; but He

will burn up the chaff with unquenchable

9"Indeed the axe is already laid at the fire."

root of the trees; so every tree that does

not bear good fruit is cut down and

18So with many other exhortations he

thrown into the fire."

preached the gospel to the people.

10And the crowds were questioning him,

19But when Herod the tetrarch was

saying, " Then what shall we do?"

reprimanded

by

him

because

of

Herodias,

his

brother's

wife,

and

11And he would answer and say to them,

because of all the wicked things which

"The man who has two tunics is to share

Herod had done,

with him who has none; and he who has

food is to do likewise."

20Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

12And some tax collectors also came to

be baptized, and they said to him,

21Now when all the people were

"Teacher, what shall we do?"

baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and

while He was praying, heaven was

13And he said to them, "Collect no more

opened,

than what you have been ordered to."

22and the Holy Spirit descended upon

14Some soldiers were questioning him,

Him in bodily form like a dove, and a

saying, "And what about us, what shall

voice came out of heaven, " You are My 33the son of Amminadab, the son of beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Admin, the son of Ram, the son of

Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of

23When He began His ministry, Jesus

Judah,

Himself was about thirty years of age,

being, as was supposed, the son of

34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the

Joseph, the son of Eli,

son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the

son of Nahor,

24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the

son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son

35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the

of Joseph,

son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son

of Shelah,

25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,

the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the

36the son of Cainan, the son of

son of Naggai,

Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of

Noah, the son of Lamech,

26the son of Maath, the son of

Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son

37the son of Methuselah, the son of

of Josech, the son of Joda,

Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of

Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,

the son of Zerubbabel, the son of

38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the

Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

son of Adam, the son of God.

28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the

son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the

4Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned son of Er,

from the Jordan and was led around by

the Spirit in the wilderness

29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,

the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the

2for forty days, being tempted by the

son of Levi,

devil. And He ate nothing during those

days, and when they had ended, He

30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah,

became hungry.

the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam,

the son of Eliakim,

3And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,

become bread."

the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, '

MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD

32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the

ALONE.'"

son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son

of Nahshon,

5And he led Him up and showed Him all 15And He began teaching in their

the kingdoms of the world in a moment

synagogues and was praised by all.

of time.

16And He came to Nazareth, where He

6And the devil said to Him, "I will give had been brought up; and as was His You all this domain and its glory; for it custom, He entered the synagogue on

has been handed over to me, and I give

the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

it to whomever I wish.

17And the book of the prophet Isaiah

7"Therefore if You worship before me, it

was handed to Him. And He opened the

shall all be Yours."

book and found the place where it was

written,

8Jesus answered him, "It is written, '

YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD

18" THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS

YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED

ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO

9And he led Him to Jerusalem and had

THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO

Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

PROCLAIM

RELEASE

TO

THE

and said to Him, "If You are the Son of CAPTIVES,

AND

RECOVERY

OF

God, throw Yourself down from here;

SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE

THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,

10for it is written, ' HE WILL COMMAND

19

HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO

TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE

GUARD YOU,'

YEAR OF THE LORD."

11

20

and, ' ON their HANDS THEY WILL

And He closed the book, gave it back

BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL

to the attendant and sat down; and the

NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A

eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed STONE.'"

on Him.

12

21

And Jesus answered and said to him,

And He began to say to them, "Today

"It is said, ' YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE

this Scripture has been fulfilled in your LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"

hearing."

13

22

When the devil had finished every

And all were speaking well of Him, and

temptation, he left Him until an

wondering at the gracious words which

opportune time.

were falling from His lips; and they were

saying, " Is this not Joseph's son?"

14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the

23

power of the Spirit, and news about Him

And He said to them, "No doubt you spread through all the surrounding

will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician,

district.

heal yourself! Whatever we heard was

done at Capernaum, do here in your demon, and he cried out with a loud hometown as well.'"

voice,

24And He said, "Truly I say to you, no 34"Let us alone! What business do we prophet is welcome in his hometown.

have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have You come to destroy us? I know

25"But I say to you in truth, there were who You are-- the Holy One of God!"

many widows in Israel in the days of

Elijah, when the sky was shut up for

35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be three years and six months, when a

quiet and come out of him!" And when great famine came over all the land;

the demon had thrown him down in the

midst of the people, he came out of him

26and yet Elijah was sent to none of

without doing him any harm.

them, but only to Zarephath, in the land

of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

36And amazement came upon them all,

and they began talking with one another

27"And there were many lepers in Israel

saying, "What is this message? For with

in the time of Elisha the prophet; and

authority and power He commands the

none of them was cleansed, but only

unclean spirits and they come out."

Naaman the Syrian."

37And the report about Him was

28And all the people in the synagogue

spreading into every locality in the

were filled with rage as they heard these

surrounding district.

things;

38Then He got up and left the

29and they got up and drove Him out of

synagogue, and entered Simon's home.

the city, and led Him to the brow of the Now

Simon's

mother-in-law

was

hill on which their city had been built, in suffering from a high fever, and they

order to throw Him down the cliff.

asked Him to help her.

30

39

But passing through their midst, He

And standing over her, He rebuked the

went His way.

fever, and it left her; and she

immediately got up and waited on them.

31And He came down to Capernaum, a

40

city of Galilee, and He was teaching

While the sun was setting, all those

them on the Sabbath;

who had any who were sick with various

diseases brought them to Him; and

32

laying His hands on each one of them,

and they were amazed at His teaching,

He was healing them.

for His message was with authority.

41

33

Demons also were coming out of

In the synagogue there was a man

many, shouting, "You are the Son of possessed by the spirit of an unclean

God!" But rebuking them, He would not

allow them to speak, because they knew 6When they had done this, they

Him to be the Christ.

enclosed a great quantity of fish, and

their nets began to break;

42When day came, Jesus left and went

to a secluded place; and the crowds

7so they signaled to their partners in the

were searching for Him, and came to

other boat for them to come and help

Him and tried to keep Him from going

them. And they came and filled both of

away from them.

the boats, so that they began to sink.

43But He said to them, "I must preach 8But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell

the kingdom of God to the other cities

down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away also, for I was sent for this purpose."

from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

44So He kept on preaching in the

9For amazement had seized him and all

synagogues of Judea.

his companions because of the catch of

fish which they had taken;

5

10

Now it happened that while the crowd

and so also were James and John,

sons of Zebedee, who were partners

was pressing around Him and listening

to the word of God, He was standing by

with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "

the lake of Gennesaret;

Do not fear, from now on you will be

catching men."

2and He saw two boats lying at the edge

11When they had brought their boats to

of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten

out of them and were washing their nets. land, they left everything and followed Him.

3And He got into one of the boats, which

12While He was in one of the cities,

was Simon's, and asked him to put out a

little way from the land. And He sat

behold, there was a man covered with

down and began teaching the people

leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell

from the boat.

on his face and implored Him, saying,

"Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

4When He had finished speaking, He

said to Simon, "Put out into the deep 13

water and let down your nets for a

And He stretched out His hand and

catch."

touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.

5Simon answered and said, " Master, we

worked hard all night and caught

14

nothing, but I will do as You say and let

And He ordered him to tell no one,

down the nets."

"But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing,

just as Moses commanded, as a 23"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins testimony to them."

have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

15But the news about Him was

spreading even farther, and large

24"But, so that you may know that the crowds were gathering to hear Him and

Son of Man has authority on earth to

to be healed of their sicknesses.

forgive sins,"--He said to the paralytic--"I say to you, get up, and pick up your 16But Jesus Himself would often slip

stretcher and go home."

away to the wilderness and pray.

25Immediately he got up before them,

17One day He was teaching; and there

and picked up what he had been lying

were some Pharisees and teachers of

on, and went home glorifying God.

the law sitting there, who had come from

every village of Galilee and Judea and

26They were all struck with astonishment

from Jerusalem; and the power of the

and began glorifying God; and they

Lord was present for Him to perform

were filled with fear, saying, "We have healing.

seen remarkable things today."

18And some men were carrying on a bed

27After that He went out and noticed a

a man who was paralyzed; and they

tax collector named Levi sitting in the

were trying to bring him in and to set tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow him down in front of Him.

Me."

19But not finding any way to bring him in

28And he left everything behind, and got

because of the crowd, they went up on

up and began to follow Him.

the roof and let him down through the

tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of

29And Levi gave a big reception for Him

the crowd, in front of Jesus.

in his house; and there was a great

crowd of tax collectors and other people

20Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, who were reclining at the table with

your sins are forgiven you."

them.

21The scribes and the Pharisees began

30The Pharisees and their scribes began

to reason, saying, " Who is this man grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why who speaks blasphemies? Who can

do you eat and drink with the tax

forgive sins, but God alone?"

collectors and sinners?"

22But Jesus, aware of their reasonings,

31And Jesus answered and said to them,

answered and said to them, "Why are

" It is not those who are well who need a you reasoning in your hearts?

physician, but those who are sick.

32"I have not come to call the righteous 2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why but sinners to repentance."

do you do what is not lawful on the

Sabbath?"

33And they said to Him, " The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the

3And Jesus answering them said, "Have

disciples of the Pharisees also do the

you not even read what David did when

same, but Yours eat and drink."

he was hungry, he and those who were

with him,

34And Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom

4how he entered the house of God, and

fast while the bridegroom is with them,

took and ate the consecrated bread

can you?

which is not lawful for any to eat except

the priests alone, and gave it to his

35" But the days will come; and when the

companions?"

bridegroom is taken away from them,

then they will fast in those days."

5And He was saying to them, "The Son

of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

36And He was also telling them a

parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth 6On another Sabbath He entered the

from a new garment and puts it on an

synagogue and was teaching; and there

old garment; otherwise he will both tear was a man there whose right hand was

the new, and the piece from the new will

withered.

not match the old.

7The scribes and the Pharisees were

37"And no one puts new wine into old watching Him closely to see if He healed

wineskins; otherwise the new wine will

on the Sabbath, so that they might find burst the skins and it will be spilled out,

reason to accuse Him.

and the skins will be ruined.

8But He knew what they were thinking,

38"But new wine must be put into fresh and He said to the man with the

wineskins.

withered hand, "Get up and come

forward!" And he got up and came

39"And no one, after drinking old wine forward.

wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"

9And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?"

6Now it happened that He was 10

passing through some grainfields on a

After looking around at them all, He

Sabbath; and His disciples were picking

said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And the heads of grain, rubbing them in their

he did so; and his hand was restored.

hands, and eating the grain.

11But they themselves were filled with 21"Blessed are you who hunger now, for rage, and discussed together what they

you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you

might do to Jesus.

who weep now, for you shall laugh.

12It was at this time that He went off to 22" Blessed are you when men hate you, the mountain to pray, and He spent the

and ostracize you, and insult you, and

whole night in prayer to God.

scorn your name as evil, for the sake of

the Son of Man.

13And when day came, He called His

disciples to Him and chose twelve of

23"Be glad in that day and leap for joy, them, whom He also named as apostles: for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their 14Simon, whom He also named Peter,

fathers used to treat the prophets.

and Andrew his brother; and James and

John; and Philip and Bartholomew;

24"But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.

15and Matthew and Thomas; James the

son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was

25"Woe to you who are well-fed now, for

called the Zealot;

you shall be hungry. Woe to you who

laugh now, for you shall mourn and

16Judas the son of James, and Judas

weep.

Iscariot, who became a traitor.

26"Woe to you when all men speak well

17Jesus came down with them and stood

of you, for their fathers used to treat the

on a level place; and there was a large false prophets in the same way.

crowd of His disciples, and a great

throng of people from all Judea and

27"But I say to you who hear, love your Jerusalem and the coastal region of

enemies, do good to those who hate

Tyre and Sidon,

you,

18who had come to hear Him and to be

28bless those who curse you, pray for

healed of their diseases; and those who

those who mistreat you.

were troubled with unclean spirits were

being cured.

29" Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer

him the other also; and whoever takes

19And all the people were trying to touch

away your coat, do not withhold your

Him, for power was coming from Him

shirt from him either.

and healing them all.

30"Give to everyone who asks of you, 20And turning His gaze toward His

and whoever takes away what is yours,

disciples, He began to say, " Blessed do not demand it back.

are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

31" Treat others the same way you want 40" A pupil is not above his teacher; but them to treat you.

everyone, after he has been fully trained,

will be like his teacher.

32" If you love those who love you, what

credit is that to you? For even sinners 41"Why do you look at the speck that is love those who love them.

in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

33"If you do good to those who do good

to you, what credit is that to you? For 42"Or how can you say to your brother, even sinners do the same.

'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not

34" If you lend to those from whom you see the log that is in your own eye? You

expect to receive, what credit is that to hypocrite, first take the log out of your you? Even sinners lend to sinners in own eye, and then you will see clearly to

order to receive back the same amount.

take out the speck that is in your

brother's eye.

35"But love your enemies, and do good,

43

and lend, expecting nothing in return;

" For there is no good tree which

and your reward will be great, and you

produces bad fruit, nor, on the other

will be sons of the Most High; for He

hand, a bad tree which produces good

Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil

fruit.

men.

44" For each tree is known by its own 36"Be merciful, just as your Father is fruit. For men do not gather figs from merciful.

thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a

briar bush.

37" Do not judge, and you will not be 45

judged; and do not condemn, and you

" The good man out of the good

will not be condemned; pardon, and you

treasure of his heart brings forth what is

will be pardoned.

good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his

38

mouth speaks from that which fills his

"Give, and it will be given to you. They

heart.

will pour into your lap a good measure--

pressed down, shaken together, and

46

running over. For by your standard of

" Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and

measure it will be measured to you in

do not do what I say?

return."

47" Everyone who comes to Me and

39And He also spoke a parable to them:

hears My words and acts on them, I will

" A blind man cannot guide a blind man,

show you whom he is like:

can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?

48he is like a man building a house, who

dug deep and laid a foundation on the

rock; and when a flood occurred, the 8"For I also am a man placed under torrent burst against that house and authority, with soldiers under me; and I could not shake it, because it had been say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and well built.

to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and

to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

49"But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who

9Now when Jesus heard this, He

built a house on the ground without any

marveled at him, and turned and said to

foundation; and the torrent burst against

the crowd that was following Him, "I say

it and immediately it collapsed, and the to you, not even in Israel have I found ruin of that house was great."

such great faith."

10

7

When those who had been sent

When He had completed all His

returned to the house, they found the

slave in good health.

discourse in the hearing of the people,

He went to Capernaum.

11Soon afterwards He went to a city

2And a centurion's slave, who was

called Nain; and His disciples were

going along with Him, accompanied by a

highly regarded by him, was sick and

large crowd.

about to die.

12

3When he heard about Jesus, he sent

Now as He approached the gate of the

some Jewish elders asking Him to come

city, a dead man was being carried out,

the only son of his mother, and she was

and save the life of his slave.

a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the

4

city was with her.

When they came to Jesus, they

earnestly implored Him, saying, "He is 13When the Lord saw her, He felt

worthy for You to grant this to him;

compassion for her, and said to her, "Do

5

not weep."

for he loves our nation and it was he

who built us our synagogue."

14And He came up and touched the

coffin; and the bearers came to a halt.

6Now Jesus started on His way with

And He said, "Young man, I say to you,

them; and when He was not far from the

arise!"

house, the centurion sent friends, saying

to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself 15

further, for I am not worthy for You to The dead man sat up and began to

speak. And Jesus gave him back to his

come under my roof;

mother.

7for this reason I did not even consider 16

myself worthy to come to You, but just

Fear gripped them all, and they began

say the word, and my servant will be

glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet healed.

has arisen among us!" and, "God has 25"But what did you go out to see? A visited His people!"

man dressed in soft clothing? Those

who are splendidly clothed and live in

17This report concerning Him went out

luxury are found in royal palaces!

all over Judea and in all the surrounding

district.

26"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who

18The disciples of John reported to him

is more than a prophet.

about all these things.

27"This is the one about whom it is 19Summoning two of his disciples, John

written, ' BEHOLD, I SEND MY

sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO

the Expected One, or do we look for

WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE

someone else?"

YOU.'

20

28

When the men came to Him, they said,

"I say to you, among those born of

"John the Baptist has sent us to You, to

women there is no one greater than

ask, 'Are You the Expected One, or do

John; yet he who is least in the kingdom

we look for someone else?'"

of God is greater than he."

21

29

At that very time He cured many

When all the people and the tax

people of diseases and afflictions and

collectors

heard

this,

they

evil spirits; and He gave sight to many acknowledged God's justice, having

who were blind.

been baptized with the baptism of John.

22

30

And He answered and said to them,

But the Pharisees and the lawyers

"Go and report to John what you have rejected God's purpose for themselves,

seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE

not having been baptized by John.

SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are

cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead

31"To what then shall I compare the men

are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE

of this generation, and what are they like?

GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

32"They are like children who sit in the 23"Blessed is he who does not take market place and call to one another,

offense at Me."

and they say, 'We played the flute for

you, and you did not dance; we sang a

24When the messengers of John had left,

dirge, and you did not weep.'

He began to speak to the crowds about

John, "What did you go out into the 33"For John the Baptist has come eating

wilderness to see? A reed shaken by

no bread and drinking no wine, and you

the wind?

say, 'He has a demon!'

34"The Son of Man has come eating and 43Simon answered and said, "I suppose drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a

the one whom he forgave more." And

gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend

He said to him, "You have judged

of tax collectors and sinners!'

correctly."

35"Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her 44Turning toward the woman, He said to

children."

Simon, "Do you see this woman? I

entered your house; you gave Me no

36Now one of the Pharisees was

water for My feet, but she has wet My

requesting Him to dine with him, and He

feet with her tears and wiped them with entered the Pharisee's house and

her hair.

reclined at the table.

45"You gave Me no kiss; but she, since 37And there was a woman in the city

the time I came in, has not ceased to

who was a sinner; and when she

kiss My feet.

learned that He was reclining at the

table in the Pharisee's house, she

46" You did not anoint My head with oil, brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

but she anointed My feet with perfume.

38and standing behind Him at His feet,

47"For this reason I say to you, her sins, weeping, she began to wet His feet with

which are many, have been forgiven, for

her tears, and kept wiping them with the

she loved much; but he who is forgiven

hair of her head, and kissing His feet

little, loves little."

and anointing them with the perfume.

48Then He said to her, " Your sins have

39Now when the Pharisee who had

been forgiven."

invited Him saw this, he said to himself,

"If this man were a prophet He would 49Those who were reclining at the table

know who and what sort of person this

with Him began to say to themselves, "

woman is who is touching Him, that she

Who is this man who even forgives

is a sinner."

sins?"

40And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I

50And He said to the woman, " Your faith

have something to say to you." And he has saved you; go in peace."

replied, "Say it, Teacher."

41"A moneylender had two debtors: one 8Soon afterwards, He began going

owed five hundred denarii, and the other

fifty.

around from one city and village to

another, proclaiming and preaching the

42

kingdom of God. The twelve were with

"When they were unable to repay, he Him,

graciously forgave them both. So which

of them will love him more?"

2and also some women who had been 11"Now the parable is this: the seed is healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: the word of God.

Mary who was called Magdalene, from

whom seven demons had gone out,

12"Those beside the road are those who

have heard; then the devil comes and

3and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's

takes away the word from their heart, so

steward, and Susanna, and many others

that they will not believe and be saved.

who were contributing to their support

out of their private means.

13"Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with

4When a large crowd was coming

joy; and these have no firm root; they

together, and those from the various

believe for a while, and in time of

cities were journeying to Him, He spoke

temptation fall away.

by way of a parable:

14"The seed which fell among the thorns,

5"The sower went out to sow his seed; these are the ones who have heard, and

and as he sowed, some fell beside the

as they go on their way they are choked

road, and it was trampled under foot and

with worries and riches and pleasures of

the birds of the air ate it up.

this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

6"Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as 15"But the seed in the good soil, these soon as it grew up, it withered away, are the ones who have heard the word

because it had no moisture.

in an honest and good heart, and hold it

fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

7"Other seed fell among the thorns; and

the thorns grew up with it and choked it

16"Now no one after lighting a lamp out.

covers it over with a container, or puts it

under a bed; but he puts it on a

8"Other seed fell into the good soil, and lampstand, so that those who come in

grew up, and produced a crop a

may see the light.

hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, " He 17" For nothing is hidden that will not who has ears to hear, let him hear."

become evident, nor anything secret

that will not be known and come to light.

9His disciples began questioning Him as

to what this parable meant.

18"So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given;

10And He said, " To you it has been and whoever does not have, even what

granted to know the mysteries of the

he thinks he has shall be taken away

kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in from him."

parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY

NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY

NOT UNDERSTAND.

19And His mother and brothers came to time, and was not living in a house, but Him, and they were unable to get to Him in the tombs.

because of the crowd.

28Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell

20And it was reported to Him, "Your before Him, and said in a loud voice, "

mother and Your brothers are standing

What business do we have with each

outside, wishing to see You."

other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

I beg You, do not torment me."

21But He answered and said to them,

"My mother and My brothers are these 29For He had commanded the unclean

who hear the word of God and do it."

spirit to come out of the man. For it had

seized him many times; and he was

22Now on one of those days Jesus and

bound with chains and shackles and

His disciples got into a boat, and He

kept under guard, and yet he would

said to them, "Let us go over to the break his bonds and be driven by the

other side of the lake." So they launched demon into the desert.

out.

30And Jesus asked him, "What is your 23But as they were sailing along He fell name?" And he said, " Legion"; for many asleep; and a fierce gale of wind demons had entered him.

descended on the lake, and they began

to be swamped and to be in danger.

31They were imploring Him not to

command them to go away into the

24They came to Jesus and woke Him up,

abyss.

saying, " Master, Master, we are

perishing!" And He got up and rebuked 32Now there was a herd of many swine

the wind and the surging waves, and

feeding there on the mountain; and the

they stopped, and it became calm.

demons implored Him to permit them to

enter the swine. And He gave them

25And He said to them, "Where is your permission.

faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, 33And the demons came out of the man that He commands even the winds and

and entered the swine; and the herd

the water, and they obey Him?"

rushed down the steep bank into the

lake and was drowned.

26Then they sailed to the country of the

Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

34When the herdsmen saw what had

happened, they ran away and reported it

27And when He came out onto the land,

in the city and out in the country.

He was met by a man from the city who

was possessed with demons; and who

35The people went out to see what had

had not put on any clothing for a long happened; and they came to Jesus, and

found the man from whom the demons

had gone out, sitting down at the feet of 44came up behind Him and touched the Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and

fringe of His cloak, and immediately her

they became frightened.

hemorrhage stopped.

36Those who had seen it reported to

45And Jesus said, "Who is the one who them how the man who was demon-touched Me?" And while they were all possessed had been made well.

denying it, Peter said, " Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on

37And all the people of the country of the

You."

Gerasenes and the surrounding district

asked Him to leave them, for they were

46But Jesus said, "Someone did touch gripped with great fear; and He got into Me, for I was aware that power had a boat and returned.

gone out of Me."

38But the man from whom the demons

47When the woman saw that she had

had gone out was begging Him that he

not escaped notice, she came trembling

might accompany Him; but He sent him

and fell down before Him, and declared

away, saying,

in the presence of all the people the

reason why she had touched Him, and

39"Return to your house and describe how she had been immediately healed.

what great things God has done for

you." So he went away, proclaiming

48And He said to her, "Daughter, your throughout the whole city what great

faith has made you well; go in peace."

things Jesus had done for him.

49While He was still speaking, someone

40And as Jesus returned, the people

came from the house of the synagogue

welcomed Him, for they had all been

official, saying, "Your daughter has died; waiting for Him.

do not trouble the Teacher anymore."

41And there came a man named Jairus,

50But when Jesus heard this, He

and he was an official of the synagogue;

answered him, " Do not be afraid any and he fell at Jesus' feet, and began to longer; only believe, and she will be implore Him to come to his house;

made well."

42for he had an only daughter, about

51When He came to the house, He did

twelve years old, and she was dying.

not allow anyone to enter with Him,

But as He went, the crowds were

except Peter and John and James, and

pressing against Him.

the girl's father and mother.

43And a woman who had a hemorrhage

52Now they were all weeping and

for twelve years, and could not be

lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop healed by anyone,

weeping, for she has not died, but is

asleep."

53And they began laughing at Him, perplexed, because it was said by some knowing that she had died.

that John had risen from the dead,

54He, however, took her by the hand and

8and by some that Elijah had appeared,

called, saying, "Child, arise!"

and by others that one of the prophets

of old had risen again.

55And her spirit returned, and she got up

immediately; and He gave orders for

9Herod said, "I myself had John

something to be given her to eat.

beheaded; but who is this man about

whom I hear such things?" And he kept 56Her parents were amazed; but He

trying to see Him.

instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

10When the apostles returned, they gave

an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He

9And He called the twelve together, withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida.

and gave them power and authority over

all the demons and to heal diseases.

11But the crowds were aware of this and

2

followed Him; and welcoming them, He

And He sent them out to proclaim the

began speaking to them about the

kingdom of God and to perform healing.

kingdom of God and curing those who

had need of healing.

3And He said to them, " Take nothing for

your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, 12Now the day was ending, and the

nor bread, nor money; and do not even

twelve came and said to Him, "Send the

have two tunics apiece.

crowd away, that they may go into the

surrounding villages and countryside

4"Whatever house you enter, stay there and find lodging and get something to

until you leave that city.

eat; for here we are in a desolate place."

5"And as for those who do not receive 13But He said to them, "You give them you, as you go out from that city, shake something to eat!" And they said, "We the dust off your feet as a testimony have no more than five loaves and two

against them."

fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food

for all these people."

6Departing, they began going throughout

the villages, preaching the gospel and

14(For there were about five thousand

healing everywhere.

men.) And He said to His disciples,

"Have them sit down to eat in groups of

7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that

about fifty each."

was happening; and he was greatly

15They did so, and had them all sit down.

16Then He took the five loaves and the 25"For what is a man profited if he gains two fish, and looking up to heaven, He the whole world, and loses or forfeits

blessed them, and broke them, and kept

himself?

giving them to the disciples to set before

the people.

26" For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be

17And they all ate and were satisfied;

ashamed of him when He comes in His

and the broken pieces which they had

glory, and the glory of the Father and of

left over were picked up, twelve baskets

the holy angels.

full.

27"But I say to you truthfully, there are 18And it happened that while He was some of those standing here who will

praying alone, the disciples were with

not taste death until they see the

Him, and He questioned them, saying,

kingdom of God."

"Who do the people say that I am?"

28Some eight days after these sayings,

19They answered and said, "John the

He took along Peter and John and

Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others,

James, and went up on the mountain to

that one of the prophets of old has risen

pray.

again."

29And while He was praying, the

20And He said to them, "But who do you

appearance

of

His

face

became

say that I am?" And Peter answered and

different, and His clothing became white

said, " The Christ of God."

and gleaming.

21But He warned them and instructed

30And behold, two men were talking with

them not to tell this to anyone,

Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,

22saying, " The Son of Man must suffer 31who, appearing in glory, were

many things and be rejected by the

speaking of His departure which He was

elders and chief priests and scribes, and

about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

be killed and be raised up on the third day."

32Now Peter and his companions had

been overcome with sleep; but when

23And He was saying to them all, " If they were fully awake, they saw His

anyone wishes to come after Me, he

glory and the two men standing with

must deny himself, and take up his

Him.

cross daily and follow Me.

33And as these were leaving Him, Peter

24"For whoever wishes to save his life said to Jesus, " Master, it is good for us will lose it, but whoever loses his life for to be here; let us make three

My sake, he is the one who will save it.

tabernacles: one for You, and one for

Moses, and one for Elijah"-- not realizing rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed what he was saying.

the boy and gave him back to his father.

34While he was saying this, a cloud

43And they were all amazed at the

formed and began to overshadow them;

greatness of God. But while everyone

and they were afraid as they entered the

was marveling at all that He was doing,

cloud.

He said to His disciples,

35Then a voice came out of the cloud,

44"Let these words sink into your ears; saying, " This is My Son, My Chosen for the Son of Man is going to be One; listen to Him!"

delivered into the hands of men."

36And when the voice had spoken,

45But they did not understand this

Jesus was found alone. And they kept

statement, and it was concealed from

silent, and reported to no one in those them so that they would not perceive it; days any of the things which they had and they were afraid to ask Him about

seen.

this statement.

37On the next day, when they came

46An argument started among them as

down from the mountain, a large crowd

to which of them might be the greatest.

met Him.

47But Jesus, knowing what they were

38And a man from the crowd shouted,

thinking in their heart, took a child and saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at stood him by His side, my son, for he is my only boy,

48and said to them, " Whoever receives

39and a spirit seizes him, and he

this child in My name receives Me, and

suddenly screams, and it throws him

whoever receives Me receives Him who

into a convulsion with foaming at the

sent Me; for the one who is least among

mouth; and only with difficulty does it

all of you, this is the one who is great."

leave him, mauling him as it leaves.

49John answered and said, " Master, we

40"I begged Your disciples to cast it out, saw someone casting out demons in

and they could not."

Your name; and we tried to prevent him

because he does not follow along with

41And Jesus answered and said, "You

us."

unbelieving and perverted generation,

how long shall I be with you and put up

50But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder with you? Bring your son here."

him; for he who is not against you is for

you."

42While he was still approaching, the

demon slammed him to the ground and

threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus

51When the days were approaching for 61Another also said, "I will follow You, His ascension, He was determined to go Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye

to Jerusalem;

to those at home."

52and He sent messengers on ahead of

62But Jesus said to him, " No one, after

Him, and they went and entered a

putting his hand to the plow and looking

village of the Samaritans to make

back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

arrangements for Him.

53But they did not receive Him, because

10Now after this the Lord appointed

He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

seventy others, and sent them in pairs

ahead of Him to every city and place

54When His disciples James and John

where He Himself was going to come.

saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from 2And He was saying to them, " The

heaven and consume them?"

harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the

55But He turned and rebuked them, [and

harvest to send out laborers into His

said, "You do not know what kind of harvest.

spirit you are of;

3"Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in

56for the Son of Man did not come to

the midst of wolves.

destroy men's lives, but to save them."]

And they went on to another village.

4" Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.

57As they were going along the road,

someone said to Him, "I will follow You 5"Whatever house you enter, first say, wherever You go."

'Peace be to this house.'

58And Jesus said to him, "The foxes 6"If a man of peace is there, your peace

have holes and the birds of the air have

will rest on him; but if not, it will return to nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere

you.

to lay His head."

7

59

"Stay in that house, eating and drinking

And He said to another, " Follow Me."

what they give you; for the laborer is

But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go worthy of his wages. Do not keep

and bury my father."

moving from house to house.

60But He said to him, "Allow the dead to

8"Whatever city you enter and they

bury their own dead; but as for you, go receive you, eat what is set before you;

and proclaim everywhere the kingdom

of God."

9and heal those in it who are sick, and 19"Behold, I have given you authority to say to them, ' The kingdom of God has tread on serpents and scorpions, and

come near to you.'

over all the power of the enemy, and

nothing will injure you.

10"But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets 20"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, and say,

that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in

11' Even the dust of your city which

heaven."

clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the

21At that very time He rejoiced greatly in

kingdom of God has come near.'

the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that 12"I say to you, it will be more tolerable You have hidden these things from the in that day for Sodom than for that city.

wise and intelligent and have revealed

them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way

13

was well-pleasing in Your sight.

" Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been

22

performed in Tyre and Sidon which

" All things have been handed over to occurred in you, they would have

Me by My Father, and no one knows

repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth

who the Son is except the Father, and

and ashes.

who the Father is except the Son, and

anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal

14

Him."

"But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

23Turning to the disciples, He said

15

privately, "Blessed are the eyes which

"And you, Capernaum, will not be

see the things you see,

exalted to heaven, will you? You will be

brought down to Hades!

24for I say to you, that many prophets

16

and kings wished to see the things

" The one who listens to you listens to

which you see, and did not see them,

Me, and the one who rejects you rejects

and to hear the things which you hear,

Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the

and did not hear them."

One who sent Me."

25

17

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to

The seventy returned with joy, saying,

the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I

"Lord, even the demons are subject to do to inherit eternal life?"

us in Your name."

26

18

And He said to him, "What is written in

And He said to them, "I was watching the Law? How does it read to you?"

Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

27And he answered, " YOU SHALL

whatever more you spend, when I return

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH

I will repay you.'

ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL

YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR

36"Which of these three do you think STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR

proved to be a neighbor to the man who

MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS

fell into the robbers' hands?"

YOURSELF."

37And he said, "The one who showed

28And He said to him, "You have

mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU

him, "Go and do the same."

WILL LIVE."

38Now as they were traveling along, He

29But wishing to justify himself, he said entered a village; and a woman named

to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Martha welcomed Him into her home.

30Jesus replied and said, "A man was 39She had a sister called Mary, who was

going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,

seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His

and fell among robbers, and they

word.

stripped him and beat him, and went

away leaving him half dead.

40But Martha was distracted with all her

preparations; and she came up to Him

31"And by chance a priest was going and said, "Lord, do You not care that my

down on that road, and when he saw

sister has left me to do all the serving him, he passed by on the other side.

alone? Then tell her to help me."

32"Likewise a Levite also, when he came

41But the Lord answered and said to her,

to the place and saw him, passed by on

" Martha, Martha, you are worried and the other side.

bothered about so many things;

33"But a Samaritan, who was on a

42but only one thing is necessary, for

journey, came upon him; and when he

Mary has chosen the good part, which

saw him, he felt compassion,

shall not be taken away from her."

34and came to him and bandaged up his

wounds, pouring oil and wine on them;

11It happened that while Jesus was

and he put him on his own beast, and

brought him to an inn and took care of praying in a certain place, after He had him.

finished, one of His disciples said to Him,

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John also 35

taught his disciples."

"On the next day he took out two

denarii and gave them to the innkeeper

2

and said, 'Take care of him; and

And He said to them, " When you pray,

say: ' Father, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

3'Give us each day our daily bread.

13" If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how 4'And forgive us our sins, For we

much more will your heavenly Father

ourselves also forgive everyone who is

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask

indebted to us. And lead us not into

Him?"

temptation.'"

14And He was casting out a demon, and

5Then He said to them, "Suppose one of

it was mute; when the demon had gone

you has a friend, and goes to him at

out, the mute man spoke; and the

midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend

crowds were amazed.

me three loaves;

15But some of them said, "He casts out 6for a friend of mine has come to me

demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the

from a journey, and I have nothing to set

demons."

before him';

16Others, to test Him, were demanding

7and from inside he answers and says,

of Him a sign from heaven.

'Do not bother me; the door has already

been shut and my children and I are in 17But He knew their thoughts and said to

bed; I cannot get up and give you

them, "Any kingdom divided against

anything.'

itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

8"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is

18"If Satan also is divided against

his

friend,

yet

because

of

his

himself, how will his kingdom stand? For

persistence he will get up and give him you say that I cast out demons by

as much as he needs.

Beelzebul.

9"So I say to you, ask, and it will be 19"And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, given to you; seek, and you will find; by whom do your sons cast them out?

knock, and it will be opened to you.

So they will be your judges.

10"For everyone who asks, receives; and

20"But if I cast out demons by the finger he who seeks, finds; and to him who

of God, then the kingdom of God has

knocks, it will be opened.

come upon you.

11"Now suppose one of you fathers is 21"When a strong man, fully armed,

asked by his son for a fish; he will not guards his own house, his possessions

give him a snake instead of a fish, will are undisturbed.

he?

22"But when someone stronger than he 12"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will attacks him and overpowers him, he not give him a scorpion, will he?

takes away from him all his armor on

which he had relied and distributes his 31"The Queen of the South will rise up plunder.

with the men of this generation at the

judgment and condemn them, because

23" He who is not with Me is against Me;

she came from the ends of the earth to and he who does not gather with Me,

hear the wisdom of Solomon; and

scatters.

behold,

something

greater

than

Solomon is here.

24" When the unclean spirit goes out of a 32

man, it passes through waterless places

"The men of Nineveh will stand up with

seeking rest, and not finding any, it says,

this generation at the judgment and

'I will return to my house from which I condemn it, because they repented at

came.'

the preaching of Jonah; and behold,

something greater than Jonah is here.

25"And when it comes, it finds it swept 33

and put in order.

" No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but 26

on the lampstand, so that those who

"Then it goes and takes along seven enter may see the light.

other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last 34

state of that man becomes worse than

" The eye is the lamp of your body; the first."

when your eye is clear, your whole body

also is full of light; but when it is bad, 27

your body also is full of darkness.

While Jesus was saying these things,

one of the women in the crowd raised

35

her voice and said to Him, " Blessed is

"Then watch out that the light in you is

the womb that bore You and the breasts

not darkness.

at which You nursed."

36"If therefore your whole body is full of 28But He said, "On the contrary, blessed light, with no dark part in it, it will be are those who hear the word of God and

wholly illumined, as when the lamp

observe it."

illumines you with its rays."

29

37

As the crowds were increasing, He

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee

began to say, " This generation is a asked Him to have lunch with him; and

wicked generation; it seeks for a sign,

He went in, and reclined at the table.

and yet no sign will be given to it but the

sign of Jonah.

38When the Pharisee saw it, he was

surprised

that

He

had

not

first

30"For just as Jonah became a sign to ceremonially washed before the meal.

the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be

to this generation.

39But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup

and of the platter; but inside of you, you 49"For this reason also the wisdom of are full of robbery and wickedness.

God said, ' I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they

40" You foolish ones, did not He who will kill and some they will persecute,

made the outside make the inside also?

50so that the blood of all the prophets, 41"But give that which is within as charity, shed since the foundation of the world, and then all things are clean for you.

may be charged against this generation,

42

51

" But woe to you Pharisees! For you from the blood of Abel to the blood of pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind Zechariah, who was killed between the

of garden herb, and yet disregard justice

altar and the house of God; yes, I tell and the love of God; but these are the you, it shall be charged against this things you should have done without

generation.'

neglecting the others.

52"Woe to you lawyers! For you have 43"Woe to you Pharisees! For you love taken away the key of knowledge; you the chief seats in the synagogues and

yourselves did not enter, and you

the respectful greetings in the market

hindered those who were entering."

places.

53When He left there, the scribes and

44" Woe to you! For you are like

the Pharisees began to be very hostile

concealed tombs, and the people who

and to question Him closely on many

walk over them are unaware of it."

subjects,

45

54

One of the lawyers said to Him in reply,

plotting against Him to catch Him in

"Teacher, when You say this, You insult

something He might say.

us too."

46But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as 12Under these circumstances, after

well! For you weigh men down with

so many thousands of people had

burdens hard to bear, while you

gathered together that they were

yourselves will not even touch the

stepping on one another, He began

burdens with one of your fingers.

saying to His disciples first of all, "

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,

47" Woe to you! For you build the tombs

which is hypocrisy.

of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

2" But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will 48"So you are witnesses and approve

not be known.

the deeds of your fathers; because it

was they who killed them, and you build

3"Accordingly, whatever you have said their tombs.

in the dark will be heard in the light, and

what you have whispered in the inner 13Someone in the crowd said to Him, rooms will be proclaimed upon the

"Teacher, tell my brother to divide the housetops.

family inheritance with me."

4"I say to you, My friends, do not be 14But He said to him, " Man, who afraid of those who kill the body and

appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over

after that have no more that they can do. you?"

5"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear 15Then He said to them, " Beware, and the One who, after He has killed, has be on your guard against every form of

authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you,

greed; for not even when one has an

fear Him!

abundance does his life consist of his

possessions."

6"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten 16And He told them a parable, saying, before God.

"The land of a rich man was very

productive.

7" Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are 17"And he began reasoning to himself, more valuable than many sparrows.

saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no

place to store my crops?'

8"And I say to you, everyone who

confesses Me before men, the Son of

18"Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I Man will confess him also before the

will tear down my barns and build larger

angels of God;

ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

9but he who denies Me before men will

be denied before the angels of God.

19'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many

10" And everyone who speaks a word

years to come; take your ease, eat,

against the Son of Man, it will be

drink and be merry."'

forgiven him; but he who blasphemes

against the Holy Spirit, it will not be 20"But God said to him, ' You fool! This forgiven him.

very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have

11"When they bring you before the

prepared?'

synagogues and the rulers and the

authorities, do not worry about how or

21"So is the man who stores up treasure

what you are to speak in your defense,

for himself, and is not rich toward God."

or what you are to say;

22And He said to His disciples, " For this 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that

reason I say to you, do not worry about

very hour what you ought to say."

your life, as to what you will eat; nor for 32" Do not be afraid, little flock, for your your body, as to what you will put on.

Father has chosen gladly to give you the

kingdom.

23"For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

33" Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts

24"Consider the ravens, for they neither which do not wear out, an unfailing

sow nor reap; they have no storeroom

treasure in heaven, where no thief

nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how

comes near nor moth destroys.

much more valuable you are than the

birds!

34"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

25"And which of you by worrying can add

a single hour to his life's span?

35" Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.

26"If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other

36"Be like men who are waiting for their matters?

master when he returns from the

wedding feast, so that they may

27"Consider the lilies, how they grow: immediately open the door to him when

they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, he comes and knocks.

not even Solomon in all his glory clothed

himself like one of these.

37"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he

28"But if God so clothes the grass in the comes; truly I say to you, that he will field, which is alive today and tomorrow gird himself to serve, and have them is thrown into the furnace, how much

recline at the table, and will come up

more will He clothe you? You men of

and wait on them.

little faith!

38" Whether he comes in the second

29"And do not seek what you will eat and

watch, or even in the third, and finds

what you will drink, and do not keep

them so, blessed are those slaves.

worrying.

39" But be sure of this, that if the head of 30"For all these things the nations of the the house had known at what hour the world eagerly seek; but your Father

thief was coming, he would not have

knows that you need these things.

allowed his house to be broken into.

31

40

"But seek His kingdom, and these

" You too, be ready; for the Son of things will be added to you.

Man is coming at an hour that you do

not expect."

41Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing 50"But I have a baptism to undergo, and this parable to us, or to everyone else how distressed I am until it is

as well?"

accomplished!

42And the Lord said, " Who then is the 51" Do you suppose that I came to grant faithful and sensible steward, whom his

peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather

master will put in charge of his servants,

division;

to give them their rations at the proper time?

52for from now on five members in one

household will be divided, three against

43"Blessed is that slave whom his

two and two against three.

master finds so doing when he comes.

53"They will be divided, father against 44"Truly I say to you that he will put him son and son against father, mother in charge of all his possessions.

against daughter and daughter against

mother, mother-in-law against daughter—

45"But if that slave says in his heart, 'My in-law

and daughter-in-law

against

master will be a long time in coming,'

mother-in-law."

and begins to beat the slaves, both men

and women, and to eat and drink and

54And He was also saying to the crowds,

get drunk;

" When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is

46the master of that slave will come on a

coming,' and so it turns out.

day when he does not expect him and at

an hour he does not know, and will cut 55"And when you see a south wind

him in pieces, and assign him a place

blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,'

with the unbelievers.

and it turns out that way.

47"And that slave who knew his master's

56"You hypocrites! You know how to

will and did not get ready or act in

analyze the appearance of the earth and

accord with his will, will receive many

the sky, but why do you not analyze this

lashes,

present time?

48but the one who did not know it, and 57"And why do you not even on your committed deeds worthy of a flogging, own initiative judge what is right?

will receive but few. From everyone who

has been given much, much will be

58"For while you are going with your required; and to whom they entrusted

opponent

to

appear

before

the

much, of him they will ask all the more.

magistrate, on your way there make an

effort to settle with him, so that he may 49"I have come to cast fire upon the not drag you before the judge, and the earth; and how I wish it were already

judge turn you over to the officer, and kindled!

the officer throw you into prison.

59"I say to you, you will not get out of 10And He was teaching in one of the there until you have paid the very last synagogues on the Sabbath.

cent."

11And there was a woman who for

13

eighteen years had had a sickness

Now on the same occasion there

caused by a spirit; and she was bent

were some present who reported to Him

double, and could not straighten up at

about the Galileans whose blood Pilate

all.

had mixed with their sacrifices.

12When Jesus saw her, He called her

2And Jesus said to them, " Do you

over and said to her, "Woman, you are suppose that these Galileans were

freed from your sickness."

greater sinners than all other Galileans

13

because they suffered this fate?

And He laid His hands on her; and

immediately she was made erect again

3"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, and began glorifying God.

you will all likewise perish.

14But the synagogue official, indignant

4

because Jesus had healed on the

"Or do you suppose that those eighteen

on whom the tower in Siloam fell and

Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in

killed them were worse culprits than all response, " There are six days in which the men who live in Jerusalem?

work should be done; so come during

them and get healed, and not on the

Sabbath day."

5"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

15But the Lord answered him and said,

6

"You hypocrites, does not each of you And He began telling this parable: "A on the Sabbath untie his ox or his man had a fig tree which had been

donkey from the stall and lead him away

planted in his vineyard; and he came

to water him?

looking for fruit on it and did not find any.

16

7

"And this woman, a daughter of

"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, Abraham as she is, whom Satan has

'Behold, for three years I have come

bound for eighteen long years, should

looking for fruit on this fig tree without she not have been released from this

finding any. Cut it down! Why does it

bond on the Sabbath day?"

even use up the ground?'

17As He said this, all His opponents

8"And he answered and said to him, 'Let

were being humiliated; and the entire

it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious around it and put in fertilizer;

things being done by Him.

9and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

18So He was saying, " What is the 28" In that place there will be weeping kingdom of God like, and to what shall I and gnashing of teeth when you see

compare it?

Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all

the prophets in the kingdom of God, but

19"It is like a mustard seed, which a man yourselves being thrown out.

took and threw into his own garden; and

it grew and became a tree, and THE

29"And they will come from east and BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS

west and from north and south, and will

BRANCHES."

recline at the table in the kingdom of

God.

20And again He said, " To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

30"And behold, some are last who will be

first and some are first who will be last."

21" It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it 31Just at that time some Pharisees was all leavened."

approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You."

22And He was passing through from one

city and village to another, teaching, and

32And He said to them, "Go and tell that

proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.

fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and

perform cures today and tomorrow, and

23And someone said to Him, "Lord, are the third day I reach My goal.'

there just a few who are being saved?"

And He said to them,

33"Nevertheless I must journey on today

and tomorrow and the next day; for it

24" Strive to enter through the narrow cannot be that a prophet would perish

door; for many, I tell you, will seek to outside of Jerusalem.

enter and will not be able.

34" O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that 25"Once the head of the house gets up kills the prophets and stones those sent and shuts the door, and you begin to

to her! How often I wanted to gather

stand outside and knock on the door,

your children together, just as a hen

saying, ' Lord, open up to us!' then He gathers her brood under her wings, and

will answer and say to you, ' I do not you would not have it!

know where you are from.'

35"Behold, your house is left to you 26"Then you will begin to say, 'We ate desolate; and I say to you, you will not and drank in Your presence, and You see Me until the time comes when you

taught in our streets';

say, ' BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

27and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART

FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'

14

then you will have honor in the sight of It happened that when He went

all who are at the table with you.

into the house of one of the leaders of 11

the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat

" For everyone who exalts himself will bread, they were watching Him closely.

be humbled, and he who humbles

himself will be exalted."

2And there in front of Him was a man

12

suffering from dropsy.

And He also went on to say to the one

who had invited Him, "When you give a 3And Jesus answered and spoke to the

luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your lawyers and Pharisees, saying, " Is it friends or your brothers or your relatives lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"

or rich neighbors, otherwise they may

also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.

4But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him

13

away.

"But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the

5

blind,

And He said to them, " Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a 14

well, and will not immediately pull him

and you will be blessed, since they do

out on a Sabbath day?"

not have the means to repay you; for

you will be repaid at the resurrection of 6

the righteous."

And they could make no reply to this.

15

7

When one of those who were reclining

And He began speaking a parable to

at the table with Him heard this, he said

the invited guests when He noticed how

to Him, " Blessed is everyone who will they had been picking out the places of eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

honor at the table, saying to them,

16

8

But He said to him, " A man was giving

"When you are invited by someone to a

a big dinner, and he invited many;

wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished

17and at the dinner hour he sent his

than you may have been invited by him,

slave to say to those who had been

9

invited, 'Come; for everything is ready

and he who invited you both will come

now.'

and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed

18"But they all alike began to make to occupy the last place.

excuses. The first one said to him, 'I

10

have bought a piece of land and I need

"But when you are invited, go and

to go out and look at it; please consider

recline at the last place, so that when me excused.'

the one who has invited you comes, he

may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher';

19"Another one said, 'I have bought five and calculate the cost to see if he has yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them enough to complete it?

out; please consider me excused.'

29"Otherwise, when he has laid a

20"Another one said, ' I have married a foundation and is not able to finish, all wife, and for that reason I cannot come.'

who observe it begin to ridicule him,

21"And the slave came back and

30saying, 'This man began to build and

reported this to his master. Then the

was not able to finish.'

head of the household became angry

and said to his slave, 'Go out at once 31"Or what king, when he sets out to into the streets and lanes of the city and meet another king in battle, will not first bring in here the poor and crippled and sit down and consider whether he is blind and lame.'

strong enough with ten thousand men to

encounter the one coming against him

22"And the slave said, 'Master, what you

with twenty thousand?

commanded has been done, and still

there is room.'

32"Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks 23"And the master said to the slave, 'Go

for terms of peace.

out into the highways and along the

hedges, and compel them to come in,

33"So then, none of you can be My

so that my house may be filled.

disciple who does not give up all his

own possessions.

24'For I tell you, none of those men who

were invited shall taste of my dinner.'"

34"Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will

25Now large crowds were going along

it be seasoned?

with Him; and He turned and said to

them,

35"It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who 26" If anyone comes to Me, and does not

has ears to hear, let him hear."

hate his own father and mother and wife

and children and brothers and sisters,

yes, and even his own life, he cannot be

15Now all the tax collectors and the

My disciple.

sinners were coming near Him to listen

27

to Him.

"Whoever does not carry his own

cross and come after Me cannot be My

2

disciple.

Both the Pharisees and the scribes

began to grumble, saying, "This man

28

receives sinners and eats with them."

"For which one of you, when he wants

to build a tower, does not first sit down

3So He told them this parable, saying, 13"And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and

4" What man among you, if he has a went on a journey into a distant country,

hundred sheep and has lost one of them,

and there he squandered his estate with

does not leave the ninety-nine in the

loose living.

open pasture and go after the one which

is lost until he finds it?

14"Now when he had spent everything, a

severe famine occurred in that country,

5"When he has found it, he lays it on his and he began to be impoverished.

shoulders, rejoicing.

15"So he went and hired himself out to 6"And when he comes home, he calls one of the citizens of that country, and together his friends and his neighbors,

he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

16"And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine

7"I tell you that in the same way, there were eating, and no one was giving will be more joy in heaven over one

anything to him.

sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no

17"But when he came to his senses, he

repentance.

said, 'How many of my father's hired

men have more than enough bread, but

8"Or what woman, if she has ten silver I am dying here with hunger!

coins and loses one coin, does not light

a lamp and sweep the house and

18'I will get up and go to my father, and

search carefully until she finds it?

will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

9"When she has found it, she calls

together her friends and neighbors,

19I am no longer worthy to be called your

saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have

son; make me as one of your hired

found the coin which I had lost!'

men."'

10"In the same way, I tell you, there is 20"So he got up and came to his father.

joy in the presence of the angels of God

But while he was still a long way off, his

over one sinner who repents."

father saw him and felt compassion for

him, and ran and embraced him and

11And He said, "A man had two sons.

kissed him.

12

21

"The younger of them said to his father,

"And the son said to him, 'Father, I

'Father, give me the share of the estate have sinned against heaven and in your

that falls to me.' So he divided his

sight; I am no longer worthy to be called

wealth between them.

your son.'

22"But the father said to his slaves, 31"And he said to him, 'Son, you have 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put always been with me, and all that is

it on him, and put a ring on his hand and

mine is yours.

sandals on his feet;

32'But we had to celebrate and rejoice,

23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and for this brother of yours was dead and let us eat and celebrate;

has begun to live, and was lost and has

been found.'"

24for this son of mine was dead and has

come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to

16Now He was also saying to the

celebrate.

disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was

25"Now his older son was in the field, reported to him as squandering his

and when he came and approached the

possessions.

house, he heard music and dancing.

2"And he called him and said to him, 26"And he summoned one of the

'What is this I hear about you? Give an servants and began inquiring what these

accounting of your management, for you

things could be.

can no longer be manager.'

27"And he said to him, 'Your brother has

3"The manager said to himself, 'What come, and your father has killed the

shall I do, since my master is taking the

fattened calf because he has received

management away from me? I am not

him back safe and sound.'

strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to

beg.

28"But he became angry and was not

willing to go in; and his father came out

4'I know what I shall do, so that when I and began pleading with him.

am removed from the management

people will welcome me into their

29"But he answered and said to his

homes.'

father, 'Look! For so many years I have

been serving you and I have never

5"And he summoned each one of his

neglected a command of yours; and yet

master's debtors, and he began saying

you have never given me a young goat,

to the first, 'How much do you owe my

so that I might celebrate with my friends;

master?'

30but when this son of yours came, who

6"And he said, 'A hundred measures of has

devoured

your

wealth

with

oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

for him.'

7"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A

hundred measures of wheat.' He said to 16" The Law and the Prophets were him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

proclaimed until John; since that time

the gospel of the kingdom of God has

8"And

his

master

praised

the

been preached, and everyone is forcing

unrighteous manager because he had

his way into it.

acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own

17" But it is easier for heaven and earth kind than the sons of light.

to pass away than for one stroke of a

letter of the Law to fail.

9"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of

18" Everyone who divorces his wife and unrighteousness, so that when it fails, marries another commits adultery, and

they will receive you into the eternal

he who marries one who is divorced

dwellings.

from a husband commits adultery.

10" He who is faithful in a very little thing 19"Now there was a rich man, and he is faithful also in much; and he who is habitually dressed in purple and fine unrighteous in a very little thing is

linen, joyously living in splendor every

unrighteous also in much.

day.

11"Therefore if you have not been faithful 20"And a poor man named Lazarus was

in the use of unrighteous wealth, who

laid at his gate, covered with sores,

will entrust the true riches to you?

21and longing to be fed with the crumbs

12"And if you have not been faithful in which were falling from the rich man's the use of that which is another's, who table; besides, even the dogs were

will give you that which is your own?

coming and licking his sores.

13" No servant can serve two masters; 22"Now the poor man died and was

for either he will hate the one and love carried

away

by

the

angels

to

the other, or else he will be devoted to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man

one and despise the other. You cannot

also died and was buried.

serve God and wealth."

23"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being 14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers

in torment, and saw Abraham far away

of money, were listening to all these

and Lazarus in his bosom.

things and were scoffing at Him.

24"And he cried out and said, ' Father 15And He said to them, "You are those Abraham, have mercy on me, and send who justify yourselves in the sight of

Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his

men, but God knows your hearts; for

finger in water and cool off my tongue, that which is highly esteemed among

for I am in agony in this flame.'

men is detestable in the sight of God.

25"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember 3"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, that during your life you received your rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive

good things, and likewise Lazarus bad

him.

things; but now he is being comforted

here, and you are in agony.

4"And if he sins against you seven times

a day, and returns to you seven times,

26'And besides all this, between us and

saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

you there is a great chasm fixed, so that

those who wish to come over from here

5The apostles said to the Lord,

to you will not be able, and that none

"Increase our faith!"

may cross over from there to us.'

6And the Lord said, "If you had faith like 27"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, a mustard seed, you would say to this that you send him to my father's house--

mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be

planted in the sea'; and it would obey

28for I have five brothers--in order that you.

he may warn them, so that they will not

also come to this place of torment.'

7"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when 29"But Abraham said, 'They have Moses

he has come in from the field, 'Come

and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

immediately and sit down to eat'?

30"But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but

8"But will he not say to him, ' Prepare if someone goes to them from the dead,

something for me to eat, and properly

they will repent!'

clothe yourself and serve me while I eat

and drink; and afterward you may eat

31"But he said to him, 'If they do not and drink'?

listen to Moses and the Prophets, they

will not be persuaded even if someone

9"He does not thank the slave because rises from the dead.'"

he

did

the

things

which

were

commanded, does he?

17

10

He said to His disciples, " It is

"So you too, when you do all the things

inevitable that stumbling blocks come,

which are commanded you, say, 'We

but woe to him through whom they

are unworthy slaves; we have done only

come!

that which we ought to have done.'"

11

2

While He was on the way to Jerusalem,

" It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were

He was passing between Samaria and

thrown into the sea, than that he would Galilee.

cause one of these little ones to stumble. 12As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13and they raised their voices, saying, 23" They will say to you, 'Look there!

"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

Look here!' Do not go away, and do not

run after them.

14When He saw them, He said to them, "

Go and show yourselves to the priests."

24" For just like the lightning, when it And as they were going, they were

flashes out of one part of the sky, shines

cleansed.

to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day.

15Now one of them, when he saw that

he had been healed, turned back,

25" But first He must suffer many things glorifying God with a loud voice,

and be rejected by this generation.

16and he fell on his face at His feet, 26" And just as it happened in the days giving thanks to Him. And he was a of Noah, so it will be also in the days of

Samaritan.

the Son of Man:

17Then Jesus answered and said, "Were

27they were eating, they were drinking,

there not ten cleansed? But the nine--

they were marrying, they were being

where are they?

given in marriage, until the day that

Noah entered the ark, and the flood

18"Was no one found who returned to came and destroyed them all.

give

glory

to

God,

except

this

foreigner?"

28"It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were

19And He said to him, "Stand up and go;

drinking, they were buying, they were

your faith has made you well."

selling, they were planting, they were

building;

20Now having been questioned by the

29

Pharisees as to when the kingdom of

but on the day that Lot went out from

God was coming, He answered them

Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from

and said, "The kingdom of God is not heaven and destroyed them all.

coming with signs to be observed;

30"It will be just the same on the day that 21nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, the Son of Man is revealed.

'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

31"On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the

22And He said to the disciples, " The house must not go down to take them

days will come when you will long to see

out; and likewise the one who is in the one of the days of the Son of Man, and

field must not turn back.

you will not see it.

32" Remember Lot's wife.

33" Whoever seeks to keep his life will 6And the Lord said, "Hear what the lose it, and whoever loses his life will unrighteous judge said;

preserve it.

7now, will not God bring about justice for

34"I tell you, on that night there will be His elect who cry to Him day and night, two in one bed; one will be taken and

and will He delay long over them?

the other will be left.

8"I tell you that He will bring about 35" There will be two women grinding at justice for them quickly. However, when

the same place; one will be taken and

the Son of Man comes, will He find faith

the other will be left.

on the earth?"

36[" Two men will be in the field; one will 9And He also told this parable to some be taken and the other will be left."]

people who trusted in themselves that

they were righteous, and viewed others

37And answering they said to Him,

with contempt:

"Where, LordNULL" And He said to them, " Where the body is, there also 10"Two men went up into the temple to the vultures will be gathered."

pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax

collector.

18

11

Now He was telling them a

"The Pharisee stood and was praying

this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I parable to show that at all times they am not like other people: swindlers,

ought to pray and not to lose heart,

unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax 2

collector.

saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not 12'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all respect man.

that I get.'

3"There was a widow in that city, and 13

she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give

"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift

me legal protection from my opponent.'

up his eyes to heaven, but was beating

4

his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to

"For a while he was unwilling; but

me, the sinner!'

afterward he said to himself, 'Even

though I do not fear God nor respect

14"I tell you, this man went to his house man,

justified rather than the other; for

5

everyone who exalts himself will be

yet because this widow bothers me, I

humbled, but he who humbles himself

will give her legal protection, otherwise will be exalted."

by continually coming she will wear me

out.'"

15And they were bringing even their 24And Jesus looked at him and said, "

babies to Him so that He would touch

How hard it is for those who are wealthy

them, but when the disciples saw it, they

to enter the kingdom of God!

began rebuking them.

25"For it is easier for a camel to go 16But Jesus called for them, saying,

through the eye of a needle than for a

"Permit the children to come to Me, and

rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

do not hinder them, for the kingdom of

God belongs to such as these.

26They who heard it said, "Then who can

be saved?"

17"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child 27But He said, " The things that are will not enter it at all."

impossible with people are possible with

God."

18A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good

Teacher, what shall I do to inherit

28Peter said, "Behold, we have left our eternal life?"

own homes and followed You."

19And Jesus said to him, "Why do you 29And He said to them, "Truly I say to call Me good? No one is good except you, there is no one who has left house

God alone.

or wife or brothers or parents or children,

for the sake of the kingdom of God,

20"You know the commandments, ' DO

NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT

30who will not receive many times as

MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT

much at this time and in the age to

BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR

come, eternal life."

YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"

31Then He took the twelve aside and

21And he said, "All these things I have said to them, "Behold, we are going up kept from my youth."

to Jerusalem, and all things which are

written through the prophets about the

22When Jesus heard this, He said to him,

Son of Man will be accomplished.

"One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, 32" For He will be handed over to the and you shall have treasure in heaven; Gentiles, and will be mocked and

and come, follow Me."

mistreated and spit upon,

23But when he had heard these things,

33and after they have scourged Him,

he became very sad, for he was

they will kill Him; and the third day He extremely rich.

will rise again."

34But the disciples understood none of

these things, and the meaning of this

statement was hidden from them, and 2And there was a man called by the they did not comprehend the things that

name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax

were said.

collector and he was rich.

35As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a

3Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus

blind man was sitting by the road

was, and was unable because of the

begging.

crowd, for he was small in stature.

36Now hearing a crowd going by, he

4So he ran on ahead and climbed up

began to inquire what this was.

into a sycamore tree in order to see Him,

for He was about to pass through that

37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth

way.

was passing by.

5When Jesus came to the place, He

38And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son

looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, of David, have mercy on me!"

hurry and come down, for today I must

stay at your house."

39Those who led the way were sternly

6

telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying

And he hurried and came down and

out all the more, " Son of David, have received Him gladly.

mercy on me!"

7When they saw it, they all began to

40And Jesus stopped and commanded

grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the

that he be brought to Him; and when he

guest of a man who is a sinner."

came near, He questioned him,

8Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord,

41"What do you want Me to do for you?"

"Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my will give to the poor, and if I have sight!"

defrauded anyone of anything, I will give

back four times as much."

42And Jesus said to him, "Receive your 9

sight; your faith has made you well."

And Jesus said to him, "Today

salvation has come to this house,

43

because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

Immediately he regained his sight and

began following Him, glorifying God; and

10

when all the people saw it, they gave

"For the Son of Man has come to seek

praise to God.

and to save that which was lost."

11While they were listening to these

19He entered Jericho and was things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and passing through.

they supposed that the kingdom of God

was going to appear immediately.

12So He said, " A nobleman went to a you know that I am an exacting man, distant country to receive a kingdom for

taking up what I did not lay down and

himself, and then return.

reaping what I did not sow?

13"And he called ten of his slaves, and 23'Then why did you not put my money gave them ten minas and said to them,

in the bank, and having come, I would

'Do business with this until I come back.'

have collected it with interest?'

14"But his citizens hated him and sent a

24"Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take

delegation after him, saying, 'We do not

the mina away from him and give it to

want this man to reign over us.'

the one who has the ten minas.'

15"When he returned, after receiving the

25"And they said to him, 'Master, he has

kingdom, he ordered that these slaves,

ten minas already.'

to whom he had given the money, be

called to him so that he might know

26" I tell you that to everyone who has, what business they had done.

more shall be given, but from the one

who does not have, even what he does

16"The first appeared, saying, 'Master, have shall be taken away.

your mina has made ten minas more.'

27"But these enemies of mine, who did 17"And he said to him, 'Well done, good

not want me to reign over them, bring

slave, because you have been faithful in

them here and slay them in my

a very little thing, you are to be in

presence."

authority over ten cities.'

28After He had said these things, He

18"The second came, saying, 'Your mina,

was going on ahead, going up to

master, has made five minas.'

Jerusalem.

19"And he said to him also, 'And you are

29When He approached Bethphage and

to be over five cities.'

Bethany, near the mount that is called

Olivet, He sent two of the disciples,

20"Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a

30saying, "Go into the village ahead of handkerchief;

you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever 21for I was afraid of you, because you sat; untie it and bring it here.

are an exacting man; you take up what

you did not lay down and reap what you

31"If anyone asks you, 'Why are you did not sow.'

untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has

need of it.'"

22"He said to him, 'By your own words I

will judge you, you worthless slave. Did

32So those who were sent went away 43"For the days will come upon you and found it just as He had told them.

when your enemies will throw up a

barricade against you, and surround you

33As they were untying the colt, its

and hem you in on every side,

owners said to them, "Why are you

untying the colt?"

44and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they

34They said, "The Lord has need of it."

will not leave in you one stone upon

another, because you did not recognize

35

the time of your visitation."

They brought it to Jesus, and they

threw their coats on the colt and put

45

Jesus on it.

Jesus entered the temple and began

to drive out those who were selling,

36As He was going, they were spreading

46

their coats on the road.

saying to them, "It is written, ' AND MY

HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF

37

PRAYER,' but you have made it a

As soon as He was approaching, near

ROBBERS' DEN."

the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to

47

praise God joyfully with a loud voice for And He was teaching daily in the

all the miracles which they had seen,

temple; but the chief priests and the

scribes and the leading men among the

38

people were trying to destroy Him,

shouting: " BLESSED IS THE KING

WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE

48

LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the

and they could not find anything that

highest!"

they might do, for all the people were

hanging on to every word He said.

39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd

said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your

disciples."

20On one of the days while He was

teaching the people in the temple and

40But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if preaching the gospel, the chief priests

these become silent, the stones will cry and the scribes with the elders

out!"

confronted Him,

41When He approached Jerusalem, He

2and they spoke, saying to Him, "Tell us

saw the city and wept over it,

by what authority You are doing these

things, or who is the one who gave You

42saying, "If you had known in this day, this authority?"

even you, the things which make for

peace! But now they have been hidden

3Jesus answered and said to them, "I from your eyes.

will also ask you a question, and you tell

Me:

4"Was the baptism of John from heaven

'This is the heir; let us kill him so that the or from men?"

inheritance will be ours.'

5They reasoned among themselves,

15"So they threw him out of the vineyard

saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He and killed him. What, then, will the

will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

owner of the vineyard do to them?

6"But if we say, 'From men,' all the 16"He will come and destroy these vine-people will stone us to death, for they growers and will give the vineyard to are convinced that John was a prophet."

others." When they heard it, they said, "

May it never be!"

7So they answered that they did not

know where it came from.

17But Jesus looked at them and said,

"What then is this that is written: ' THE

8And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell STONE

WHICH

THE

BUILDERS

you by what authority I do these things."

REJECTED,

THIS

BECAME

THE

CHIEF CORNER stone'?

9And He began to tell the people this

18

parable: "A man planted a vineyard and

" Everyone who falls on that stone will

rented it out to vine-growers, and went

be broken to pieces; but on whomever it

on a journey for a long time.

falls, it will scatter him like dust."

10

19

"At the harvest time he sent a slave to

The scribes and the chief priests tried

the vine-growers, so that they would

to lay hands on Him that very hour, and

give him some of the produce of the

they feared the people; for they

vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him

understood that He spoke this parable

and sent him away empty-handed.

against them.

11

20

"And he proceeded to send another

So they watched Him, and sent spies

slave; and they beat him also and

who pretended to be righteous, in order

treated him shamefully and sent him

that they might catch Him in some

away empty-handed.

statement, so that they could deliver

Him to the rule and the authority of the 12

governor.

"And he proceeded to send a third;

and this one also they wounded and

21

cast out.

They

questioned

Him,

saying,

"Teacher, we know that You speak and 13

teach correctly, and You are not partial

"The owner of the vineyard said, 'What

to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'

22"Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to 14

Caesar, or not?"

"But when the vine-growers saw him,

they reasoned with one another, saying,

23But He detected their trickery and said 34Jesus said to them, "The sons of this to them, age marry and are given in marriage,

24"Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness

35but those who are considered worthy

and inscription does it have?" They said, to attain to that age and the resurrection

"Caesar's."

from the dead, neither marry nor are

given in marriage;

25And He said to them, "Then render to

Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and

36for they cannot even die anymore,

to God the things that are God's."

because they are like angels, and are

sons of God, being sons of the

26And they were unable to catch Him in

resurrection.

a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they

37"But that the dead are raised, even became silent.

Moses showed, in the passage about

the burning bush, where he calls the

27Now there came to Him some of the

Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND

Sadducees (who say that there is no

THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD

resurrection),

OF JACOB.

28

38

and they questioned Him, saying,

" Now He is not the God of the dead

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A but of the living; for all live to Him."

MAN'S BROTHER DIES, having a wife,

AND

HE

IS

CHILDLESS,

HIS

39Some of the scribes answered and

BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE

said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."

WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO

HIS BROTHER.

40For they did not have courage to

question Him any longer about anything.

29"Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

41Then He said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is David's son?

30and the second

42"For David himself says in the book of

31and the third married her; and in the Psalms, ' THE LORD SAID TO MY

same way all seven died, leaving no

LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

children.

43UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A

32"Finally the woman died also.

FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

33"In the resurrection therefore, which 44"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord,' and one's wife will she be? For all seven had

how is He his son?"

married her."

45And while all the people were listening, 8And He said, "See to it that you are not He said to the disciples, misled; for many will come in My name,

saying, ' I am He,' and, 'The time is

46"Beware of the scribes, who like to near.' Do not go after them.

walk around in long robes, and love

respectful greetings in the market places,

9"When you hear of wars and

and chief seats in the synagogues and

disturbances, do not be terrified; for

places of honor at banquets,

these things must take place first, but

the end does not follow immediately."

47who devour widows' houses, and for

appearance's sake offer long prayers.

10Then He continued by saying to them,

These

will

receive

greater

"Nation will rise against nation and condemnation."

kingdom against kingdom,

11

21

and there will be great earthquakes,

And He looked up and saw the

and in various places plagues and

rich putting their gifts into the treasury.

famines; and there will be terrors and

great signs from heaven.

2And He saw a poor widow putting in

12

two small copper coins.

"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will

3

persecute you, delivering you to the

And He said, "Truly I say to you, this synagogues and prisons, bringing you

poor widow put in more than all of them;

before kings and governors for My

name's sake.

4for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty 13" It will lead to an opportunity for your put in all that she had to live on."

testimony.

5And while some were talking about the

14" So make up your minds not to

temple, that it was adorned with

prepare

beforehand

to

defend

beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, yourselves; 6"As for these things which you are 15for I will give you utterance and looking at, the days will come in which wisdom which none of your opponents

there will not be left one stone upon

will be able to resist or refute.

another which will not be torn down."

16

7

"But you will be betrayed even by

They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher,

parents and brothers and relatives and

when therefore will these things happen?

friends, and they will put some of you to

And what will be the sign when these

death,

things are about to take place?"

17and you will be hated by all because of 27" Then they will see THE SON OF

My name.

MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power

and great glory.

18"Yet not a hair of your head will perish.

28"But when these things begin to take 19" By your endurance you will gain your place, straighten up and lift up your

lives.

heads, because your redemption is

drawing near."

20"But when you see Jerusalem

29

surrounded by armies, then recognize

Then He told them a parable: "Behold that her desolation is near.

the fig tree and all the trees;

21

30

"Then those who are in Judea must

as soon as they put forth leaves, you

flee to the mountains, and those who

see it and know for yourselves that

are in the midst of the city must leave, summer is now near.

and those who are in the country must

not enter the city;

31"So you also, when you see these

things happening, recognize that the

22because these are days of vengeance,

kingdom of God is near.

so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.

32"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.

23"Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those

33" Heaven and earth will pass away, but

days; for there will be great distress

My words will not pass away.

upon the land and wrath to this people;

34" Be on guard, so that your hearts will 24and they will fall by the edge of the not be weighted down with dissipation sword, and will be led captive into all the

and drunkenness and the worries of life,

nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled

and that day will not come on you

under foot by the Gentiles until the times

suddenly like a trap;

of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

35for it will come upon all those who

25"There will be signs in sun and moon dwell on the face of all the earth.

and stars, and on the earth dismay

among nations, in perplexity at the

36"But keep on the alert at all times, roaring of the sea and the waves,

praying that you may have strength to

escape all these things that are about to

26men fainting from fear and the

take place, and to stand before the Son

expectation of the things which are

of Man."

coming upon the world; for the powers

of the heavens will be shaken.

37Now during the day He was teaching

in the temple, but at evening He would

go out and spend the night on the mount 10And He said to them, "When you have that is called Olivet.

entered the city, a man will meet you

carrying a pitcher of water; follow him

38And all the people would get up early

into the house that he enters.

in the morning to come to Him in the

temple to listen to Him.

11"And you shall say to the owner of the

house, 'The Teacher says to you,

"Where is the guest room in which I may

22Now the Feast of Unleavened eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

Bread, which is called the Passover,

12

was approaching.

"And he will show you a large,

furnished upper room; prepare it there."

2The chief priests and the scribes were

13And they left and found everything just

seeking how they might put Him to

death; for they were afraid of the people.

as He had told them; and they prepared

the Passover.

3And Satan entered into Judas who was

14When the hour had come, He reclined

called Iscariot, belonging to the number

at the table, and the apostles with Him.

of the twelve.

15

4And he went away and discussed with

And He said to them, "I have earnestly

the chief priests and officers how he

desired to eat this Passover with you

before I suffer;

might betray Him to them.

16

5They were glad and agreed to give him

for I say to you, I shall never again eat

money.

it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

6So he consented, and began seeking a

17

good opportunity to betray Him to them

And when He had taken a cup and

apart from the crowd.

given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

7Then came the first day of Unleavened

18

Bread on which the Passover lamb had

for I say to you, I will not drink of the to be sacrificed.

fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."

8And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying,

19And when He had taken some bread

"Go and prepare the Passover for us, so

that we may eat it."

and given thanks, He broke it and gave

it to them, saying, "This is My body 9

which is given for you; do this in

They said to Him, "Where do You want

remembrance of Me."

us to prepare it?"

20And in the same way He took the cup 30that you may eat and drink at My table after they had eaten, saying, "This cup in My kingdom, and you will sit on

which is poured out for you is the new thrones judging the twelve tribes of

covenant in My blood.

Israel.

21" But behold, the hand of the one 31"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has

betraying Me is with Mine on the table.

demanded permission to sift you like

wheat;

22"For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to 32but I have prayed for you, that your

that man by whom He is betrayed!"

faith may not fail; and you, when once

you have turned again, strengthen your

23And they began to discuss among

brothers."

themselves which one of them it might

be who was going to do this thing.

33But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to 24And there arose also a dispute among

death!"

them as to which one of them was

regarded to be greatest.

34And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you

25And He said to them, "The kings of the

have denied three times that you know

Gentiles lord it over them; and those

Me."

who have authority over them are called

'Benefactors.'

35And He said to them, " When I sent you out without money belt and bag and

26"But it is not this way with you, but the sandals, you did not lack anything, did one who is the greatest among you

you?" They said, "No, nothing."

must become like the youngest, and the

leader like the servant.

36And He said to them, "But now,

whoever has a money belt is to take it 27"For who is greater, the one who

along, likewise also a bag, and whoever

reclines at the table or the one who

has no sword is to sell his coat and buy

serves? Is it not the one who reclines at

one.

the table? But I am among you as the

one who serves.

37"For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ' AND HE WAS

28"You are those who have stood by Me

NUMBERED

WITH

in My trials;

TRANSGRESSORS'; for that which

refers to Me has its fulfillment."

29and just as My Father has granted Me

38

a kingdom, I grant you

They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

39And He came out and proceeded as said, "Lord, shall we strike with the was His custom to the Mount of Olives; sword?"

and the disciples also followed Him.

50And one of them struck the slave of

40When He arrived at the place, He said

the high priest and cut off his right ear.

to them, " Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

51But Jesus answered and said, "Stop!

No more of this." And He touched his 41And He withdrew from them about a

ear and healed him.

stone's throw, and He knelt down and

began to pray,

52Then Jesus said to the chief priests

and officers of the temple and elders

42saying, "Father, if You are willing, who had come against Him, "Have you remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, come out with swords and clubs as you

but Yours be done."

would against a robber?

43Now an angel from heaven appeared

53"While I was with you daily in the to Him, strengthening Him.

temple, you did not lay hands on Me;

but this hour and the power of darkness

44And being in agony He was praying

are yours."

very fervently; and His sweat became

like drops of blood, falling down upon

54Having arrested Him, they led Him

the ground.

away and brought Him to the house of

the high priest; but Peter was following 45When He rose from prayer, He came

at a distance.

to the disciples and found them sleeping

from sorrow,

55After they had kindled a fire in the

middle of the courtyard and had sat

46and said to them, "Why are you

down together, Peter was sitting among

sleeping? Get up and pray that you may

them.

not enter into temptation."

56And a servant-girl, seeing him as he

47While He was still speaking, behold, a

sat in the firelight and looking intently at

crowd came, and the one called Judas,

him, said, "This man was with Him too."

one of the twelve, was preceding them;

and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.

57But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do

not know Him."

48But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you

betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

58A little later, another saw him and said,

"You are one of them too!" But Peter 49When those who were around Him

said, "Man, I am not!"

saw what was going to happen, they

59After about an hour had passed, 69" But from now on THE SON OF MAN

another man began to insist, saying,

WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT

"Certainly this man also was with Him, HAND of the power OF GOD."

for he is a Galilean too."

70And they all said, "Are You the Son of

60But Peter said, "Man, I do not know God, then?" And He said to them, " Yes, what you are talking about." Immediately, I am."

while he was still speaking, a rooster

crowed.

71Then they said, "What further need do

we have of testimonyNULL For we have

61The Lord turned and looked at Peter.

heard it ourselves from His own mouth."

And Peter remembered the word of the

Lord, how He had told him, " Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me 23Then the whole body of them got

three times."

up and brought Him before Pilate.

62And he went out and wept bitterly.

2And they began to accuse Him, saying,

63

"We found this man misleading our

Now the men who were holding Jesus

nation and forbidding to pay taxes to

in custody were mocking Him and

Caesar, and saying that He Himself is

beating Him,

Christ, a King."

64and they blindfolded Him and were

3So Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You

asking Him, saying, " Prophesy, who is the King of the Jews?" And He

the one who hit You?"

answered him and said, " It is as you say."

65And they were saying many other

things against Him, blaspheming.

4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and

the crowds, " I find no guilt in this man."

66When it was day, the Council of elders

of the people assembled, both chief

5But they kept on insisting, saying, "He priests and scribes, and they led Him stirs up the people, teaching all over

away to their council chamber, saying,

Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place."

67" If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not 6When Pilate heard it, he asked whether believe;

the man was a Galilean.

68and if I ask a question, you will not 7And when he learned that He belonged

answer.

to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to

Herod, who himself also was in

Jerusalem at that time.

8Now Herod was very glad when he saw 18But they cried out all together, saying, Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for

" Away with this man, and release for us

a long time, because he had been

Barabbas!"

hearing about Him and was hoping to

see some sign performed by Him.

19(He was one who had been thrown

into prison for an insurrection made in

9And he questioned Him at some length;

the city, and for murder.)

but He answered him nothing.

20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus,

10And the chief priests and the scribes

addressed them again,

were standing there, accusing Him

vehemently.

21but they kept on calling out, saying,

"Crucify, crucify Him!"

11And Herod with his soldiers, after

treating Him with contempt and mocking

22And he said to them the third time,

Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe

"Why, what evil has this man done? I and sent Him back to Pilate.

have found in Him no guilt demanding

death; therefore I will punish Him and

12Now Herod and Pilate became friends

release Him."

with one another that very day; for

before they had been enemies with

23But they were insistent, with loud

each other.

voices asking that He be crucified. And

their voices began to prevail.

13Pilate summoned the chief priests and

the rulers and the people,

24And Pilate pronounced sentence that

their demand be granted.

14and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the

25And he released the man they were

people to rebellion, and behold, having

asking for who had been thrown into

examined Him before you, I have found

prison for insurrection and murder, but

no guilt in this man regarding the

he delivered Jesus to their will.

charges which you make against Him.

26When they led Him away, they seized

15"No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from

back to us; and behold, nothing

the country, and placed on him the

deserving death has been done by Him.

cross to carry behind Jesus.

16"Therefore I will punish Him and

27And following Him was a large crowd

release Him."

of the people, and of women who were

mourning and lamenting Him.

17[ Now he was obliged to release to

them at the feast one prisoner.]

28But Jesus turning to them said,

"Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping

for Me, but weep for yourselves and for 38Now there was also an inscription your children.

above Him, " THIS IS THE KING OF

THE JEWS."

29"For behold, the days are coming

when they will say, ' Blessed are the

39One of the criminals who were hanged

barren, and the wombs that never bore,

there was hurling abuse at Him, saying,

and the breasts that never nursed.'

"Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

30"Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE

MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO

40But the other answered, and rebuking

THE HILLS, 'COVER US.'

him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence

31"For if they do these things when the of condemnation?

tree is green, what will happen when it is

dry?"

41"And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for

32Two others also, who were criminals,

our deeds; but this man has done

were being led away to be put to death nothing wrong."

with Him.

42And he was saying, "Jesus, remember

33When they came to the place called

me when You come in Your kingdom!"

The Skull, there they crucified Him and

the criminals, one on the right and the 43And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, other on the left.

today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

34But Jesus was saying, " Father, forgive 44It was now about the sixth hour, and

them; for they do not know what they

darkness fell over the whole land until

are doing." And they cast lots, dividing the ninth hour,

up His garments among themselves.

45because the sun was obscured; and

35And the people stood by, looking on.

the veil of the temple was torn in two.

And even the rulers were sneering at

Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him 46And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice,

save Himself if this is the Christ of God,

said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I

His Chosen One."

COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this,

He breathed His last.

36The soldiers also mocked Him, coming

up to Him, offering Him sour wine,

47Now when the centurion saw what had

happened, he began praising God,

37and saying, " If You are the King of the saying,

"Certainly

this

man

was

Jews, save Yourself!"

innocent."

48And all the crowds who came together bringing the spices which they had for this spectacle, when they observed

prepared.

what had happened, began to return,

beating their breasts.

2And they found the stone rolled away

from the tomb,

49And all His acquaintances and the

women who accompanied Him from

3but when they entered, they did not find

Galilee were standing at a distance,

the body of the Lord Jesus.

seeing these things.

4While they were perplexed about this,

50And a man named Joseph, who was a

behold, two men suddenly stood near

member of the Council, a good and

them in dazzling clothing;

righteous man

5and as the women were terrified and

51(he had not consented to their plan

bowed their faces to the ground, the

and action), a man from Arimathea, a

men said to them, "Why do you seek the

city of the Jews, who was waiting for the

living One among the dead?

kingdom of God;

6"He is not here, but He has risen.

52this man went to Pilate and asked for Remember how He spoke to you while

the body of Jesus.

He was still in Galilee,

53And he took it down and wrapped it in

7saying that the Son of Man must be

a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut

delivered into the hands of sinful men,

into the rock, where no one had ever

and be crucified, and the third day rise lain.

again."

54It was the preparation day, and the

8And they remembered His words,

Sabbath was about to begin.

9and returned from the tomb and

55Now the women who had come with

reported all these things to the eleven

Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the

and to all the rest.

tomb and how His body was laid.

10Now they were Mary Magdalene and

56Then they returned and prepared

Joanna and Mary the mother of James;

spices and perfumes. And on the

also the other women with them were

Sabbath they rested according to the

telling these things to the apostles.

commandment.

11But these words appeared to them as

24

nonsense, and they would not believe

But on the first day of the week, at

them.

early dawn, they came to the tomb

12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; 21"But we were hoping that it was He stooping and looking in, he saw the who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed,

linen wrappings only; and he went away

besides all this, it is the third day since to his home, marveling at what had

these things happened.

happened.

22"But also some women among us

13And behold, two of them were going

amazed us. When they were at the tomb

that very day to a village named

early in the morning,

Emmaus, which was about seven miles

from Jerusalem.

23and did not find His body, they came,

saying that they had also seen a vision 14And they were talking with each other

of angels who said that He was alive.

about all these things which had taken

place.

24"Some of those who were with us went

to the tomb and found it just exactly as 15While they were talking and discussing,

the women also had said; but Him they

Jesus Himself approached and began

did not see."

traveling with them.

25And He said to them, "O foolish men 16But their eyes were prevented from

and slow of heart to believe in all that recognizing Him.

the prophets have spoken!

17And He said to them, "What are these

26" Was it not necessary for the Christ to words that you are exchanging with one

suffer these things and to enter into His

another as you are walking?" And they glory?"

stood still, looking sad.

27Then beginning with Moses and with

18One of them, named Cleopas,

all the prophets, He explained to them

answered and said to Him, "Are You the

the things concerning Himself in all the only

one

visiting

Jerusalem

and

Scriptures.

unaware of the things which have

happened here in these days?"

28And they approached the village

where they were going, and He acted as

19And He said to them, "What things?"

though He were going farther.

And they said to Him, "The things about

Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet

29But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with

mighty in deed and word in the sight of us, for it is getting toward evening, and God and all the people, the day is now nearly over." So He went

in to stay with them.

20and how the chief priests and our

rulers delivered Him to the sentence of

30When He had reclined at the table with

death, and crucified Him.

them, He took the bread and blessed it,

and breaking it, He began giving it to 41While they still could not believe it them.

because of their joy and amazement, He

said to them, " Have you anything here 31Then their eyes were opened and they

to eat?"

recognized Him; and He vanished from

their sight.

42They gave Him a piece of a broiled

fish;

32They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He

43and He took it and ate it before them.

was speaking to us on the road, while

He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"

44Now He said to them, " These are My

words which I spoke to you while I was 33And they got up that very hour and

still with you, that all things which are returned to Jerusalem, and found

written about Me in the Law of Moses

gathered together the eleven and those

and the Prophets and the Psalms must

who were with them,

be fulfilled."

34saying, " The Lord has really risen and 45Then He opened their minds to

has appeared to Simon."

understand the Scriptures,

35They began to relate their experiences

46and He said to them, " Thus it is on the road and how He was recognized

written, that the Christ would suffer and by them in the breaking of the bread.

rise again from the dead the third day,

36While they were telling these things,

47and that repentance for forgiveness of

He Himself stood in their midst and said

sins would be proclaimed in His name to

to them, "Peace be to you."

all

the

nations,

beginning

from

Jerusalem.

37But they were startled and frightened

and thought that they were seeing a

48"You are witnesses of these things.

spirit.

49"And behold, I am sending forth the 38And He said to them, "Why are you promise of My Father upon you; but you troubled, and why do doubts arise in

are to stay in the city until you are

your hearts?

clothed with power from on high."

39" See My hands and My feet, that it is I 50And He led them out as far as Bethany,

Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit

and He lifted up His hands and blessed

does not have flesh and bones as you

them.

see that I have."

51While He was blessing them, He

40And when He had said this, He

parted from them and was carried up

showed them His hands and His feet.

into heaven.

52And they, after worshiping Him, 53and were continually in the temple returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

praising God.

John

12But as many as received Him, to them

He gave the right to become children of

1In the beginning was the Word, and God, even to those who believe in His name,

the Word was with God, and the Word

was God.

13who were born, not of blood nor of the

2

will of the flesh nor of the will of man, He was in the beginning with God.

but of God.

3All things came into being through Him,

14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt

and apart from Him nothing came into

among us, and we saw His glory, glory

being that has come into being.

as of the only begotten from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

15John testified about Him and cried out,

saying, "This was He of whom I said, '

5The Light shines in the darkness, and

He who comes after me has a higher

the darkness did not comprehend it.

rank than I, for He existed before me.'"

6There came a man sent from God,

16For of His fullness we have all

whose name was John.

received, and grace upon grace.

7He came as a witness, to testify about

17For the Law was given through Moses;

the Light, so that all might believe

grace and truth were realized through

through him.

Jesus Christ.

8He was not the Light, but he came to

18No one has seen God at any time; the

testify about the Light.

only begotten God who is in the bosom

of the Father, He has explained Him.

9There was the true Light which, coming

into the world, enlightens every man.

19This is the testimony of John, when

the Jews sent to him priests and Levites

10He was in the world, and the world

from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are was made through Him, and the world

you?"

did not know Him.

20And he confessed and did not deny,

11He came to His own, and those who

but confessed, " I am not the Christ."

were His own did not receive Him.

21They asked him, "What then? Are you 31"I did not recognize Him, but so that Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are He might be manifested to Israel, I came you the Prophet?" And he answered,

baptizing in water."

"No."

32John testified saying, " I have seen the 22Then they said to him, "Who are you, Spirit descending as a dove out of so that we may give an answer to those

heaven, and He remained upon Him.

who sent us? What do you say about

yourself?"

33"I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 23He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE

'He upon whom you see the Spirit

CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE

descending and remaining upon Him,

STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,'

this is the One who baptizes in the Holy

as Isaiah the prophet said."

Spirit.'

24Now they had been sent from the

34"I myself have seen, and have testified Pharisees.

that this is the Son of God."

25They asked him, and said to him,

35Again the next day John was standing

"Why then are you baptizing, if you are with two of his disciples,

not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the

Prophet?"

36and he looked at Jesus as He walked,

and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

26John answered them saying, " I

baptize in water, but among you stands

37The two disciples heard him speak,

One whom you do not know.

and they followed Jesus.

27"It is He who comes after me, the 38And Jesus turned and saw them

thong of whose sandal I am not worthy

following, and said to them, "What do to untie."

you seek?" They said to Him, " Rabbi (which translated means Teacher),

28These things took place in Bethany

where are You staying?"

beyond the Jordan, where John was

baptizing.

39He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He 29The next day he saw Jesus coming to was staying; and they stayed with Him

him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God

that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

who takes away the sin of the world!

40One of the two who heard John speak

30"This is He on behalf of whom I said, '

and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon

After me comes a Man who has a higher

Peter's brother.

rank than I, for He existed before me.'

41He found first his own brother Simon 51And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say and said to him, "We have found the to you, you will see the heavens opened Messiah"

(which

translated

means

and the angels of God ascending and

Christ).

descending on the Son of Man."

42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked

at him and said, "You are Simon the son

2On the third day there was a wedding

of John; you shall be called Cephas"

in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of

(which is translated Peter).

Jesus was there;

43The next day He purposed to go into

2and both Jesus and His disciples were

Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus

invited to the wedding.

said to him, " Follow Me."

3

44

When the wine ran out, the mother of

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the

Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."

city of Andrew and Peter.

4

45

And Jesus said to her, " Woman, what Philip found Nathanael and said to him,

does that have to do with us? My hour

"We have found Him of whom Moses in

has not yet come."

the Law and also the Prophets wrote--

Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

5His mother said to the servants,

46

"Whatever He says to you, do it."

Nathanael said to him, " Can any good

thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said

6

to him, "Come and see."

Now there were six stone waterpots set

there

for

the

Jewish

custom

of

47

purification, containing twenty or thirty

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him,

gallons each.

and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

7Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots 48

with water." So they filled them up to the Nathanael said to Him, "How do You

brim.

know me?" Jesus answered and said to

him, "Before Philip called you, when you

8

were under the fig tree, I saw you."

And He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So 49

they took it to him.

Nathanael answered Him, " Rabbi,

You are the Son of God; You are the

9

King of Israel."

When the headwaiter tasted the water

which had become wine, and did not

50

know where it came from (but the

Jesus answered and said to him,

servants who had drawn the water

"Because I said to you that I saw you knew), the headwaiter called

the

under the fig tree, do you believe? You bridegroom,

will see greater things than these."

10and said to him, "Every man serves 19Jesus answered them, " Destroy this the good wine first, and when the people temple, and in three days I will raise it have drunk freely, then he serves the

up."

poorer wine; but you have kept the good

wine until now."

20The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You 11This beginning of His signs Jesus did raise it up in three days?"

in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His

glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

21But He was speaking of the temple of

His body.

12After this He went down to Capernaum,

He and His mother and His brothers and

22So when He was raised from the dead,

His disciples; and they stayed there a

His disciples remembered that He said

few days.

this; and they believed the Scripture and

the word which Jesus had spoken.

13The Passover of the Jews was near,

and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

23Now when He was in Jerusalem at the

Passover, during the feast, many

14And He found in the temple those who

believed in His name, observing His

were selling oxen and sheep and doves,

signs which He was doing.

and the money changers seated at their

tables.

24But Jesus, on His part, was not

entrusting Himself to them, for He knew

15And He made a scourge of cords, and

all men,

drove them all out of the temple, with

the sheep and the oxen; and He poured

25and because He did not need anyone

out the coins of the money changers

to testify concerning man, for He

and overturned their tables;

Himself knew what was in man.

16and to those who were selling the

doves He said, "Take these things away;

3Now there was a man of the

stop making My Father's house a place

of business."

Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of

the Jews;

17His disciples remembered that it was

2

written, " ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE

this man came to Jesus by night and

WILL CONSUME ME."

said to Him, " Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for 18

no one can do these signs that You do

The Jews then said to Him, " What

unless God is with him."

sign do You show us as your authority

for doing these things?"

3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly,

truly, I say to you, unless one is born

again he cannot see the kingdom of 13" No one has ascended into heaven, God."

but He who descended from heaven:

the Son of Man.

4Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a

man be born when he is old? He cannot

14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the enter a second time into his mother's

wilderness, even so must the Son of

womb and be born, can he?"

Man be lifted up;

5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to 15so that whoever believes will in Him you, unless one is born of water and the

have eternal life.

Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom

of God.

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that

6" That which is born of the flesh is flesh, whoever believes in Him shall not perish,

and that which is born of the Spirit is but have eternal life.

spirit.

17"For God did not send the Son into the

7"Do not be amazed that I said to you, world to judge the world, but that the 'You must be born again.'

world might be saved through Him.

8" The wind blows where it wishes and 18" He who believes in Him is not judged; you hear the sound of it, but do not he who does not believe has been

know where it comes from and where it

judged already, because he has not

is going; so is everyone who is born of believed in the name of the only

the Spirit."

begotten Son of God.

9Nicodemus said to Him, "How can

19"This is the judgment, that the Light these things be?"

has come into the world, and men loved

the darkness rather than the Light, for

10Jesus answered and said to him, "Are

their deeds were evil.

you the teacher of Israel and do not

understand these things?

20" For everyone who does evil hates the

Light, and does not come to the Light for

11"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of fear that his deeds will be exposed.

what we know and testify of what we

have seen, and you do not accept our

21"But he who practices the truth comes

testimony.

to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in

12"If I told you earthly things and you do God."

not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

22After these things Jesus and His

disciples came into the land of Judea,

and there He was spending time with 32"What He has seen and heard, of that them and baptizing.

He testifies; and no one receives His

testimony.

23John also was baptizing in Aenon near

Salim, because there was much water

33"He who has received His testimony there; and people were coming and

has set his seal to this, that God is true.

were being baptized--

34"For He whom God has sent speaks

24for John had not yet been thrown into

the words of God; for He gives the Spirit

prison.

without measure.

25Therefore there arose a discussion on

35" The Father loves the Son and has the part of John's disciples with a Jew given all things into His hand.

about purification.

36"He who believes in the Son has

26And they came to John and said to

eternal life; but he who does not obey

him, " Rabbi, He who was with you

the Son will not see life, but the wrath of

beyond the Jordan, to whom you have

God abides on him."

testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."

4Therefore when the Lord knew that 27John answered and said, " A man can

the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was

receive nothing unless it has been given

making and baptizing more disciples

him from heaven.

than John

28"You yourselves are my witnesses that

2(although Jesus Himself was not

I said, ' I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have

baptizing, but His disciples were),

been sent ahead of Him.'

3

29

He left Judea and went away again into

"He who has the bride is the

Galilee.

bridegroom; but the friend of the

bridegroom, who stands and hears him

4

rejoices

greatly

because

of

the

And He had to pass through Samaria.

bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine

5

has been made full.

So He came to a city of Samaria called

Sychar, near the parcel of ground that

30"He must increase, but I must

Jacob gave to his son Joseph;

decrease.

6and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus,

31" He who comes from above is above

being wearied from His journey, was

all, he who is of the earth is from the sitting thus by the well. It was about the

earth and speaks of the earth. He who

sixth hour.

comes from heaven is above all.

7There came a woman of Samaria to 16He said to her, "Go, call your husband draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me

and come here."

a drink."

17The woman answered and said, "I

8For His disciples had gone away into

have no husband." Jesus said to her, the city to buy food.

"You have correctly said, 'I have no husband';

9Therefore the Samaritan woman said to

Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, 18for you have had five husbands, and ask me for a drink since I am a

the one whom you now have is not your

Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no

husband; this you have said truly."

dealings with Samaritans.)

19The woman said to Him, "Sir, I

10Jesus answered and said to her, "If perceive that You are a prophet.

you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you 20" Our fathers worshiped in this

would have asked Him, and He would

mountain, and you people say that in

have given you living water."

Jerusalem is the place where men ought

to worship."

11She said to Him, "Sir, You have

nothing to draw with and the well is

21Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe deep; where then do You get that living

Me, an hour is coming when neither in

water?

this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you

worship the Father.

12"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, 22" You worship what you do not know; and drank of it himself and his sons and

we worship what we know, for salvation

his cattle?"

is from the Jews.

13Jesus answered and said to her,

23"But an hour is coming, and now is,

"Everyone who drinks of this water will when the true worshipers will worship

thirst again;

the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His

14but whoever drinks of the water that I worshipers.

will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in 24"God is spirit, and those who worship him a well of water springing up to Him must worship in spirit and truth."

eternal life."

25The woman said to Him, "I know that 15The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me

Messiah is coming ( He who is called

this water, so I will not be thirsty nor Christ); when that One comes, He will

come all the way here to draw."

declare all things to us."

26Jesus said to her, " I who speak to you 37"For in this case the saying is true, '

am He."

One sows and another reaps.'

27At this point His disciples came, and

38"I sent you to reap that for which you they were amazed that He had been

have not labored; others have labored

speaking with a woman, yet no one said,

and you have entered into their labor."

"What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?"

39From that city many of the Samaritans

believed in Him because of the word of

28So the woman left her waterpot, and

the woman who testified, " He told me went into the city and said to the men,

all the things that I have done."

29"Come, see a man who told me all the

40So when the Samaritans came to

things that I have done; this is not the Jesus, they were asking Him to stay

Christ, is it?"

with them; and He stayed there two

days.

30They went out of the city, and were

coming to Him.

41Many more believed because of His

word;

31Meanwhile the disciples were urging

Him, saying, " Rabbi, eat."

42and they were saying to the woman, "It

is no longer because of what you said

32But He said to them, "I have food to that we believe, for we have heard for eat that you do not know about."

ourselves and know that this One is

indeed the Savior of the world."

33So the disciples were saying to one

43

another, "No one brought Him anything After the two days He went forth from

to eat, did he?"

there into Galilee.

34

44

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do For Jesus Himself testified that a

the will of Him who sent Me and to

prophet has no honor in his own country.

accomplish His work.

45So when He came to Galilee, the

35"Do you not say, 'There are yet four Galileans received Him, having seen all months, and then comes the harvest'?

the things that He did in Jerusalem at

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes the feast; for they themselves also went

and look on the fields, that they are

to the feast.

white for harvest.

46Therefore He came again to Cana of

36"Already he who reaps is receiving Galilee where He had made the water

wages and is gathering fruit for life

wine. And there was a royal official

eternal; so that he who sows and he

whose son was sick at Capernaum.

who reaps may rejoice together.

47When he heard that Jesus had come 3In these lay a multitude of those who out of Judea into Galilee, he went to

were sick, blind, lame, and withered,

Him and was imploring Him to come

[ waiting for the moving of the waters;

down and heal his son; for he was at the

point of death.

4for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred

48So Jesus said to him, "Unless you up the water; whoever then first, after

people see signs and wonders, you

the stirring up of the water, stepped in simply will not believe."

was made well from whatever disease

with which he was afflicted.]

49The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

5A man was there who had been ill for

thirty-eight years.

50Jesus said to him, " Go; your son lives." The man believed the word that 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and Jesus spoke to him and started off.

knew that he had already been a long

time in that condition, He said to him, 51As he was now going down, his slaves

"Do you wish to get well?"

met him, saying that his son was living.

7The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I 52So he inquired of them the hour when

have no man to put me into the pool

he began to get better. Then they said

when the water is stirred up, but while I

to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour am coming, another steps down before

the fever left him."

me."

53

8

So the father knew that it was at that Jesus said to him, " Get up, pick up hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your your pallet and walk."

son lives"; and he himself believed and his whole household.

9Immediately the man became well, and

picked up his pallet and began to walk.

54This is again a second sign that Jesus

Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

performed when He had come out of

Judea into Galilee.

10So the Jews were saying to the man

who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your 5After these things there was a feast pallet."

of the Jews, and Jesus went up to

11But he answered them, "He who made

Jerusalem.

me well was the one who said to me,

2

'Pick up your pallet and walk.'"

Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep

gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew

Bethesda, having five porticoes.

12They asked him, "Who is the man who doing; and the Father will show Him said to you, 'Pick up your pallet and

greater works than these, so that you

walk'?"

will marvel.

13But the man who was healed did not

21"For just as the Father raises the dead know who it was, for Jesus had slipped

and gives them life, even so the Son

away while there was a crowd in that

also gives life to whom He wishes.

place.

22"For not even the Father judges

14Afterward Jesus found him in the

anyone, but He has given all judgment

temple and said to him, "Behold, you to the Son,

have become well; do not sin anymore,

so that nothing worse happens to you."

23so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not

15The man went away, and told the

honor the Son does not honor the

Jews that it was Jesus who had made

Father who sent Him.

him well.

24"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears 16For this reason the Jews were

My word, and believes Him who sent Me,

persecuting Jesus, because He was

has eternal life, and does not come into

doing these things on the Sabbath.

judgment, but has passed out of death

into life.

17But He answered them, "My Father is

working until now, and I Myself am

25"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is working."

coming and now is, when the dead will

hear the voice of the Son of God, and

18For this reason therefore the Jews

those who hear will live.

were seeking all the more to kill Him,

because He not only was breaking the

26"For just as the Father has life in Sabbath, but also was calling God His

Himself, even so He gave to the Son

own Father, making Himself equal with

also to have life in Himself;

God.

27and He gave Him authority to execute

19Therefore Jesus answered and was

judgment, because He is the Son of

saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, Man.

the Son can do nothing of Himself,

unless it is something He sees the

28"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is Father doing; for whatever the Father coming, in which all who are in the

does, these things the Son also does in

tombs will hear His voice,

like manner.

29and will come forth; those who did the

20" For the Father loves the Son, and good deeds to a resurrection of life,

shows Him all things that He Himself is

those who committed the evil deeds to a 39" You search the Scriptures because resurrection of judgment.

you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

30" I can do nothing on My own initiative.

As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is 40and you are unwilling to come to Me

just, because I do not seek My own will,

so that you may have life.

but the will of Him who sent Me.

41" I do not receive glory from men;

31" If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.

42but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

32"There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He

43"I have come in My Father's name, gives about Me is true.

and you do not receive Me; if another

comes in his own name, you will receive

33"You have sent to John, and he has him.

testified to the truth.

44"How can you believe, when you

34"But the testimony which I receive is receive glory from one another and you not from man, but I say these things so do not seek the glory that is from the that you may be saved.

one and only God?

35"He was the lamp that was burning 45"Do not think that I will accuse you and was shining and you were willing to before the Father; the one who accuses

rejoice for a while in his light.

you is Moses, in whom you have set

your hope.

36"But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for

46"For if you believed Moses, you would

the works which the Father has given

believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

Me to accomplish--the very works that I

do--testify about Me, that the Father has

47"But if you do not believe his writings, sent Me.

how will you believe My wordsNULL"

37"And the Father who sent Me, He has

testified of Me. You have neither heard

6After these things Jesus went away

His voice at any time nor seen His form.

to the other side of the Sea of Galilee 38

(or Tiberias).

"You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom

2

He sent.

A large crowd followed Him, because

they saw the signs which He was

performing on those who were sick.

3Then Jesus went up on the mountain, five barley loaves which were left over and there He sat down with His disciples. by those who had eaten.

4Now the Passover, the feast of the

14Therefore when the people saw the

Jews, was near.

sign which He had performed, they said,

"This is truly the Prophet who is to come 5Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and

into the world."

seeing that a large crowd was coming to

Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to 15So Jesus, perceiving that they were

buy bread, so that these may eat?"

intending to come and take Him by force

to make Him king, withdrew again to the

6This He was saying to test him, for He

mountain by Himself alone.

Himself knew what He was intending to

do.

16Now when evening came, His

disciples went down to the sea,

7Philip answered Him, " Two hundred

denarii worth of bread is not sufficient 17and after getting into a boat, they

for them, for everyone to receive a little."

started to cross the sea to Capernaum.

It had already become dark, and Jesus

8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon

had not yet come to them.

Peter's brother, said to Him,

18The sea began to be stirred up

9"There is a lad here who has five barley because a strong wind was blowing.

loaves and two fish, but what are these

for so many people?"

19Then, when they had rowed about

three or four miles, they saw Jesus

10Jesus said, "Have the people sit

walking on the sea and drawing near to

down." Now there was much grass in

the boat; and they were frightened.

the place. So the men sat down, in

number about five thousand.

20But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."

11Jesus then took the loaves, and

having given thanks, He distributed to

21So they were willing to receive Him

those who were seated; likewise also of

into the boat, and immediately the boat

the fish as much as they wanted.

was at the land to which they were

going.

12When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover

22The next day the crowd that stood on

fragments so that nothing will be lost."

the other side of the sea saw that there

was no other small boat there, except

13So they gathered them up, and filled

one, and that Jesus had not entered

twelve baskets with fragments from the

with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone.

23There came other small boats from 32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I Tiberias near to the place where they say to you, it is not Moses who has

ate the bread after the Lord had given

given you the bread out of heaven, but it

thanks.

is My Father who gives you the true

bread out of heaven.

24So when the crowd saw that Jesus

was not there, nor His disciples, they

33"For the bread of God is that which themselves got into the small boats, and

comes down out of heaven, and gives

came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

life to the world."

25When they found Him on the other

34Then they said to Him, "Lord, always side of the sea, they said to Him, "

give us this bread."

Rabbi, when did You get here?"

35Jesus said to them, " I am the bread of 26Jesus answered them and said, "Truly,

life; he who comes to Me will not hunger,

truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not

and he who believes in Me will never

because you saw signs, but because

thirst.

you ate of the loaves and were filled.

36"But I said to you that you have seen 27"Do not work for the food which Me, and yet do not believe.

perishes, but for the food which endures

to eternal life, which the Son of Man will

37" All that the Father gives Me will come give to you, for on Him the Father, God,

to Me, and the one who comes to Me I

has set His seal."

will certainly not cast out.

28Therefore they said to Him, "What

38"For I have come down from heaven, shall we do, so that we may work the

not to do My own will, but the will of Him

works of God?"

who sent Me.

29Jesus answered and said to them,

39"This is the will of Him who sent Me,

"This is the work of God, that you that of all that He has given Me I lose believe in Him whom He has sent."

nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

30So they said to Him, " What then do 40"For this is the will of My Father, that You do for a sign, so that we may see, everyone who beholds the Son and and believe You? What work do You

believes in Him will have eternal life,

perform?

and I Myself will raise him up on the last

day."

31" Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ' HE GAVE

41Therefore the Jews were grumbling

THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO

about Him, because He said, "I am the EAT.'"

bread that came down out of heaven."

42They were saying, " Is not this Jesus, 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I the son of Joseph, whose father and say to you, unless you eat the flesh of mother we know? How does He now

the Son of Man and drink His blood, you

say, ' I have come down out of

have no life in yourselves.

heaven'?"

54"He who eats My flesh and drinks My 43Jesus answered and said to them, "Do

blood has eternal life, and I will raise not grumble among yourselves.

him up on the last day.

44"No one can come to Me unless the 55"For My flesh is true food, and My Father who sent Me draws him; and I blood is true drink.

will raise him up on the last day.

56"He who eats My flesh and drinks My 45"It is written in the prophets, ' AND

blood abides in Me, and I in him.

THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF

GOD.' Everyone who has heard and

57"As the living Father sent Me, and I learned from the Father, comes to Me.

live because of the Father, so he who

eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

46" Not that anyone has seen the Father,

except the One who is from God; He

58"This is the bread which came down has seen the Father.

out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and

died; he who eats this bread will live

47"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who forever."

believes has eternal life.

59These things He said in the

48" I am the bread of life.

synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

49" Your fathers ate the manna in the 60Therefore many of His disciples, when

wilderness, and they died.

they heard this said, " This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?"

50"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it

61But Jesus, conscious that His disciples

and not die.

grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble?

51" I am the living bread that came down

out of heaven; if anyone eats of this

62"What then if you see the Son of Man

bread, he will live forever; and the bread

ascending to where He was before?

also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."

63" It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have 52Then the Jews began to argue with

spoken to you are spirit and are life.

one another, saying, "How can this man

give us His flesh to eat?"

64"But there are some of you who do not 3Therefore His brothers said to Him, believe." For Jesus knew from the

"Leave here and go into Judea, so that beginning who they were who did not

Your disciples also may see Your works

believe, and who it was that would

which You are doing.

betray Him.

4"For no one does anything in secret 65And He was saying, "For this reason I

when he himself seeks to be known

have said to you, that no one can come

publicly. If You do these things, show

to Me unless it has been granted him

Yourself to the world."

from the Father."

5For not even His brothers were

66As a result of this many of His

believing in Him.

disciples withdrew and were not walking

with Him anymore.

6So Jesus said to them, " My time is not

yet here, but your time is always

67So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do opportune.

not want to go away also, do you?"

7" The world cannot hate you, but it 68Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to hates Me because I testify of it, that its whom shall we go? You have words of deeds are evil.

eternal life.

8"Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not 69"We have believed and have come to

go up to this feast because My time has

know that You are the Holy One of

not yet fully come."

God."

9Having said these things to them, He

70Jesus answered them, " Did I Myself stayed in Galilee.

not choose you, the twelve, and yet one

of you is a devil?"

10But when His brothers had gone up to

the feast, then He Himself also went up,

71Now He meant Judas the son of

not publicly, but as if, in secret.

Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve,

was going to betray Him.

11So the Jews were seeking Him at the

feast and were saying, "Where is He?"

7After these things Jesus was walking 12There was much grumbling among the in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk crowds concerning Him; some were in Judea because the Jews were

saying, "He is a good man"; others were seeking to kill Him.

saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray."

2Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of

13

Booths, was near.

Yet no one was speaking openly of

Him for fear of the Jews.

14But when it was now the midst of the 24"Do

not

judge

according

to

feast Jesus went up into the temple, and

appearance, but judge with righteous

began to teach.

judgment."

15The Jews then were astonished,

25So some of the people of Jerusalem

saying, "How has this man become

were saying, "Is this not the man whom learned, having never been educated?"

they are seeking to kill?

16So Jesus answered them and said, "

26"Look, He is speaking publicly, and My teaching is not Mine, but His who

they are saying nothing to Him. The

sent Me.

rulers do not really know that this is the

Christ, do they?

17" If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of 27"However, we know where this man is

God or whether I speak from Myself.

from; but whenever the Christ may

come, no one knows where He is from."

18"He who speaks from himself seeks

his own glory; but He who is seeking the

28Then Jesus cried out in the temple,

glory of the One who sent Him, He is

teaching and saying, " You both know true, and there is no unrighteousness in

Me and know where I am from; and I

Him.

have not come of Myself, but He who

sent Me is true, whom you do not know.

19" Did not Moses give you the Law, and

yet none of you carries out the Law?

29" I know Him, because I am from Him,

Why do you seek to kill Me?"

and He sent Me."

20The crowd answered, " You have a

30So they were seeking to seize Him;

demon! Who seeks to kill You?"

and no man laid his hand on Him,

because His hour had not yet come.

21Jesus answered them, "I did one deed,

and you all marvel.

31But many of the crowd believed in Him;

and they were saying, " When the Christ

22"For this reason Moses has given you

comes, He will not perform more signs

circumcision (not because it is from

than those which this man has, will He?"

Moses, but from the fathers), and on the

Sabbath you circumcise a man.

32The Pharisees heard the crowd

muttering these things about Him, and

23" If a man receives circumcision on the the chief priests and the Pharisees sent

Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will

officers to seize Him.

not be broken, are you angry with Me

because I made an entire man well on

33Therefore Jesus said, " For a little the Sabbath?

while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.

34" You will seek Me, and will not find Me; 44Some of them wanted to seize Him, and where I am, you cannot come."

but no one laid hands on Him.

35The Jews then said to one another, "

45The officers then came to the chief

Where does this man intend to go that

priests and Pharisees, and they said to

we will not find Him? He is not intending

them, "Why did you not bring Him?"

to go to the Dispersion among the

Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?

46The officers answered, " Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."

36"What is this statement that He said, '

You will seek Me, and will not find Me; 47The Pharisees then answered them, "

and where I am, you cannot come'?"

You have not also been led astray, have

you?

37Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out,

48" No one of the rulers or Pharisees has saying, " If anyone is thirsty, let him believed in Him, has he?

come to Me and drink.

49"But this crowd which does not know 38"He who believes in Me, as the

the Law is accursed."

Scripture said, 'From his innermost

being will flow rivers of living water.'"

50Nicodemus (he who came to Him

before, being one of them) said to them,

39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom

those who believed in Him were to

51" Our Law does not judge a man

receive; for the Spirit was not yet given,

unless it first hears from him and knows

because Jesus was not yet glorified.

what he is doing, does it?"

40Some of the people therefore, when

52They answered him, " You are not also

they heard these words, were saying,

from Galilee, are you? Search, and see

"This certainly is the Prophet."

that no prophet arises out of Galilee."

41Others were saying, "This is the

53[ Everyone went to his home.

Christ." Still others were saying, " Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?

8But Jesus went to the Mount of

42"Has not the Scripture said that the Olives.

Christ comes from the descendants of

David, and from Bethlehem, the village

2Early in the morning He came again

where David was?"

into the temple, and all the people were

coming to Him; and He sat down and

43So a division occurred in the crowd

began to teach them.

because of Him.

3The scribes and the Pharisees brought 13So the Pharisees said to Him, " You a woman caught in adultery, and having are testifying about Yourself; Your

set her in the center of the court,

testimony is not true."

4they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman

14Jesus answered and said to them, "

has been caught in adultery, in the very

Even if I testify about Myself, My

act.

testimony is true, for I know where I

came from and where I am going; but

5"Now in the Law Moses commanded us

you do not know where I come from or

to stone such women; what then do You

where I am going.

say?"

15" You judge according to the flesh; I 6They were saying this, testing Him, so am not judging anyone.

that they might have grounds for

accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down

16"But even if I do judge, My judgment is and with His finger wrote on the ground.

true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.

7But when they persisted in asking Him,

He straightened up, and said to them, "

17"Even in your law it has been written He who is without sin among you, let that the testimony of two men is true.

him be the first to throw a stone at her."

18"I am He who testifies about Myself, 8Again He stooped down and wrote on

and the Father who sent Me testifies

the ground.

about Me."

9When they heard it, they began to go

19So they were saying to Him, "Where is

out one by one, beginning with the older

Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You ones, and He was left alone, and the

know neither Me nor My Father; if you

woman, where she was, in the center of

knew Me, you would know My Father

the court.

also."

10Straightening up, Jesus said to her,

20These words He spoke in the treasury,

"Woman, where are they? Did no one

as He taught in the temple; and no one condemn you?"

seized Him, because His hour had not

yet come.

11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, " I do not condemn you, either. Go.

21Then He said again to them, "I go From now on sin no more."]

away, and you will seek Me, and will die

in your sin; where I am going, you

12Then Jesus again spoke to them,

cannot come."

saying, " I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the

22So the Jews were saying, "Surely He darkness, but will have the Light of life."

will not kill Himself, will He, since He

says, ' Where I am going, you cannot 33They answered Him, " We are come'?"

Abraham's descendants and have never

yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it

23And He was saying to them, " You are

that You say, 'You will become free'?"

from below, I am from above; you are of

this world, I am not of this world.

34Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is

24"Therefore I said to you that you will the slave of sin.

die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

35" The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain

25So they were saying to Him, "Who are

forever.

You?" Jesus said to them, "What have I been saying to you from the beginning?

36"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

26"I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent

37"I know that you are Abraham's

Me is true; and the things which I heard

descendants; yet you seek to kill Me,

from Him, these I speak to the world."

because My word has no place in you.

27They did not realize that He had been

38"I speak the things which I have seen speaking to them about the Father.

with My Father; therefore you also do

the things which you heard from your

28So Jesus said, "When you lift up the father."

Son of Man, then you will know that I am

He, and I do nothing on My own

39They answered and said to Him,

initiative, but I speak these things as the

"Abraham is our father." Jesus said to Father taught Me.

them, " If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.

29"And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the

40"But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, things that are pleasing to Him."

a man who has told you the truth, which

I heard from God; this Abraham did not

30As He spoke these things, many came

do.

to believe in Him.

41"You are doing the deeds of your

31So Jesus was saying to those Jews

father." They said to Him, "We were not who had believed Him, " If you continue born of fornication; we have one Father:

in My word, then you are truly disciples God."

of Mine;

42Jesus said to them, "If God were your

32and you will know the truth, and the

Father, you would love Me, for I

truth will make you free."

proceeded forth and have come from

God, for I have not even come on My and the prophets also; and You say, 'If own initiative, but He sent Me.

anyone keeps My word, he will never

taste of death.'

43"Why do you not understand what I am

saying? It is because you cannot hear

53"Surely You are not greater than our My word.

father

Abraham,

who

died?

The

prophets died too; whom do You make

44" You are of your father the devil, and Yourself out to be?"

you want to do the desires of your father.

He was a murderer from the beginning,

54Jesus answered, " If I glorify Myself, and does not stand in the truth because

My glory is nothing; it is My Father who

there is no truth in him. Whenever he

glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our

speaks a lie, he speaks from his own

God';

nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

55and you have not come to know Him,

but I know Him; and if I say that I do not

45"But because I speak the truth, you do

know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I not believe Me.

do know Him and keep His word.

46"Which one of you convicts Me of sin?

56" Your father Abraham rejoiced to see

If I speak truth, why do you not believe My day, and he saw it and was glad."

Me?

57So the Jews said to Him, "You are not

47" He who is of God hears the words of

yet fifty years old, and have You seen

God; for this reason you do not hear

Abraham?"

them, because you are not of God."

58Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say 48The Jews answered and said to Him,

to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

"Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

59Therefore they picked up stones to

throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and

49Jesus answered, "I do not have a

went out of the temple.

demon; but I honor My Father, and you

dishonor Me.

9As He passed by, He saw a man

50"But I do not seek My glory; there is blind from birth.

One who seeks and judges.

2

51

And His disciples asked Him, " Rabbi,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone who sinned, this man or his parents, that

keeps My word he will never see death."

he would be born blind?"

52The Jews said to Him, "Now we know

that You have a demon. Abraham died,

3Jesus answered, "It was neither that 13They brought to the Pharisees the this man sinned, nor his parents; but it man who was formerly blind.

was so that the works of God might be

displayed in him.

14Now it was a Sabbath on the day

when Jesus made the clay and opened

4"We must work the works of Him who his eyes.

sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

15Then the Pharisees also were asking

him again how he received his sight.

5"While I am in the world, I am the Light And he said to them, "He applied clay to

of the world."

my eyes, and I washed, and I see."

6When He had said this, He spat on the

16Therefore some of the Pharisees were

ground, and made clay of the spittle,

saying, "This man is not from God,

and applied the clay to his eyes,

because He does not keep the

Sabbath." But others were saying, "How 7and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool

can a man who is a sinner perform such

of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).

signs?" And there was a division among

So he went away and washed, and

them.

came back seeing.

17So they said to the blind man again,

8Therefore the neighbors, and those

"What do you say about Him, since He who previously saw him as a beggar,

opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is were saying, "Is not this the one who a prophet."

used to sit and beg?"

18The Jews then did not believe it of him,

9Others were saying, "This is he," still that he had been blind and had received others were saying, "No, but he is like sight, until they called the parents of the him." He kept saying, "I am the one."

very one who had received his sight,

10

19

So they were saying to him, "How then

and questioned them, saying, "Is this were your eyes opened?"

your son, who you say was born blind?

Then how does he now see?"

11He answered, "The man who is called

20

Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes,

His parents answered them and said,

and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash';

"We know that this is our son, and that so I went away and washed, and I

he was born blind;

received sight."

21but how he now sees, we do not know;

12They said to him, "Where is He?" He or who opened his eyes, we do not said, "I do not know."

know. Ask him; he is of age, he will

speak for himself."

22His parents said this because they 32"Since the beginning of time it has were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews never been heard that anyone opened

had already agreed that if anyone

the eyes of a person born blind.

confessed Him to be Christ, he was to

be put out of the synagogue.

33" If this man were not from God, He could do nothing."

23For this reason his parents said, " He is of age; ask him."

34They answered him, " You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching

24So a second time they called the man

us?" So they put him out.

who had been blind, and said to him, "

Give glory to God; we know that this

35Jesus heard that they had put him out,

man is a sinner."

and finding him, He said, "Do you

believe in the Son of Man?"

25He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do

36He answered, " Who is He, Lord, that I

know, that though I was blind, now I

may believe in Him?"

see."

37Jesus said to him, "You have both 26So they said to him, "What did He do seen Him, and He is the one who is to you? How did He open your eyes?"

talking with you."

27He answered them, " I told you already

38And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he and you did not listen; why do you want

worshiped Him.

to hear it again? You do not want to

become His disciples too, do you?"

39And Jesus said, " For judgment I came

into this world, so that those who do not

28They reviled him and said, "You are see may see, and that those who see

His disciple, but we are disciples of

may become blind."

Moses.

40Those of the Pharisees who were with

29"We know that God has spoken to

Him heard these things and said to Him,

Moses, but as for this man, we do not

" We are not blind too, are we?"

know where He is from."

41Jesus said to them, " If you were blind, 30The man answered and said to them,

you would have no sin; but since you

"Well, here is an amazing thing, that you say, ' We see,' your sin remains.

do not know where He is from, and yet

He opened my eyes.

10"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who 31"We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing

does not enter by the door into the fold and does His will, He hears him.

of the sheep, but climbs up some other 12"He who is a hired hand, and not a way, he is a thief and a robber.

shepherd, who is not the owner of the

sheep, sees the wolf coming, and

2"But he who enters by the door is a leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf

shepherd of the sheep.

snatches them and scatters them.

3

13

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the

"He flees because he is a hired hand sheep hear his voice, and he calls his and is not concerned about the sheep.

own sheep by name and leads them out. 14" I am the good shepherd, and I know 4"When he puts forth all his own, he My own and My own know Me, goes ahead of them, and the sheep

follow him because they know his voice.

15even as the Father knows Me and I

know the Father; and I lay down My life

5"A stranger they simply will not follow, for the sheep.

but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

16"I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and 6This figure of speech Jesus spoke to

they will hear My voice; and they will

them, but they did not understand what

become one flock with one shepherd.

those things were which He had been

saying to them.

17"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may

7So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, take it again.

truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

18" No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I 8"All who came before Me are thieves have authority to lay it down, and I have and robbers, but the sheep did not hear

authority to take it up again. This

them.

commandment I received from My

Father."

9" I am the door; if anyone enters 19

through Me, he will be saved, and will

A division occurred again among the

go in and out and find pasture.

Jews because of these words.

10

20

"The thief comes only to steal and kill Many of them were saying, "He has a and destroy; I came that they may have demon and is insane. Why do you listen

life, and have it abundantly.

to Him?"

11

21

" I am the good shepherd; the good Others were saying, "These are not

shepherd lays down His life for the

the sayings of one demon-possessed. A

sheep.

demon cannot open the eyes of the

blind, can he?"

22At that time the Feast of the 34Jesus answered them, "Has it not Dedication took place at Jerusalem;

been written in your Law, ' I SAID, YOU

ARE GODS'?

23it was winter, and Jesus was walking

in the temple in the portico of Solomon.

35"If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture

24The Jews then gathered around Him,

cannot be broken),

and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are

36do you say of Him, whom the Father

the Christ, tell us plainly."

sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, ' I am

25Jesus answered them, " I told you, and

the Son of God'?

you do not believe; the works that I do in

My Father's name, these testify of Me.

37" If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

26"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

38but if I do them, though you do not

believe Me, believe the works, so that

27"My sheep hear My voice, and I know

you may know and understand that the

them, and they follow Me;

Father is in Me, and I in the Father."

28

39

and I give eternal life to them, and they

Therefore they were seeking again to

will never perish; and no one will snatch

seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.

them out of My hand.

40And He went away again beyond the

29" My Father, who has given them to Jordan to the place where John was first

Me, is greater than all; and no one is baptizing, and He was staying there.

able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

41Many came to Him and were saying,

"While John performed no sign, yet

30" I and the Father are one."

everything John said about this man

was true."

31The Jews picked up stones again to

42

stone Him.

Many believed in Him there.

32Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for

11Now a certain man was sick,

which of them are you stoning Me?"

Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary

and her sister Martha.

33The Jews answered Him, "For a good

work we do not stone You, but for

2It was the Mary who anointed the Lord

blasphemy; and because You, being a

with ointment, and wiped His feet with

man, make Yourself out to be God."

her hair, whose brother Lazarus was 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, sick.

but they thought that He was speaking

of literal sleep.

3So the sisters sent word to Him, saying,

" Lord, behold, he whom You love is 14So Jesus then said to them plainly,

sick."

"Lazarus is dead,

4But when Jesus heard this, He said,

15and I am glad for your sakes that I was

"This sickness is not to end in death, but not there, so that you may believe; but for the glory of God, so that the Son of let us go to him."

God may be glorified by it."

16Therefore Thomas, who is called

5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister

Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,

and Lazarus.

"Let us also go, so that we may die with

Him."

6So when He heard that he was sick, He

then stayed two days longer in the place

17So when Jesus came, He found that

where He was.

he had already been in the tomb four

days.

7Then after this He said to the disciples,

" Let us go to Judea again."

18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem,

about two miles off;

8The disciples said to Him, " Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone

19and many of the Jews had come to

You, and are You going there again?"

Martha and Mary, to console them

concerning their brother.

9Jesus answered, " Are there not twelve

hours in the day? If anyone walks in the

20Martha therefore, when she heard that

day, he does not stumble, because he

Jesus was coming, went to meet Him,

sees the light of this world.

but Mary stayed at the house.

10"But if anyone walks in the night, he 21Martha then said to Jesus, " Lord, if stumbles, because the light is not in You had been here, my brother would

him."

not have died.

11This He said, and after that He said to

22"Even now I know that whatever You them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen ask of God, God will give You."

asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

12The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

24Martha said to Him, " I know that he 33When Jesus therefore saw her will rise again in the resurrection on the weeping, and the Jews who came with

last day."

her also weeping, He was deeply moved

in spirit and was troubled,

25Jesus said to her, " I am the

resurrection and the life; he who

34and said, "Where have you laid him?"

believes in Me will live even if he dies,

They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

26and everyone who lives and believes

35Jesus wept.

in Me will never die. Do you believe

this?"

36So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"

27She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the

37But some of them said, "Could not this

Son of God, even He who comes into

man, who opened the eyes of the blind

the world."

man, have kept this man also from

dying?"

28When she had said this, she went

away and called Mary her sister, saying

38So Jesus, again being deeply moved

secretly, " The Teacher is here and is within, came to the tomb. Now it was a calling for you."

cave, and a stone was lying against it.

29And when she heard it, she got up

39Jesus said, "Remove the stone."

quickly and was coming to Him.

Martha, the sister of the deceased, said

to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the

stench, for he has been dead four days."

village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.

40Jesus said to her, " Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the 31Then the Jews who were with her in glory of God?"

the house, and consoling her, when they

saw that Mary got up quickly and went

41So they removed the stone. Then

out, they followed her, supposing that

Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "

she was going to the tomb to weep

Father, I thank You that You have heard

there.

Me.

32Therefore, when Mary came where

42"I knew that You always hear Me; but Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His

because of the people standing around I

feet, saying to Him, " Lord, if You had said it, so that they may believe that You been here, my brother would not have

sent Me."

died."

43When He had said these things, He 52and not for the nation only, but in order cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, that He might also gather together into come forth."

one the children of God who are

scattered abroad.

44The man who had died came forth,

bound hand and foot with wrappings,

53So from that day on they planned

and his face was wrapped around with a

together to kill Him.

cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

54Therefore Jesus no longer continued

to walk publicly among the Jews, but

45Therefore many of the Jews who came

went away from there to the country

to Mary, and saw what He had done,

near the wilderness, into a city called

believed in Him.

Ephraim; and there He stayed with the

disciples.

46But some of them went to the

Pharisees and told them the things

55Now the Passover of the Jews was

which Jesus had done.

near, and many went up to Jerusalem

out of the country before the Passover

47Therefore the chief priests and the

to purify themselves.

Pharisees convened a council, and were

saying, "What are we doing? For this 56So they were seeking for Jesus, and

man is performing many signs.

were saying to one another as they

stood in the temple, "What do you think;

48"If we let Him go on like this, all men that He will not come to the feast at all?"

will believe in Him, and the Romans will

come and take away both our place and

57Now the chief priests and the

our nation."

Pharisees had given orders that if

anyone knew where He was, he was to

49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was

report it, so that they might seize Him.

high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

12Jesus, therefore, six days before

50nor do you take into account that it is the Passover, came to Bethany where

expedient for you that one man die for

Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised

the people, and that the whole nation

from the dead.

not perish."

2So they made Him a supper there, and

51Now he did not say this on his own

Martha was serving; but Lazarus was

initiative, but being high priest that year,

one of those reclining at the table with he prophesied that Jesus was going to

Him.

die for the nation,

3Mary then took a pound of very costly

perfume of pure nard, and anointed the

feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her shout, " Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE

hair; and the house was filled with the WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE

fragrance of the perfume.

LORD, even the King of Israel."

4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples,

14Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on

who was intending to betray Him, said,

it; as it is written,

5"Why was this perfume not sold for 15" FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION;

three hundred denarii and given to poor

BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING,

people?"

SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT."

6Now he said this, not because he was

16These things His disciples did not

concerned about the poor, but because

understand at the first; but when Jesus

he was a thief, and as he had the

was glorified, then they remembered

money box, he used to pilfer what was

that these things were written of Him,

put into it.

and that they had done these things to

Him.

7Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of 17So the people, who were with Him My burial.

when He called Lazarus out of the tomb

and raised him from the dead, continued

8" For you always have the poor with to testify about Him.

you, but you do not always have Me."

18For this reason also the people went

9The large crowd of the Jews then

and met Him, because they heard that

learned that He was there; and they

He had performed this sign.

came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that

they might also see Lazarus, whom He

19So the Pharisees said to one another,

raised from the dead.

"You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after

10But the chief priests planned to put

Him."

Lazarus to death also;

20Now there were some Greeks among

11because on account of him many of

those who were going up to worship at

the Jews were going away and were

the feast;

believing in Jesus.

21these then came to Philip, who was

12On the next day the large crowd who

from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to

had come to the feast, when they heard

ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

Jesus."

13

22

took the branches of the palm trees

Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew

and went out to meet Him, and began to

and Philip came and told Jesus.

23And Jesus answered them, saying, "

33But He was saying this to indicate the

The hour has come for the Son of Man

kind of death by which He was to die.

to be glorified.

34The crowd then answered Him, "We

24"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a have heard out of the Law that the

grain of wheat falls into the earth and Christ is to remain forever; and how can

dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted

bears much fruit.

up'? Who is this Son of Man?"

25" He who loves his life loses it, and he 35So Jesus said to them, " For a little who hates his life in this world will keep while longer the Light is among you.

it to life eternal.

Walk while you have the Light, so that

darkness will not overtake you; he who

26"If anyone serves Me, he must follow walks in the darkness does not know

Me; and where I am, there My servant

where he goes.

will be also; if anyone serves Me, the

Father will honor him.

36"While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons

27" Now My soul has become troubled; of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and

and what shall I say, ' Father, save Me He went away and hid Himself from

from this hour'? But for this purpose I them.

came to this hour.

37But though He had performed so many

28" Father, glorify Your name." Then a signs before them, yet they were not voice came out of heaven: "I have both believing in Him.

glorified it, and will glorify it again."

38This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the

29So the crowd of people who stood by

prophet which he spoke: " LORD, WHO

and heard it were saying that it had

HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND

thundered; others were saying, " An

TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE

angel has spoken to Him."

LORD BEEN REVEALED?"

30

39

Jesus answered and said, " This voice

For this reason they could not believe,

has not come for My sake, but for your for Isaiah said again,

sakes.

40" HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES

31" Now judgment is upon this world; AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART,

now the ruler of this world will be cast SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE

out.

WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE

WITH

THEIR

HEART,

AND

BE

32

CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM."

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."

41These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.

13Now before the Feast of the

Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour

42Nevertheless many even of the rulers

had come that He would depart out of

believed in Him, but because of the

this world to the Father, having loved

Pharisees they were not confessing Him,

His own who were in the world, He

for fear that they would be put out of the

loved them to the end.

synagogue;

2During supper, the devil having already

43for they loved the approval of men

put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the rather than the approval of God.

son of Simon, to betray Him,

44And Jesus cried out and said, " He 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had

who believes in Me, does not believe in

given all things into His hands, and that

Me but in Him who sent Me.

He had come forth from God and was

going back to God,

45" He who sees Me sees the One who

sent Me.

4got up from supper, and laid aside His

garments; and taking a towel, He girded

46" I have come as Light into the world, Himself.

so that everyone who believes in Me will

not remain in darkness.

5Then He poured water into the basin,

and began to wash the disciples' feet

47"If anyone hears My sayings and does

and to wipe them with the towel with

not keep them, I do not judge him; for I which He was girded.

did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

6So He came to Simon Peter. He said to

Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"

48" He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges

7Jesus answered and said to him, "What

him; the word I spoke is what will judge

I do you do not realize now, but you will

him at the last day.

understand hereafter."

49" For I did not speak on My own 8Peter said to Him, "Never shall You initiative, but the Father Himself who wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, " If sent Me has given Me a commandment

I do not wash you, you have no part with

as to what to say and what to speak.

Me."

50"I know that His commandment is

9Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then eternal life; therefore the things I speak,

wash not only my feet, but also my

I speak just as the Father has told Me."

hands and my head."

10Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed 20"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who needs only to wash his feet, but is receives whomever I send receives Me;

completely clean; and you are clean, but

and he who receives Me receives Him

not all of you."

who sent Me."

11For He knew the one who was

21When Jesus had said this, He became

betraying Him; for this reason He said,

troubled in spirit, and testified and said,

"Not all of you are clean."

"Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me."

12So when He had washed their feet,

and taken His garments and reclined at

22The disciples began looking at one

the table again, He said to them, "Do another, at a loss to know of which one

you know what I have done to you?

He was speaking.

13"You call Me Teacher and Lord; and 23There was reclining on Jesus' bosom

you are right, for so I am.

one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

14"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, 24So Simon Peter gestured to him, and washed your feet, you also ought to

said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom wash one another's feet.

He is speaking."

15"For I gave you an example that you 25He, leaning back thus on Jesus'

also should do as I did to you.

bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"

16"Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not 26Jesus then answered, "That is the one greater than his master, nor is one who for whom I shall dip the morsel and give

is sent greater than the one who sent

it to him." So when He had dipped the him.

morsel, He took and gave it to Judas,

the son of Simon Iscariot.

17"If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

27After the morsel, Satan then entered

into him. Therefore Jesus said to him,

18" I do not speak of all of you. I know

"What you do, do quickly."

the ones I have chosen; but it is that the

Scripture may be fulfilled, ' HE WHO

28Now no one of those reclining at the

EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS

table knew for what purpose He had

HEEL AGAINST ME.'

said this to him.

19"From now on I am telling you before it 29For some were supposing, because

comes to pass, so that when it does

Judas had the money box, that Jesus

occur, you may believe that I am He.

was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of for the feast"; or else, that he should give something to the poor.

30So after receiving the morsel he went 2"In My Father's house are many out immediately; and it was night.

dwelling places; if it were not so, I would

have told you; for I go to prepare a place

31Therefore when he had gone out,

for you.

Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

3"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to 32if God is glorified in Him, God will also

Myself, that where I am, there you may

glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify be also.

Him immediately.

4"And you know the way where I am

33" Little children, I am with you a little going."

while longer. You will seek Me; and as I

said to the Jews, now I also say to you,

5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not

'Where I am going, you cannot come.'

know where You are going, how do we

know the way?"

34"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I

6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and have loved you, that you also love one the truth, and the life; no one comes to another.

the Father but through Me.

35" By this all men will know that you are 7" If you had known Me, you would have

My disciples, if you have love for one

known My Father also; from now on you

another."

know Him, and have seen Him."

36Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where

8Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the are You going?" Jesus answered, "

Father, and it is enough for us."

Where I go, you cannot follow Me now;

but you will follow later."

9Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long

with you, and yet you have not come to

37Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me

follow You right now? I will lay down my

has seen the Father; how can you say,

life for You."

'Show us the Father'?

38Jesus answered, "Will you lay down 10"Do you not believe that I am in the your life for MeNULL Truly, truly, I say to Father, and the Father is in Me? The

you, a rooster will not crow until you

words that I say to you I do not speak on

deny Me three times.

My own initiative, but the Father abiding

in Me does His works.

14

11

" Do not let your heart be troubled;

"Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise

believe in God, believe also in Me.

believe

because

of

the

works

My Father, and I will love him and will themselves.

disclose Myself to him."

12"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, believes in Me, the works that I do, he what then has happened that You are will do also; and greater works than

going to disclose Yourself to us and not

these he will do; because I go to the

to the world?"

Father.

23Jesus answered and said to him, " If 13" Whatever you ask in My name, that anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; will I do, so that the Father may be

and My Father will love him, and We will

glorified in the Son.

come to him and make Our abode with

him.

14"If you ask Me anything in My name, I

will do it.

24"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you

15" If you love Me, you will keep My hear is not Mine, but the Father's who commandments.

sent Me.

16

25

"I will ask the Father, and He will give

"These things I have spoken to you

you another Helper, that He may be with

while abiding with you.

you forever;

26"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom

17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the the Father will send in My name, He will

world cannot receive, because it does

teach you all things, and bring to your not see Him or know Him, but you know

remembrance all that I said to you.

Him because He abides with you and

will be in you.

27" Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I 18"I will not leave you as orphans; I will give to you. Do not let your heart be come to you.

troubled, nor let it be fearful.

19

28

" After a little while the world will no

" You heard that I said to you, 'I go longer see Me, but you will see Me; away, and I will come to you.' If you

because I live, you will live also.

loved Me, you would have rejoiced

because I go to the Father, for the

20

Father is greater than I.

" In that day you will know that I am in

My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

29"Now I have told you before it happens, 21

so that when it happens, you may

" He who has My commandments and

believe.

keeps them is the one who loves Me;

and he who loves Me will be loved by

30"I will not speak much more with you, 9"Just as the Father has loved Me, I for the ruler of the world is coming, and have also loved you; abide in My love.

he has nothing in Me;

10" If you keep My commandments, you

31but so that the world may know that I will abide in My love; just as I have kept

love the Father, I do exactly as the

My Father's commandments and abide

Father commanded Me. Get up, let us

in His love.

go from here.

11" These things I have spoken to you so

15

that My joy may be in you, and that your

" I am the true vine, and My

joy may be made full.

Father is the vinedresser.

12"This is My commandment, that you

2

love one another, just as I have loved

"Every branch in Me that does not bear

fruit, He takes away; and every branch

you.

that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it 13

may bear more fruit.

" Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

3" You are already clean because of the

14

word which I have spoken to you.

"You are My friends if you do what I command you.

4" Abide in Me, and I in you. As the 15

branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it

"No longer do I call you slaves, for the

abides in the vine, so neither can you

slave does not know what his master is

unless you abide in Me.

doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; Father I have made known to you.

he who abides in Me and I in him, he

16

bears much fruit, for apart from Me you

" You did not choose Me but I chose can do nothing.

you, and appointed you that you would

go and bear fruit, and that your fruit

6

would remain, so that whatever you ask

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is of the Father in My name He may give thrown away as a branch and dries up;

and they gather them, and cast them

to you.

into the fire and they are burned.

17"This I command you, that you love 7

one another.

"If you abide in Me, and My words

abide in you, ask whatever you wish,

18

and it will be done for you.

" If the world hates you, you know that

it has hated Me before it hated you.

8"My Father is glorified by this, that you 19

bear much fruit, and so prove to be My

"If you were of the world, the world disciples.

would love its own; but because you are

not of the world, but I chose you out of 2"They will make you outcasts from the the world, because of this the world synagogue, but an hour is coming for

hates you.

everyone who kills you to think that he is

offering service to God.

20"Remember the word that I said to you,

' A slave is not greater than his master.'

3"These things they will do because they

If they persecuted Me, they will also

have not known the Father or Me.

persecute you; if they kept My word,

they will keep yours also.

4"But these things I have spoken to you,

so that when their hour comes, you may

21"But all these things they will do to you remember that I told you of them. These

for My name's sake, because they do

things I did not say to you at the

not know the One who sent Me.

beginning, because I was with you.

22" If I had not come and spoken to them, 5"But now I am going to Him who sent they would not have sin, but now they Me; and none of you asks Me, ' Where

have no excuse for their sin.

are You going?'

23"He who hates Me hates My Father

6"But because I have said these things also.

to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

24" If I had not done among them the 7"But I tell you the truth, it is to your works which no one else did, they would advantage that I go away; for if I do not

not have sin; but now they have both

go away, the Helper will not come to you;

seen and hated Me and My Father as

but if I go, I will send Him to you.

well.

8"And He, when He comes, will convict 25"But they have done this to fulfill the the world

concerning

sin

and

word that is written in their Law, ' THEY

righteousness and judgment;

HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.'

9concerning sin, because they do not

26"When the Helper comes, whom I will believe in Me;

send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the

10and

concerning

righteousness,

Father, He will testify about Me,

because I go to the Father and you no

longer see Me;

27and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

11and concerning judgment, because the

ruler of this world has been judged.

16" These things I have spoken to 12"I have many more things to say to you, you so that you may be kept from but you cannot bear them now.

stumbling.

13"But when He, the Spirit of truth, but when she gives birth to the child, comes, He will guide you into all the

she no longer remembers the anguish

truth; for He will not speak on His own because of the joy that a child has been

initiative, but whatever He hears, He will

born into the world.

speak; and He will disclose to you what

is to come.

22"Therefore you too have grief now; but

I will see you again, and your heart will 14"He will glorify Me, for He will take of rejoice, and no one will take your joy Mine and will disclose it to you.

away from you.

15" All things that the Father has are 23" In that day you will not question Me Mine; therefore I said that He takes of about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, Mine and will disclose it to you.

if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

16" A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you 24" Until now you have asked for nothing

will see Me."

in My name; ask and you will receive, so

that your joy may be made full.

17Some of His disciples then said to one

another, "What is this thing He is telling 25"These things I have spoken to you in us, ' A little while, and you will not see figurative language; an hour is coming Me; and again a little while, and you will

when I will no longer speak to you in

see Me'; and, 'because I go to the

figurative language, but will tell you

Father'?"

plainly of the Father.

18So they were saying, "What is this that 26" In that day you will ask in My name, He says, 'A little while'? We do not know and I do not say to you that I will request

what He is talking about."

of the Father on your behalf;

19Jesus knew that they wished to

27for the Father Himself loves you,

question Him, and He said to them, "Are

because you have loved Me and have

you deliberating together about this, that

believed that I came forth from the

I said, 'A little while, and you will not see

Father.

Me, and again a little while, and you will

see Me'?

28" I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving 20"Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will the world again and going to the

weep and lament, but the world will

Father."

rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will

be turned into joy.

29His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a

21" Whenever a woman is in labor she figure of speech.

has pain, because her hour has come;

30"Now we know that You know all world; they were Yours and You gave things, and have no need for anyone to

them to Me, and they have kept Your

question You; by this we believe that

word.

You came from God."

7"Now they have come to know that

31Jesus answered them, "Do you now

everything You have given Me is from

believe?

You;

32"Behold, an hour is coming, and has 8for the words which You gave Me I

already come, for you to be scattered,

have given to them; and they received

each to his own home, and to leave Me

them and truly understood that I came

alone; and yet I am not alone, because

forth from You, and they believed that

the Father is with Me.

You sent Me.

33"These things I have spoken to you, so

9" I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on that in Me you may have peace. In the behalf of the world, but of those whom

world you have tribulation, but take

You have given Me; for they are Yours;

courage; I have overcome the world."

10and all things that are Mine are Yours,

17

and Yours are Mine; and I have been

Jesus spoke these things; and

glorified in them.

lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 11

"Father, the hour has come; glorify Your

"I am no longer in the world; and yet Son, that the Son may glorify You,

they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in

2even as You gave Him authority over

Your name, the name which You have

all flesh, that to all whom You have

given Me, that they may be one even as

We are.

given Him, He may give eternal life.

12

3"This is eternal life, that they may know

"While I was with them, I was keeping

You, the only true God, and Jesus

them in Your name which You have

Christ whom You have sent.

given Me; and I guarded them and not

one of them perished but the son of

4

perdition, so that the Scripture would be

" I glorified You on the earth, having fulfilled.

accomplished the work which You have

given Me to do.

13"But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they 5"Now, Father, glorify Me together with may have My joy made full in Yourself, with the glory which I had with

themselves.

You before the world was.

14

6

"I have given them Your word; and the

" I have manifested Your name to the world has hated them, because they are

men whom You gave Me out of the

not of the world, even as I am not of the 25"O righteous Father, although the world.

world has not known You, yet I have

known You; and these have known that

15"I do not ask You to take them out of You sent Me;

the world, but to keep them from the evil

one.

26and I have made Your name known to

them, and will make it known, so that

16" They are not of the world, even as I the love with which You loved Me may

am not of the world.

be in them, and I in them."

17" Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

18When Jesus had spoken these

words, He went forth with His disciples

18"As You sent Me into the world, I also

over the ravine of the Kidron, where

have sent them into the world.

there was a garden, in which He entered

with His disciples.

19"For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified 2Now Judas also, who was betraying

in truth.

Him, knew the place, for Jesus had

often met there with His disciples.

20"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me

3Judas then, having received the Roman

through their word;

cohort and officers from the chief priests

and the Pharisees, came there with

21that they may all be one; even as You,

lanterns and torches and weapons.

Father, are in Me and I in You, that they

also may be in Us, so that the world

4So Jesus, knowing all the things that

may believe that You sent Me.

were coming upon Him, went forth and

said to them, " Whom do you seek?"

22"The glory which You have given Me I

have given to them, that they may be

5They answered Him, "Jesus the

one, just as We are one;

Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He."

And Judas also, who was betraying Him,

23I in them and You in Me, that they may

was standing with them.

be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved

6So when He said to them, "I am He,"

them, even as You have loved Me.

they drew back and fell to the ground.

24

7

"Father, I desire that they also, whom Therefore He again asked them, "

You have given Me, be with Me where I

Whom do you seek?" And they said,

am, so that they may see My glory

"Jesus the Nazarene."

which You have given Me, for You loved

Me before the foundation of the world.

8Jesus answered, "I told you that I am 17Then the slave-girl who kept the door He; so if you seek Me, let these go their

said to Peter, " You are not also one of way,"

this man's disciples, are you?" He said,

"I am not."

9to fulfill the word which He spoke, " Of those whom You have given Me I lost

18Now the slaves and the officers were

not one."

standing there, having made a charcoal

fire, for it was cold and they were

10Simon Peter then, having a sword,

warming themselves; and Peter was

drew it and struck the high priest's slave,

also with them, standing and warming

and cut off his right ear; and the slave's

himself.

name was Malchus.

19The high priest then questioned Jesus

11So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword

about His disciples, and about His

into the sheath; the cup which the

teaching.

Father has given Me, shall I not drink

it?"

20Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in 12So the Roman cohort and the synagogues and in the temple, where all

commander and the officers of the Jews,

the Jews come together; and I spoke

arrested Jesus and bound Him,

nothing in secret.

13

21

and led Him to Annas first; for he was

"Why do you question Me? Question

father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high

those who have heard what I spoke to

priest that year.

them; they know what I said."

14

22

Now Caiaphas was the one who had

When He had said this, one of the

advised the Jews that it was expedient

officers standing nearby struck Jesus,

for one man to die on behalf of the

saying, "Is that the way You answer the

people.

high priest?"

15

23

Simon Peter was following Jesus, and

Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken

so was another disciple. Now that

wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if

disciple was known to the high priest,

rightly, why do you strike Me?"

and entered with Jesus into the court of

the high priest,

24So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas

the high priest.

16but Peter was standing at the door

outside. So the other disciple, who was

25Now Simon Peter was standing and

known to the high priest, went out and

warming himself. So they said to him, "

spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought

You are not also one of His disciples,

Peter in.

are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."

26One of the slaves of the high priest, delivered You to me; what have You being a relative of the one whose ear

done?"

Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"

36Jesus answered, " My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this

27Peter then denied it again, and

world, then My servants would be

immediately a rooster crowed.

fighting so that I would not be handed

over to the Jews; but as it is, My

28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas

kingdom is not of this realm."

into the Praetorium, and it was early;

and they themselves did not enter into

37Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You the Praetorium so that they would not be

are a king?" Jesus answered, " You say defiled, but might eat the Passover.

correctly that I am a king. For this I have

been born, and for this I have come into

29Therefore Pilate went out to them and

the world, to testify to the truth.

said, "What accusation do you bring

Everyone who is of the truth hears My

against this Man?"

voice."

30

38

They answered and said to him, "If this

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And Man were not an evildoer, we would not

when he had said this, he went out

have delivered Him to you."

again to the Jews and said to them, " I find no guilt in Him.

31So Pilate said to them, "Take Him 39

yourselves, and judge Him according to

" But you have a custom that I release

your law." The Jews said to him, "We someone for you at the Passover; do are not permitted to put anyone to

you wish then that I release for you the death,"

King of the Jews?"

32

40

to fulfill the word of Jesus which He

So they cried out again, saying, " Not spoke, signifying by what kind of death this Man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas

He was about to die.

was a robber.

33Therefore Pilate entered again into the

Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and

19Pilate then took Jesus and

said to Him, " Are You the King of the scourged Him.

Jews?"

2And the soldiers twisted together a

34Jesus answered, "Are you saying this crown of thorns and put it on His head, on your own initiative, or did others tell and put a purple robe on Him; you about Me?"

3and they began to come up to Him and

35Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? say, " Hail, King of the Jews!" and to Your own nation and the chief priests give Him slaps in the face.

4Pilate came out again and said to them, makes himself out to be a king opposes "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so

Caesar."

that you may know that I find no guilt in

Him."

13Therefore when Pilate heard these

words, he brought Jesus out, and sat

5Jesus then came out, wearing the

down on the judgment seat at a place

crown of thorns and the purple robe.

called The Pavement, but in Hebrew,

Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

Gabbatha.

6So when the chief priests and the

14Now it was the day of preparation for officers saw Him, they cried out saying, the Passover; it was about the sixth "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, your King!"

for I find no guilt in Him."

15So they cried out, " Away with Him, 7The Jews answered him, " We have a away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said law, and by that law He ought to die

to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The because He made Himself out to be the

chief priests answered, "We have no

Son of God."

king but Caesar."

8Therefore when Pilate heard this

16So he then handed Him over to them

statement, he was even more afraid;

to be crucified.

9and he entered into the Praetorium

17They took Jesus, therefore, and He

again and said to Jesus, "Where are went out, bearing His own cross, to the You from?" But Jesus gave him no place called the Place of a Skull, which answer.

is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.

10So Pilate said to Him, "You do not 18There they crucified Him, and with Him

speak to me? Do You not know that I

two other men, one on either side, and

have authority to release You, and I

Jesus in between.

have authority to crucify You?"

19Pilate also wrote an inscription and put

11Jesus answered, " You would have no

it on the cross. It was written, " JESUS

authority over Me, unless it had been

THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE

given you from above; for this reason he

JEWS."

who delivered Me to you has the greater

sin."

20Therefore many of the Jews read this

inscription, for the place where Jesus

12As a result of this Pilate made efforts was crucified was near the city; and it to release Him, but the Jews cried out was written in Hebrew, Latin and in

saying, " If you release this Man, you Greek.

are no friend of Caesar; everyone who

21So the chief priests of the Jews were sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and saying to Pilate, "Do not write, ' The brought it up to His mouth.

King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am

King of the Jews.'"

30Therefore when Jesus had received

the sour wine, He said, " It is finished!"

22Pilate answered, " What I have written

And He bowed His head and gave up

I have written."

His spirit.

23Then the soldiers, when they had

31Then the Jews, because it was the day

crucified Jesus, took His outer garments

of preparation, so that the bodies would

and made four parts, a part to every

not remain on the cross on the Sabbath

soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic

(for that Sabbath was a high day), asked

was seamless, woven in one piece.

Pilate that their legs might be broken,

and that they might be taken away.

24So they said to one another, " Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide 32So the soldiers came, and broke the whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the legs of the first man and of the other Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER

who was crucified with Him;

GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR

MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."

33but coming to Jesus, when they saw

that He was already dead, they did not

25Therefore the soldiers did these things.

break His legs.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were

His mother, and His mother's sister,

34But one of the soldiers pierced His

Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary

side with a spear, and immediately

Magdalene.

blood and water came out.

26When Jesus then saw His mother, and

35And he who has seen has testified,

the disciple whom He loved standing

and his testimony is true; and he knows

nearby, He said to His mother, " Woman,

that he is telling the truth, so that you behold, your son!"

also may believe.

27Then He said to the disciple, "Behold,

36For these things came to pass to fulfill

your mother!" From that hour the

the Scripture, " NOT A BONE OF HIM

disciple took her into his own household.

SHALL BE BROKEN."

28After this, Jesus, knowing that all

37And again another Scripture says, "

things had already been accomplished,

THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM

to fulfill the Scripture, said, " I am THEY PIERCED."

thirsty."

38After these things Joseph of Arimathea,

29A jar full of sour wine was standing

being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret there; so they put a sponge full of the one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of 5and stooping and looking in, he saw the Jesus; and Pilate granted permission.

linen wrappings lying there; but he did

So he came and took away His body.

not go in.

39Nicodemus, who had first come to Him

6And so Simon Peter also came,

by night, also came, bringing a mixture

following him, and entered the tomb;

of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred

and he saw the linen wrappings lying

pounds weight.

there,

40So they took the body of Jesus and

7and the face-cloth which had been on

bound it in linen wrappings with the

His head, not lying with the linen

spices, as is the burial custom of the

wrappings, but rolled up in a place by

Jews.

itself.

41Now in the place where He was

8So the other disciple who had first

crucified there was a garden, and in the

come to the tomb then also entered, and

garden a new tomb in which no one had

he saw and believed.

yet been laid.

9For as yet they did not understand the

42Therefore because of the Jewish day

Scripture, that He must rise again from

of preparation, since the tomb was

the dead.

nearby, they laid Jesus there.

10So the disciples went away again to

20

their own homes.

Now on the first day of the week

11

Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb,

But Mary was standing outside the

while it was still dark, and saw the stone

tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she

already taken away from the tomb.

stooped and looked into the tomb;

2

12

So she ran and came to Simon Peter

and she saw two angels in white sitting,

and to the other disciple whom Jesus

one at the head and one at the feet,

loved, and said to them, " They have where the body of Jesus had been lying.

taken away the Lord out of the tomb,

and we do not know where they have

13And they said to her, " Woman, why laid Him."

are you weeping?" She said to them,

"Because they have taken away my

3So Peter and the other disciple went

Lord, and I do not know where they

forth, and they were going to the tomb.

have laid Him."

4

14

The two were running together; and the

When she had said this, she turned

other disciple ran ahead faster than

around and saw Jesus standing there,

Peter and came to the tomb first;

and did not know that it was Jesus.

15Jesus said to her, " Woman, why are retain the sins of any, they have been you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"

retained."

Supposing Him to be the gardener, she

said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called

away, tell me where you have laid Him,

Didymus, was not with them when

and I will take Him away."

Jesus came.

16Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned 25So the other disciples were saying to and said to Him in Hebrew, " Rabboni!"

him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he (which means, Teacher).

said to them, "Unless I see in His hands

the imprint of the nails, and put my

17Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, finger into the place of the nails, and put

for I have not yet ascended to the

my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Father; but go to My brethren and say to

them, 'I ascend to My Father and your

26After eight days His disciples were

Father, and My God and your God.'"

again inside, and Thomas with them.

Jesus came, the doors having been shut,

18Mary Magdalene came, announcing to

and stood in their midst and said, "

the disciples, "I have seen the Lord,"

Peace be with you."

and that He had said these things to her.

27Then He said to Thomas, " Reach

19So when it was evening on that day,

here with your finger, and see My hands;

the first day of the week, and when the and reach here your hand and put it into

doors were shut where the disciples

My side; and do not be unbelieving, but

were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came

believing."

and stood in their midst and said to

them, " Peace be with you."

28Thomas answered and said to Him,

"My Lord and my God!"

20And when He had said this, He

showed them both His hands and His

29Jesus said to him, "Because you have

side. The disciples then rejoiced when

seen Me, have you believed? Blessed

they saw the Lord.

are they who did not see, and yet

believed."

21So Jesus said to them again, " Peace

be with you; as the Father has sent Me,

30Therefore many other signs Jesus also

I also send you."

performed in the presence of the

disciples, which are not written in this 22And when He had said this, He

book;

breathed on them and said to them,

"Receive the Holy Spirit.

31but these have been written so that

you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,

23" If you forgive the sins of any, their the Son of God; and that believing you sins have been forgiven them; if you

may have life in His name.

9

21

So when they got out on the land, they

After

these

things

Jesus

saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish

manifested

Himself

again

to

the

placed on it, and bread.

disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He

10

manifested Himself in this way.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the

fish which you have now caught."

2Simon Peter, and Thomas called

11

Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in

Simon Peter went up and drew the net

Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and

to land, full of large fish, a hundred and

two others of His disciples were together. fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

3Simon Peter said to them, "I am going 12

fishing." They said to him, "We will also Jesus said to them, "Come and have come with you." They went out and got breakfast."

None

of

the

disciples

into the boat; and that night they caught

ventured to question Him, "Who are

nothing.

You?" knowing that it was the Lord.

4

13

But when the day was now breaking,

Jesus came and took the bread and

Jesus stood on the beach; yet the

gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

14This is now the third time that Jesus 5So Jesus said to them, "Children, you was manifested to the disciples, after He do not have any fish, do you?" They was raised from the dead.

answered Him, "No."

15So when they had finished breakfast,

6And He said to them, " Cast the net on

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son

the right-hand side of the boat and you of John, do you love Me more than

will find a catch." So they cast, and then these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You they were not able to haul it in because know that I love You." He said to him, of the great number of fish.

"Tend My lambs."

7

16

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus

He said to him again a second time,

loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So

"Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"

when Simon Peter heard that it was the

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he

that I love You." He said to him, "

was stripped for work), and threw

Shepherd My sheep."

himself into the sea.

17He said to him the third time, "Simon, 8But the other disciples came in the little

son of John, do you love Me?" Peter boat, for they were not far from the land,

was grieved because He said to him the

but about one hundred yards away,

third time, "Do you love Me?" And he dragging the net full of fish.

said to Him, "Lord, You know all things;

You know that I love You." Jesus said to 21So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, him, " Tend My sheep.

"Lord, and what about this man?"

18"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you 22Jesus said to him, "If I want him to were younger, you used to gird yourself remain until I come, what is that to you?

and walk wherever you wished; but

You follow Me!"

when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird

23Therefore this saying went out among

you, and bring you where you do not

the brethren that that disciple would not wish to go."

die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he

would not die, but only, "If I want him to 19Now this He said, signifying by what

remain until I come, what is that to you?"

kind of death he would glorify God. And

when He had spoken this, He said to

24This is the disciple who is testifying to

him, " Follow Me!"

these things and wrote these things, and

we know that his testimony is true.

20Peter, turning around, saw the disciple

whom Jesus loved following them; the

25And there are also many other things

one who also had leaned back on His

which Jesus did, which if they were

bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, written in detail, I suppose that even the

who is the one who betrays You?"

world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

Acts

shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and even

1The first account I composed, to the remotest part of the earth."

Theophilus, about all that Jesus began

9

to do and teach,

And after He had said these things, He

was lifted up while they were looking on,

2

and a cloud received Him out of their

until the day when He was taken up to

sight.

heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He

10

had chosen.

And as they were gazing intently into

the sky while He was going, behold, two

3

men in white clothing stood beside them.

To these He also presented Himself

alive after His suffering, by many

11They also said, " Men of Galilee, why convincing proofs, appearing to them

over a period of forty days and speaking

do you stand looking into the sky? This of the things concerning the kingdom of

Jesus, who has been taken up from you

God.

into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into

heaven."

4Gathering

them

together,

He

commanded

them

not

to

leave

12

Jerusalem, but to wait for what the

Then they returned to Jerusalem from

Father had promised, "Which," He said, the mount called Olivet, which is near "you heard of from Me;

Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey

away.

5for John baptized with water, but you

13

will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not When they had entered the city, they

many days from now."

went up to the upper room where they

were staying; that is, Peter and John

6

and James and Andrew, Philip and

So when they had come together, they

Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,

were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon this time You are restoring the kingdom

the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

to Israel?"

14

7

These all with one mind were

He said to them, "It is not for you to continually

devoting

themselves

to

know times or epochs which the Father

prayer, along with the women, and Mary

has fixed by His own authority;

the mother of Jesus, and with His

brothers.

8but you will receive power when the

Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you

15At this time Peter stood up in the midst 24And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, of the brethren (a gathering of about one

who know the hearts of all men, show

hundred and twenty persons was there

which one of these two You have

together), and said,

chosen

16"Brethren, the Scripture had to be 25to occupy this ministry and apostleship

fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by

from which Judas turned aside to go to

the mouth of David concerning Judas,

his own place."

who became a guide to those who

arrested Jesus.

26And they drew lots for them, and the

lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to

17"For he was counted among us and

the eleven apostles.

received his share in this ministry."

18(Now this man acquired a field with the

2When the day of Pentecost had

price of his wickedness, and falling

come, they were all together in one

headlong, he burst open in the middle

place.

and all his intestines gushed out.

2

19

And suddenly there came from heaven

And it became known to all who were

a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it

living in Jerusalem; so that in their own filled the whole house where they were

language

that

field

was

called

sitting.

Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

3

20

And there appeared to them tongues as

"For it is written in the book of Psalms, of fire distributing themselves, and they

' LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE

rested on each one of them.

DESOLATE,

AND LET NO ONE

DWELL IN IT'; and, ' LET ANOTHER

4

MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.'

And they were all filled with the Holy

Spirit and began to speak with other

21

tongues, as the Spirit was giving them

"Therefore it is necessary that of the utterance.

men who have accompanied us all the

time that the Lord Jesus went in and out

5

among us--

Now there were Jews living in

Jerusalem, devout men from every

22

nation under heaven.

beginning with the baptism of John

until the day that He was taken up from

6

us--one of these must become a witness

And when this sound occurred, the

with us of His resurrection."

crowd

came

together,

and

were

bewildered because each one of them

23

was hearing them speak in his own

So they put forward two men, Joseph

language.

called Barsabbas (who was also called

Justus), and Matthias.

7They were amazed and astonished, FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL

saying, "Why, are not all these who are MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND

speaking Galileans?

YOUR

DAUGHTERS

SHALL

PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN

8"And how is it that we each hear them SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD

in our own language to which we were

MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

born?

18EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH

9"Parthians and Medes and Elamites,

MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE

and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea

DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT

and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

And they shall prophesy.

10

19

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the

'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN

districts of Libya around Cyrene, and

THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE

visitors from Rome, both Jews and

EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE,

proselytes,

AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

11

20

Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in

'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO

our own tongues speaking of the mighty

DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO

deeds of God."

BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND

GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD

12

SHALL COME.

And they all continued in amazement

and great perplexity, saying to one

21

another, "What does this mean?"

'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE

WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE

13

LORD WILL BE SAVED.'

But others were mocking and saying, "

They are full of sweet wine."

22"Men of Israel, listen to these words: 14

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to

But Peter, taking his stand with the

you by God with miracles and wonders

eleven, raised his voice and declared to

and signs which God performed through

them: "Men of Judea and all you who Him in your midst, just as you

live in Jerusalem, let this be known to yourselves know--

you and give heed to my words.

23

15

this Man, delivered over by the

"For these men are not drunk, as you predetermined plan and foreknowledge

suppose, for it is only the third hour of of God, you nailed to a cross by the the day;

hands of godless men and put Him to

death.

16but this is what was spoken of through

the prophet Joel:

24"But God raised Him up again, putting

an end to the agony of death, since it 17' AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST

DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR

was impossible for Him to be held in its from the Father the promise of the Holy power.

Spirit, He has poured forth this which

you both see and hear.

25"For David says of Him, ' I SAW THE

LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE;

34"For it was not David who ascended FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO

into heaven, but he himself says: ' THE

THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY

RIGHT HAND,

26'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS

GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED;

35UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A

MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL

FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

LIVE IN HOPE;

36"Therefore let all the house of Israel 27BECAUSE

YOU

WILL

NOT

know for certain that God has made Him

ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR

both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom

ALLOW

YOUR

HOLY

ONE

TO

you crucified."

UNDERGO DECAY.

37Now when they heard this, they were

28'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME

pierced to the heart, and said to Peter THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE

and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR

what shall we do?"

PRESENCE.'

38Peter said to them, " Repent, and each

29"Brethren, I may confidently say to you of you be baptized in the name of Jesus

regarding the patriarch David that he

Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; both died and was buried, and his tomb

and you will receive the gift of the Holy is with us to this day.

Spirit.

30"And so, because he was a prophet 39"For the promise is for you and your and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO

children and for all who are far off, as HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF

many as the Lord our God will call to

HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, Himself."

31he looked ahead and spoke of the

40And with many other words he

resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS

solemnly testified and kept on exhorting

NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES,

them, saying, "Be saved from this

NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.

perverse generation!"

32"This Jesus God raised up again, to 41So then, those who had received his

which we are all witnesses.

word were baptized; and that day there

were added about three thousand souls.

33"Therefore having been exalted to the

right hand of God, and having received

42They

were

continually

devoting

4But Peter, along with John, fixed his

themselves to the apostles' teaching

gaze on him and said, "Look at us!"

and to fellowship, to the breaking of

bread and to prayer.

5And he began to give them his attention,

expecting to receive something from

43Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe;

them.

and many wonders and signs were

taking place through the apostles.

6But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to 44And all those who had believed were you: In the name of Jesus Christ the

together and had all things in common;

Nazarene--walk!"

45and they began selling their property

7And seizing him by the right hand, he

and possessions and were sharing them

raised him up; and immediately his feet

with all, as anyone might have need.

and his ankles were strengthened.

46Day by day continuing with one mind

8With a leap he stood upright and began

in the temple, and breaking bread from

to walk; and he entered the temple with

house to house, they were taking their

them, walking and leaping and praising

meals together with gladness and

God.

sincerity of heart,

9And all the people saw him walking and

47praising God and having favor with all

praising God;

the people. And the Lord was adding to

their number day by day those who

10and they were taking note of him as

were being saved.

being the one who used to sit at the

Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms,

3

and they were filled with wonder and

Now Peter and John were going up

amazement at what had happened to

to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour

him.

of prayer.

11While he was clinging to Peter and

2

John, all the people ran together to them

And a man who had been lame from

his mother's womb was being carried

at the so-called portico of Solomon, full along, whom they used to set down

of amazement.

every day at the gate of the temple

12

which is called Beautiful, in order to beg

But when Peter saw this, he replied to

alms of those who were entering the

the people, "Men of Israel, why are you temple.

amazed at this, or why do you gaze at

us, as if by our own power or piety we 3When he saw Peter and John about to

had made him walk?

go into the temple, he began asking to

receive alms.

13" The God of Abraham, Isaac and 22"Moses said, ' THE LORD GOD WILL

Jacob, the God of our fathers, has

RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET

glorified His servant Jesus, the one

LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN;

whom you delivered and disowned in

TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to

the presence of Pilate, when he had

everything He says to you.

decided to release Him.

23' And it will be that every soul that does

14"But you disowned the Holy and

not heed that prophet shall be utterly

Righteous One and asked for a

destroyed from among the people.'

murderer to be granted to you,

24"And likewise, all the prophets who 15but put to death the Prince of life, the

have spoken, from Samuel and his

one whom God raised from the dead, a

successors onward, also announced

fact to which we are witnesses.

these days.

16"And on the basis of faith in His name, 25"It is you who are the sons of the it is the name of Jesus which has prophets and of the covenant which God

strengthened this man whom you see

made with your fathers, saying to

and know; and the faith which comes

Abraham, ' AND IN YOUR SEED ALL

through Him has given him this perfect

THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL

health in the presence of you all.

BE BLESSED.'

17"And now, brethren, I know that you 26"For you first, God raised up His acted in ignorance, just as your rulers Servant and sent Him to bless you by

did also.

turning every one of you from your

wicked ways."

18"But the things which God announced

beforehand by the mouth of all the

prophets, that His Christ would suffer,

4As they were speaking to the people,

He has thus fulfilled.

the priests and the captain of the temple

guard and the Sadducees came up to

19"Therefore repent and return, so that them,

your sins may be wiped away, in order

that times of refreshing may come from

2being greatly disturbed because they

the presence of the Lord;

were

teaching

the

people

and

proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection

20and that He may send Jesus, the

from the dead.

Christ appointed for you,

3And they laid hands on them and put

21whom heaven must receive until the

them in jail until the next day, for it was period of restoration of all things about already evening.

which God spoke by the mouth of His

holy prophets from ancient time.

4But many of those who had heard the 13Now as they observed the confidence message believed; and the number of

of Peter and John and understood that

the men came to be about five thousand. they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to 5On the next day, their rulers and elders

recognize them as having been with

and scribes were gathered together in

Jesus.

Jerusalem;

14And seeing the man who had been

6and Annas the high priest was there,

healed standing with them, they had

and Caiaphas and John and Alexander,

nothing to say in reply.

and all who were of high-priestly

descent.

15But when they had ordered them to

leave the Council, they began to confer

7When they had placed them in the

with one another,

center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done

16saying, " What shall we do with these this?"

men? For the fact that a noteworthy

miracle has taken place through them is

8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, apparent to all who live in Jerusalem,

said to them, " Rulers and elders of the and we cannot deny it.

people,

17"But so that it will not spread any 9if we are on trial today for a benefit further among the people, let us warn done to a sick man, as to how this man

them to speak no longer to any man in

has been made well,

this name."

10

18

let it be known to all of you and to all And when they had summoned them,

the people of Israel, that by the name of

they commanded them not to speak or

Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you

teach at all in the name of Jesus.

crucified, whom God raised from the

dead--by this name this man stands

19But Peter and John answered and said

here before you in good health.

to them, " Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to

11" He is the STONE WHICH WAS

God, you be the judge;

REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS,

but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF

20for we cannot stop speaking about

CORNER stone.

what we have seen and heard."

12"And there is salvation in no one else; 21When they had threatened them

for there is no other name under heaven

further, they let them go (finding no

that has been given among men by

basis on which to punish them) on

which we must be saved."

account of the people, because they

were all glorifying God for what had servants may speak Your word with all happened;

confidence,

22for the man was more than forty years

30while You extend Your hand to heal,

old on whom this miracle of healing had

and signs and wonders take place

been performed.

through the name of Your holy servant

Jesus."

23When they had been released, they

went to their own companions and

31And when they had prayed, the place

reported all that the chief priests and the

where they had gathered together was

elders had said to them.

shaken, and they were all filled with the

Holy Spirit and began to speak the word

24And when they heard this, they lifted

of God with boldness.

their voices to God with one accord and

said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE

32And the congregation of those who

HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE

believed were of one heart and soul;

SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

and not one of them claimed that

anything belonging to him was his own,

25who by the Holy Spirit, through the

but all things were common property to

mouth of our father David Your servant,

them.

said, ' WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE,

AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE

33And with great power the apostles

THINGS?

were giving testimony to the resurrection

of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace

26' THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK

was upon them all.

THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS

WERE

GATHERED

TOGETHER

34For there was not a needy person

AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST

among them, for all who were owners of

HIS CHRIST.'

land or houses would sell them and

bring the proceeds of the sales

27"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy

35and lay them at the apostles' feet, and

servant Jesus, whom You anointed,

they would be distributed to each as any

both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along

had need.

with the Gentiles and the peoples of

Israel,

36Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth,

who was also called Barnabas by the

28to do whatever Your hand and Your

apostles (which translated means Son

purpose predestined to occur.

of Encouragement),

29"And now, Lord, take note of their 37and who owned a tract of land, sold it

threats, and grant that Your bond—

and brought the money and laid it at the

apostles' feet.

5

husband are at the door, and they will

But a man named Ananias, with his

carry you out as well."

wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

10And immediately she fell at his feet

2and kept back some of the price for

and breathed her last, and the young

himself, with his wife's full knowledge,

men came in and found her dead, and

and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at they carried her out and buried her the apostles' feet.

beside her husband.

11

3But Peter said, "Ananias, why has

And great fear came over the whole

Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy church, and over all who heard of these

Spirit and to keep back some of the

things.

price of the land?

12At the hands of the apostles many

4"While it remained unsold, did it not signs and wonders were taking place

remain your own? And after it was sold,

among the people; and they were all

was it not under your control? Why is it with one accord in Solomon's portico.

that you have conceived this deed in

13

your heart? You have not lied to men

But none of the rest dared to associate

but to God."

with them; however, the people held

them in high esteem.

5And as he heard these words, Ananias

14

fell down and breathed his last; and

And all the more believers in the Lord,

great fear came over all who heard of it.

multitudes of men and women, were

constantly added to their number,

6The young men got up and covered

15

him up, and after carrying him out, they to such an extent that they even

buried him.

carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that 7Now there elapsed an interval of about

when Peter came by at least his shadow

three hours, and his wife came in, not

might fall on any one of them.

knowing what had happened.

16Also the people from the cities in the 8And Peter responded to her, "Tell me vicinity of Jerusalem were coming whether you sold the land for such and

together, bringing people who were sick

such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they was the price."

were all being healed.

17

9Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that But the high priest rose up, along with

you have agreed together to put the

all his associates (that is the sect of the

Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the

Sadducees), and they were filled with

feet of those who have buried your

jealousy.

18They laid hands on the apostles and afraid of the people, that they might be put them in a public jail.

stoned).

19But during the night an angel of the

27When they had brought them, they

Lord opened the gates of the prison,

stood them before the Council. The high

and taking them out he said,

priest questioned them,

20"Go, stand and speak to the people in

28saying, "We gave you strict orders not

the temple the whole message of this

to continue teaching in this name, and

Life."

yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's

21Upon hearing this, they entered into

blood upon us."

the temple about daybreak and began to

teach. Now when the high priest and his

29But Peter and the apostles answered,

associates came, they called the

" We must obey God rather than men.

Council together, even all the Senate of

the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the

30" The God of our fathers raised up prison house for them to be brought.

Jesus, whom you had put to death by

hanging Him on a cross.

22But the officers who came did not find

them in the prison; and they returned

31" He is the one whom God exalted to and reported back,

His right hand as a Prince and a Savior,

to grant repentance to Israel, and

23saying, "We found the prison house forgiveness of sins.

locked quite securely and the guards

standing at the doors; but when we had

32"And we are witnesses of these things;

opened up, we found no one inside."

and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has

given to those who obey Him."

24Now when the captain of the temple

guard and the chief priests heard these

33But when they heard this, they were

words, they were greatly perplexed

cut to the quick and intended to kill them.

about them as to what would come of

this.

34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a

teacher of the Law, respected by all the

25But someone came and reported to

people, stood up in the Council and

them, "The men whom you put in prison

gave orders to put the men outside for a

are standing in the temple and teaching

short time.

the people!"

35And he said to them, "Men of Israel, 26Then the captain went along with the take care what you propose to do with

officers and proceeded to bring them

these men.

back without violence (for they were

36"For some time ago Theudas rose up, their widows were being overlooked in claiming to be somebody, and a group

the daily serving of food.

of about four hundred men joined up

with him. But he was killed, and all who

2So

the

twelve

summoned

the

followed him were dispersed and came

congregation of the disciples and said,

to nothing.

"It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

37"After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew 3"Therefore, brethren, select from

away some people after him; he too

among you seven men of good

perished, and all those who followed

reputation, full of the Spirit and of

him were scattered.

wisdom, whom we may put in charge of

this task.

38"So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them

4"But we will devote ourselves to prayer

alone, for if this plan or action is of men,

and to the ministry of the word."

it will be overthrown;

5The statement found approval with the

39but if it is of God, you will not be able

whole congregation; and they chose

to overthrow them; or else you may

Stephen, a man full of faith and of the even be found fighting against God."

Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus,

Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas,

40They took his advice; and after calling

a proselyte from Antioch.

the apostles in, they flogged them and

ordered them not to speak in the name

6And these they brought before the

of Jesus, and then released them.

apostles; and after praying, they laid

their hands on them.

41So they went on their way from the

presence of the Council, rejoicing that

7The word of God kept on spreading;

they had been considered worthy to

and the number of the disciples

suffer shame for His name.

continued

to

increase

greatly

in

Jerusalem, and a great many of the

42And every day, in the temple and from

priests were becoming obedient to the

house to house, they kept right on

faith.

teaching and preaching Jesus as the

Christ.

8And Stephen, full of grace and power,

was performing great wonders and

6

signs among the people.

Now at this time while the disciples

9

were increasing in number, a complaint

But some men from what was called

arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews

the Synagogue of the Freedmen,

against the native Hebrews, because

including

both

Cyrenians

and

Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and 4" Then he left the land of the Chaldeans Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

and settled in Haran. From there, after

his father died, God had him move to

10But they were unable to cope with the

this country in which you are now living.

wisdom and the Spirit with which he was

speaking.

5"But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even

11Then they secretly induced men to say,

when he had no child, He promised that

"We

have

heard

him

speak

HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A

blasphemous words against Moses and

POSSESSION,

AND

TO

HIS

against God."

DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM.

12

6

And they stirred up the people, the

"But God spoke to this effect, that his elders and the scribes, and they came DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS

up to him and dragged him away and

IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT

brought him before the Council.

THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND

MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED

13

YEARS.

They put forward false witnesses who

said, "This man incessantly speaks

7

against this holy place and the Law;

" 'AND WHATEVER NATION TO

WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I

14

MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND

for we have heard him say that this

AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT

Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place

AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.'

and alter the customs which Moses

handed down to us."

8"And He gave him the covenant of

15

circumcision; and so Abraham became

And fixing their gaze on him, all who

the father of Isaac, and circumcised him

were sitting in the Council saw his face on the eighth day; and Isaac became

like the face of an angel.

the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the

twelve patriarchs.

7The high priest said, "Are these 9"The patriarchs became jealous of things so?"

Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet

God was with him,

2And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to

10and rescued him from all his afflictions,

our father Abraham when he was in

and granted him favor and wisdom in

Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and

he made him governor over Egypt and

3and said to him, ' LEAVE YOUR

all his household.

COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES,

AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I

WILL SHOW YOU.'

11"Now a famine came over all Egypt God, and he was nurtured three months and Canaan, and great affliction with it, in his father's home.

and our fathers could find no food.

21"And after he had been set outside, 12"But when Jacob heard that there was

Pharaoh's daughter took him away and

grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there

nurtured him as her own son.

the first time.

22"Moses was educated in all the

13"On the second visit Joseph made

learning of the Egyptians, and he was a

himself known to his brothers, and

man of power in words and deeds.

Joseph's family was disclosed to

Pharaoh.

23"But when he was approaching the

age of forty, it entered his mind to visit 14"Then Joseph sent word and invited his brethren, the sons of Israel.

Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

24"And when he saw one of them being

treated unjustly, he defended him and

15"And Jacob went down to Egypt and took vengeance for the oppressed by

there he and our fathers died.

striking down the Egyptian.

16"From there they were removed to

25"And he supposed that his brethren Shechem and laid in the tomb which

understood that God was granting them

Abraham had purchased for a sum of

deliverance through him, but they did

money from the sons of Hamor in

not understand.

Shechem.

26" On the following day he appeared to

17"But as the time of the promise was them as they were fighting together, and

approaching which God had assured to

he tried to reconcile them in peace,

Abraham, the people increased and

saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do

multiplied in Egypt,

you injure one another?'

18until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING

27"But the one who was injuring his OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING

neighbor pushed him away, saying, '

ABOUT JOSEPH.

WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND

JUDGE OVER US?

19"It was he who took shrewd advantage

of our race and mistreated our fathers

28' YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME

so that they would expose their infants

AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN

and they would not survive.

YESTERDAY, DO YOU?'

20"It was at this time that Moses was 29"At this remark, MOSES FLED AND

born; and he was lovely in the sight of BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF

MIDIAN, where he became the father of 37"This is the Moses who said to the two sons.

sons of Israel, ' GOD WILL RAISE UP

FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME

30"After forty years had passed, AN

FROM YOUR BRETHREN.'

ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE

WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN

38"This is the one who was in the

THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN

congregation in the wilderness together

BUSH.

with the angel who was speaking to him

on Mount Sinai, and who was with our

31"When Moses saw it, he marveled at fathers; and he received living oracles to

the sight; and as he approached to look

pass on to you.

more closely, there came the voice of

the Lord:

39"Our fathers were unwilling to be

obedient to him, but repudiated him and

32' I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS,

in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC

AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear

40SAYING TO AARON, 'MAKE FOR US

and would not venture to look.

GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US;

FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT

33" BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, '

OF THE LAND OF EGYPT--WE DO

TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM

NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO

YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON

HIM.'

WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY

GROUND.

41"At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were

34' I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE

rejoicing in the works of their hands.

OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN

EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR

42"But God turned away and delivered GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN

them up to serve the host of heaven; as

TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND

it is written in the book of the prophets, '

I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.'

IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU

OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES

35"This Moses whom they disowned,

FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS,

saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER

WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL?

AND A JUDGE?' is the one whom God

sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer 43' YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE

with the help of the angel who appeared

TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE

to him in the thorn bush.

STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE

IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO

36" This man led them out, performing WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE

wonders and signs in the land of Egypt

YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'

and in the Red Sea and in the

wilderness for forty years.

44"Our fathers had the tabernacle of betrayers and murderers you have now testimony in the wilderness, just as He

become;

who spoke to Moses directed him to

make it according to the pattern which

53you who received the law as ordained

he had seen.

by angels, and yet did not keep it."

45"And having received it in their turn, 54Now when they heard this, they were our fathers brought it in with Joshua

cut to the quick, and they began

upon dispossessing the nations whom

gnashing their teeth at him.

God drove out before our fathers, until

the time of David.

55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the

46" David found favor in God's sight, and glory of God, and Jesus standing at the

asked that he might find a dwelling

right hand of God;

place for the God of Jacob.

56and he said, "Behold, I see the

47"But it was Solomon who built a house

heavens opened up and the Son of Man

for Him.

standing at the right hand of God."

48"However, the Most High does not

57But they cried out with a loud voice, dwell in houses made by human hands;

and covered their ears and rushed at

as the prophet says:

him with one impulse.

49' HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND

58When they had driven him out of the

EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY

city, they began stoning him; and the

FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL

witnesses laid aside their robes at the

YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord,

feet of a young man named Saul.

'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY

REPOSE?

59They went on stoning Stephen as he

called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, 50' WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH

receive my spirit!"

MADE ALL THESE THINGS?'

60Then falling on his knees, he cried out

51"You men who are stiff-necked and

with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this uncircumcised in heart and ears are

sin against them!" Having said this, he always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are fell asleep.

doing just as your fathers did.

52" Which one of the prophets did your 8Saul was in hearty agreement with fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the

putting him to death. And on that day a coming of the Righteous One, whose

great persecution began against the

church in Jerusalem, and they were all

scattered throughout the regions of 11And they were giving him attention Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.

2Some devout men buried Stephen, and

made loud lamentation over him.

12But when they believed Philip

preaching the good news about the

3But Saul began ravaging the church,

kingdom of God and the name of Jesus

entering

house

after

house,

and

Christ, they were being baptized, men

dragging off men and women, he would

and women alike.

put them in prison.

13Even Simon himself believed; and

4Therefore, those who had been

after being baptized, he continued on

scattered went about preaching the

with Philip, and as he observed signs

word.

and great miracles taking place, he was

constantly amazed.

5Philip went down to the city of Samaria

14

and began proclaiming Christ to them.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem

heard that Samaria had received the

6

word of God, they sent them Peter and

The crowds with one accord were

John,

giving attention to what was said by

Philip, as they heard and saw the signs

15

which he was performing.

who came down and prayed for them

that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

7For in the case of many who had

16

unclean spirits, they were coming out of

For He had not yet fallen upon any of

them shouting with a loud voice; and

them; they had simply been baptized in

many who had been paralyzed and

the name of the Lord Jesus.

lame were healed.

17Then they began laying their hands on

8So there was much rejoicing in that city.

them, and they were receiving the Holy

Spirit.

9Now there was a man named Simon,

18

who formerly was practicing magic in

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit

the city and astonishing the people of

was bestowed through the laying on of

Samaria, claiming to be someone great;

the apostles' hands, he offered them

money,

10and they all, from smallest to greatest,

19

were giving attention to him, saying, "

saying, "Give this authority to me as This man is what is called the Great

well, so that everyone on whom I lay my

Power of God."

hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

20But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought

you could obtain the gift of God with 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up money!

and join this chariot."

21"You have no part or portion in this 30Philip ran up and heard him reading matter, for your heart is not right before Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you God.

understand what you are reading?"

22"Therefore repent of this wickedness 31And he said, "Well, how could I, unless of yours, and pray the Lord that, if someone guides me?" And he invited

possible, the intention of your heart may

Philip to come up and sit with him.

be forgiven you.

32Now the passage of Scripture which

23"For I see that you are in the gall of he was reading was this: " HE WAS

bitterness and in the bondage of

LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;

iniquity."

AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS

SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES

24But Simon answered and said, " Pray NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

to the Lord for me yourselves, so that

nothing of what you have said may

33" IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT

come upon me."

WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL

RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS

25So, when they had solemnly testified

LIFE

IS

REMOVED

FROM

THE

and spoken the word of the Lord, they

EARTH."

started back to Jerusalem, and were

preaching the gospel to many villages of

34The eunuch answered Philip and said,

the Samaritans.

"Please tell me, of whom does the

prophet say this? Of himself or of

26But an angel of the Lord spoke to

someone else?"

Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and

to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

beginning

from

this

Scripture

he

preached Jesus to him.

27So he got up and went; and there was

an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of 36As they went along the road they

Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who

came to some water; and the eunuch

was in charge of all her treasure; and he

said, "Look! Water! What prevents me had come to Jerusalem to worship,

from being baptized?"

28and he was returning and sitting in his

37[ And Philip said, "If you believe with chariot, and was reading the prophet all your heart, you may." And he

Isaiah.

answered and said, "I believe that Jesus

Christ is the Son of God."]

38And he ordered the chariot to stop; 7The men who traveled with him stood and they both went down into the water,

speechless, hearing the voice but

Philip as well as the eunuch, and he

seeing no one.

baptized him.

8Saul got up from the ground, and

39When they came up out of the water,

though his eyes were open, he could

the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip

see nothing; and leading him by the

away; and the eunuch no longer saw

hand, they brought him into Damascus.

him, but went on his way rejoicing.

9And he was three days without sight,

40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and

and neither ate nor drank.

as he passed through he kept preaching

the gospel to all the cities until he came

10Now there was a disciple at Damascus

to Caesarea.

named Ananias; and the Lord said to

him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, 9

"Here I am, Lord."

Now Saul, still breathing threats and

11

murder against the disciples of the Lord,

And the Lord said to him, "Get up and

went to the high priest,

go to the street called Straight, and

inquire at the house of Judas for a man

2and asked for letters from him to the

from Tarsus named Saul, for he is

synagogues at Damascus, so that if he

praying,

found any belonging to the Way, both

12

men and women, he might bring them

and he has seen in a vision a man

bound to Jerusalem.

named Ananias come in and lay his

hands on him, so that he might regain

3As he was traveling, it happened that

his sight."

he was approaching Damascus, and

13

suddenly a light from heaven flashed

But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have

around him;

heard from many about this man, how

much harm he did to Your saints at

4and he fell to the ground and heard a Jerusalem;

voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why 14

are you persecuting Me?"

and here he has authority from the

chief priests to bind all who call on Your

5And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And name."

He said, "I am Jesus whom you are

15

persecuting,

But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is

a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My

6but get up and enter the city, and it will

name before the Gentiles and kings and

be told you what you must do."

the sons of Israel;

16for I will show him how much he must 25but his disciples took him by night and suffer for My name's sake."

let him down through an opening in the

wall, lowering him in a large basket.

17So Ananias departed and entered the

house, and after laying his hands on him

26When he came to Jerusalem, he was

said, " Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, trying to associate with the disciples; but

who appeared to you on the road by

they were all afraid of him, not believing

which you were coming, has sent me so

that he was a disciple.

that you may regain your sight and be

filled with the Holy Spirit."

27But Barnabas took hold of him and

brought him to the apostles and

18And immediately there fell from his

described to them how he had seen the

eyes something like scales, and he

Lord on the road, and that He had talked

regained his sight, and he got up and

to him, and how at Damascus he had

was baptized;

spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

19and he took food and was

28And he was with them, moving about

strengthened.

freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly

in the name of the Lord.

20and immediately he began to proclaim

Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is

29And he was talking and arguing with

the Son of God."

the Hellenistic Jews; but they were

attempting to put him to death.

21All those hearing him continued to be

amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he

30But when the brethren learned of it,

who in Jerusalem destroyed those who

they brought him down to Caesarea and

called on this name, and who had come

sent him away to Tarsus.

here for the purpose of bringing them

bound before the chief priests?"

31So the church throughout all Judea

and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace,

22But Saul kept increasing in strength

being built up; and going on in the fear and confounding the Jews who lived at

of the Lord and in the comfort of the

Damascus by proving that this Jesus is

Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

the Christ.

32Now as Peter was traveling through all

23When many days had elapsed, the

those regions, he came down also to the

Jews plotted together to do away with

saints who lived at Lydda.

him,

33There he found a man named Aeneas,

24but their plot became known to Saul.

who had been bedridden eight years, for

They were also watching the gates day

he was paralyzed.

and night so that they might put him to death;

34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus 43And Peter stayed many days in Joppa Christ heals you; get up and make your

with a tanner named Simon.

bed." Immediately he got up.

35And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon

10Now there was a man at

saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion

of what was called the Italian cohort,

36Now in Joppa there was a disciple

named Tabitha (which translated in

2a devout man and one who feared God

Greek is called Dorcas); this woman

with all his household, and gave many

was abounding with deeds of kindness

alms to the Jewish people and prayed to

and charity which she continually did.

God continually.

37And it happened at that time that she 3About the ninth hour of the day he

fell sick and died; and when they had

clearly saw in a vision an angel of God washed her body, they laid it in an upper

who had just come in and said to him,

room.

"Cornelius!"

38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the

4And fixing his gaze on him and being

disciples, having heard that Peter was

much alarmed, he said, "What is it, there, sent two men to him, imploring

Lord?" And he said to him, "Your him, "Do not delay in coming to us."

prayers and alms have ascended as a

memorial before God.

39So Peter arose and went with them.

When he arrived, they brought him into

5"Now dispatch some men to Joppa and

the upper room; and all the widows

send for a man named Simon, who is

stood beside him, weeping and showing

also called Peter;

all the tunics and garments that Dorcas

used to make while she was with them.

6he is staying with a tanner named

40

Simon, whose house is by the sea."

But Peter sent them all out and knelt

down and prayed, and turning to the

7

body, he said, " Tabitha, arise." And she When the angel who was speaking to

opened her eyes, and when she saw

him had left, he summoned two of his

Peter, she sat up.

servants and a devout soldier of those

who were his personal attendants,

41And he gave her his hand and raised

8

her up; and calling the saints and

and after he had explained everything

widows, he presented her alive.

to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9

42It became known all over Joppa, and

On the next day, as they were on their many believed in the Lord.

way and approaching the city, Peter

went up on the housetop about the sixth

hour to pray.

10But he became hungry and was 20"But get up, go downstairs and desiring to eat; but while they were

accompany them without misgivings, for

making preparations, he fell into a

I have sent them Myself."

trance;

21Peter went down to the men and said,

11and he saw the sky opened up, and an

"Behold, I am the one you are looking object like a great sheet coming down, for; what is the reason for which you

lowered by four corners to the ground,

have come?"

12and there were in it all kinds of four-22They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a footed animals and crawling creatures of righteous and God-fearing man well

the earth and birds of the air.

spoken of by the entire nation of the

Jews, was divinely directed by a holy

13A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, angel to send for you to come to his kill and eat!"

house and hear a message from you."

14

23

But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, So he invited them in and gave them

for I have never eaten anything unholy

lodging. And on the next day he got up and unclean."

and went away with them, and some of

the brethren from Joppa accompanied

15

him.

Again a voice came to him a second

time, " What God has cleansed, no

24

longer consider unholy."

On the following day he entered

Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting

16

for them and had called together his

This happened three times, and

relatives and close friends.

immediately the object was taken up

into the sky.

25When Peter entered, Cornelius met

17

him, and fell at his feet and worshiped Now while Peter was greatly perplexed

him.

in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men

26

who had been sent by Cornelius, having

But Peter raised him up, saying, "

asked directions for Simon's house,

Stand up; I too am just a man."

appeared at the gate;

27As he talked with him, he entered and

18and calling out, they were asking

found many people assembled.

whether Simon, who was also called

Peter, was staying there.

28And he said to them, "You yourselves

know how unlawful it is for a man who is

19While Peter was reflecting on the

a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to

vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, visit him; and yet God has shown me three men are looking for you.

that I should not call any man unholy or

unclean.

29"That is why I came without even 38"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how raising any objection when I was sent God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit

for. So I ask for what reason you have and with power, and how He went about

sent for me."

doing good and healing all who were

oppressed by the devil, for God was

30Cornelius said, " Four days ago to this with Him.

hour, I was praying in my house during

the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood

39"We are witnesses of all the things He

before me in shining garments,

did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death

31and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer

by hanging Him on a cross.

has been heard and your alms have

been remembered before God.

40" God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,

32'Therefore send to Joppa and invite

Simon, who is also called Peter, to

41not to all the people, but to witnesses

come to you; he is staying at the house

who were chosen beforehand by God,

of Simon the tanner by the sea.'

that is, to us who ate and drank with

Him after He arose from the dead.

33"So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come.

42"And He ordered us to preach to the Now then, we are all here present

people, and solemnly to testify that this before God to hear all that you have

is the One who has been appointed by

been commanded by the Lord."

God as Judge of the living and the dead.

34Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most

43"Of Him all the prophets bear witness certainly understand now that God is not

that through His name everyone who

one to show partiality,

believes in Him receives forgiveness of

sins."

35but in every nation the man who fears

Him and does what is right is welcome

44While Peter was still speaking these

to Him.

words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those

who were listening to the message.

36"The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through

45All the circumcised believers who

Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)--

came with Peter were amazed, because

the gift of the Holy Spirit had been

37you yourselves know the thing which

poured out on the Gentiles also.

took place throughout all Judea, starting

from Galilee, after the baptism which

46For they were hearing them speaking

John proclaimed.

with tongues and exalting God. Then

Peter answered,

47" Surely no one can refuse the water 8"But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for for these to be baptized who have nothing unholy or unclean has ever

received the Holy Spirit just as we did, entered my mouth.'

can he?"

9"But a voice from heaven answered a 48And he ordered them to be baptized in

second time, ' What God has cleansed,

the name of Jesus Christ. Then they

no longer consider unholy.'

asked him to stay on for a few days.

10"This happened three times, and

11

everything was drawn back up into the

Now the apostles and the brethren

sky.

who were throughout Judea heard that

11

the Gentiles also had received the word

"And behold, at that moment three

of God.

men appeared at the house in which we

were staying, having been sent to me

2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem,

from Caesarea.

those who were circumcised took issue

12

with him,

" The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren

3saying, " You went to uncircumcised also went with me and we entered the

men and ate with them."

man's house.

13

4

"And he reported to us how he had

But

Peter

began

speaking

and

seen the angel standing in his house,

proceeded to explain to them in orderly

sequence, saying,

and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have

Simon, who is also called Peter, brought

5

here;

" I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object

14

coming down like a great sheet lowered

and he will speak words to you by

by four corners from the sky; and it

which you will be saved, you and all

came right down to me,

your household.'

15

6

"And as I began to speak, the Holy and when I had fixed my gaze on it and

was observing it I saw the four-footed

Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon

animals of the earth and the wild beasts

us at the beginning.

and the crawling creatures and the birds

16

of the air.

"And I remembered the word of the

Lord, how He used to say, ' John

7"I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get baptized with water, but you will be

up, Peter; kill and eat.'

baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

17"Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after

believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who taught considerable numbers; and the was I that I could stand in God's way?"

disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

18When they heard this, they quieted

down and glorified God, saying, "Well 27Now at this time some prophets came

then, God has granted to the Gentiles

down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

also the repentance that leads to life."

28One of them named Agabus stood up

19So then those who were scattered

and began to indicate by the Spirit that because

of

the

persecution

that

there would certainly be a great famine

occurred in connection with Stephen

all over the world. And this took place in

made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus

the reign of Claudius.

and Antioch, speaking the word to no

one except to Jews alone.

29And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them

20But there were some of them, men of

determined to send a contribution for the

Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to

relief of the brethren living in Judea.

Antioch and began speaking to the

Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

30And this they did, sending it in charge

of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

21And the hand of the Lord was with

them, and a large number who believed

turned to the Lord.

12Now about that time Herod the

22

king laid hands on some who belonged

The news about them reached the

to the church in order to mistreat them.

ears of the church at Jerusalem, and

they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.

2And he had James the brother of John

23

put to death with a sword.

Then when he arrived and witnessed

the grace of God, he rejoiced and began

3

to encourage them all with resolute

When he saw that it pleased the Jews,

heart to remain true to the Lord;

he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now

it was during the days of Unleavened

24

Bread.

for he was a good man, and full of the

Holy

Spirit

and

of

faith.

And

4

considerable numbers were brought to

When he had seized him, he put him in

the Lord.

prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the

25

Passover to bring him out before the

And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

people.

26and when he had found him, he

5So Peter was kept in the prison, but

brought him to Antioch. And for an entire

prayer for him was being made fervently

year they met with the church and

by the church to God.

6On the very night when Herod was 13When he knocked at the door of the about to bring him forward, Peter was

gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came

sleeping between two soldiers, bound

to answer.

with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

14When she recognized Peter's voice,

because of her joy she did not open the

7And behold, an angel of the Lord

gate, but ran in and announced that

suddenly appeared and a light shone in

Peter was standing in front of the gate.

the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly."

15They said to her, "You are out of your

And his chains fell off his hands.

mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, "It is his angel."

8And the angel said to him, "Gird

yourself and put on your sandals." And 16But Peter continued knocking; and

he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap when they had opened the door, they

your cloak around you and follow me."

saw him and were amazed.

9And he went out and continued to

17But motioning to them with his hand to

follow, and he did not know that what

be silent, he described to them how the

was being done by the angel was real,

Lord had led him out of the prison. And but thought he was seeing a vision.

he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." Then he left and went 10When they had passed the first and

to another place.

second guard, they came to the iron

gate that leads into the city, which

18Now when day came, there was no

opened for them by itself; and they went

small disturbance among the soldiers as

out and went along one street, and

to what could have become of Peter.

immediately the angel departed from

him.

19When Herod had searched for him and

had not found him, he examined the

11When Peter came to himself, he said,

guards and ordered that they be led

"Now I know for sure that the Lord has away to execution. Then he went down sent forth His angel and rescued me

from Judea to Caesarea and was

from the hand of Herod and from all that

spending time there.

the Jewish people were expecting."

20Now he was very angry with the

12And when he realized this, he went to

people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one

the house of Mary, the mother of John

accord they came to him, and having

who was also called Mark, where many

won over Blastus the king's chamberlain,

were gathered together and were

they were asking for peace, because

praying.

their country was fed by the king's

country.

21On an appointed day Herod, having 5When they reached Salamis, they put on his royal apparel, took his seat on

began to proclaim the word of God in

the rostrum and began delivering an

the synagogues of the Jews; and they

address to them.

also had John as their helper.

22The people kept crying out, "The voice

6When they had gone through the whole

of a god and not of a man!"

island as far as Paphos, they found a

magician, a Jewish false prophet whose

23And immediately an angel of the Lord

name was Bar-Jesus,

struck him because he did not give God

the glory, and he was eaten by worms

7who was with the proconsul, Sergius

and died.

Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man

summoned Barnabas and Saul and

24But the word of the Lord continued to sought to hear the word of God.

grow and to be multiplied.

8But Elymas the magician (for so his

25And Barnabas and Saul returned from

name is translated) was opposing them,

Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their

seeking to turn the proconsul away from

mission, taking along with them John,

the faith.

who was also called Mark.

9But Saul, who was also known as Paul,

filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze 13Now there were at Antioch, in the on him, church that was there, prophets and 10

teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who

and said, "You who are full of all deceit was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,

and fraud, you son of the devil, you

and Manaen who had been brought up

enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight

with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

ways of the Lord?

2While they were ministering to the Lord

11

and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set

"Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the upon you, and you will be blind and not

see the sun for a time." And immediately

work to which I have called them."

a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and

3

he went about seeking those who would

Then, when they had fasted and prayed

lead him by the hand.

and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

12Then the proconsul believed when he

4

saw what had happened, being amazed

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit,

at the teaching of the Lord.

they went down to Seleucia and from

there they sailed to Cyprus.

13Now Paul and his companions put out

to sea from Paphos and came to Perga

in Pamphylia; but John left them and HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, returned to Jerusalem.

A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do

all My will.'

14But going on from Perga, they arrived

at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath

23" From the descendants of this man, day they went into the synagogue and

according to promise, God has brought

sat down.

to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

15After the reading of the Law and the

24after John had proclaimed before His

Prophets the synagogue officials sent to

coming a baptism of repentance to all

them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any

the people of Israel.

word of exhortation for the people, say

it."

25"And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, 'What do you

16Paul stood up, and motioning with his

suppose that I am? I am not He. But

hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who behold, one is coming after me the

fear God, listen:

sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to

untie.'

17"The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great

26"Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, during their stay in the land of Egypt, and those among you who fear God, to and with an uplifted arm He led them out

us the message of this salvation has

from it.

been sent.

18"For a period of about forty years He 27"For those who live in Jerusalem, and put up with them in the wilderness.

their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are

19" When He had destroyed seven

read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by

nations in the land of Canaan, He

condemning Him.

distributed their land as an inheritance--

all of which took about four hundred and

28"And though they found no ground for

fifty years.

putting Him to death, they asked Pilate

that He be executed.

20"After these things He gave them

judges until Samuel the prophet.

29"When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took

21"Then they asked for a king, and God

Him down from the cross and laid Him in

gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man

a tomb.

of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

30"But God raised Him from the dead;

22"After He had removed him, He raised

up David to be their king, concerning

31and for many days He appeared to

whom He also testified and said, ' I

those who came up with Him from

Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who 41' BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND

are now His witnesses to the people.

MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM

ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR

32"And we preach to you the good news

DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL

of the promise made to the fathers,

NEVER

BELIEVE,

THOUGH

SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO

33

YOU.'"

that God has fulfilled this promise to

our children in that He raised up Jesus, 42

as it is also written in the second Psalm,

As Paul and Barnabas were going out,

' YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE

the people kept begging that these

BEGOTTEN YOU.'

things might be spoken to them the next

Sabbath.

34"As for the fact that He raised Him up

43

from the dead, no longer to return to

Now when the meeting of the

decay, He has spoken in this way: ' I

synagogue had broken up, many of the

WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE

Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes

blessings OF DAVID.'

followed Paul and Barnabas, who,

speaking to them, were urging them to

35

continue in the grace of God.

"Therefore He also says in another

Psalm, ' YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR

44

HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.'

The next Sabbath nearly the whole city

assembled to hear the word of the Lord.

36"For David, after he had served the 45

purpose of God in his own generation,

But when the Jews saw the crowds,

fell asleep, and was laid among his

they were filled with jealousy and began

fathers and underwent decay;

contradicting the things spoken by Paul,

and were blaspheming.

37but He whom God raised did not

46

undergo decay.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly

and said, "It was necessary that the 38

word of God be spoken to you first;

"Therefore let it be known to you,

since you repudiate it and judge

brethren, that through Him forgiveness

yourselves unworthy of eternal life,

of sins is proclaimed to you,

behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

39and through Him everyone who

47"For so the Lord has commanded us, '

believes is freed from all things, from

I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT

which you could not be freed through

FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY

the Law of Moses.

BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF

THE EARTH.'"

40"Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come

48When the Gentiles heard this, they

upon you:

began rejoicing and glorifying the word

of the Lord; and as many as had been their rulers, to mistreat and to stone appointed to eternal life believed.

them,

49And the word of the Lord was being

6they became aware of it and fled to the

spread through the whole region.

cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe,

and the surrounding region;

50But the Jews incited the devout

women of prominence and the leading

7and there they continued to preach the

men of the city, and instigated a

gospel.

persecution against Paul and Barnabas,

and drove them out of their district.

8At Lystra a man was sitting who had no

strength in his feet, lame from his

51But they shook off the dust of their feet

mother's womb, who had never walked.

in protest against them and went to

Iconium.

9This man was listening to Paul as he

spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze

52And the disciples were continually

on him and had seen that he had faith to

filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

be made well,

10

14

said with a loud voice, "Stand upright In Iconium they entered the

on your feet." And he leaped up and synagogue of the Jews together, and

began to walk.

spoke in such a manner that a large

11

number of people believed, both of Jews

When the crowds saw what Paul had

and of Greeks.

done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, " The gods

2But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up

have become like men and have come

down to us."

the

minds

of

the

Gentiles

and

embittered them against the brethren.

12And they began calling Barnabas,

3Therefore they spent a long time there

Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he

was the chief speaker.

speaking boldly with reliance upon the

Lord, who was testifying to the word of 13

His grace, granting that signs and

The priest of Zeus, whose temple was

wonders be done by their hands.

just outside the city, brought oxen and

garlands to the gates, and wanted to

4

offer sacrifice with the crowds.

But the people of the city were divided;

and some sided with the Jews, and

14

some with the apostles.

But when the apostles Barnabas and

Paul heard of it, they tore their robes 5And when an attempt was made by

and rushed out into the crowd, crying

out

both the Gentiles and the Jews with

15and saying, "Men, why are you doing tribulations we must enter the kingdom these things? We are also men of the

of God."

same nature as you, and preach the

gospel to you that you should turn from 23When they had appointed elders for

these vain things to a living God, WHO

them in every church, having prayed

MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH

with fasting, they commended them to

AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN

the Lord in whom they had believed.

THEM.

24They passed through Pisidia and

16"In the generations gone by He

came into Pamphylia.

permitted all the nations to go their own

ways;

25When they had spoken the word in

Perga, they went down to Attalia.

17and yet He did not leave Himself

without witness, in that He did good and

26From there they sailed to Antioch, from

gave you rains from heaven and fruitful

which they had been commended to the

seasons, satisfying your hearts with

grace of God for the work that they had

food and gladness."

accomplished.

18Even saying these things, with

27When they had arrived and gathered

difficulty they restrained the crowds from

the church together, they began to

offering sacrifice to them.

report all things that God had done with

them and how He had opened a door of

19But Jews came from Antioch and

faith to the Gentiles.

Iconium, and having won over the

crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged

28And they spent a long time with the

him out of the city, supposing him to be

disciples.

dead.

20But while the disciples stood around

15Some men came down from

him, he got up and entered the city. The

next day he went away with Barnabas to

Judea and began teaching the brethren,

Derbe.

"Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be

21After they had preached the gospel to

saved."

that city and had made many disciples,

2

they returned to Lystra and to Iconium

And when Paul and Barnabas had

and to Antioch,

great dissension and debate with them,

the brethren determined that Paul and

22strengthening the souls of the disciples,

Barnabas and some others of them

encouraging them to continue in the

should go up to Jerusalem to the

faith, and saying, " Through many

apostles and elders concerning this

issue.

3Therefore, being sent on their way by 11"But we believe that we are saved the church, they were passing through through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing

the same way as they also are."

in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the

12All the people kept silent, and they

brethren.

were listening to Barnabas and Paul as

they were relating what signs and

4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they

wonders God had done through them

were received by the church and the

among the Gentiles.

apostles and the elders, and they

reported all that God had done with

13After they had stopped speaking,

them.

James answered, saying, "Brethren,

listen to me.

5But some of the sect of the Pharisees

who had believed stood up, saying, "It is 14" Simeon has related how God first necessary to circumcise them and to concerned Himself about taking from

direct them to observe the Law of

among the Gentiles a people for His

Moses."

name.

6The apostles and the elders came

15"With this the words of the Prophets together to look into this matter.

agree, just as it is written,

7After there had been much debate,

16' AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,

Peter stood up and said to them,

AND

I

WILL

REBUILD

THE

"Brethren, you know that in the early TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS

days God made a choice among you,

FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS

that by my mouth the Gentiles would

RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

hear the word of the gospel and believe.

17SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND

8"And God, who knows the heart,

MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE

testified to them giving them the Holy

GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY

Spirit, just as He also did to us;

NAME,'

9and He made no distinction between us

18SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES

and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG

AGO.

10"Now therefore why do you put God to

the test by placing upon the neck of the

19"Therefore it is my judgment that we disciples a yoke which neither our

do not trouble those who are turning to fathers nor we have been able to bear?

God from among the Gentiles,

20but that we write to them that they

abstain from things contaminated by

idols and from fornication and from what strangled and from fornication; if you is strangled and from blood.

keep yourselves free from such things,

you will do well. Farewell."

21"For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him,

30So when they were sent away, they

since he is read in the synagogues

went down to Antioch; and having

every Sabbath."

gathered the congregation together,

they delivered the letter.

22Then it seemed good to the apostles

and the elders, with the whole church, to

31When they had read it, they rejoiced

choose men from among them to send

because of its encouragement.

to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--

Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas,

32Judas and Silas, also being prophets

leading men among the brethren,

themselves,

encouraged

and

strengthened the brethren with a lengthy

23and they sent this letter by them, " The message.

apostles and the brethren who are

elders, to the brethren in Antioch and

33After they had spent time there, they

Syria and Cilicia who are from the

were sent away from the brethren in

Gentiles, greetings.

peace to those who had sent them out.

24"Since we have heard that some of our

34[ But it seemed good to Silas to remain

number to whom we gave no instruction

there.]

have disturbed you with their words,

unsettling your souls,

35But Paul and Barnabas stayed in

Antioch, teaching and preaching with

25it seemed good to us, having become

many others also, the word of the Lord.

of one mind, to select men to send to

you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 36After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the 26men who have risked their lives for the brethren in every city in which we

name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

proclaimed the word of the Lord, and

see how they are."

27"Therefore we have sent Judas and

Silas, who themselves will also report

37Barnabas wanted to take John, called

the same things by word of mouth.

Mark, along with them also.

28"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit

38But Paul kept insisting that they should

and to us to lay upon you no greater

not take him along who had deserted

burden than these essentials:

them in Pamphylia and had not gone

with them to the work.

29that you abstain from things sacrificed

to idols and from blood and from things

39And there occurred such a sharp 7and after they came to Mysia, they disagreement that they separated from

were trying to go into Bithynia, and the one another, and Barnabas took Mark

Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

8and passing by Mysia, they came down

40But Paul chose Silas and left, being

to Troas.

committed by the brethren to the grace

of the Lord.

9A vision appeared to Paul in the night:

a man of Macedonia was standing and

41And he was traveling through Syria

appealing to him, and saying, "Come

and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

over to Macedonia and help us."

10

16

When he had seen the vision,

Paul came also to Derbe and to

immediately we sought to go into

Lystra. And a disciple was there, named

Macedonia, concluding that God had

Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman

called us to preach the gospel to them.

who was a believer, but his father was a

11

Greek,

So putting out to sea from Troas, we

ran a straight course to Samothrace,

2and he was well spoken of by the

and on the day following to Neapolis;

brethren who were in Lystra and

12

Iconium.

and from there to Philippi, which is a

leading city of the district of Macedonia,

3

a Roman colony; and we were staying in

Paul wanted this man to go with him;

and he took him and circumcised him

this city for some days.

because of the Jews who were in those

13

parts, for they all knew that his father And on the Sabbath day we went

was a Greek.

outside the gate to a riverside, where we

were supposing that there would be a

4Now while they were passing through

place of prayer; and we sat down and

the cities, they were delivering the

began speaking to the women who had

decrees which had been decided upon

assembled.

by the apostles and elders who were in

14

Jerusalem, for them to observe.

A woman named Lydia, from the city

of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a 5So

the

churches

were

being

worshiper of God, was listening; and the

strengthened in the faith, and were

Lord opened her heart to respond to the

things spoken by Paul.

increasing in number daily.

15

6They passed through the Phrygian and

And when she and her household had

Galatian region, having been forbidden

been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If

by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in you have judged me to be faithful to the

Asia;

Lord, come into my house and stay."

commanding the jailer to guard them

And she prevailed upon us.

securely;

16It happened that as we were going to

24and he, having received such a

the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a

command, threw them into the inner

spirit of divination met us, who was

prison and fastened their feet in the

bringing her masters much profit by

stocks.

fortune-telling.

25But about midnight Paul and Silas

17Following after Paul and us, she kept

were praying and singing hymns of

crying out, saying, "These men are

praise to God, and the prisoners were

bond-servants of the Most High God,

listening to them;

who are proclaiming to you the way of

salvation."

26and suddenly there came a great

earthquake, so that the foundations of

18She continued doing this for many

the prison house were shaken; and

days. But Paul was greatly annoyed,

immediately all the doors were opened

and turned and said to the spirit, "I and everyone's chains were unfastened.

command you in the name of Jesus

Christ to come out of her!" And it came 27When the jailer awoke and saw the out at that very moment.

prison doors opened, he drew his sword

and was about to kill himself, supposing

19But when her masters saw that their

that the prisoners had escaped.

hope of profit was gone, they seized

Paul and Silas and dragged them into

28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, the market place before the authorities,

saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

20and when they had brought them to

the chief magistrates, they said, "These 29And he called for lights and rushed in,

men are throwing our city into confusion,

and trembling with fear he fell down

being Jews,

before Paul and Silas,

21and are proclaiming customs which it

30and after he brought them out, he said,

is not lawful for us to accept or to

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

observe, being Romans."

31They said, " Believe in the Lord Jesus, 22The crowd rose up together against

and you will be saved, you and your

them, and the chief magistrates tore

household."

their robes off them and proceeded to

order them to be beaten with rods.

32And they spoke the word of the Lord to

him together with all who were in his

23When they had struck them with many

house.

blows, they threw them into prison,

33And he took them that very hour of the came to Thessalonica, where there was night and washed their wounds, and

a synagogue of the Jews.

immediately he was baptized, he and all

his household.

2And according to Paul's custom, he

went to them, and for three Sabbaths

34And he brought them into his house

reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

and set food before them, and rejoiced

greatly, having believed in God with his 3explaining and giving evidence that the

whole household.

Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, " This Jesus

35Now when day came, the chief

whom I am proclaiming to you is the

magistrates sent their policemen, saying,

Christ."

"Release those men."

4And some of them were persuaded and

36And the jailer reported these words to

joined Paul and Silas, along with a large

Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates

number of the God-fearing Greeks and

have sent to release you. Therefore

a number of the leading women.

come out now and go in peace."

5But the Jews, becoming jealous and

37But Paul said to them, "They have taking along some wicked men from the

beaten us in public without trial, men

market place, formed a mob and set the

who are Romans, and have thrown us

city in an uproar; and attacking the

into prison; and now are they sending us

house of Jason, they were seeking to

away secretly? No indeed! But let them

bring them out to the people.

come themselves and bring us out."

6When they did not find them, they

38The policemen reported these words

began dragging Jason and some

to the chief magistrates. They were

brethren before the city authorities,

afraid when they heard that they were

shouting, "These men who have upset

Romans,

the world have come here also;

39and they came and appealed to them,

7and Jason has welcomed them, and

and when they had brought them out,

they all act contrary to the decrees of they kept begging them to leave the city.

Caesar, saying that there is another king,

Jesus."

40They went out of the prison and

entered the house of Lydia, and when

8They stirred up the crowd and the city they saw the brethren, they encouraged

authorities who heard these things.

them and departed.

9And when they had received a pledge

17

from Jason and the others, they

Now when they had traveled

released them.

through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they

10The brethren immediately sent Paul him. Some were saying, "What would and Silas away by night to Berea, and

this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, when they arrived, they went into the "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange

synagogue of the Jews.

deities,"--because he was preaching

Jesus and the resurrection.

11Now these were more noble-minded

than those in Thessalonica, for they

19And they took him and brought him to

received the word with great eagerness,

the Areopagus, saying, "May we know

examining the Scriptures daily to see

what this new teaching is which you are

whether these things were so.

proclaiming?

12Therefore many of them believed,

20"For you are bringing some strange along with a number of prominent Greek

things to our ears; so we want to know women and men.

what these things mean."

13But when the Jews of Thessalonica

21(Now all the Athenians and the

found out that the word of God had been

strangers visiting there used to spend

proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they

their time in nothing other than telling or

came there as well, agitating and stirring

hearing something new.)

up the crowds.

22So Paul stood in the midst of the

14Then immediately the brethren sent

Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I Paul out to go as far as the sea; and observe that you are very religious in all Silas and Timothy remained there.

respects.

15Now those who escorted Paul brought

23"For while I was passing through and him as far as Athens; and receiving a examining the objects of your worship, I

command for Silas and Timothy to come

also found an altar with this inscription, to him as soon as possible, they left.

'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore

what you worship in ignorance, this I

16Now while Paul was waiting for them

proclaim to you.

at Athens, his spirit was being provoked

within him as he was observing the city 24" The God who made the world and all

full of idols.

things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples

17So he was reasoning in the synagogue

made with hands;

with the Jews and the God-fearing

Gentiles, and in the market place every

25nor is He served by human hands, as

day with those who happened to be

though He needed anything, since He

present.

Himself gives to all people life and

breath and all things;

18And also some of the Epicurean and

Stoic philosophers were conversing with

26and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face 18After these things he left Athens of the earth, having determined their

and went to Corinth.

appointed times and the boundaries of

their habitation,

2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a

27

native of Pontus, having recently come

that they would seek God, if perhaps

from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because

they might grope for Him and find Him,

Claudius had commanded all the Jews

though He is not far from each one of us; to leave Rome. He came to them, 28for in Him we live and move and exist, 3and because he was of the same trade,

as even some of your own poets have

he stayed with them and they were

said, 'For we also are His children.'

working, for by trade they were tent—

makers.

29"Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature

4And he was reasoning in the

is like gold or silver or stone, an image synagogue every Sabbath and trying to

formed by the art and thought of man.

persuade Jews and Greeks.

30"Therefore having overlooked the

5But when Silas and Timothy came

times of ignorance, God is now

down from Macedonia, Paul began

declaring to men that all people

devoting himself completely to the word,

everywhere should repent,

solemnly testifying to the Jews that

Jesus was the Christ.

31because He has fixed a day in which

He will judge the world in righteousness

6But

when

they

resisted

and

through a Man whom He has appointed,

blasphemed, he shook out his garments

having furnished proof to all men by

and said to them, "Your blood be on raising Him from the dead."

your own heads! I am clean. From now

on I will go to the Gentiles."

32Now when they heard of the

resurrection of the dead, some began to

7Then he left there and went to the

sneer, but others said, "We shall hear house of a man named Titius Justus, a you again concerning this."

worshiper of God, whose house was

next to the synagogue.

33So Paul went out of their midst.

8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue,

34But some men joined him and believed,

believed in the Lord with all his

among whom also were Dionysius the

household, and many of the Corinthians

Areopagite and a woman named

when they heard were believing and

Damaris and others with them.

being baptized.

9And the Lord said to Paul in the night were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a

but go on speaking and do not be silent;

vow.

10for I am with you, and no man will

19They came to Ephesus, and he left

attack you in order to harm you, for I them there. Now he himself entered the

have many people in this city."

synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

11And he settled there a year and six

20When they asked him to stay for a

months, teaching the word of God

longer time, he did not consent,

among them.

21but taking leave of them and saying, "I 12But while Gallio was proconsul of

will return to you again if God wills," he Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose set sail from Ephesus.

up against Paul and brought him before

the judgment seat,

22When he had landed at Caesarea, he

went up and greeted the church, and

13saying, "This man persuades men to went down to Antioch.

worship God contrary to the law."

23And having spent some time there, he

14But when Paul was about to open his

left and passed successively through

mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it the Galatian region and

Phrygia,

were a matter of wrong or of vicious

strengthening all the disciples.

crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable

for me to put up with you;

24Now a Jew named Apollos, an

Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man,

15but if there are questions about words

came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in

and names and your own law, look after

the Scriptures.

it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a

judge of these matters."

25This man had been instructed in the

way of the Lord; and being fervent in

16And he drove them away from the

spirit, he was speaking and teaching

judgment seat.

accurately the things concerning Jesus,

being acquainted only with the baptism

17And they all took hold of Sosthenes,

of John;

the leader of the synagogue, and began

beating him in front of the judgment seat.

26and he began to speak out boldly in

But Gallio was not concerned about any

the synagogue. But when Priscilla and

of these things.

Aquila heard him, they took him aside

and explained to him the way of God

18Paul, having remained many days

more accurately.

longer, took leave of the brethren and

put out to sea for Syria, and with him

27And when he wanted to go across to months, reasoning and persuading them Achaia, the brethren encouraged him

about the kingdom of God.

and wrote to the disciples to welcome

him; and when he had arrived, he

9But when some were becoming

greatly helped those who had believed

hardened and disobedient, speaking evil

through grace,

of the Way before the people, he

withdrew from them and took away the

28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in

disciples, reasoning daily in the school

public, demonstrating by the Scriptures

of Tyrannus.

that Jesus was the Christ.

10This took place for two years, so that 19

all who lived in Asia heard the word of It happened that while Apollos

the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

was at Corinth, Paul passed through the

11

upper country and came to Ephesus,

God was performing extraordinary

and found some disciples.

miracles by the hands of Paul,

2

12

He said to them, " Did you receive the so that handkerchiefs or aprons were

Holy Spirit when you believed?" And

even carried from his body to the sick, they said to him, "No, we have not even

and the diseases left them and the evil heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."

spirits went out.

3

13

And he said, "Into what then were you But also some of the Jewish exorcists,

baptized?" And they said, " Into John's who went from place to place, attempted baptism."

to name over those who had the evil

spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,

4Paul said, " John baptized with the saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

baptism of repentance, telling the

people to believe in Him who was

14

coming after him, that is, in Jesus."

Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish

chief priest, were doing this.

5When they heard this, they were

15

baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And the evil spirit answered and said

to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know

6And when Paul had laid his hands upon

about Paul, but who are you?"

them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and

16

they began speaking with tongues and

And the man, in whom was the evil

prophesying.

spirit, leaped on them and subdued all

of them and overpowered them, so that

7There were in all about twelve men.

they fled out of that house naked and

wounded.

8And he entered the synagogue and

continued speaking out boldly for three

17This became known to all, both Jews 26"You see and hear that not only in and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this fear fell upon them all and the name of Paul has persuaded and turned away a the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

considerable number of people, saying

that gods made with hands are no gods

18Many also of those who had believed

at all.

kept coming, confessing and disclosing

their practices.

27"Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also

19And many of those who practiced

that the temple of the great goddess

magic brought their books together and

Artemis be regarded as worthless and

began burning them in the sight of

that she whom all of Asia and the world

everyone; and they counted up the price

worship will even be dethroned from her

of them and found it fifty thousand

magnificence."

pieces of silver.

28When they heard this and were filled

20So the word of the Lord was growing

with rage, they began crying out, saying,

mightily and prevailing.

"Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

21

29

Now after these things were finished,

The city was filled with the confusion,

Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to

and they rushed with one accord into

Jerusalem after he had passed through

the theater, dragging along Gaius and

Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions

have been there, I must also see

from Macedonia.

Rome."

30And when Paul wanted to go into the

22And having sent into Macedonia two of

assembly, the disciples would not let

those who ministered to him, Timothy

him.

and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia

for a while.

31Also some of the Asiarchs who were

friends of his sent to him and repeatedly

23About that time there occurred no

urged him not to venture into the theater.

small disturbance concerning the Way.

32So then, some were shouting one

24For a man named Demetrius, a

thing and some another, for the

silversmith, who made silver shrines of

assembly was in confusion and the

Artemis, was bringing no little business

majority did not know for what reason

to the craftsmen;

they had come together.

25

33

these he gathered together with the

Some of the crowd concluded it was

workmen of similar trades, and said,

Alexander, since the Jews had put him

"Men, you know that our prosperity

forward; and having motioned with his

depends upon this business.

hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.

20After the uproar had ceased, Paul

sent for the disciples, and when he had 34But when they recognized that he was

exhorted them and taken his leave of

a Jew, a single outcry arose from them

them, he left to go to Macedonia.

all as they shouted for about two hours,

"Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

2When he had gone through those

districts and had given them much

35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk

exhortation, he came to Greece.

said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is

there after all who does not know that

3And there he spent three months, and

the city of the Ephesians is guardian of when a plot was formed against him by

the temple of the great Artemis and of

the Jews as he was about to set sail for

the image which fell down from heaven?

Syria, he decided to return through

Macedonia.

36"So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do

4And he was accompanied by Sopater

nothing rash.

of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by

Aristarchus and Secundus of the

37"For you have brought these men here

Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and

who are neither robbers of temples nor

Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus

blasphemers of our goddess.

of Asia.

38"So then, if Demetrius and the

5But these had gone on ahead and were

craftsmen who are with him have a

waiting for us at Troas.

complaint against any man, the courts

are in session and proconsuls are

6We sailed from Philippi after the days of

available; let them bring charges against

Unleavened Bread, and came to them at

one another.

Troas within five days; and there we

stayed seven days.

39"But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.

7On the first day of the week, when we

were gathered together to break bread,

40"For indeed we are in danger of being

Paul began talking to them, intending to

accused of a riot in connection with

leave the next day, and he prolonged

today's events, since there is no real

his message until midnight.

cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this

8There were many lamps in the upper

disorderly gathering."

room where we were gathered together.

41After saying this he dismissed the

9And there was a young man named

assembly.

Eutychus sitting on the window sill,

sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul

kept on talking, he was overcome by from the first day that I set foot in Asia, sleep and fell down from the third floor how I was with you the whole time, and was picked up dead.

19serving the Lord with all humility and 10But Paul went down and fell upon him,

with tears and with trials which came

and after embracing him, he said, "Do upon me through the plots of the Jews;

not be troubled, for his life is in him."

20how I did not shrink from declaring to 11When he had gone back up and had

you anything that was profitable, and

broken the bread and eaten, he talked

teaching you publicly and from house to

with them a long while until daybreak,

house,

and then left.

21solemnly testifying to both Jews and

12They took away the boy alive, and

Greeks of repentance toward God and

were greatly comforted.

faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

13But we, going ahead to the ship, set

22"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit,

sail for Assos, intending from there to

I am on my way to Jerusalem, not

take Paul on board; for so he had

knowing what will happen to me there,

arranged it, intending himself to go by

land.

23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly

testifies to me in every city, saying that 14And when he met us at Assos, we took

bonds and afflictions await me.

him on board and came to Mitylene.

24"But I do not consider my life of any 15Sailing from there, we arrived the account as dear to myself, so that I may

following day opposite Chios; and the

finish my course and the ministry which I

next day we crossed over to Samos;

received from the Lord Jesus, to testify and the day following we came to

solemnly of the gospel of the grace of

Miletus.

God.

16For Paul had decided to sail past

25"And now, behold, I know that all of Ephesus so that he would not have to you, among whom I went about

spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying preaching the kingdom, will no longer

to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the see my face.

day of Pentecost.

26"Therefore, I testify to you this day that 17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and

I am innocent of the blood of all men.

called to him the elders of the church.

27"For I did not shrink from declaring to 18And when they had come to him, he you the whole purpose of God.

said to them, "You yourselves know,

28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all 37And they began to weep aloud and the flock, among which the Holy Spirit

embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed

has made you overseers, to shepherd

him,

the church of God which He purchased

with His own blood.

38grieving especially over the word

which he had spoken, that they would

29"I know that after my departure savage

not see his face again. And they were

wolves will come in among you, not

accompanying him to the ship.

sparing the flock;

30and from among your own selves men

21When we had parted from them

will arise, speaking perverse things, to

and had set sail, we ran a straight

draw away the disciples after them.

course to Cos and the next day to

Rhodes and from there to Patara;

31"Therefore

be

on

the

alert,

remembering that night and day for a

2and having found a ship crossing over

period of three years I did not cease to to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set

admonish each one with tears.

sail.

32"And now I commend you to God and

3When we came in sight of Cyprus,

to the word of His grace, which is able to

leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to build you up and to give you the

Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the inheritance among all those who are

ship was to unload its cargo.

sanctified.

4

33

After looking up the disciples, we

" I have coveted no one's silver or gold

stayed there seven days; and they kept

or clothes.

telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

34"You yourselves know that these

hands ministered to my own needs and

5When our days there were ended, we

to the men who were with me.

left and started on our journey, while

they all, with wives and children,

35"In everything I showed you that by escorted us until we were out of the city.

working hard in this manner you must

After kneeling down on the beach and

help the weak and remember the words

praying, we said farewell to one another.

of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said,

'It is more blessed to give than to

6Then we went on board the ship, and

receive.'"

they returned home again.

36When he had said these things, he

7When we had finished the voyage from

knelt down and prayed with them all.

Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after

greeting the brethren, we stayed with

them for a day.

8On the next day we left and came to 17After we arrived in Jerusalem, the Caesarea, and entering the house of

brethren received us gladly.

Philip the evangelist, who was one of

the seven, we stayed with him.

18And the following day Paul went in

with us to James, and all the elders

9Now this man had four virgin daughters

were present.

who were prophetesses.

19After he had greeted them, he began

10As we were staying there for some

to relate one by one the things which

days, a prophet named Agabus came

God had done among the Gentiles

down from Judea.

through his ministry.

11And coming to us, he took Paul's belt

20And when they heard it they began

and bound his own feet and hands, and

glorifying God; and they said to him,

said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says:

"You see, brother, how many thousands

'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will there are among the Jews of those who

bind the man who owns this belt and

have believed, and they are all zealous

deliver him into the hands of the

for the Law;

Gentiles.'"

21and they have been told about you,

12When we had heard this, we as well

that you are teaching all the Jews who

as the local residents began begging

are among the Gentiles to forsake

him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Moses, telling them not to circumcise

their children nor to walk according to

13Then Paul answered, "What are you

the customs.

doing, weeping and breaking my heart?

For I am ready not only to be bound, but

22"What, then, is to be done? They will even to die at Jerusalem for the name of

certainly hear that you have come.

the Lord Jesus."

23"Therefore do this that we tell you. We 14And since he would not be persuaded,

have four men who are under a vow;

we fell silent, remarking, " The will of the Lord be done!"

24take them and purify yourself along

with them, and pay their expenses so

15After these days we got ready and

that they may shave their heads; and all

started on our way up to Jerusalem.

will know that there is nothing to the

things which they have been told about

16Some of the disciples from Caesarea

you, but that you yourself also walk

also came with us, taking us to Mnason

orderly, keeping the Law.

of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing

with whom we were to lodge.

25"But concerning the Gentiles who have

believed, we wrote, having decided that

they should abstain from meat sacrificed

to idols and from blood and from what is 33Then the commander came up and strangled and from fornication."

took hold of him, and ordered him to be

bound with two chains; and he began

26Then Paul took the men, and the next

asking who he was and what he had

day, purifying himself along with them,

done.

went into the temple giving notice of the

completion of the days of purification,

34But among the crowd some were

until the sacrifice was offered for each shouting one thing and some another,

one of them.

and when he could not find out the facts

because of the uproar, he ordered him

27When the seven days were almost

to be brought into the barracks.

over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing

him in the temple, began to stir up all 35When he got to the stairs, he was

the crowd and laid hands on him,

carried by the soldiers because of the

violence of the mob;

28crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all

36for the multitude of the people kept

men everywhere against our people and

following them, shouting, " Away with the Law and this place; and besides he

him!"

has even brought Greeks into the

temple and has defiled this holy place."

37As Paul was about to be brought into

the barracks, he said to the commander,

29For they had previously seen

"May I say something to you?" And he Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with said, "Do you know Greek?

him, and they supposed that Paul had

brought him into the temple.

38"Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and

30Then all the city was provoked, and

led the four thousand men of the

the people rushed together, and taking

Assassins out into the wilderness?"

hold of Paul they dragged him out of the

temple, and immediately the doors were

39But Paul said, " I am a Jew of Tarsus

shut.

in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the

31While they were seeking to kill him, a

people."

report came up to the commander of the

Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in

40When he had given him permission,

confusion.

Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to

the people with his hand; and when

32At once he took along some soldiers

there was a great hush, he spoke to

and centurions and ran down to them;

them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,

and when they saw the commander and

the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

22

the voice of the One who was speaking

" Brethren and fathers, hear my

to me.

defense which I now offer to you."

10"And I said, ' What shall I do, Lord?'

2And when they heard that he was

And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go

addressing them in the Hebrew dialect,

on into Damascus, and there you will be

they became even more quiet; and he

told of all that has been appointed for said,

you to do.'

11

3" I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia,

"But since I could not see because of but brought up in this city, educated

the brightness of that light, I was led by under Gamaliel, strictly according to the

the hand by those who were with me

law of our fathers, being zealous for

and came into Damascus.

God just as you all are today.

12"A certain Ananias, a man who was 4" I persecuted this Way to the death, devout by the standard of the Law, and binding and putting both men and

well spoken of by all the Jews who lived

women into prisons,

there,

13

5as also the high priest and all the

came to me, and standing near said to

Council of the elders can testify. From

me, ' Brother Saul, receive your sight!'

them I also received letters to the

And at that very time I looked up at him.

brethren, and started off for Damascus

14

in order to bring even those who were

"And he said, ' The God of our fathers

there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be

has appointed you to know His will and

punished.

to see the Righteous One and to hear

an utterance from His mouth.

6" But it happened that as I was on my 15

way, approaching Damascus about

'For you will be a witness for Him to all

noontime, a very bright light suddenly

men of what you have seen and heard.

flashed from heaven all around me,

16'Now why do you delay? Get up and

7and I fell to the ground and heard a

be baptized, and wash away your sins,

voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are

calling on His name.'

you persecuting Me?'

17"It happened when I returned to

8"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'

Jerusalem and was praying in the

And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the

temple, that I fell into a trance,

Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

18and I saw Him saying to me, ' Make

9"And those who were with me saw the

haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly,

light, to be sure, but did not understand because they will not accept your

testimony about Me.'

19"And I said, 'Lord, they themselves 27The commander came and said to him, understand that in one synagogue after

"Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he another I used to imprison and beat

said, "Yes."

those who believed in You.

28The commander answered, "I acquired

20'And when the blood of Your witness

this citizenship with a large sum of

Stephen was being shed, I also was

money." And Paul said, "But I was standing by approving, and watching out

actually born a citizen."

for the coats of those who were slaying him.'

29Therefore those who were about to

examine him immediately let go of him;

21"And He said to me, 'Go! For I will and the commander also was afraid

send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

when he found out that he was a Roman,

and because he had put him in chains.

22They listened to him up to this

statement, and then they raised their

30But on the next day, wishing to know

voices and said, " Away with such a for certain why he had been accused by

fellow from the earth, for he should not the Jews, he released him and ordered

be allowed to live!"

the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and

23And as they were crying out and

set him before them.

throwing off their cloaks and tossing

dust into the air,

23Paul, looking intently at the

24the commander ordered him to be

Council, said, " Brethren, I have lived my brought into the barracks, stating that he

life with a perfectly good conscience

should be examined by scourging so

before God up to this day."

that he might find out the reason why

they were shouting against him that way. 2The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him 25But when they stretched him out with

on the mouth.

thongs, Paul said to the centurion who

was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to 3Then Paul said to him, "God is going to scourge a man who is a Roman and

strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do

uncondemned?"

you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to 26When the centurion heard this, he be struck?"

went to the commander and told him,

saying, "What are you about to do? For 4But the bystanders said, "Do you revile this man is a Roman."

God's high priest?"

5And Paul said, "I was not aware,

brethren, that he was high priest; for it is

written, ' YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK

an oath, saying that they would neither

EVIL

OF

A

RULER

OF

YOUR

eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

PEOPLE.'"

13There were more than forty who

6But perceiving that one group were

formed this plot.

Sadducees and the other Pharisees,

Paul began crying out in the Council, "

14They came to the chief priests and the

Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of

elders and said, "We have bound

Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and

ourselves under a solemn oath to taste

resurrection of the dead!"

nothing until we have killed Paul.

7As he said this, there occurred a

15"Now therefore, you and the Council dissension between the Pharisees and

notify the commander to bring him down

Sadducees, and the assembly was

to you, as though you were going to

divided.

determine his case by a more thorough

investigation; and we for our part are

8For the Sadducees say that there is no

ready to slay him before he comes near

resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, the place."

but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

16But the son of Paul's sister heard of 9And there occurred a great uproar; and

their ambush, and he came and entered

some of the scribes of the Pharisaic

the barracks and told Paul.

party stood up and began to argue

heatedly, saying, " We find nothing

17Paul called one of the centurions to

wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or

him and said, "Lead this young man to an angel has spoken to him?"

the commander, for he has something to

report to him."

10And as a great dissension was

developing, the commander was afraid

18So he took him and led him to the

Paul would be torn to pieces by them

commander and said, "Paul the prisoner

and ordered the troops to go down and

called me to him and asked me to lead

take him away from them by force, and

this young man to you since he has

bring him into the barracks.

something to tell you."

11But on the night immediately following,

19The commander took him by the hand

the Lord stood at his side and said, "

and stepping aside, began to inquire of

Take courage; for as you have solemnly

him privately, "What is it that you have witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so

to report to me?"

you must witness at Rome also."

20And he said, " The Jews have agreed

12When it was day, the Jews formed a

to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow

conspiracy and bound themselves under

to the Council, as though they were

going

to

inquire

somewhat

more

accusation

deserving

death

or

thoroughly about him.

imprisonment.

21"So do not listen to them, for more 30"When I was informed that there would than forty of them are lying in wait for be a plot against the man, I sent him to

him who have bound themselves under

you at once, also instructing his

a curse not to eat or drink until they slay

accusers to bring charges against him

him; and now they are ready and waiting

before you."

for the promise from you."

31So the soldiers, in accordance with

22So the commander let the young man

their orders, took Paul and brought him

go, instructing him, "Tell no one that you by night to Antipatris.

have notified me of these things."

32But the next day, leaving the

23And he called to him two of the

horsemen to go on with him, they

centurions and said, "Get two hundred returned to the barracks.

soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with

33When these had come to Caesarea

seventy horsemen and two hundred

and delivered the letter to the governor, spearmen."

they also presented Paul to him.

24They were also to provide mounts to

34When he had read it, he asked from

put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix

what province he was, and when he

the governor.

learned that he was from Cilicia,

25And he wrote a letter having this form:

35he said, "I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also," giving orders 26"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.

governor Felix, greetings.

27"When this man was arrested by the 24After five days the high priest

Jews and was about to be slain by them,

Ananias came down with some elders,

I came up to them with the troops and

with an attorney named Tertullus, and

rescued him, having learned that he was

they brought charges to the governor

a Roman.

against Paul.

28"And wanting to ascertain the charge 2After Paul had been summoned,

for which they were accusing him, I

Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to

brought him down to their Council;

the governor, "Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by

29and I found him to be accused over

your providence reforms are being

questions about their Law, but under no

carried out for this nation,

3we acknowledge this in every way and 12" Neither in the temple, nor in the everywhere, most excellent Felix, with synagogues, nor in the city itself did

all thankfulness.

they find me carrying on a discussion

with anyone or causing a riot.

4"But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your 13" Nor can they prove to you the kindness, a brief hearing.

charges of which they now accuse me.

5"For we have found this man a real 14"But this I admit to you, that according pest and a fellow who stirs up to the Way which they call a sect I do dissension

among

all

the

Jews

serve the God of our fathers, believing

throughout the world, and a ringleader

everything that is in accordance with the

of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Law and that is written in the Prophets;

6"And he even tried to desecrate the 15having a hope in God, which these

temple; and then we arrested him. [ We

men cherish themselves, that there shall

wanted to judge him according to our

certainly be a resurrection of both the

own Law.

righteous and the wicked.

7"But Lysias the commander came

16"In view of this, I also do my best to along, and with much violence took him maintain

always

a

blameless

out of our hands,

conscience both before God and before

men.

8ordering his accusers to come before

you.]

By

examining

him

yourself

17"Now after several years I came to concerning all these matters you will be bring alms to my nation and to present able to ascertain the things of which we

offerings;

accuse him."

18in which they found me occupied in the

9The Jews also joined in the attack,

temple, having been purified, without

asserting that these things were so.

any crowd or uproar. But there were

some Jews from Asia--

10When the governor had nodded for

him to speak, Paul responded: "Knowing

19who ought to have been present

that for many years you have been a

before you and to make accusation, if

judge to this nation, I cheerfully make

they should have anything against me.

my defense,

20"Or else let these men themselves tell

11since you can take note of the fact that

what misdeed they found when I stood

no more than twelve days ago I went up

before the Council,

to Jerusalem to worship.

21other than for this one statement which

I shouted out while standing among

them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I 3requesting a concession against Paul, am on trial before you today.'"

that he might have him brought to

Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an

22But Felix, having a more exact

ambush to kill him on the way).

knowledge about the Way, put them off,

saying, "When Lysias the commander

4Festus then answered that Paul was

comes down, I will decide your case."

being kept in custody at Caesarea and

that he himself was about to leave

23Then he gave orders to the centurion

shortly.

for him to be kept in custody and yet

have some freedom, and not to prevent

5"Therefore," he said, "let the influential any of his friends from ministering to him. men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, 24But some days later Felix arrived with

let them prosecute him."

Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess,

and sent for Paul and heard him speak

6After he had spent not more than eight

about faith in Christ Jesus.

or ten days among them, he went down

to Caesarea, and on the next day he

25But

as

he

was

discussing

took his seat on the tribunal and ordered

righteousness, self-control and the

Paul to be brought.

judgment to come, Felix became

frightened and said, "Go away for the 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had

present, and when I find time I will

come down from Jerusalem stood

summon you."

around him, bringing many and serious

charges against him which they could

26At the same time too, he was hoping

not prove,

that money would be given him by Paul;

therefore he also used to send for him

8while Paul said in his own defense, " I quite often and converse with him.

have committed no offense either

against the Law of the Jews or against

27But after two years had passed, Felix

the temple or against Caesar."

was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and

wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left

9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a

Paul imprisoned.

favor, answered Paul and said, " Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and

stand trial before me on these charges?"

25Festus then, having arrived in the 10But Paul said, "I am standing before province, three days later went up to Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be

Jerusalem from Caesarea.

tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews,

2

as you also very well know.

And the chief priests and the leading

men of the Jews brought charges

against Paul, and they were urging him,

11"If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have 19but they simply had some points of committed anything worthy of death, I

disagreement with him about their own

do not refuse to die; but if none of those

religion and about a dead man, Jesus,

things is true of which these men

whom Paul asserted to be alive.

accuse me, no one can hand me over to

them. I appeal to Caesar."

20" Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was

12Then when Festus had conferred with

willing to go to Jerusalem and there

his council, he answered, "You have

stand trial on these matters.

appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall

go."

21"But when Paul appealed to be held in

custody for the Emperor's decision, I

13Now when several days had elapsed,

ordered him to be kept in custody until I

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at

send him to Caesar."

Caesarea and paid their respects to

Festus.

22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself."

14While they were spending many days

"Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear there, Festus laid Paul's case before the him."

king, saying, "There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix;

23So, on the next day when Agrippa

came together with Bernice amid great

15and when I was at Jerusalem, the

pomp, and entered the auditorium

chief priests and the elders of the Jews accompanied by the commanders and

brought charges against him, asking for

the prominent men of the city, at the

a sentence of condemnation against him. command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

16"I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any

24Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you man before the accused meets his

gentlemen here present with us, you

accusers face to face and has an

see this man about whom all the people

opportunity to make his defense against

of the Jews appealed to me, both at

the charges.

Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring

that he ought not to live any longer.

17"So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took 25"But I found that he had committed my seat on the tribunal and ordered the nothing worthy of death; and since he

man to be brought before me.

himself appealed to the Emperor, I

decided to send him.

18"When the accusers stood up, they

began bringing charges against him not

26"Yet I have nothing definite about him of such crimes as I was expecting,

to write to my lord. Therefore I have

brought him before you all and

especially before you, King Agrippa, so 8"Why is it considered incredible among that after the investigation has taken

you people if God does raise the dead?

place, I may have something to write.

9"So then, I thought to myself that I had 27"For it seems absurd to me in sending

to do many things hostile to the name of

a prisoner, not to indicate also the

Jesus of Nazareth.

charges against him."

10"And this is just what I did in

26

Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many

Agrippa said to Paul, "You are

of the saints in prisons, having received

permitted to speak for yourself." Then authority from the chief priests, but also Paul stretched out his hand and when they were being put to death I cast

proceeded to make his defense:

my vote against them.

11

2"In regard to all the things of which I am

"And as I punished them often in all accused by the Jews, I consider myself

the synagogues, I tried to force them to fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about

blaspheme; and being furiously enraged

to make my defense before you today;

at them, I kept pursuing them even to

foreign cities.

3especially because you are an expert in

12

all customs and questions among the

"While so engaged as I was journeying

Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me

to Damascus with the authority and

patiently.

commission of the chief priests,

13

4"So then, all Jews know my manner of

at midday, O King, I saw on the way a

life from my youth up, which from the

light from heaven, brighter than the sun,

beginning was spent among my own

shining all around me and those who

were journeying with me.

nation and at Jerusalem;

14

5since they have known about me for a

"And when we had all fallen to the long time, if they are willing to testify, ground, I heard a voice saying to me in that I lived as a Pharisee according to the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to

the strictest sect of our religion.

kick against the goads.'

6"And now I am standing trial for the 15

hope of the promise made by God to our

"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And

fathers;

the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are

persecuting.

7the promise to which our twelve tribes

16

hope to attain, as they earnestly serve

'But get up and stand on your feet; for

God night and day. And for this hope, O

this purpose I have appeared to you, to King, I am being accused by Jews.

appoint you a minister and a witness not

only to the things which you have seen,

but also to the things in which I will

"Paul, you are out of your mind! Your appear to you;

great learning is driving you mad."

17rescuing you from the Jewish people

25But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, and from the Gentiles, to whom I am

most excellent Festus, but I utter words sending you,

of sober truth.

18to open their eyes so that they may

26"For the king knows about these

turn from darkness to light and from the

matters, and I speak to him also with

dominion of Satan to God, that they may

confidence, since I am persuaded that

receive forgiveness of sins and an

none of these things escape his notice;

inheritance among those who have

for this has not been done in a corner.

been sanctified by faith in Me.'

27"King Agrippa, do you believe the

19"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove Prophets? I know that you do."

disobedient to the heavenly vision,

28Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short 20but kept declaring both to those of

time you will persuade me to become a

Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem

Christian."

and then throughout all the region of

Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that

29And Paul said, "I would wish to God, they should repent and turn to God,

that whether in a short or long time, not

performing

deeds

appropriate

to

only you, but also all who hear me this repentance.

day, might become such as I am, except

for these chains."

21"For this reason some Jews seized me

in the temple and tried to put me to

30The king stood up and the governor

death.

and Bernice, and those who were sitting

with them,

22"So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small

31and when they had gone aside, they

and great, stating nothing but what the

began talking to one another, saying, "

Prophets and Moses said was going to

This man is not doing anything worthy of

take place;

death or imprisonment."

23that the Christ was to suffer, and that 32And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man

by reason of His resurrection from the

might have been set free if he had not dead He would be the first to proclaim

appealed to Caesar."

light both to the Jewish people and to

the Gentiles."

27When it was decided that we

24While Paul was saying this in his

defense, Festus said in a loud voice,

would sail for Italy, they proceeded to

deliver Paul and some other prisoners to

a centurion of the Augustan cohort and great loss, not only of the cargo and named Julius.

the ship, but also of our lives."

2And embarking in an Adramyttian ship,

11But the centurion was more persuaded

which was about to sail to the regions

by the pilot and the captain of the ship along the coast of Asia, we put out to than by what was being said by Paul.

sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a

Macedonian of Thessalonica.

12Because the harbor was not suitable

for wintering, the majority reached a

3The next day we put in at Sidon; and

decision to put out to sea from there, if Julius treated Paul with consideration

somehow they could reach Phoenix, a

and allowed him to go to his friends and

harbor of Crete, facing southwest and

receive care.

northwest, and spend the winter there.

4From there we put out to sea and sailed

13When a moderate south wind came up,

under the shelter of Cyprus because the

supposing that they had attained their

winds were contrary.

purpose, they weighed anchor and

began sailing along Crete, close inshore.

5When we had sailed through the sea

along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia,

14But before very long there rushed

we landed at Myra in Lycia.

down from the land a violent wind,

called Euraquilo;

6There

the

centurion

found

an

Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he

15and when the ship was caught in it and

put us aboard it.

could not face the wind, we gave way to

it and let ourselves be driven along.

7When we had sailed slowly for a good

many days, and with difficulty had

16Running under the shelter of a small

arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did

island called Clauda, we were scarcely

not permit us to go farther, we sailed

able to get the ship's boat under control.

under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone;

17After they had hoisted it up, they used

8and with difficulty sailing past it we

supporting cables in undergirding the

came to a place called Fair Havens,

ship; and fearing that they might run

near which was the city of Lasea.

aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they

let down the sea anchor and in this way

9When considerable time had passed

let themselves be driven along.

and the voyage was now dangerous,

since even the fast was already over,

18The next day as we were being

Paul began to admonish them,

violently storm-tossed, they began to

jettison the cargo;

10and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage

19and on the third day they threw the 28They took soundings and found it to be ship's tackle overboard with their own

twenty fathoms; and a little farther on

hands.

they took another sounding and found it

to be fifteen fathoms.

20Since neither sun nor stars appeared

for many days, and no small storm was

29Fearing that we might run aground

assailing us, from then on all hope of

somewhere on the rocks, they cast four

our

being

saved

was

gradually

anchors from the stern and wished for

abandoned.

daybreak.

21When they had gone a long time

30But as the sailors were trying to

without food, then Paul stood up in their

escape from the ship and had let down

midst and said, " Men, you ought to the ship's boat into the sea, on the

have followed my advice and not to

pretense of intending to lay out anchors

have set sail from Crete and incurred

from the bow,

this damage and loss.

31Paul said to the centurion and to the 22"Yet now I urge you to keep up your soldiers, "Unless these men remain in courage, for there will be no loss of life the ship, you yourselves cannot be among you, but only of the ship.

saved."

23"For this very night an angel of the 32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes God to whom I belong and whom I serve

of the ship's boat and let it fall away.

stood before me,

33Until the day was about to dawn, Paul

24saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you

was encouraging them all to take some

must stand before Caesar; and behold,

food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth God has granted you all those who are

day that you have been constantly

sailing with you.'

watching and going without eating,

having taken nothing.

25"Therefore, keep up your courage,

men, for I believe God that it will turn out

34"Therefore I encourage you to take exactly as I have been told.

some food, for this is for your

preservation, for not a hair from the

26"But we must run aground on a certain

head of any of you will perish."

island."

35Having said this, he took bread and

27But when the fourteenth night came,

gave thanks to God in the presence of

as we were being driven about in the

all, and he broke it and began to eat.

Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors

began to surmise that they were

36All of them were encouraged and they

approaching some land.

themselves also took food.

37All of us in the ship were two hundred 2The natives showed us extraordinary and seventy-six persons.

kindness; for because of the rain that

had set in and because of the cold, they

38When they had eaten enough, they

kindled a fire and received us all.

began to lighten the ship by throwing out

the wheat into the sea.

3But when Paul had gathered a bundle

of sticks and laid them on the fire, a 39When day came, they could not

viper came out because of the heat and

recognize the land; but they did observe

fastened itself on his hand.

a bay with a beach, and they resolved to

drive the ship onto it if they could.

4When the natives saw the creature

hanging from his hand, they began

40And casting off the anchors, they left saying to one another, " Undoubtedly them in the sea while at the same time this man is a murderer, and though he they were loosening the ropes of the

has been saved from the sea, justice

rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the has not allowed him to live."

wind, they were heading for the beach.

5However he shook the creature off into

41But striking a reef where two seas met,

the fire and suffered no harm.

they ran the vessel aground; and the

prow

stuck

fast

and

remained

6But they were expecting that he was

immovable, but the stern began to be

about to swell up or suddenly fall down broken up by the force of the waves.

dead. But after they had waited a long

time and had seen nothing unusual

42The soldiers' plan was to kill the

happen to him, they changed their

prisoners, so that none of them would

minds and began to say that he was a

swim away and escape;

god.

43

7

but the centurion, wanting to bring

Now in the neighborhood of that place

Paul safely through, kept them from

were lands belonging to the leading man

their intention, and commanded that

of the island, named Publius, who

those who could swim should jump

welcomed us and entertained us

overboard first and get to land,

courteously three days.

44

8

and the rest should follow, some on

And it happened that the father of

planks, and others on various things

Publius was lying in bed afflicted with

from the ship. And so it happened that

recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul

they all were brought safely to land.

went in to see him and after he had

prayed, he laid his hands on him and

healed him.

28When they had been brought

safely through, then we found out that

the island was called Malta.

9After this had happened, the rest of the I was delivered as a prisoner from people on the island who had diseases

Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

were coming to him and getting cured.

18"And when they had examined me,

10They also honored us with many

they were willing to release me because

marks of respect; and when we were

there was no ground for putting me to

setting sail, they supplied us with all we death.

needed.

19"But when the Jews objected, I was 11At the end of three months we set sail

forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I

on an Alexandrian ship which had

had any accusation against my nation.

wintered at the island, and which had

the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

20"For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I 12After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed am wearing this chain for the sake of the

there for three days.

hope of Israel."

13From there we sailed around and

21They said to him, "We have neither arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a

received letters from Judea concerning

south wind sprang up, and on the

you, nor have any of the brethren come

second day we came to Puteoli.

here and reported or spoken anything

bad about you.

14There we found some brethren, and

were invited to stay with them for seven

22"But we desire to hear from you what days; and thus we came to Rome.

your views are; for concerning this sect,

it is known to us that it is spoken against

15And the brethren, when they heard

everywhere."

about us, came from there as far as the

Market of Appius and Three Inns to

23When they had set a day for Paul, they

meet us; and when Paul saw them, he

came to him at his lodging in large

thanked God and took courage.

numbers; and he was explaining to them

by

solemnly

testifying

about

the

16When we entered Rome, Paul was

kingdom of God and trying to persuade

allowed to stay by himself, with the

them concerning Jesus, from both the

soldier who was guarding him.

Law of Moses and from the Prophets,

from morning until evening.

17After three days Paul called together

24

those who were the leading men of the

Some were being persuaded by the

Jews, and when they came together, he

things spoken, but others would not

began saying to them, " Brethren,

believe.

though I had done nothing against our

people or the customs of our fathers, yet

25And when they did not agree with one

another, they began leaving after Paul

had spoken one parting word, "The Holy AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL

Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the

THEM."'

prophet to your fathers,

28"Therefore let it be known to you that 26saying, ' GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND

this salvation of God has been sent to

SAY, " YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING,

the Gentiles; they will also listen."

BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND

YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT

29[ When he had spoken these words,

WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

the Jews departed, having a great

dispute among themselves.]

27FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE

HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH

30And he stayed two full years in his own

THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,

rented quarters and was welcoming all

AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR

who came to him,

EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT

SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR

31preaching the kingdom of God and

WITH

THEIR

EARS,

AND

teaching concerning the Lord Jesus

UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART

Christ with all openness, unhindered.

Romans

is my witness as to how unceasingly I

make mention of you,

1Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, 10always in my prayers making request, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I

may succeed in coming to you.

2which He promised beforehand through

11For I long to see you so that I may His prophets in the holy Scriptures,

impart some spiritual gift to you, that you

3

may be established;

concerning His Son, who was born of a

descendant of David according to the

12

flesh,

that is, that I may be encouraged

together with you while among you,

4

each of us by the other's faith, both

who was declared the Son of God with

yours and mine.

power by the resurrection from the dead,

according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus

13

Christ our Lord,

I do not want you to be unaware,

brethren, that often I have planned to

5

come to you (and have been prevented

through whom we have received grace

so far) so that I may obtain some fruit and apostleship to bring about the

among you also, even as among the

obedience of faith among all the

rest of the Gentiles.

Gentiles for His name's sake,

14

6

I am under obligation both to Greeks

among whom you also are the called of

and to barbarians, both to the wise and Jesus Christ;

to the foolish.

7to all who are beloved of God in Rome,

15So, for my part, I am eager to preach

called as saints: Grace to you and

the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

peace from God our Father and the Lord

Jesus Christ.

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel,

for it is the power of God for salvation to

8First, I thank my God through Jesus

everyone who believes, to the Jew first

Christ for you all, because your faith is and also to the Greek.

being proclaimed throughout the whole

world.

17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is

9For God, whom I serve in my spirit in written, " BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man

the preaching of the gospel of His Son, SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

18For the wrath of God is revealed from exchanged the natural function for that heaven against all ungodliness and

which is unnatural,

unrighteousness of men who suppress

the truth in unrighteousness,

27and in the same way also the men

abandoned the natural function of the

19because that which is known about

woman and burned in their desire

God is evident within them; for God

toward one another, men with men

made it evident to them.

committing indecent acts and receiving

in their own persons the due penalty of 20For since the creation of the world His

their error.

invisible attributes, His eternal power

and divine nature, have been clearly

28And just as they did not see fit to

seen, being understood through what

acknowledge God any longer, God gave

has been made, so that they are without

them over to a depraved mind, to do

excuse.

those things which are not proper,

21For even though they knew God, they

29being filled with all unrighteousness,

did not honor Him as God or give thanks,

wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy,

but

they

became

futile

in

their

murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are

speculations, and their foolish heart was

gossips,

darkened.

30slanderers, haters of God, insolent,

22Professing to be wise, they became

arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil,

fools,

disobedient to parents,

23and exchanged the glory of the

31without understanding, untrustworthy,

incorruptible God for an image in the

unloving, unmerciful;

form of corruptible man and of birds and

four-footed

animals

and

crawling

32and although they know the ordinance

creatures.

of God, that those who practice such

things are worthy of death, they not only

24Therefore God gave them over in the

do the same, but also give hearty

lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that approval to those who practice them.

their bodies would be dishonored

among them.

2Therefore you have no excuse,

25For they exchanged the truth of God

everyone of you who passes judgment,

for a lie, and worshiped and served the for in that which you judge another, you

creature rather than the Creator, who is condemn yourself; for you who judge

blessed forever. Amen.

practice the same things.

26For this reason God gave them over to

degrading passions; for their women

2And we know that the judgment of God 12For all who have sinned without the rightly falls upon those who practice

Law will also perish without the Law,

such things.

and all who have sinned under the Law

will be judged by the Law;

3But do you suppose this, O man, when

you pass judgment on those who

13for it is not the hearers of the Law who

practice such things and do the same

are just before God, but the doers of the

yourself, that you will escape the

Law will be justified.

judgment of God?

14For when Gentiles who do not have

4Or do you think lightly of the riches of the Law do instinctively the things of the

His

kindness

and

tolerance

and

Law, these, not having the Law, are a

patience, not knowing that the kindness

law to themselves,

of God leads you to repentance?

15in that they show the work of the Law

5But because of your stubbornness and

written in their hearts, their conscience unrepentant heart you are storing up

bearing witness and their thoughts

wrath for yourself in the day of wrath

alternately accusing or else defending

and revelation of the righteous judgment

them,

of God,

16on the day when, according to my

6who WILL RENDER TO EACH

gospel, God will judge the secrets of

PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: men through Christ Jesus.

7to those who by perseverance in doing

17But if you bear the name "Jew" and good seek for glory and honor and

rely upon the Law and boast in God,

immortality, eternal life;

18and know His will and approve the

8but to those who are selfishly ambitious

things

that

are

essential,

being

and do not obey the truth, but obey

instructed out of the Law,

unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

19and are confident that you yourself are

9There will be tribulation and distress for

a guide to the blind, a light to those who

every soul of man who does evil, of the

are in darkness,

Jew first and also of the Greek,

20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of

10but glory and honor and peace to

the immature, having in the Law the

everyone who does good, to the Jew

embodiment of knowledge and of the

first and also to the Greek.

truth,

11For there is no partiality with God.

21you, therefore, who teach another, do

you not teach yourself? You who preach

that one shall not steal, do you steal?

22You who say that one should not 2Great in every respect. First of all, that commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

they were entrusted with the oracles of

You who abhor idols, do you rob

God.

temples?

3What then? If some did not believe,

23You who boast in the Law, through

their unbelief will not nullify the

your breaking the Law, do you dishonor

faithfulness of God, will it?

God?

4May it never be! Rather, let God be

24For " THE NAME OF GOD IS

found true, though every man be found

BLASPHEMED

AMONG

THE

a liar, as it is written, " THAT YOU MAY

GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as

BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND

it is written.

PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."

25For indeed circumcision is of value if 5But

if

our

unrighteousness

you practice the Law; but if you are a demonstrates the righteousness of God,

transgressor

of

the

Law,

your

what shall we say? The God who inflicts

circumcision

has

become

wrath is not unrighteous, is He? ( I am uncircumcision.

speaking in human terms.)

26So if the uncircumcised man keeps the

6May it never be! For otherwise, how will

requirements of the Law, will not his

God judge the world?

uncircumcision

be

regarded

as

circumcision?

7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also

27And

he

who

is

physically

still being judged as a sinner?

uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will

he not judge you who though having the

8And why not say (as we are

letter of the Law and circumcision are a

slanderously reported and as some

transgressor of the Law?

claim that we say), " Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation 28For he is not a Jew who is one

is just.

outwardly, nor is circumcision that which

is outward in the flesh.

9What then? Are we better than they?

Not at all; for we have already charged 29But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; that both Jews and Greeks are all under and circumcision is that which is of the sin;

heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and

his praise is not from men, but from God. 10as it is written, " THERE IS NONE

RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

3Then what advantage has the Jew?

Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

11THERE

IS

NONE

WHO

21But now apart from the Law the

UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE

righteousness

of

God

has

been

WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

manifested, being witnessed by the Law

and the Prophets,

12ALL

HAVE

TURNED

ASIDE,

TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME

22even the righteousness of God

USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO

through faith in Jesus Christ for all those

DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN

who believe; for there is no distinction;

ONE."

23for all have sinned and fall short of the

13" THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN

glory of God,

GRAVE,

WITH

THEIR

TONGUES

THEY KEEP DECEIVING," " THE

24being justified as a gift by His grace POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR

through the redemption which is in

LIPS";

Christ Jesus;

14" WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF

25whom God displayed publicly as a

CURSING AND BITTERNESS";

propitiation in His blood through faith.

This

was

to

demonstrate

His

15" THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED

righteousness,

because

in

the

BLOOD,

forbearance of God He passed over the

sins previously committed;

16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE

IN THEIR PATHS,

26for the demonstration, I say, of His

righteousness at the present time, so

17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY

that He would be just and the justifier of

HAVE NOT KNOWN."

the one who has faith in Jesus.

18

27

" THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD

Where then is boasting? It is excluded.

BEFORE THEIR EYES."

By what kind of law? Of works? No, but

by a law of faith.

19Now we know that whatever the Law

28

says, it speaks to those who are under

For we maintain that a man is justified

the Law, so that every mouth may be

by faith apart from works of the Law.

closed and all the world may become

accountable to God;

29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He

not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of

20because by the works of the Law no

Gentiles also,

flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge

30since indeed God who will justify the

of sin.

circumcised

by

faith

and

the

uncircumcised through faith is one.

31Do we then nullify the Law through 10How then was it credited? While he faithNULL May it never be! On the

was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not

contrary, we establish the Law.

while

circumcised,

but

while

uncircumcised;

4

11

What then shall we say that Abraham,

and

he

received

the

sign

of

our forefather according to the flesh, has

circumcision,

a

seal

of

the

found?

righteousness of the faith which he had

while uncircumcised, so that he might

2

be the father of all who believe without For if Abraham was justified by works,

being circumcised, that righteousness

he has something to boast about, but

might be credited to them,

not before God.

12and the father of circumcision to those

3For what does the Scripture say? "

who not only are of the circumcision, but

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT

who also follow in the steps of the faith WAS

CREDITED

TO

HIM

AS

of our father Abraham which he had

RIGHTEOUSNESS."

while uncircumcised.

4Now to the one who works, his wage is

13For the promise to Abraham or to his

not credited as a favor, but as what is descendants that he would be heir of

due.

the world was not through the Law, but

through the righteousness of faith.

5But to the one who does not work, but

believes in Him who justifies the ungodly,

14For if those who are of the Law are

his faith is credited as righteousness,

heirs, faith is made void and the promise

is nullified;

6just as David also speaks of the

blessing on the man to whom God

15for the Law brings about wrath, but

credits righteousness apart from works:

where there is no law, there also is no violation.

7" BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE

LAWLESS

DEEDS

HAVE

BEEN

16For this reason it is by faith, in order FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE

that it may be in accordance with grace,

BEEN COVERED.

so that the promise will be guaranteed

to all the descendants, not only to those

8" BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN

who are of the Law, but also to those

THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO

who are of the faith of Abraham, who is

ACCOUNT."

the father of us all,

9Is this blessing then on the circumcised,

17(as it is written, " A FATHER OF

or on the uncircumcised also? For we

MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU")

say, " FAITH WAS CREDITED TO

in the presence of Him whom he

ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

believed, even God, who gives life to the 2through whom also we have obtained dead and calls into being that which

our introduction by faith into this grace in

does not exist.

which we stand; and we exult in hope of

the glory of God.

18In hope against hope he believed, so

that he might become a father of many

3And not only this, but we also exult in nations according to that which had

our tribulations, knowing that tribulation been spoken, " SO SHALL YOUR

brings about perseverance;

DESCENDANTS BE."

4and perseverance, proven character;

19Without becoming weak in faith he

and proven character, hope;

contemplated his own body, now as

good as dead since he was about a

5and hope does not disappoint, because

hundred years old, and the deadness of

the love of God has been poured out

Sarah's womb;

within our hearts through the Holy Spirit

who was given to us.

20yet, with respect to the promise of God,

he did not waver in unbelief but grew

6For while we were still helpless, at the strong in faith, giving glory to God,

right time Christ died for the ungodly.

21and being fully assured that what God

7For one will hardly die for a righteous had promised, He was able also to

man; though perhaps for the good man

perform.

someone would dare even to die.

22Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED

8But God demonstrates His own love

TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

toward us, in that while we were yet

sinners, Christ died for us.

23Now not for his sake only was it written

that it was credited to him,

9Much more then, having now been

justified by His blood, we shall be saved

24but for our sake also, to whom it will be

from the wrath of God through Him.

credited, as those who believe in Him

who raised Jesus our Lord from the

10For if while we were enemies we were

dead,

reconciled to God through the death of

His Son, much more, having been

25He who was delivered over because of

reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

our transgressions, and was raised

because of our justification.

11And not only this, but we also exult in

God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

5

through whom we have now received

Therefore, having been justified by

the reconciliation.

faith, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ,

12Therefore, just as through one man sin 19For as through the one man's entered into the world, and death

disobedience the many were made

through sin, and so death spread to all sinners, even so through the obedience

men, because all sinned--

of the One the many will be made

righteous.

13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no 20The Law came in so that the law.

transgression would increase; but where

sin increased, grace abounded all the

14Nevertheless death reigned from

more,

Adam until Moses, even over those who

had not sinned in the likeness of the

21so that, as sin reigned in death, even offense of Adam, who is a type of Him

so

grace

would

reign

through

who was to come.

righteousness to eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

15But the free gift is not like the

transgression.

For

if

by

the

transgression of the one the many died,

6What shall we say then? Are we to

much more did the grace of God and the

continue in sin so that grace may

gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus increase?

Christ, abound to the many.

2

16

May it never be! How shall we who died

The gift is not like that which came

to sin still live in it?

through the one who sinned; for on the

one hand the judgment arose from one

3

transgression resulting in condemnation,

Or do you not know that all of us who but on the other hand the free gift arose

have been baptized into Christ Jesus

from many transgressions resulting in

have been baptized into His death?

justification.

4Therefore we have been buried with

17For if by the transgression of the one,

Him through baptism into death, so that

death reigned through the one, much

as Christ was raised from the dead

more those who receive the abundance

through the glory of the Father, so we

of grace and of the gift of righteousness

too might walk in newness of life.

will reign in life through the One, Jesus 5

Christ.

For if we have become united with Him

in the likeness of His death, certainly we

18So then as through one transgression

shall also be in the likeness of His

there resulted condemnation to all men,

resurrection,

even

so

through

one

act

of

6

righteousness there resulted justification

knowing this, that our old self was

of life to all men.

crucified with Him, in order that our body

of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

7for he who has died is freed from sin.

17But thanks be to God that though you

were slaves of sin, you became

8Now if we have died with Christ, we

obedient from the heart to that form of believe that we shall also live with Him,

teaching to which you were committed,

9

18

knowing that Christ, having been raised

and having been freed from sin, you

from the dead, is never to die again;

became slaves of righteousness.

death no longer is master over Him.

19I am speaking in human terms

10For the death that He died, He died to

because of the weakness of your flesh.

sin once for all; but the life that He lives,

For just as you presented your members

He lives to God.

as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness,

resulting in further lawlessness, so now

11

present your members as slaves to

Even so consider yourselves to be

righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

20For when you were slaves of sin, you

12

were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your

mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

21Therefore what benefit were you then

13

deriving from the things of which you are

and do not go on presenting the

now ashamed? For the outcome of

members of your body to sin as

those things is death.

instruments of unrighteousness; but

present yourselves to God as those

22

alive from the dead, and your members

But now having been freed from sin

as instruments of righteousness to God.

and enslaved to God, you derive your

benefit, resulting in sanctification, and

14

the outcome, eternal life.

For sin shall not be master over you,

for you are not under law but under

23

grace.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ 15

Jesus our Lord.

What then? Shall we sin because we

are not under law but under grace? May

it never be!

7Or do you not know, brethren (for I

16Do you not know that when you

am speaking to those who know the

present yourselves to someone as

law), that the law has jurisdiction over a

slaves for obedience, you are slaves of

person as long as he lives?

the one whom you obey, either of sin

resulting in death, or of obedience

2For the married woman is bound by law

resulting in righteousness?

to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

3So then, if while her husband is living 10and this commandment, which was to she is joined to another man, she shall result in life, proved to result in death for

be called an adulteress; but if her

me;

husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though 11for sin, taking an opportunity through she is joined to another man.

the commandment, deceived me and

through it killed me.

4Therefore, my brethren, you also were

made to die to the Law through the body

12So then, the Law is holy, and the

of Christ, so that you might be joined to

commandment is holy and righteous

another, to Him who was raised from the

and good.

dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

13Therefore did that which is good

become a cause of death for me? May it

5For while we were in the flesh, the

never be! Rather it was sin, in order that

sinful passions, which were aroused by

it might be shown to be sin by effecting the Law, were at work in the members

my death through that which is good, so

of our body to bear fruit for death.

that through the commandment sin

would become utterly sinful.

6But now we have been released from

the Law, having died to that by which we

14For we know that the Law is spiritual, were bound, so that we serve in

but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to newness of the Spirit and not in oldness

sin.

of the letter.

15For what I am doing, I do not

7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? understand; for I am not practicing what May it never be! On the contrary, I I would like to do, but I am doing the would not have come to know sin except

very thing I hate.

through the Law; for I would not have

known about coveting if the Law had not

16But if I do the very thing I do not want

said, " YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

8But sin, taking opportunity through the

commandment,

produced

in

me

17So now, no longer am I the one doing

coveting of every kind; for apart from the

it, but sin which dwells in me.

Law sin is dead.

18

9

For I know that nothing good dwells in

I was once alive apart from the Law;

me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is

but when the commandment came, sin

present in me, but the doing of the good

became alive and I died;

is not.

19For the good that I want, I do not do, sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He but I practice the very evil that I do not condemned sin in the flesh,

want.

4so that the requirement of the Law

20But if I am doing the very thing I do not

might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk

want, I am no longer the one doing it, according to the flesh but according to

but sin which dwells in me.

the Spirit.

21I find then the principle that evil is 5For those who are according to the

present in me, the one who wants to do

flesh set their minds on the things of the

good.

flesh, but those who are according to

the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

6For the mind set on the flesh is death,

but the mind set on the Spirit is life and

23but I see a different law in the

peace,

members of my body, waging war

against the law of my mind and making

7because the mind set on the flesh is

me a prisoner of the law of sin which is hostile toward God; for it does not

in my members.

subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

24Wretched man that I am! Who will set

me free from the body of this death?

8and those who are in the flesh cannot

please God.

25Thanks be to God through Jesus

Christ our Lord! So then, on the one

9However, you are not in the flesh but in

hand I myself with my mind am serving

the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God the law of God, but on the other, with my

dwells in you. But if anyone does not

flesh the law of sin.

have the Spirit of Christ, he does not

belong to Him.

8

10

Therefore

there

is

now

no

If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is

condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus.

alive because of righteousness.

11

2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ

But if the Spirit of Him who raised

Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He

Jesus has set you free from the law of who raised Christ Jesus from the dead

sin and of death.

will also give life to your mortal bodies 3

through His Spirit who dwells in you.

For what the Law could not do, weak as

it was through the flesh, God did:

sending His own Son in the likeness of

12So then, brethren, we are under 22For we know that the whole creation obligation, not to the flesh, to live

groans and suffers the pains of

according to the flesh--

childbirth together until now.

13for if you are living according to the 23And not only this, but also we

flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit ourselves, having the first fruits of the you are putting to death the deeds of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within

body, you will live.

ourselves, waiting eagerly for our

adoption as sons, the redemption of our

14For all who are being led by the Spirit

body.

of God, these are sons of God.

24For in hope we have been saved, but

15For you have not received a spirit of hope that is seen is not hope; for who slavery leading to fear again, but you hopes for what he already sees?

have received a spirit of adoption as

sons by which we cry out, " Abba!

25But if we hope for what we do not see,

Father!"

with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

16The Spirit Himself testifies with our

26In the same way the Spirit also helps spirit that we are children of God,

our weakness; for we do not know how

to pray as we should, but the Spirit

17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God

Himself intercedes for us with groanings

and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we

too deep for words;

suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

27and He who searches the hearts

knows what the mind of the Spirit is,

18For I consider that the sufferings of

because He intercedes for the saints

this present time are not worthy to be

according to the will of God.

compared with the glory that is to be

revealed to us.

28And we know that God causes all

things to work together for good to those

19For the anxious longing of the creation

who love God, to those who are called

waits eagerly for the revealing of the

according to His purpose.

sons of God.

29For those whom He foreknew, He also

20For the creation was subjected to

predestined to become conformed to the

futility, not willingly, but because of Him image of His Son, so that He would be who subjected it, in hope

the firstborn among many brethren;

21

30

that the creation itself also will be set and these whom He predestined, He

free from its slavery to corruption into also called; and these whom He called,

the freedom of the glory of the children He also justified; and these whom He

of God.

justified, He also glorified.

31What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who is against us?

9I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with

32He who did not spare His own Son,

me in the Holy Spirit,

but delivered Him over for us all, how

will He not also with Him freely give us 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing

all things?

grief in my heart.

33Who will bring a charge against God's

3For I could wish that I myself were

elect? God is the one who justifies;

accursed, separated from Christ for the

sake of my brethren, my kinsmen

34who is the one who condemns? Christ

according to the flesh,

Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who

was raised, who is at the right hand of 4who are Israelites, to whom belongs the

God, who also intercedes for us.

adoption as sons, and the glory and the

covenants and the giving of the Law and

35Who will separate us from the love of the temple service and the promises,

Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or

5whose are the fathers, and from whom

peril, or sword?

is the Christ according to the flesh, who

is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

36Just as it is written, " FOR YOUR

SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH

6But it is not as though the word of God

ALL

DAY

LONG;

WE

WERE

has failed. For they are not all Israel CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE

who are descended from Israel;

SLAUGHTERED."

7

37

nor are they all children because they

But

in

all

these

things

we

are Abraham's descendants, but: "

overwhelmingly conquer through Him

THROUGH

ISAAC

YOUR

who loved us.

DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."

38For I am convinced that neither death,

8That is, it is not the children of the flesh

nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, who are children of God, but the

nor things present, nor things to come,

children of the promise are regarded as

nor powers,

descendants.

39nor height, nor depth, nor any other

9For this is the word of promise: " AT

created thing, will be able to separate us

THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH

from the love of God, which is in Christ SHALL HAVE A SON."

Jesus our Lord.

10And not only this, but there was

Rebekah also, when she had conceived

twins by one man, our father Isaac;

11for though the twins were not yet born molded will not say to the molder, "Why and had not done anything good or bad,

did you make me like this," will it?

so that God's purpose according to His

choice would stand, not because of

21Or does not the potter have a right

works but because of Him who calls,

over the clay, to make from the same

lump one vessel for honorable use and

12it was said to her, " THE OLDER WILL

another for common use?

SERVE THE YOUNGER."

22What if God, although willing to

13Just as it is written, " JACOB I LOVED, demonstrate His wrath and to make His

BUT ESAU I HATED."

power known, endured with much

patience vessels of wrath prepared for

14What shall we say then? There is no

destruction?

injustice with God, is there? May it never

be!

23And He did so to make known the

riches of His glory upon vessels of

15For He says to Moses, " I WILL HAVE

mercy, which He prepared beforehand

MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY,

for glory,

AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON

WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."

24even us, whom He also called, not

from among Jews only, but also from

16So then it does not depend on the man

among Gentiles.

who wills or the man who runs, but on

God who has mercy.

25As He says also in Hosea, " I WILL

CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY

17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "

PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED

WHO

WAS

NOT

BELOVED,

YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY

'BELOVED.'"

POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY

NAME

MIGHT

BE

PROCLAIMED

26" AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE

THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."

PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO

THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,'

18So then He has mercy on whom He

THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED

desires, and He hardens whom He

SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."

desires.

27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "

19You will say to me then, " Why does THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE

He still find fault? For who resists His SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND

will?"

OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT

THAT WILL BE SAVED;

20On the contrary, who are you, O man,

who answers back to God? The thing

28FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS

4For Christ is the end of the law for

WORD

ON

THE

EARTH,

righteousness to everyone who believes.

THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."

5For Moses writes that the man who

29And just as Isaiah foretold, " UNLESS

practices the righteousness which is

THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT

based on law shall live by that

TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD

righteousness.

HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND

WOULD

HAVE

RESEMBLED

6But the righteousness based on faith

GOMORRAH."

speaks as follows: " DO NOT SAY IN

YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND

30What shall we say then? That Gentiles,

INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ

who did not pursue righteousness,

down),

attained

righteousness,

even

the

righteousness which is by faith;

7or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE

ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from

31but Israel, pursuing a law of

the dead)."

righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

8But what does it say? " THE WORD IS

32Why? Because they did not pursue it

NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN

by faith, but as though it were by works.

YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith

They stumbled over the stumbling stone, which we are preaching, 33just as it is written, " BEHOLD, I LAY

9that if you confess with your mouth

IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING

Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart

AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE

that God raised Him from the dead, you

WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE

will be saved;

DISAPPOINTED."

10for with the heart a person believes,

10

resulting in righteousness, and with the

Brethren, my heart's desire and

mouth he confesses,

resulting

in

my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

salvation.

11For the Scripture says, " WHOEVER

2For I testify about them that they have a

BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE

zeal for God, but not in accordance with

DISAPPOINTED."

knowledge.

12For there is no distinction between

3For

not

knowing

about

God's

Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is

righteousness and seeking to establish

Lord of all, abounding in riches for all their

own,

they

did

not

subject

who call on Him;

themselves to the righteousness of God.

13for " WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE

21But as for Israel He says, " ALL THE

NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE

DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT

SAVED."

MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND

OBSTINATE PEOPLE."

14How then will they call on Him in

whom they have not believed? How will

they believe in Him whom they have not

11I say then, God has not rejected

heard? And how will they hear without a

His people, has He? May it never be!

preacher?

For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

15How will they preach unless they are

sent? Just as it is written, " HOW

2God has not rejected His people whom

BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF

He foreknew. Or do you not know what

THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF

the Scripture says in the passage about

GOOD THINGS!"

Elijah, how he pleads with God against

Israel?

16However, they did not all heed the

good news; for Isaiah says, " LORD, 3"Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR

WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"

PROPHETS,

THEY

HAVE

TORN

DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE

17So faith comes from hearing, and

AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING

hearing by the word of Christ.

MY LIFE."

18But I say, surely they have never

4But what is the divine response to him?

heard, have they? Indeed they have; "

" I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN

THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO

THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT

ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS

BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."

TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."

5In the same way then, there has also

19But I say, surely Israel did not know, come to be at the present time a

did they? First Moses says, " I WILL

remnant according to God's gracious

MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT

choice.

WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A

NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING

6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on WILL I ANGER YOU."

the basis of works, otherwise grace is

no longer grace.

20And Isaiah is very bold and says, " I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID

7What then? What Israel is seeking, it

NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST

has not obtained, but those who were

TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR

chosen obtained it, and the rest were

ME."

hardened;

8just as it is written, " GOD GAVE THEM

were grafted in among them and

A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE

became partaker with them of the rich

NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,

root of the olive tree,

DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."

18do not be arrogant toward the

9And David says, " LET THEIR TABLE

branches; but if you are arrogant,

BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND

remember that it is not you who

A

STUMBLING

BLOCK

AND

A

supports the root, but the root supports RETRIBUTION TO THEM.

you.

10" LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED

19You will say then, "Branches were

TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR

broken off so that I might be grafted in."

BACKS FOREVER."

20Quite right, they were broken off for

11I say then, they did not stumble so as

their unbelief, but you stand by your

to fall, did they? May it never be! But by

faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;

their transgression salvation has come

to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

21for if God did not spare the natural

branches, He will not spare you, either.

12Now if their transgression is riches for

the world and their failure is riches for 22Behold then the kindness and severity

the Gentiles, how much more will their

of God; to those who fell, severity, but to

fulfillment be!

you, God's kindness, if you continue in

His kindness; otherwise you also will be

13But I am speaking to you who are

cut off.

Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an

apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my

23And they also, if they do not continue ministry,

in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

14if somehow I might move to jealousy

my fellow countrymen and save some of

24For if you were cut off from what is by

them.

nature a wild olive tree, and were

grafted contrary to nature into a

15For

if

their

rejection

is

the

cultivated olive tree, how much more will

reconciliation of the world, what will their

these who are the natural branches be

acceptance be but life from the dead?

grafted into their own olive tree?

16If the first piece of dough is holy, the 25For I do not want you, brethren, to be

lump is also; and if the root is holy, the uninformed of this mystery--so that you branches are too.

will not be wise in your own estimation--

that a partial hardening has happened to

17But if some of the branches were

Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles broken off, and you, being a wild olive, has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it 36For from Him and through Him and to is written, " THE DELIVERER WILL

Him are all things. To Him be the glory COME

FROM

ZION,

HE

WILL

forever. Amen.

REMOVE

UNGODLINESS

FROM

JACOB."

12Therefore I urge you, brethren, by

27" THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH

the mercies of God, to present your

THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR

bodies a living and holy sacrifice,

SINS."

acceptable to God, which is your

spiritual service of worship.

28From the standpoint of the gospel they

are enemies for your sake, but from the

2And do not be conformed to this world,

standpoint of God's choice they are

but be transformed by the renewing of

beloved for the sake of the fathers;

your mind, so that you may prove what

the will of God is, that which is good and

29for the gifts and the calling of God are

acceptable and perfect.

irrevocable.

3For through the grace given to me I say

30For just as you once were disobedient

to everyone among you not to think

to God, but now have been shown

more highly of himself than he ought to mercy because of their disobedience,

think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a

31so these also now have been

measure of faith.

disobedient, that because of the mercy

shown to you they also may now be

4For just as we have many members in

shown mercy.

one body and all the members do not

have the same function,

32For God has shut up all in

disobedience so that He may show

5so we, who are many, are one body in

mercy to all.

Christ, and individually members one of

another.

33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the

wisdom and knowledge of God! How

6Since we have gifts that differ

unsearchable are His judgments and

according to the grace given to us, each

unfathomable His ways!

of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of

34For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND

his faith;

OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS

COUNSELOR?

7if service, in his serving; or he who

teaches, in his teaching;

35Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM

THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO

8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;

HIM AGAIN?

he who gives, with liberality; he who

leads, with diligence; he who shows 20" BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, mercy, with cheerfulness.

FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY,

GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO

9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor

DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING

what is evil; cling to what is good.

COALS ON HIS HEAD."

10

21

Be devoted to one another in brotherly

Do not be overcome by evil, but

love; give preference to one another in

overcome evil with good.

honor;

11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent

13Every person is to be in subjection

in spirit, serving the Lord;

to the governing authorities. For there is

no authority except from God, and those

12rejoicing in hope, persevering in

which exist are established by God.

tribulation, devoted to prayer,

2Therefore whoever resists authority has

13contributing to the needs of the saints,

opposed the ordinance of God; and they

practicing hospitality.

who

have

opposed

will

receive

condemnation upon themselves.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless

3

and do not curse.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want

15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and

to have no fear of authority? Do what is

weep with those who weep.

good and you will have praise from the

same;

16Be of the same mind toward one

4

another; do not be haughty in mind, but

for it is a minister of God to you for associate with the lowly. Do not be wise

good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid;

in your own estimation.

for it does not bear the sword for nothing;

for it is a minister of God, an avenger 17

who brings wrath on the one who

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

practices evil.

Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

5Therefore it is necessary to be in

18

subjection, not only because of wrath,

If possible, so far as it depends on you,

but also for conscience' sake.

be at peace with all men.

6

19

For because of this you also pay taxes,

Never take your own revenge, beloved,

for rulers are servants of God, devoting but leave room for the wrath of God, for

themselves to this very thing.

it is written, " VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

7Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom

custom; fear to whom fear; honor to 2One person has faith that he may eat whom honor.

all things, but he who is weak eats

vegetables only.

8Owe nothing to anyone except to love

one another; for he who loves his

3The one who eats is not to regard with

neighbor has fulfilled the law.

contempt the one who does not eat, and

the one who does not eat is not to judge

9For this, " YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT

the one who eats, for God has accepted

ADULTERY,

YOU

SHALL

NOT

him.

MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,

YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there

4Who are you to judge the servant of

is any other commandment, it is

another? To his own master he stands

summed up in this saying, " YOU

or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is

SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS

able to make him stand.

YOURSELF."

5One person regards one day above

10Love does no wrong to a neighbor;

another, another regards every day alike.

therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

11Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from

6He who observes the day, observes it

sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us for the Lord, and he who eats, does so than when we believed.

for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God;

and he who eats not, for the Lord he

12The night is almost gone, and the day

does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor

7For not one of us lives for himself, and

of light.

not one dies for himself;

13Let us behave properly as in the day, 8for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if

not in carousing and drunkenness, not

we die, we die for the Lord; therefore

in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not

whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

in strife and jealousy.

9For to this end Christ died and lived

14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

again, that He might be Lord both of the

make no provision for the flesh in regard

dead and of the living.

to its lusts.

10But you, why do you judge your

14

brother? Or you again, why do you

Now accept the one who is weak

regard your brother with contempt? For

in faith, but not for the purpose of

we will all stand before the judgment

passing judgment on his opinions.

seat of God.

11For it is written, " AS I LIVE, SAYS

21It is good not to eat meat or to drink THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL

wine, or to do anything by which your

BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE

brother stumbles.

SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

22The faith which you have, have as

12So then each one of us will give an

your own conviction before God. Happy

account of himself to God.

is he who does not condemn himself in

what he approves.

13Therefore let us not judge one another

anymore, but rather determine this-- not

23But he who doubts is condemned if he

to put an obstacle or a stumbling block eats, because his eating is not from faith;

in a brother's way.

and whatever is not from faith is sin.

14I know and am convinced in the Lord

Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; 15Now we who are strong ought to

but to him who thinks anything to be

bear the weaknesses of those without

unclean, to him it is unclean.

strength and not just please ourselves.

15For if because of food your brother is 2Each of us is to please his neighbor for

hurt, you are no longer walking

his good, to his edification.

according to love. Do not destroy with

your food him for whom Christ died.

3For even Christ did not please Himself;

16

but

as

it

is

written,

"

THE

Therefore do not let what is for you a REPROACHES

OF

THOSE

WHO

good thing be spoken of as evil;

REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME."

17for the kingdom of God is not eating

4For whatever was written in earlier

and drinking, but righteousness and

times was written for our instruction, so peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

that through perseverance and the

encouragement of the Scriptures we

18For he who in this way serves Christ is

might have hope.

acceptable to God and approved by

men.

5Now may the God who gives

perseverance and encouragement grant

19So then we pursue the things which

you to be of the same mind with one

make for peace and the building up of

another according to Christ Jesus,

one another.

6so that with one accord you may with

20Do not tear down the work of God for

one voice glorify the God and Father of the sake of food. All things indeed are our Lord Jesus Christ.

clean, but they are evil for the man who

eats and gives offense.

7Therefore, accept one another, just as 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Christ also accepted us to the glory of Gentiles, ministering as a priest the

God.

gospel of God, so that my offering of the

Gentiles

may

become

acceptable,

8For I say that Christ has become a

sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises

17Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found

given to the fathers,

reason for boasting in things pertaining

to God.

9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His

mercy;

as

it

is

written,

"

18For I will not presume to speak of

THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO

anything

except

what

Christ

has

YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I

accomplished through me, resulting in

WILL SING TO YOUR NAME."

the obedience of the Gentiles by word

and deed,

10Again he says, " REJOICE, O

GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE."

19in the power of signs and wonders, in

the power of the Spirit; so that from

11And again, " PRAISE THE LORD ALL

Jerusalem and round about as far as

YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE

Illyricum I have fully preached the

PEOPLES PRAISE HIM."

gospel of Christ.

12

20

Again Isaiah says, " THERE SHALL

And thus I aspired to preach the

COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE

gospel, not where Christ was already

WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE

named, so that I would not build on

GENTILES, IN HIM

SHALL THE

another man's foundation;

GENTILES HOPE."

21but as it is written, " THEY WHO HAD

13Now may the God of hope fill you with

NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND

all joy and peace in believing, so that THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD

you will abound in hope by the power of

SHALL UNDERSTAND."

the Holy Spirit.

22For this reason I have often been

14And concerning you, my brethren, I

prevented from coming to you;

myself also am convinced that you

yourselves are full of goodness, filled

23but now, with no further place for me in

with all knowledge and able also to

these regions, and since I have had for admonish one another.

many years a longing to come to you

15But I have written very boldly to you on

24whenever I go to Spain--for I hope to some points so as to remind you again,

see you in passing, and to be helped on

because of the grace that was given me

my way there by you, when I have first from God,

enjoyed your company for a while--

25but now, I am going to Jerusalem 2that you receive her in the Lord in a serving the saints.

manner worthy of the saints, and that

you help her in whatever matter she

26For Macedonia and Achaia have been

may have need of you; for she herself

pleased to make a contribution for the

has also been a helper of many, and of

poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

myself as well.

27

3

Yes, they were pleased to do so, and

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow

they are indebted to them. For if the

workers in Christ Jesus,

Gentiles have shared in their spiritual

things, they are indebted to minister to 4who for my life risked their own necks,

them also in material things.

to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

28Therefore, when I have finished this,

and have put my seal on this fruit of

5also greet the church that is in their theirs, I will go on by way of you to house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, Spain.

who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

29I know that when I come to you, I will

come in the fullness of the blessing of 6Greet Mary, who has worked hard for

Christ.

you.

30Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord

7Greet Andronicus and Junias, my

Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,

kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who

to strive together with me in your

are outstanding among the apostles,

prayers to God for me,

who also were in Christ before me.

31that I may be rescued from those who

8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the

are disobedient in Judea, and that my

Lord.

service for Jerusalem may prove

acceptable to the saints;

9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in

Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

32so that I may come to you in joy by the

will of God and find refreshing rest in 10Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ.

your company.

Greet those who are of the household of

Aristobulus.

33Now the God of peace be with you all.

Amen.

11Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet

those of the household of Narcissus,

16

who are in the Lord.

I commend to you our sister

12

Phoebe, who is a servant of the church

Greet

Tryphaena

and

Tryphosa,

which is at Cenchrea;

workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the

beloved, who has worked hard in the 20The God of peace will soon crush Lord.

Satan under your feet. The grace of our

Lord Jesus be with you.

13Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord,

also his mother and mine.

21Timothy my fellow worker greets you,

and so do Lucius and Jason and

14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes,

Sosipater, my kinsmen.

Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with

them.

22I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord.

15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus

and his sister, and Olympas, and all the

23Gaius, host to me and to the whole

saints who are with them.

church, greets you. Erastus, the city

treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the

16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All

brother.

the churches of Christ greet you.

24[ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

17Now I urge you, brethren, keep your

be with you all. Amen.]

eye on those who cause dissensions

and hindrances contrary to the teaching

25Now to Him who is able to establish

which you learned, and turn away from

you according to my gospel and the

them.

preaching of Jesus Christ, according to

the revelation of the mystery which has

18For such men are slaves, not of our

been kept secret for long ages past,

Lord Christ but of their own appetites;

and by their smooth and flattering

26but now is manifested, and by the

speech they deceive the hearts of the

Scriptures of the prophets, according to

unsuspecting.

the commandment of the eternal God,

has been made known to all the nations,

19For the report of your obedience has

leading to obedience of faith;

reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in 27to the only wise God, through Jesus what is good and innocent in what is evil. Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

1st Corinthians

10Now I exhort you, brethren, by the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you

1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes

complete in the same mind and in the

our brother,

same judgment.

2To the church of God which is at

11For I have been informed concerning

Corinth, to those who have been

you, my brethren, by Chloe's people,

sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by

that there are quarrels among you.

calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

12

their Lord and ours:

Now I mean this, that each one of you

is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of 3Grace to you and peace from God our Christ."

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

13

4

Has Christ been divided? Paul was not

I thank my God always concerning you

crucified for you, was he? Or were you

for the grace of God which was given

baptized in the name of Paul?

you in Christ Jesus,

14

5

I thank God that I baptized none of you

that in everything you were enriched in

except Crispus and Gaius,

Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

15

6

so that no one would say you were

even as the testimony concerning

baptized in my name.

Christ was confirmed in you,

16Now I did baptize also the household

7so that you are not lacking in any gift, of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not

awaiting eagerly the revelation of our

know whether I baptized any other.

Lord Jesus Christ,

17

8

For Christ did not send me to baptize,

who will also confirm you to the end,

but to preach the gospel, not in

blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus

cleverness of speech, so that the cross

Christ.

of Christ would not be made void.

9God is faithful, through whom you were

18For the word of the cross is

called into fellowship with His Son,

foolishness to those who are perishing,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written, " I WILL DESTROY

things that are not, so that He may

THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND

nullify the things that are,

THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I

WILL SET ASIDE."

29so that no man may boast before God.

20Where is the wise man? Where is the

30But by His doing you are in Christ

scribe? Where is the debater of this age?

Jesus, who became to us wisdom from

Has not God made foolish the wisdom

God,

and

righteousness

and

of the world?

sanctification, and redemption,

21For since in the wisdom of God the

31so that, just as it is written, " LET HIM

world through its wisdom did not come

WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

to know God, God was well-pleased

through the foolishness of the message

preached to save those who believe.

2And when I came to you, brethren, I

22For indeed Jews ask for signs and

did not come with superiority of speech

Greeks search for wisdom;

or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the

testimony of God.

23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews

2

a stumbling block and to Gentiles

For I determined to know nothing

foolishness,

among you except Jesus Christ, and

Him crucified.

24but to those who are the called, both 3

Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of

I was with you in weakness and in fear

God and the wisdom of God.

and in much trembling,

4

25Because the foolishness of God is

and my message and my preaching

wiser than men, and the weakness of

were not in persuasive words of wisdom,

God is stronger than men.

but in demonstration of the Spirit and of

power,

26For consider your calling, brethren,

5

that there were not many wise according

so that your faith would not rest on the

to the flesh, not many mighty, not many

wisdom of men, but on the power of

noble;

God.

6

27but God has chosen the foolish things

Yet we do speak wisdom among those

of the world to shame the wise, and God

who are mature; a wisdom, however,

has chosen the weak things of the world

not of this age nor of the rulers of this to shame the things which are strong,

age, who are passing away;

28and the base things of the world and

the despised God has chosen, the

7but we speak God's wisdom in a 15But he who is spiritual appraises all mystery, the hidden wisdom which God

things, yet he himself is appraised by no

predestined before the ages to our glory; one.

8the wisdom which none of the rulers of

16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND

this age has understood; for if they had OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL

understood it they would not have

INSTRUCT HIMNULL But we have the

crucified the Lord of glory;

mind of Christ.

9but just as it is written, " THINGS

WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND

3And I, brethren, could not speak to EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which

you as to spiritual men, but as to men of

HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF

flesh, as to infants in Christ.

MAN,

ALL

THAT

GOD

HAS

PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE

2

HIM."

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food;

for you were not yet able to receive it.

10

Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

For to us God revealed them through

the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all

3

things, even the depths of God.

for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are

11

you not fleshly, and are you not walking

For who among men knows the

like mere men?

thoughts of a man except the spirit of

the man which is in him? Even so the

4

thoughts of God no one knows except

For when one says, "I am of Paul," and the Spirit of God.

another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?

12Now we have received, not the spirit of

5

the world, but the Spirit who is from God,

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?

so that we may know the things freely

Servants through whom you believed,

given to us by God,

even as the Lord gave opportunity to

each one.

13which things we also speak, not in

6

words taught by human wisdom, but in

I planted, Apollos watered, but God

those taught by the Spirit, combining

was causing the growth.

spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

7So then neither the one who plants nor

14But a natural man does not accept the

the one who waters is anything, but God

things of the Spirit of God, for they are who causes the growth.

foolishness to him; and he cannot

8

understand them, because they are

Now he who plants and he who waters

spiritually appraised.

are one; but each will receive his own

reward according to his own labor.

9For we are God's fellow workers; you 19For the wisdom of this world is are God's field, God's building.

foolishness before God. For it is written,

"He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE

10According to the grace of God which

WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";

was given to me, like a wise master

builder I laid a foundation, and another 20and again, " THE LORD KNOWS THE

is building on it. But each man must be REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY

careful how he builds on it.

ARE USELESS."

11For no man can lay a foundation other

21So then let no one boast in men. For than the one which is laid, which is

all things belong to you,

Jesus Christ.

22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or

12Now if any man builds on the

the world or life or death or things

foundation with gold, silver, precious

present or things to come; all things

stones, wood, hay, straw,

belong to you,

13each man's work will become evident;

23and you belong to Christ; and Christ

for the day will show it because it is to belongs to God.

be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

4Let a man regard us in this manner,

14If any man's work which he has built

as servants of Christ and stewards of

on it remains, he will receive a reward.

the mysteries of God.

15If any man's work is burned up, he will

2In this case, moreover, it is required of

suffer loss; but he himself will be saved,

stewards that one be found trustworthy.

yet so as through fire.

3

16

But to me it is a very small thing that I Do you not know that you are a temple

may be examined by you, or by any

of God and that the Spirit of God dwells

human court; in fact, I do not even

in you?

examine myself.

17If any man destroys the temple of God,

4For I am conscious of nothing against

God will destroy him, for the temple of myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; God is holy, and that is what you are.

but the one who examines me is the

Lord.

18Let no man deceive himself. If any

man among you thinks that he is wise in

5Therefore do not go on passing

this age, he must become foolish, so

judgment before the time, but wait until that he may become wise.

the Lord comes who will both bring to

light the things hidden in the darkness

and disclose the motives of men's

hearts; and then each man's praise will 13when we are slandered, we try to come to him from God.

conciliate; we have become as the scum

of the world, the dregs of all things, even

6Now these things, brethren, I have

until now.

figuratively applied to myself and

Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you

14I do not write these things to shame

may learn not to exceed what is written,

you, but to admonish you as my beloved

so that no one of you will become

children.

arrogant in behalf of one against the

other.

15For if you were to have countless

tutors in Christ, yet you would not have 7For who regards you as superior? What

many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I

do you have that you did not receive?

became your father through the gospel.

And if you did receive it, why do you

boast as if you had not received it?

16Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of

me.

8You are already filled, you have already

become rich, you have become kings

17For this reason I have sent to you

without us; and indeed, I wish that you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful

had become kings so that we also might

child in the Lord, and he will remind you

reign with you.

of my ways which are in Christ, just as I

teach everywhere in every church.

9For, I think, God has exhibited us

apostles last of all, as men condemned

18Now some have become arrogant, as

to death; because we have become a

though I were not coming to you.

spectacle to the world, both to angels

and to men.

19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord

wills, and I shall find out, not the words 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but you

of those who are arrogant but their

are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but power.

you are strong; you are distinguished,

but we are without honor.

20For the kingdom of God does not

consist in words but in power.

11To this present hour we are both

hungry and thirsty, and are poorly

21What do you desireNULL Shall I come

clothed, and are roughly treated, and

to you with a rod, or with love and a are homeless;

spirit of gentlenessNULL

12and we toil, working with our own

hands; when we are reviled, we bless;

5It is actually reported that there is when we are persecuted, we endure;

immorality among you, and immorality of

such a kind as does not exist even

among the Gentiles, that someone has for then you would have to go out of the his father's wife.

world.

2You have become arrogant and have

11But actually, I wrote to you not to

not mourned instead, so that the one

associate with any so-called brother if

who had done this deed would be

he is an immoral person, or covetous, or

removed from your midst.

an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or

a swindler--not even to eat with such a 3For I, on my part, though absent in

one.

body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this,

12For what have I to do with judging

as though I were present.

outsiders? Do you not judge those who

are within the church?

4In the name of our Lord Jesus, when

you are assembled, and I with you in

13But those who are outside, God judges.

spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM

AMONG YOURSELVES.

5I have decided to deliver such a one to

Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so

that his spirit may be saved in the day of

6Does any one of you, when he has a

the Lord Jesus.

case against his neighbor, dare to go to

law before the unrighteous and not

6Your boasting is not good. Do you not

before the saints?

know that a little leaven leavens the

whole lump of dough?

2Or do you not know that the saints will

judge the world? If the world is judged 7Clean out the old leaven so that you

by you, are you not competent to

may be a new lump, just as you are in constitute the smallest law courts?

fact

unleavened.

For

Christ

our

Passover also has been sacrificed.

3Do you not know that we will judge

angels? How much more matters of this

8Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not

life?

with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the

4So if you have law courts dealing with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

matters of this life, do you appoint them

as judges who are of no account in the 9I wrote you in my letter not to associate

church?

with immoral people;

5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that 10I did not at all mean with the immoral there is not among you one wise man people of this world, or with the

who will be able to decide between his

covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters,

brethren,

6but brother goes to law with brother, 15Do you not know that your bodies are and that before unbelievers?

members of Christ? Shall I then take

away the members of Christ and make

7Actually, then, it is already a defeat for

them members of a prostitute? May it

you, that you have lawsuits with one

never be!

another. Why not rather be wronged?

Why not rather be defrauded?

16Or do you not know that the one who

joins himself to a prostitute is one body 8On the contrary, you yourselves wrong

with her? For He says, " THE TWO

and defraud. You do this even to your

SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."

brethren.

17But the one who joins himself to the

9Or do you not know that the

Lord is one spirit with Him.

unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom

of God? Do not be deceived; neither

18Flee immorality. Every other sin that a

fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,

man commits is outside the body, but

nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

the immoral man sins against his own

body.

10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor

drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers,

19Or do you not know that your body is a

will inherit the kingdom of God.

temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you

11Such were some of you; but you were

are not your own?

washed, but you were sanctified, but

you were justified in the name of the

20For you have been bought with a price:

Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our

therefore glorify God in your body.

God.

12All things are lawful for me, but not all

7Now concerning the things about

things are profitable. All things are lawful

which you wrote, it is good for a man not

for me, but I will not be mastered by

to touch a woman.

anything.

2

13

But because of immoralities, each man

Food is for the stomach and the

is to have his own wife, and each

stomach is for food, but God will do

woman is to have her own husband.

away with both of them. Yet the body is

not for immorality, but for the Lord, and 3

the Lord is for the body.

The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her 14

husband.

Now God has not only raised the Lord,

but will also raise us up through His

4

power.

The wife does not have authority over

her own body, but the husband does;

and likewise also the husband does not

have authority over his own body, but her, she must not send her husband the wife does.

away.

5Stop depriving one another, except by

14For the unbelieving husband is

agreement for a time, so that you may

sanctified through his wife, and the

devote yourselves to prayer, and come

unbelieving wife is sanctified through

together again so that Satan will not

her believing husband; for otherwise

tempt you because of your lack of self—

your children are unclean, but now they

control.

are holy.

6But this I say by way of concession, not

15Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let of command.

him leave; the brother or the sister is not

under bondage in such cases, but God

7Yet I wish that all men were even as I has called us to peace.

myself am. However, each man has his

own gift from God, one in this manner,

16For how do you know, O wife, whether

and another in that.

you will save your husband? Or how do

you know, O husband, whether you will

8But I say to the unmarried and to

save your wife?

widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.

17Only, as the Lord has assigned to

each one, as God has called each, in

9But if they do not have self-control, let this manner let him walk. And so I direct

them marry; for it is better to marry than

in all the churches.

to burn with passion.

18Was any man called when he was

10But to the married I give instructions, already circumcised? He is not to

not I, but the Lord, that the wife should become uncircumcised. Has anyone

not leave her husband

been called in uncircumcision? He is not

to be circumcised.

11(but if she does leave, she must

19

remain unmarried, or else be reconciled

Circumcision

is

nothing,

and

to her husband), and that the husband

uncircumcision is nothing, but what

should not divorce his wife.

matters

is

the

keeping

of

the

commandments of God.

12But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that

20

if any brother has a wife who is an

Each man must remain in that

unbeliever, and she consents to live with

condition in which he was called.

him, he must not divorce her.

21Were you called while a slave? Do not

13And a woman who has an unbelieving

worry about it; but if you are able also to

husband, and he consents to live with

become free, rather do that.

22For he who was called in the Lord for the form of this world is passing while a slave, is the Lord's freedman;

away.

likewise he who was called while free, is

Christ's slave.

32But I want you to be free from concern.

One who is unmarried is concerned

23You were bought with a price; do not

about the things of the Lord, how he

become slaves of men.

may please the Lord;

24Brethren, each one is to remain with

33but one who is married is concerned

God in that condition in which he was

about the things of the world, how he

called.

may please his wife,

25Now concerning virgins I have no

34and his interests are divided. The

command of the Lord, but I give an

woman who is unmarried, and the virgin,

opinion as one who by the mercy of the

is concerned about the things of the

Lord is trustworthy.

Lord, that she may be holy both in body

and spirit; but one who is married is

26I think then that this is good in view of

concerned about the things of the world,

the present distress, that it is good for a

how she may please her husband.

man to remain as he is.

35This I say for your own benefit; not to

27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek

put a restraint upon you, but to promote

to be released. Are you released from a

what is appropriate and to secure

wife? Do not seek a wife.

undistracted devotion to the Lord.

28

36

But if you marry, you have not sinned;

But if any man thinks that he is acting

and if a virgin marries, she has not

unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter,

sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this

if she is past her youth, and if it must be

life, and I am trying to spare you.

so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.

29But this I say, brethren, the time has 37

been shortened, so that from now on

But he who stands firm in his heart,

those who have wives should be as

being under no constraint, but has

though they had none;

authority over his own will, and has

decided this in his own heart, to keep

30

his own virgin daughter, he will do well.

and those who weep, as though they

did not weep; and those who rejoice, as

38

though they did not rejoice; and those

So then both he who gives his own

who buy, as though they did not

virgin daughter in marriage does well,

possess;

and he who does not give her in

marriage will do better.

31and those who use the world, as

though they did not make full use of it;

39A wife is bound as long as her and their conscience being weak is husband lives; but if her husband is

defiled.

dead, she is free to be married to whom

she wishes, only in the Lord.

8But food will not commend us to God;

we are neither the worse if we do not

40But in my opinion she is happier if she

eat, nor the better if we do eat.

remains as she is; and I think that I also

have the Spirit of God.

9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling

8

block to the weak.

Now concerning things sacrificed to

10

idols, we know that we all have

For if someone sees you, who have

knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant,

knowledge, dining in an idol's temple,

but love edifies.

will not his conscience, if he is weak, be

strengthened to eat things sacrificed to

2If anyone supposes that he knows

idols?

anything, he has not yet known as he

11

ought to know;

For through your knowledge he who is

weak is ruined, the brother for whose

3but if anyone loves God, he is known

sake Christ died.

by Him.

12And so, by sinning against the

4

brethren and wounding their conscience

Therefore concerning the eating of

when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the 13

world, and that there is no God but one.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to

stumble, I will never eat meat again, so

5

that I will not cause my brother to

For even if there are so-called gods

whether in heaven or on earth, as

stumble.

indeed there are many gods and many

lords,

9Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?

6yet for us there is but one God, the

Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are

Father, from whom are all things and we

you not my work in the Lord?

exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus

Christ, by whom are all things, and we

2If to others I am not an apostle, at least

exist through Him.

I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

7However not all men have this

knowledge;

but

some,

being

3My defense to those who examine me

accustomed to the idol until now, eat

is this:

food as if it were sacrificed to an idol;

4Do we not have a right to eat and drink? the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share 5Do we not have a right to take along a

from the altar?

believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord

14So also the Lord directed those who

and Cephas?

proclaim the gospel to get their living

from the gospel.

6Or do only Barnabas and I not have a

right to refrain from working?

15But I have used none of these things.

And I am not writing these things so that

7Who at any time serves as a soldier at

it will be done so in my case; for it would

his own expense? Who plants a

be better for me to die than have any

vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it?

man make my boast an empty one.

Or who tends a flock and does not use

the milk of the flock?

16For if I preach the gospel, I have

nothing to boast of, for I am under

8I am not speaking these things

compulsion; for woe is me if I do not

according to human judgment, am I? Or

preach the gospel.

does not the Law also say these things?

17For if I do this voluntarily, I have a 9For it is written in the Law of Moses, "

reward; but if against my will, I have a YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX

stewardship entrusted to me.

WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not

concerned about oxen, is He?

18What then is my reward? That, when I

preach the gospel, I may offer the

10Or is He speaking altogether for our

gospel without charge, so as not to

sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, make full use of my right in the gospel.

because the plowman ought to plow in

hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope

19For though I am free from all men, I of sharing the crops.

have made myself a slave to all, so that

I may win more.

11If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it

too much if we reap material things from

20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so

you?

that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though

12If others share the right over you, do not being myself under the Law, so that

we not more? Nevertheless, we did not

I might win those who are under the Law;

use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to

21to those who are without law, as

the gospel of Christ.

without law, though not being without

the law of God but under the law of

13Do you not know that those who

Christ, so that I might win those who are

perform sacred services eat the food of

without law.

22To the weak I became weak, that I 5Nevertheless, with most of them God might win the weak; I have become all

was not well-pleased; for they were laid

things to all men, so that I may by all low in the wilderness.

means save some.

6Now these things happened as

23I do all things for the sake of the

examples for us, so that we would not

gospel, so that I may become a fellow

crave evil things as they also craved.

partaker of it.

7Do not be idolaters, as some of them

24Do you not know that those who run in

were; as it is written, " THE PEOPLE

a race all run, but only one receives the

SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND

prize? Run in such a way that you may

STOOD UP TO PLAY."

win.

8Nor let us act immorally, as some of

25Everyone who competes in the games

them did, and twenty-three thousand fell

exercises self-control in all things. They in one day.

then do it to receive a perishable wreath,

but we an imperishable.

9Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them

did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not

10Nor grumble, as some of them did,

beating the air;

and were destroyed by the destroyer.

27but I discipline my body and make it

11Now these things happened to them

my slave, so that, after I have preached

as an example, and they were written

to others, I myself will not be disqualified. for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

10For I do not want you to be 12Therefore let him who thinks he stands unaware, brethren, that our fathers were take heed that he does not fall.

all under the cloud and all passed

through the sea;

13No temptation has overtaken you but

such as is common to man; and God is

2and all were baptized into Moses in the

faithful, who will not allow you to be

cloud and in the sea;

tempted beyond what you are able, but

with the temptation will provide the way 3

of escape also, so that you will be able and all ate the same spiritual food;

to endure it.

4and all drank the same spiritual drink, 14

for they were drinking from a spiritual

Therefore, my beloved, flee from

rock which followed them; and the rock

idolatry.

was Christ.

15I speak as to wise men; you judge 26FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, what I say.

AND ALL IT CONTAINS.

16Is not the cup of blessing which we

27If one of the unbelievers invites you

bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is

and you want to go, eat anything that is

not the bread which we break a sharing

set before you without asking questions

in the body of Christ?

for conscience' sake.

17Since there is one bread, we who are

28But if anyone says to you, "This is many are one body; for we all partake of

meat sacrificed to idols," do not eat it, the one bread.

for the sake of the one who informed

you, and for conscience' sake;

18Look at the nation Israel; are not those

who eat the sacrifices sharers in the

29I mean not your own conscience, but

altar?

the other man's; for why is my freedom

judged by another's conscience?

19What do I mean then? That a thing

sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an

30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I

idol is anything?

slandered concerning that for which I

give thanks?

20No, but I say that the things which the

Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to

31Whether, then, you eat or drink or

demons and not to God; and I do not

whatever you do, do all to the glory of want you to become sharers in demons.

God.

21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord

32Give no offense either to Jews or to

and the cup of demons; you cannot

Greeks or to the church of God;

partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the

22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? profit of the many, so that they may be We are not stronger than He, are we?

saved.

23All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but 11Be imitators of me, just as I also not all things edify.

am of Christ.

24Let no one seek his own good, but that

2Now I praise you because you

of his neighbor.

remember me in everything and hold

firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered

25Eat anything that is sold in the meat them to you.

market without asking questions for

conscience' sake;

3But I want you to understand that Christ through the woman; and all things is the head of every man, and the man

originate from God.

is the head of a woman, and God is the

head of Christ.

13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a

woman to pray to God with her head

4Every man who has something on his

uncovered?

head while praying or prophesying

disgraces his head.

14Does not even nature itself teach you

that if a man has long hair, it is a

5But every woman who has her head

dishonor to him,

uncovered while praying or prophesying

disgraces her head, for she is one and

15but if a woman has long hair, it is a the same as the woman whose head is

glory to her? For her hair is given to her

shaved.

for a covering.

6For if a woman does not cover her

16But if one is inclined to be contentious,

head, let her also have her hair cut off; we have no other practice, nor have the

but if it is disgraceful for a woman to churches of God.

have her hair cut off or her head shaved,

let her cover her head.

17But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together

7For a man ought not to have his head

not for the better but for the worse.

covered, since he is the image and glory

of God; but the woman is the glory of

18For, in the first place, when you come

man.

together as a church, I hear that

divisions exist among you; and in part I 8For man does not originate from

believe it.

woman, but woman from man;

19For there must also be factions among

9for indeed man was not created for the

you, so that those who are approved

woman's sake, but woman for the man's

may become evident among you.

sake.

20Therefore when you meet together, it

10Therefore the woman ought to have a

is not to eat the Lord's Supper,

symbol of authority on her head,

because of the angels.

21for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and

11However, in the Lord, neither is

another is drunk.

woman independent of man, nor is man

independent of woman.

22What! Do you not have houses in

which to eat and drink? Or do you

12For as the woman originates from the

despise the church of God and shame

man, so also the man has his birth

those who have nothing? What shall I

say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I 32But when we are judged, we are will not praise you.

disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

23For I received from the Lord that which

I also delivered to you, that the Lord

33So then, my brethren, when you come

Jesus in the night in which He was

together to eat, wait for one another.

betrayed took bread;

34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at

24and when He had given thanks, He

home, so that you will not come together

broke it and said, "This is My body, for judgment. The remaining matters I

which is for you; do this in remembrance

will arrange when I come.

of Me."

25In the same way He took the cup also

12Now concerning spiritual gifts,

after supper, saying, "This cup is the brethren, I do not want you to be

new covenant in My blood; do this, as

unaware.

often as you drink it, in remembrance of

Me."

2You know that when you were pagans,

26

you were led astray to the mute idols,

For as often as you eat this bread and

however you were led.

drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's

death until He comes.

3Therefore I make known to you that no

27

one speaking by the Spirit of God says,

Therefore whoever eats the bread or

"Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, drinks the cup of the Lord in an

"Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the

body and the blood of the Lord.

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the

28

same Spirit.

But a man must examine himself, and

in so doing he is to eat of the bread and

5

drink of the cup.

And there are varieties of ministries,

and the same Lord.

29For he who eats and drinks, eats and

6

drinks judgment to himself if he does not

There are varieties of effects, but the

judge the body rightly.

same God who works all things in all

persons.

30For this reason many among you are

7

weak and sick, and a number sleep.

But to each one is given the

manifestation of the Spirit for the

31

common good.

But if we judged ourselves rightly, we

would not be judged.

8For to one is given the word of wisdom

through the Spirit, and to another the

word of knowledge according to the hearing, where would the sense of smell same Spirit;

be?

9to another faith by the same Spirit, and

18But now God has placed the members,

to another gifts of healing by the one

each one of them, in the body, just as Spirit,

He desired.

10and to another the effecting of

19If they were all one member, where

miracles, and to another prophecy, and

would the body be?

to another the distinguishing of spirits, to

another various kinds of tongues, and to

20But now there are many members, but

another the interpretation of tongues.

one body.

11But one and the same Spirit works all

21And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I

these things, distributing to each one

have no need of you"; or again the head

individually just as He wills.

to the feet, "I have no need of you."

12For even as the body is one and yet

22On the contrary, it is much truer that has many members, and all the

the members of the body which seem to

members of the body, though they are

be weaker are necessary;

many, are one body, so also is Christ.

23and those members of the body which

13For by one Spirit we were all baptized

we deem less honorable, on these we

into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,

bestow more abundant honor, and our

whether slaves or free, and we were all less presentable members become

made to drink of one Spirit.

much more presentable,

14For the body is not one member, but

24whereas

our

more

presentable

many.

members have no need of it. But God

has so composed the body, giving more

15If the foot says, "Because I am not a abundant honor to that member which

hand, I am not a part of the body," it is lacked,

not for this reason any the less a part of

the body.

25so that there may be no division in the

body, but that the members may have

16And if the ear says, "Because I am not

the same care for one another.

an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of

26And if one member suffers, all the

the body.

members suffer with it; if one member is

honored, all the members rejoice with it.

17If the whole body were an eye, where

would the hearing be? If the whole were

27Now you are Christ's body, and

individually members of it.

28And God has appointed in the church, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, first apostles, second prophets, third

but rejoices with the truth;

teachers, then miracles, then gifts of

healings, helps, administrations, various

7bears all things, believes all things,

kinds of tongues.

hopes all things, endures all things.

29All are not apostles, are they? All are 8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of

not prophets, are they? All are not

prophecy, they will be done away; if

teachers, are they? All are not workers

there are tongues, they will cease; if

of miracles, are they?

there is knowledge, it will be done away.

30All do not have gifts of healings, do 9For we know in part and we prophesy

they? All do not speak with tongues, do

in part;

they? All do not interpret, do they?

10but when the perfect comes, the partial

31But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

will be done away.

And I show you a still more excellent

way.

11When I was a child, I used to speak

like a child, think like a child, reason like

13

a child; when I became a man, I did

If I speak with the tongues of men

away with childish things.

and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging

12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but

cymbal.

then face to face; now I know in part, but

then I will know fully just as I also have 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know

been fully known.

all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I

have all faith, so as to remove

13But now faith, hope, love, abide these

mountains, but do not have love, I am

three; but the greatest of these is love.

nothing.

3And if I give all my possessions to feed

14Pursue love, yet desire earnestly

the poor, and if I surrender my body to spiritual gifts, but especially that you

be burned, but do not have love, it

may prophesy.

profits me nothing.

2

4

For one who speaks in a tongue does

Love is patient, love is kind and is not not speak to men but to God; for no one

jealous; love does not brag and is not

understands, but in his spirit he speaks arrogant,

mysteries.

5does not act unbecomingly; it does not

seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

3But one who prophesies speaks to men speaks a barbarian, and the one who for edification and exhortation and

speaks will be a barbarian to me.

consolation.

12So also you, since you are zealous of

4One who speaks in a tongue edifies

spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the

himself; but one who prophesies edifies

edification of the church.

the church.

13Therefore let one who speaks in a

5Now I wish that you all spoke in

tongue pray that he may interpret.

tongues, but even more that you would

prophesy; and greater is one who

14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prophesies than one who speaks in

prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

tongues, unless he interprets, so that

the church may receive edifying.

15What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the 6But now, brethren, if I come to you mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I

speaking in tongues, what will I profit

will sing with the mind also.

you unless I speak to you either by way

of revelation or of knowledge or of

16Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only,

prophecy or of teaching?

how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your 7Yet even lifeless things, either flute or giving of thanks, since he does not know harp, in producing a sound, if they do

what you are saying?

not produce a distinction in the tones,

how will it be known what is played on 17For you are giving thanks well enough,

the flute or on the harp?

but the other person is not edified.

8For if the bugle produces an indistinct 18I thank God, I speak in tongues more

sound, who will prepare himself for

than you all;

battle?

19

9

however, in the church I desire to

So also you, unless you utter by the

speak five words with my mind so that I

tongue speech that is clear, how will it may instruct others also, rather than ten

be known what is spoken? For you will

thousand words in a tongue.

be speaking into the air.

20

10

Brethren, do not be children in your

There are, perhaps, a great many

thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in kinds of languages in the world, and no your thinking be mature.

kind is without meaning.

21

11

In the Law it is written, " BY MEN OF

If then I do not know the meaning of

STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE

the language, I will be to the one who LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK

TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO

THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says 30But if a revelation is made to another the Lord.

who is seated, the first one must keep

silent.

22So then tongues are for a sign, not to

those who believe but to unbelievers;

31For you can all prophesy one by one,

but prophecy is for a sign, not to

so that all may learn and all may be

unbelievers but to those who believe.

exhorted;

23Therefore if the whole church

32and the spirits of prophets are subject

assembles together and all speak in

to prophets;

tongues,

and

ungifted

men

or

unbelievers enter, will they not say that 33for God is not a God of confusion but

you are mad?

of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is

34The women are to keep silent in the

convicted by all, he is called to account churches; for they are not permitted to by all;

speak, but are to subject themselves,

just as the Law also says.

25the secrets of his heart are disclosed;

and so he will fall on his face and

35If they desire to learn anything, let

worship God, declaring that God is

them ask their own husbands at home;

certainly among you.

for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

26What is the outcome then, brethren?

When you assemble, each one has a

36Was it from you that the word of God

psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation,

first went forth? Or has it come to you has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let only?

all things be done for edification.

37If anyone thinks he is a prophet or

27If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should

spiritual, let him recognize that the

be by two or at the most three, and each

things which I write to you are the Lord's

in turn, and one must interpret;

commandment.

28but if there is no interpreter, he must 38But if anyone does not recognize this,

keep silent in the church; and let him

he is not recognized.

speak to himself and to God.

39Therefore,

my

brethren,

desire

29Let two or three prophets speak, and

earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid

let the others pass judgment.

to speak in tongues.

40But all things must be done properly

and in an orderly manner.

11

15

Whether then it was I or they, so we

Now I make known to you,

preach and so you believed.

brethren, the gospel which I preached to

12

you, which also you received, in which

Now if Christ is preached, that He has

also you stand,

been raised from the dead, how do

some among you say that there is no

2by which also you are saved, if you

resurrection of the dead?

hold fast the word which I preached to

13

you, unless you believed in vain.

But if there is no resurrection of the

dead, not even Christ has been raised;

3For I delivered to you as of first

14

importance what I also received, that

and if Christ has not been raised, then

Christ died for our sins according to the

our preaching is vain, your faith also is Scriptures,

vain.

4

15

and that He was buried, and that He

Moreover we are even found to be

was raised on the third day according to

false witnesses of God, because we

the Scriptures,

testified against God that He raised

Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact 5and that He appeared to Cephas, then

the dead are not raised.

to the twelve.

16For if the dead are not raised, not even

6

Christ has been raised;

After that He appeared to more than

five hundred brethren at one time, most

17

of whom remain until now, but some

and if Christ has not been raised, your

have fallen asleep;

faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

7then He appeared to James, then to all

18

the apostles;

Then those also who have fallen

asleep in Christ have perished.

8and last of all, as to one untimely born,

19

He appeared to me also.

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

9For I am the least of the apostles, and

20

not fit to be called an apostle, because I

But now Christ has been raised from

persecuted the church of God.

the dead, the first fruits of those who are

asleep.

10But by the grace of God I am what I 21

am, and His grace toward me did not

For since by a man came death, by a

prove vain; but I labored even more than

man also came the resurrection of the

all of them, yet not I, but the grace of dead.

God with me.

22For as in Adam all die, so also in 32If from human motives I fought with Christ all will be made alive.

wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it

profit me? If the dead are not raised,

23But each in his own order: Christ the LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR

first fruits, after that those who are

TOMORROW WE DIE.

Christ's at His coming,

33Do not be deceived: "Bad company

24then comes the end, when He hands

corrupts good morals."

over the kingdom to the God and Father,

when He has abolished all rule and all

34Become sober-minded as you ought,

authority and power.

and stop sinning; for some have no

knowledge of God. I speak this to your

25For He must reign until He has put all

shame.

His enemies under His feet.

35But someone will say, "How are the 26The last enemy that will be abolished

dead raised? And with what kind of body

is death.

do they come?"

27

36

For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN

You fool! That which you sow does not

SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But

come to life unless it dies;

when He says, " All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is 37and that which you sow, you do not excepted who put all things in subjection

sow the body which is to be, but a bare

to Him.

grain, perhaps of wheat or of something

else.

28When all things are subjected to Him,

then the Son Himself also will be

38But God gives it a body just as He

subjected to the One who subjected all

wished, and to each of the seeds a body

things to Him, so that God may be all in

of its own.

all.

39All flesh is not the same flesh, but

29Otherwise, what will those do who are

there is one flesh of men, and another

baptized for the dead? If the dead are

flesh of beasts, and another flesh of

not raised at all, why then are they

birds, and another of fish.

baptized for them?

40There are also heavenly bodies and

30Why are we also in danger every hour? earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the 31I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in earthly is another.

you which I have in Christ Jesus our

Lord, I die daily.

41There is one glory of the sun, and

another glory of the moon, and another

glory of the stars; for star differs from sound, and the dead will be raised star in glory.

imperishable, and we will be changed.

42So also is the resurrection of the dead.

53For this perishable must put on the

It is sown a perishable body, it is raised

imperishable, and this mortal must put

an imperishable body;

on immortality.

43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in 54But when this perishable will have put

glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised

on the imperishable, and this mortal will

in power;

have put on immortality, then will come

about the saying that is written, "

44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a

DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

spiritual body. If there is a natural body,

there is also a spiritual body.

55" O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR

VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS

45So also it is written, "The first MAN, YOUR STING?"

Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The

last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

56The sting of death is sin, and the

power of sin is the law;

46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.

57but thanks be to God, who gives us

the victory through our Lord Jesus

47The first man is from the earth, earthy;

Christ.

the second man is from heaven.

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be

48As is the earthy, so also are those who

steadfast,

immovable,

always

are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so

abounding in the work of the Lord,

also are those who are heavenly.

knowing that your toil is not in vain in the

Lord.

49Just as we have borne the image of

the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

16Now concerning the collection for

the saints, as I directed the churches of

50Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and

Galatia, so do you also.

blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;

nor does the perishable inherit the

2On the first day of every week each one

imperishable.

of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be

51Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not

made when I come.

all sleep, but we will all be changed,

3When I arrive, whomever you may

52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

approve, I will send them with letters to at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will carry your gift to Jerusalem; 4and if it is fitting for me to go also, they 14Let all that you do be done in love.

will go with me.

15Now I urge you, brethren (you know

5But I will come to you after I go through

the household of Stephanas, that they

Macedonia, for I am going through

were the first fruits of Achaia, and that Macedonia;

they have devoted themselves for

ministry to the saints),

6and perhaps I will stay with you, or

even spend the winter, so that you may

16that you also be in subjection to such send me on my way wherever I may go.

men and to everyone who helps in the

work and labors.

7For I do not wish to see you now just in

passing; for I hope to remain with you

17I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas

for some time, if the Lord permits.

and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because

they have supplied what was lacking on

8But I will remain in Ephesus until

your part.

Pentecost;

18For they have refreshed my spirit and

9for a wide door for effective service has

yours. Therefore acknowledge such

opened to me, and there are many

men.

adversaries.

19The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila

10Now if Timothy comes, see that he is

and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord,

with you without cause to be afraid, for with the church that is in their house.

he is doing the Lord's work, as I also am. 20All the brethren greet you. Greet one 11So let no one despise him. But send another with a holy kiss.

him on his way in peace, so that he may

come to me; for I expect him with the

21The greeting is in my own hand--Paul.

brethren.

22If anyone does not love the Lord, he is

12But concerning Apollos our brother, I

to be accursed. Maranatha.

encouraged him greatly to come to you

with the brethren; and it was not at all 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with

his desire to come now, but he will come

you.

when he has opportunity.

24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.

13Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith,

Amen.

act like men, be strong.

2nd Corinthians

excessively, beyond our strength, so

that we despaired even of life;

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by 9indeed, we had the sentence of death the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth

within ourselves so that we would not

with all the saints who are throughout

trust in ourselves, but in God who raises

Achaia:

the dead;

10

2

who delivered us from so great a peril

Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

of death, and will deliver us, He on

whom we have set our hope. And He

3

will yet deliver us,

Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies

11you also joining in helping us through and God of all comfort,

your prayers, so that thanks may be

4

given by many persons on our behalf for

who comforts us in all our affliction so the favor bestowed on us through the

that we will be able to comfort those

prayers of many.

who are in any affliction with the comfort

with which we ourselves are comforted

12

by God.

For our proud confidence is this: the

testimony of our conscience, that in

5

holiness and godly sincerity, not in

For just as the sufferings of Christ are fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, ours in abundance, so also our comfort we have conducted ourselves in the

is abundant through Christ.

world, and especially toward you.

6But if we are afflicted, it is for your 13For we write nothing else to you than comfort and salvation; or if we are what you read and understand, and I

comforted, it is for your comfort, which is

hope you will understand until the end;

effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

14just as you also partially did

7

understand us, that we are your reason

and our hope for you is firmly grounded,

to be proud as you also are ours, in the

knowing that as you are sharers of our

day of our Lord Jesus.

sufferings, so also you are sharers of

our comfort.

15In this confidence I intended at first to

8

come to you, so that you might twice

For we do not want you to be unaware,

receive a blessing;

brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened

16that is, to pass your way into 2For if I cause you sorrow, who then Macedonia, and again from Macedonia

makes me glad but the one whom I

to come to you, and by you to be helped

made sorrowful?

on my journey to Judea.

3This is the very thing I wrote you, so 17Therefore, I was not vacillating when I

that when I came, I would not have

intended to do this, was I? Or what I

sorrow from those who ought to make

purpose, do I purpose according to the

me rejoice; having confidence in you all

flesh, so that with me there will be yes, that my joy would be the joy of you all.

yes and no, no at the same time?

4For out of much affliction and anguish

18But as God is faithful, our word to you

of heart I wrote to you with many tears; is not yes and no.

not so that you would be made sorrowful,

but that you might know the love which I

19For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who

have especially for you.

was preached among you by us--by me

and Silvanus and Timothy--was not yes

5But if any has caused sorrow, he has

and no, but is yes in Him.

caused sorrow not to me, but in some

degree--in order not to say too much--to

20For as many as are the promises of

all of you.

God, in Him they are yes; therefore also

through Him is our Amen to the glory of

6Sufficient for such a one is this

God through us.

punishment which was inflicted by the

majority,

21Now He who establishes us with you

in Christ and anointed us is God,

7so that on the contrary you should

rather

forgive

and

comfort

him,

22who also sealed us and gave us the

otherwise such a one might be

Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

23

8

But I call God as witness to my soul,

Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your

that to spare you I did not come again to

love for him.

Corinth.

9For to this end also I wrote, so that I 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but might put you to the test, whether you are workers with you for your joy; for in are obedient in all things.

your faith you are standing firm.

10But one whom you forgive anything, I

forgive also; for indeed what I have

2But I determined this for my own forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of sake, that I would not come to you in

Christ,

sorrow again.

11so that no advantage would be taken not on tablets of stone but on tablets of of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant human hearts.

of his schemes.

4Such confidence we have through

12Now when I came to Troas for the

Christ toward God.

gospel of Christ and when a door was

opened for me in the Lord,

5Not that we are adequate in ourselves

to consider anything as coming from

13I had no rest for my spirit, not finding ourselves, but our adequacy is from

Titus my brother; but taking my leave of

God,

them, I went on to Macedonia.

6who also made us adequate as

14But thanks be to God, who always

servants of a new covenant, not of the

leads us in triumph in Christ, and

letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, manifests through us the sweet aroma

but the Spirit gives life.

of the knowledge of Him in every place.

7But if the ministry of death, in letters 15For we are a fragrance of Christ to

engraved on stones, came with glory, so

God among those who are being saved

that the sons of Israel could not look

and among those who are perishing;

intently at the face of Moses because of

the glory of his face, fading as it was,

16to the one an aroma from death to

death, to the other an aroma from life to

8how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to

life. And who is adequate for these

be even more with glory?

things?

9For if the ministry of condemnation has

17For we are not like many, peddling the

glory, much more does the ministry of

word of God, but as from sincerity, but righteousness abound in glory.

as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

10For indeed what had glory, in this case

has no glory because of the glory that

3

surpasses it.

Are we beginning to commend

11

ourselves again? Or do we need, as

For if that which fades away was with

some, letters of commendation to you or

glory, much more that which remains is

from you?

in glory.

2

12

You are our letter, written in our hearts,

Therefore having such a hope, we use

known and read by all men;

great boldness in our speech,

3

13

being manifested that you are a letter of

and are not like Moses, who used to

Christ, cared for by us, written not with put a veil over his face so that the sons

ink but with the Spirit of the living God,

of Israel would not look intently at the 5For we do not preach ourselves but end of what was fading away.

Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as

your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

14But their minds were hardened; for

until this very day at the reading of the 6For God, who said, " Light shall shine old covenant the same veil remains out of darkness," is the One who has unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the

15But to this day whenever Moses is

face of Christ.

read, a veil lies over their heart;

7But we have this treasure in earthen

16but whenever a person turns to the

vessels,

so

that

the

surpassing

Lord, the veil is taken away.

greatness of the power will be of God

and not from ourselves;

17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where

8

the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

we are afflicted in every way, but not

crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

18But we all, with unveiled face,

9

beholding as in a mirror the glory of the

persecuted, but not forsaken; struck

Lord, are being transformed into the

down, but not destroyed;

same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

10always carrying about in the body the

dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

4Therefore, since we have this 11

ministry, as we received mercy, we do

For we who live are constantly being

not lose heart,

delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be

2

manifested in our mortal flesh.

but we have renounced the things

hidden because of shame, not walking

12

in craftiness or adulterating the word of So death works in us, but life in you.

God, but by the manifestation of truth

13

commending ourselves to every man's

But having the same spirit of faith,

conscience in the sight of God.

according to what is written, " I

BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,"

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is we also believe, therefore we also

speak,

veiled to those who are perishing,

14

4in whose case the god of this world has

knowing that He who raised the Lord

blinded the minds of the unbelieving so

Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and that they might not see the light of the will present us with you.

gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

15For all things are for your sakes, so 6Therefore, being always of good that the grace which is spreading to

courage, and knowing that while we are

more and more people may cause the

at home in the body we are absent from

giving of thanks to abound to the glory the Lord--

of God.

7for we walk by faith, not by sight--

16Therefore we do not lose heart, but

though our outer man is decaying, yet

8we are of good courage, I say, and

our inner man is being renewed day by

prefer rather to be absent from the body

day.

and to be at home with the Lord.

17For momentary, light affliction is

9Therefore we also have as our ambition,

producing for us an eternal weight of

whether at home or absent, to be

glory far beyond all comparison,

pleasing to Him.

18while we look not at the things which 10For we must all appear before the

are seen, but at the things which are not

judgment seat of Christ, so that each

seen; for the things which are seen are one may be recompensed for his deeds

temporal, but the things which are not

in the body, according to what he has

seen are eternal.

done, whether good or bad.

11

5

Therefore, knowing the fear of the

For we know that if the earthly tent

Lord, we persuade men, but we are

which is our house is torn down, we

made manifest to God; and I hope that

have a building from God, a house not

we are made manifest also in your

made with hands, eternal in the heavens. consciences.

2

12

For indeed in this house we groan,

We are not again commending

longing to be clothed with our dwelling

ourselves to you but are giving you an

from heaven,

occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take

3inasmuch as we, having put it on, will pride in appearance and not in heart.

not be found naked.

13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for

4For indeed while we are in this tent, we

God; if we are of sound mind, it is for groan, being burdened, because we do

you.

not want to be unclothed but to be

14

clothed, so that what is mortal will be For the love of Christ controls us,

swallowed up by life.

having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;

5Now He who prepared us for this very

15

purpose is God, who gave to us the

and He died for all, so that they who

Spirit as a pledge.

live might no longer live for themselves,

but for Him who died and rose again on ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is their behalf.

"THE DAY OF SALVATION"--

16Therefore from now on we recognize

3giving no cause for offense in anything,

no one according to the flesh; even

so that the ministry will not be

though we have known Christ according

discredited,

to the flesh, yet now we know Him in

this way no longer.

4but

in

everything

commending

ourselves as servants of God, in much

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a

endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in

new creature; the old things passed

distresses,

away; behold, new things have come.

5in beatings, in imprisonments, in

18Now all these things are from God,

tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in

who reconciled us to Himself through

hunger,

Christ and gave us the ministry of

reconciliation,

6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine 19namely, that God was in Christ love,

reconciling the world to Himself, not

counting their trespasses against them,

7in the word of truth, in the power of God;

and He has committed to us the word of

by the weapons of righteousness for the

reconciliation.

right hand and the left,

20Therefore, we are ambassadors for

8by glory and dishonor, by evil report

Christ, as though God were making an

and good report; regarded as deceivers

appeal through us; we beg you on

and yet true;

behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

9as unknown yet well-known, as dying

21He made Him who knew no sin to be

yet behold, we live; as punished yet not

sin on our behalf, so that we might

put to death,

become the righteousness of God in

Him.

10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as

poor yet making many rich, as having

6

nothing yet possessing all things.

And working together with Him, we

also urge you not to receive the grace of

11Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O

God in vain--

Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.

2for He says, " AT THE ACCEPTABLE

12You are not restrained by us, but you

TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON

are restrained in your own affections.

THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED

YOU."

Behold,

now

is

"THE

13Now in a like exchange--I speak as to 4Great is my confidence in you; great is children--open wide to us also.

my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in

14Do not be bound together with

all our affliction.

unbelievers; for what partnership have

righteousness and lawlessness, or what

5For even when we came into

fellowship has light with darkness?

Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we

were afflicted on every side: conflicts

15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial,

without, fears within.

or what has a believer in common with

an unbeliever?

6But God, who comforts the depressed,

comforted us by the coming of Titus;

16Or what agreement has the temple of

God with idols? For we are the temple of

7and not only by his coming, but also by

the living God; just as God said, " I WILL

the

comfort

with

which

he

was

DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG

comforted in you, as he reported to us

THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

your longing, your mourning, your zeal

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

for me; so that I rejoiced even more.

17" Therefore, COME OUT FROM

8For though I caused you sorrow by my

THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,"

letter, I do not regret it; though I did says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH

regret it--for I see that that letter caused

WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will

you sorrow, though only for a while--

welcome you.

9I now rejoice, not that you were made

18" And I will be a father to you, And you sorrowful, but that you were made

shall be sons and daughters to Me,"

sorrowful to the point of repentance; for Says the Lord Almighty.

you were made sorrowful according to

the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

7Therefore, having these promises, 10

beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from

For the sorrow that is according to the

will of God produces a repentance

all defilement of flesh and spirit,

without regret, leading to salvation, but perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

the sorrow of the world produces death.

2Make room for us in your hearts; we

11

wronged no one, we corrupted no one,

For behold what earnestness this very

thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in

we took advantage of no one.

you: what vindication of yourselves,

3

what indignation, what fear, what

I do not speak to condemn you, for I

longing, what zeal, what avenging of

have said before that you are in our

wrong! In everything you demonstrated

hearts to die together and to live

yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

together.

12So although I wrote to you, it was not 4begging us with much urging for the for the sake of the offender nor for the favor of participation in the support of sake of the one offended, but that your the saints, earnestness on our behalf might be

made known to you in the sight of God.

5and this, not as we had expected, but

they first gave themselves to the Lord

13For this reason we have been

and to us by the will of God.

comforted. And besides our comfort, we

rejoiced even much more for the joy of

6So we urged Titus that as he had

Titus, because his spirit has been

previously made a beginning, so he

refreshed by you all.

would also complete in you this gracious

work as well.

14For if in anything I have boasted to him

about you, I was not put to shame; but 7But just as you abound in everything, in

as we spoke all things to you in truth, so

faith and utterance and knowledge and

also our boasting before Titus proved to

in all earnestness and in the love we

be the truth.

inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

15His affection abounds all the more

toward you, as he remembers the

8I am not speaking this as a command,

obedience of you all, how you received

but as proving through the earnestness

him with fear and trembling.

of others the sincerity of your love also.

16I rejoice that in everything I have

9For you know the grace of our Lord

confidence in you.

Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,

yet for your sake He became poor, so

8

that you through His poverty might

Now, brethren, we wish to make

become rich.

known to you the grace of God which

10

has been given in the churches of

I give my opinion in this matter, for this

Macedonia,

is to your advantage, who were the first

to begin a year ago not only to do this, 2

but also to desire to do it.

that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty

11

overflowed in the wealth of their

But now finish doing it also, so that just

liberality.

as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it

3

by your ability.

For I testify that according to their

ability, and beyond their ability, they

12

gave of their own accord,

For if the readiness is present, it is

acceptable according to what a person

has, not according to what he does not

have.

13For this is not for the ease of others 22We have sent with them our brother, and for your affliction, but by way of

whom we have often tested and found

equality--

diligent in many things, but now even

more diligent because of his great

14at this present time your abundance

confidence in you.

being a supply for their need, so that

their abundance also may become a

23As for Titus, he is my partner and

supply for your need, that there may be

fellow worker among you; as for our

equality;

brethren, they are messengers of the

churches, a glory to Christ.

15as it is written, " HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH,

24Therefore openly before the churches,

AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD

show them the proof of your love and of

NO LACK."

our reason for boasting about you.

16But thanks be to God who puts the

same earnestness on your behalf in the

9For it is superfluous for me to write to heart of Titus.

you about this ministry to the saints;

17For he not only accepted our appeal,

2for I know your readiness, of which I

but being himself very earnest, he has

boast about you to the Macedonians,

gone to you of his own accord.

namely, that Achaia has been prepared

since last year, and your zeal has stirred

18We have sent along with him the

up most of them.

brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the

3But I have sent the brethren, in order churches;

that our boasting about you may not be

made empty in this case, so that, as I 19and not only this, but he has also been

was saying, you may be prepared;

appointed by the churches to travel with

us in this gracious work, which is being 4otherwise if any Macedonians come

administered by us for the glory of the with me and find you unprepared, we--

Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.

20taking precaution so that no one will

discredit us in our administration of this 5So I thought it necessary to urge the generous gift;

brethren that they would go on ahead to

you and arrange beforehand your

21for we have regard for what is

previously promised bountiful gift, so

honorable, not only in the sight of the that the same would be ready as a

Lord, but also in the sight of men.

bountiful gift and not affected by

covetousness.

6Now this I say, he who sows sparingly 15Thanks

be

to

God

for

His

will also reap sparingly, and he who

indescribable gift!

sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

7Each one must do just as he has

10Now I, Paul, myself urge you by

purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or the meekness and gentleness of Christ--

under compulsion, for God loves a

I who am meek when face to face with

cheerful giver.

you, but bold toward you when absent!

8And God is able to make all grace

2I ask that when I am present I need not

abound to you, so that always having all

be bold with the confidence with which I

sufficiency in everything, you may have

propose to be courageous against some,

an abundance for every good deed;

who regard us as if we walked

according to the flesh.

9as it is written, " HE SCATTERED

ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do

HIS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

ENDURES

not war according to the flesh,

FOREVER."

4

10

for the weapons of our warfare are not

Now He who supplies seed to the

of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the

sower and bread for food will supply and

destruction of fortresses.

multiply your seed for sowing and

increase

the

harvest

of

your

5

righteousness;

We are destroying speculations and

every lofty thing raised up against the

11

knowledge of God, and we are taking

you will be enriched in everything for

every thought captive to the obedience

all liberality, which through us is

of Christ,

producing thanksgiving to God.

6

12

and we are ready to punish all

For the ministry of this service is not disobedience, whenever your obedience

only fully supplying the needs of the

is complete.

saints, but is also overflowing through

many thanksgivings to God.

7You are looking at things as they are

13

outwardly. If anyone is confident in

Because of the proof given by this

himself that he is Christ's, let him

ministry, they will glorify God for your consider this again within himself, that

obedience to your confession of the

just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

8For even if I boast somewhat further

14

about our authority, which the Lord gave

while they also, by prayer on your

for building you up and not for

behalf, yearn for you because of the

destroying you, I will not be put to

surpassing grace of God in you.

shame,

9for I do not wish to seem as if I would 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST

terrify you by my letters.

IN THE LORD.

10For they say, "His letters are weighty 18For it is not he who commends himself

and strong, but his personal presence is

that is approved, but he whom the Lord

unimpressive

and

his

speech

commends.

contemptible."

11Let such a person consider this, that

11I wish that you would bear with me

what we are in word by letters when

in a little foolishness; but indeed you are

absent, such persons we are also in

bearing with me.

deed when present.

2

12

For I am jealous for you with a godly

For we are not bold to class or

jealousy; for I betrothed you to one

compare ourselves with some of those

husband, so that to Christ I might

who commend themselves; but when

present you as a pure virgin.

they

measure

themselves

by

themselves and compare themselves

3

with themselves, they are without

But I am afraid that, as the serpent

understanding.

deceived Eve by his craftiness, your

minds will be led astray from the

13

simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

But we will not boast beyond our

measure, but within the measure of the

4

sphere which God apportioned to us as

For if one comes and preaches another

a measure, to reach even as far as you.

Jesus whom we have not preached, or

you receive a different spirit which you 14

have not received, or a different gospel For

we

are

not

overextending

which you have not accepted, you bear

ourselves, as if we did not reach to you,

this beautifully.

for we were the first to come even as far

as you in the gospel of Christ;

5For I consider myself not in the least 15

inferior to the most eminent apostles.

not boasting beyond our measure, that

is, in other men's labors, but with the 6

hope that as your faith grows, we will be,

But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet

within our sphere, enlarged even more

I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in

by you,

every way we have made this evident to

you in all things.

16so as to preach the gospel even to the

7

regions beyond you, and not to boast in

Or did I commit a sin in humbling

what has been accomplished in the

myself so that you might be exalted,

sphere of another.

because I preached the gospel of God

to you without charge?

8I robbed other churches by taking 18Since many boast according to the wages from them to serve you;

flesh, I will boast also.

9and when I was present with you and

19For you, being so wise, tolerate the

was in need, I was not a burden to

foolish gladly.

anyone; for when the brethren came

from Macedonia they fully supplied my

20For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves need, and in everything I kept myself

you, anyone devours you, anyone takes

from being a burden to you, and will

advantage of you, anyone exalts himself,

continue to do so.

anyone hits you in the face.

10As the truth of Christ is in me, this 21To my shame I must say that we have

boasting of mine will not be stopped in been weak by comparison. But in

the regions of Achaia.

whatever respect anyone else is bold--I

speak in foolishness--I am just as bold

11Why? Because I do not love you? God

myself.

knows I do!

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they

12But what I am doing I will continue to Israelites?

So

am

I.

Are

they

do, so that I may cut off opportunity from

descendants of Abraham? So am I.

those who desire an opportunity to be

regarded just as we are in the matter

23Are they servants of Christ?--I speak

about which they are boasting.

as if insane--I more so; in far more

labors, in far more imprisonments,

13For such men are false apostles,

beaten times without number, often in

deceitful workers, disguising themselves

danger of death.

as apostles of Christ.

24Five times I received from the Jews

14No wonder, for even Satan disguises

thirty-nine lashes.

himself as an angel of light.

25Three times I was beaten with rods,

15Therefore it is not surprising if his

once I was stoned, three times I was

servants also disguise themselves as

shipwrecked, a night and a day I have

servants of righteousness, whose end

spent in the deep.

will be according to their deeds.

26I have been on frequent journeys, in

16Again I say, let no one think me foolish;

dangers from rivers, dangers from

but if you do, receive me even as foolish,

robbers, dangers from my countrymen,

so that I also may boast a little.

dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in

the city, dangers in the wilderness,

17What I am saying, I am not saying as

dangers on the sea, dangers among

the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in

false brethren;

this confidence of boasting.

27I have been in labor and hardship, 4was caught up into Paradise and heard through many sleepless nights, in

inexpressible words, which a man is not

hunger and thirst, often without food, in permitted to speak.

cold and exposure.

5On behalf of such a man I will boast; 28Apart from such external things, there

but on my own behalf I will not boast, is the daily pressure on me of concern

except in regard to my weaknesses.

for all the churches.

6For if I do wish to boast I will not be 29Who is weak without my being weak?

foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; Who is led into sin without my intense but I refrain from this, so that no one will

concern?

credit me with more than he sees in me

or hears from me.

30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

7Because of the surpassing greatness of

the revelations, for this reason, to keep 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus,

me from exalting myself, there was

He who is blessed forever, knows that I

given me a thorn in the flesh, a

am not lying.

messenger of Satan to torment me--to

keep me from exalting myself!

32In Damascus the ethnarch under

8

Aretas the king was guarding the city of

Concerning this I implored the Lord

the Damascenes in order to seize me,

three times that it might leave me.

33

9

and I was let down in a basket through

And He has said to me, "My grace is a window in the wall, and so escaped

sufficient for you, for power is perfected his hands.

in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may dwell in

12

me.

Boasting is necessary, though it is

not profitable; but I will go on to visions 10Therefore I am well content with

and revelations of the Lord.

weaknesses,

with

insults,

with

distresses,

with

persecutions,

with

2I know a man in Christ who fourteen

difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I years ago--whether in the body I do not

am weak, then I am strong.

know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up

11I have become foolish; you yourselves

to the third heaven.

compelled me. Actually I should have

been commended by you, for in no

3And I know how such a man--whether

respect was I inferior to the most

in the body or apart from the body I do eminent apostles, even though I am a

not know, God knows--

nobody.

12The signs of a true apostle were wish and may be found by you to be not performed

among

you

with

all

what you wish; that perhaps there will

perseverance, by signs and wonders

be strife, jealousy, angry tempers,

and miracles.

disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance,

disturbances;

13For in what respect were you treated

as inferior to the rest of the churches, 21I am afraid that when I come again my

except that I myself did not become a

God may humiliate me before you, and I

burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

may mourn over many of those who

have sinned in the past and not

14Here for this third time I am ready to repented of the impurity, immorality and

come to you, and I will not be a burden sensuality which they have practiced.

to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible

to save up for their parents, but parents

13This is the third time I am coming

for their children.

to you. EVERY FACT IS TO BE

CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF

15I will most gladly spend and be

TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.

expended for your souls. If I love you

more, am I to be loved less?

2I have previously said when present the

second time, and though now absent I

16But be that as it may, I did not burden

say in advance to those who have

you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow

sinned in the past and to all the rest as that I am, I took you in by deceit.

well, that if I come again I will not spare

anyone,

17Certainly I have not taken advantage

of you through any of those whom I

3since you are seeking for proof of the have sent to you, have I?

Christ who speaks in me, and who is not

weak toward you, but mighty in you.

18I urged Titus to go, and I sent the

brother with him. Titus did not take any 4For indeed He was crucified because of

advantage of you, did he? Did we not

weakness, yet He lives because of the

conduct ourselves in the same spirit and

power of God. For we also are weak in

walk in the same steps?

Him, yet we will live with Him because of

the power of God directed toward you.

19All this time you have been thinking

that we are defending ourselves to you.

5Test yourselves to see if you are in the

Actually, it is in the sight of God that we

faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not

have been speaking in Christ; and all for

recognize this about yourselves, that

your upbuilding, beloved.

Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed

you fail the test?

20For I am afraid that perhaps when I

come I may find you to be not what I

6But I trust that you will realize that we present I need not use severity, in ourselves do not fail the test.

accordance with the authority which the

Lord gave me for building up and not for

7Now we pray to God that you do no

tearing down.

wrong; not that we ourselves may

appear approved, but that you may do

11Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made

what is right, even though we may

complete, be comforted, be like-minded,

appear unapproved.

live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

8For we can do nothing against the truth,

but only for the truth.

12Greet one another with a holy kiss.

9For we rejoice when we ourselves are

13All the saints greet you.

weak but you are strong; this we also

pray for, that you be made complete.

14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God, and the fellowship 10For this reason I am writing these

of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

things while absent, so that when

Galatians

10For am I now seeking the favor of men,

or of God? Or am I striving to please

1Paul, an apostle ( not sent from men men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

nor through the agency of man, but

through Jesus Christ and God the

11

Father, who raised Him from the dead),

For I would have you know, brethren,

that the gospel which was preached by

2

me is not according to man.

and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

12For I neither received it from man, nor

3

was I taught it, but I received it through Grace to you and peace from God our

a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

13

4

For you have heard of my former

who gave Himself for our sins so that

manner of life in Judaism, how I used to

He might rescue us from this present

persecute the church of God beyond

evil age, according to the will of our God

measure and tried to destroy it;

and Father,

14

5

and I was advancing in Judaism

to whom be the glory forevermore.

beyond many of my contemporaries

Amen.

among my countrymen, being more

extremely zealous for my ancestral

6I am amazed that you are so quickly

traditions.

deserting Him who called you by the

grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

15But when God, who had set me apart

even from my mother's womb and called

7which is really not another; only there me through His grace, was pleased

are some who are disturbing you and

want to distort the gospel of Christ.

16to reveal His Son in me so that I might

preach Him among the Gentiles, I did

8But even if we, or an angel from

not immediately consult with flesh and

heaven, should preach to you a gospel

blood,

contrary to what we have preached to

you, he is to be accursed!

17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went

9As we have said before, so I say again

away to Arabia, and returned once more

now, if any man is preaching to you a

to Damascus.

gospel contrary to what you received, he

is to be accursed!

18Then three years later I went up to

Jerusalem to become acquainted with

Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen to spy out our liberty which we have in days.

Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

19But I did not see any other of the

apostles except James, the Lord's

5But we did not yield in subjection to

brother.

them for even an hour, so that the truth

of the gospel would remain with you.

20(Now in what I am writing to you, I

assure you before God that I am not

6But from those who were of high

lying.)

reputation (what they were makes no

difference to me; God shows no

21Then I went into the regions of Syria partiality)--well, those who were of

and Cilicia.

reputation contributed nothing to me.

22

7

I was still unknown by sight to the

But on the contrary, seeing that I had

churches of Judea which were in Christ;

been entrusted with the gospel to the

uncircumcised, just as Peter had been

23

to the circumcised

but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching

8

the faith which he once tried to destroy."

(for He who effectually worked for Peter

in his apostleship to the circumcised

24

effectually worked for me also to the

And they were glorifying God because

Gentiles),

of me.

9and recognizing the grace that had

2

been given to me, James and Cephas

Then after an interval of fourteen

and John, who were reputed to be

years I went up again to Jerusalem with

pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the

Barnabas, taking Titus along also.

right hand of fellowship, so that we

might go to the Gentiles and they to the

2It was because of a revelation that I

circumcised.

went up; and I submitted to them the

gospel which I preach among the

10They only asked us to remember the

Gentiles, but I did so in private to those

poor-- the very thing I also was eager to

who were of reputation, for fear that I do.

might be running, or had run, in vain.

11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I

3But not even Titus, who was with me,

opposed him to his face, because he

though he was a Greek, was compelled

stood condemned.

to be circumcised.

12For prior to the coming of certain men

4But it was because of the false brethren

from James, he used to eat with the

secretly brought in, who had sneaked in

Gentiles; but when they came, he began

to withdraw and hold himself aloof, flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, fearing the party of the circumcision.

who loved me and gave Himself up for

me.

13The rest of the Jews joined him in

hypocrisy, with the result that even

21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if Barnabas was carried away by their

righteousness comes through the Law,

hypocrisy.

then Christ died needlessly."

14But when I saw that they were not

straightforward about the truth of the

3You foolish Galatians, who has

gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence

bewitched you, before whose eyes

of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it

crucified?

that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

2This is the only thing I want to find out

15

from you: did you receive the Spirit by

"We are Jews by nature and not

the works of the Law, or by hearing with

sinners from among the Gentiles;

faith?

16nevertheless knowing that a man is

3Are you so foolish? Having begun by

not justified by the works of the Law but

the Spirit, are you now being perfected

through faith in Christ Jesus, even we

by the flesh?

have believed in Christ Jesus, so that

we may be justified by faith in Christ and

4

not by the works of the Law; since by

Did you suffer so many things in vain--

the works of the Law no flesh will be

if indeed it was in vain?

justified.

5So then, does He who provides you

17"But if, while seeking to be justified in with the Spirit and works miracles Christ, we ourselves have also been

among you, do it by the works of the

found sinners, is Christ then a minister Law, or by hearing with faith?

of sin? May it never be!

6Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD,

18"For if I rebuild what I have once AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS

destroyed, I prove myself to be a

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

transgressor.

7Therefore, be sure that it is those who 19"For through the Law I died to the Law, are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

so that I might live to God.

8The Scripture, foreseeing that God

20"I have been crucified with Christ; and would justify the Gentiles by faith,

it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives

preached the gospel beforehand to

in me; and the life which I now live in the

Abraham, saying, " ALL THE NATIONS

WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."

9So then those who are of faith are 17What I am saying is this: the Law, blessed with Abraham, the believer.

which came four hundred and thirty

years later, does not invalidate a

10For as many as are of the works of the

covenant previously ratified by God, so

Law are under a curse; for it is written, "

as to nullify the promise.

CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES

NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN

18For if the inheritance is based on law,

IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO

it is no longer based on a promise; but PERFORM THEM."

God has granted it to Abraham by

means of a promise.

11Now that no one is justified by the Law

before God is evident; for, " THE

19Why the Law then? It was added

RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY

because of transgressions, having been

FAITH."

ordained through angels by the agency

of a mediator, until the seed would come

12However, the Law is not of faith; on

to whom the promise had been made.

the contrary, " HE WHO PRACTICES

THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM."

20Now a mediator is not for one party

only; whereas God is only one.

13Christ redeemed us from the curse of

the Law, having become a curse for us--

21Is the Law then contrary to the

for it is written, " CURSED IS

promises of God? May it never be! For if

EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A

a law had been given which was able to

TREE"--

impart life, then righteousness would

indeed have been based on law.

14in order that in Christ Jesus the

blessing of Abraham might come to the

22But the Scripture has shut up

Gentiles, so that we would receive the

everyone under sin, so that the promise

promise of the Spirit through faith.

by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to

those who believe.

15Brethren, I speak in terms of human

relations: even though it is only a man's

23But before faith came, we were kept in

covenant, yet when it has been ratified, custody under the law, being shut up to

no one sets it aside or adds conditions the faith which was later to be revealed.

to it.

24Therefore the Law has become our

16Now the promises were spoken to

tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may

Abraham and to his seed. He does not

be justified by faith.

say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, " And to your 25But now that faith has come, we are seed," that is, Christ.

no longer under a tutor.

26For you are all sons of God through 7Therefore you are no longer a slave, faith in Christ Jesus.

but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with

8However at that time, when you did not

Christ.

know God, you were slaves to those

which by nature are no gods.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there

is neither slave nor free man, there is 9But now that you have come to know

neither male nor female; for you are all God, or rather to be known by God, how

one in Christ Jesus.

is it that you turn back again to the weak

and worthless elemental things, to which

29And if you belong to Christ, then you you desire to be enslaved all over again?

are

Abraham's

descendants,

heirs

according to promise.

10You observe days and months and

seasons and years.

4

11

Now I say, as long as the heir is a

I fear for you, that perhaps I have

labored over you in vain.

child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 12I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, 2but he is under guardians and for I also have become as you are. You

have done me no wrong;

managers until the date set by the father.

13

3So also we, while we were children,

but you know that it was because of a

were held in bondage under the

bodily illness that I preached the gospel

elemental things of the world.

to you the first time;

14

4But when the fullness of the time came,

and that which was a trial to you in my

God sent forth His Son, born of a

bodily condition you did not despise or

woman, born under the Law,

loathe, but you received me as an angel

of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

5so that He might redeem those who

15

were under the Law, that we might

Where then is that sense of blessing

receive the adoption as sons.

you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out

your eyes and given them to me.

6Because you are sons, God has sent

forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,

16

crying, " Abba! Father!"

So have I become your enemy by

telling you the truth?

17They

eagerly

seek

you,

not

NOT

IN

LABOR;

FOR

MORE

commendably, but they wish to shut you

NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF

out so that you will seek them.

THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE

WHO HAS A HUSBAND."

18But it is good always to be eagerly

sought in a commendable manner, and

28And you brethren, like Isaac, are

not only when I am present with you.

children of promise.

19My children, with whom I am again in

29But as at that time he who was born

labor until Christ is formed in you--

according to the flesh persecuted him

who was born according to the Spirit, so

20but I could wish to be present with you

it is now also.

now and to change my tone, for I am

perplexed about you.

30But what does the Scripture say? "

CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND

21Tell me, you who want to be under law,

HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE

do you not listen to the law?

BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN

HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE

22

WOMAN."

For it is written that Abraham had two

sons, one by the bondwoman and one

31

by the free woman.

So then, brethren, we are not children

of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

23But the son by the bondwoman was

born according to the flesh, and the son

by the free woman through the promise.

5It was for freedom that Christ set us

free; therefore keep standing firm and

24This is allegorically speaking, for these

do not be subject again to a yoke of

women

are

two

covenants:

one

slavery.

proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing

children who are to be slaves; she is

2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you Hagar.

receive circumcision, Christ will be of no

benefit to you.

25Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in

Arabia and corresponds to the present

3And I testify again to every man who

Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her

receives circumcision, that he is under

children.

obligation to keep the whole Law.

26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is

4You have been severed from Christ,

our mother.

you who are seeking to be justified by

law; you have fallen from grace.

27For it is written, " REJOICE, BARREN

WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR;

5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE

waiting for the hope of righteousness.

6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision 17For the flesh sets its desire against the nor uncircumcision means anything, but

Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; faith working through love.

for these are in opposition to one

another, so that you may not do the

7You were running well; who hindered

things that you please.

you from obeying the truth?

18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are

8This persuasion did not come from Him

not under the Law.

who calls you.

19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,

9A little leaven leavens the whole lump

which

are:

immorality,

impurity,

of dough.

sensuality,

10

20

I have confidence in you in the Lord

idolatry,

sorcery,

enmities,

strife,

that you will adopt no other view; but the

jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,

one who is disturbing you will bear his dissensions, factions,

judgment, whoever he is.

21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and

11But I, brethren, if I still preach

things like these, of which I forewarn

circumcision, why am I still persecuted?

you, just as I have forewarned you, that

Then the stumbling block of the cross

those who practice such things will not

has been abolished.

inherit the kingdom of God.

12

22

I wish that those who are troubling you

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, would even mutilate themselves.

peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness,

13For you were called to freedom,

23

brethren; only do not turn your freedom

gentleness, self-control; against such

into an opportunity for the flesh, but

things there is no law.

through love serve one another.

24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus

14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one have crucified the flesh with its passions

word, in the statement, " YOU SHALL

and desires.

LOVE

YOUR

NEIGHBOR

AS

YOURSELF."

25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk

by the Spirit.

15But if you bite and devour one another,

take care that you are not consumed by

26Let

us

not

become

boastful,

one another.

challenging one another, envying one

another.

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

10

6

So then, while we have opportunity, let

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in

us do good to all people, and especially

any trespass, you who are spiritual,

to those who are of the household of the

faith.

restore such a one in a spirit of

gentleness; each one looking to yourself,

11

so that you too will not be tempted.

See with what large letters I am writing

to you with my own hand.

2Bear one another's burdens, and

12

thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Those who desire to make a good

showing in the flesh try to compel you to

3For if anyone thinks he is something

be circumcised, simply so that they will when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

13

4

For those who are circumcised do not

But each one must examine his own

work, and then he will have reason for

even keep the Law themselves, but they

boasting in regard to himself alone, and

desire to have you circumcised so that

not in regard to another.

they may boast in your flesh.

14

5

But may it never be that I would boast,

For each one will bear his own load.

except in the cross of our Lord Jesus

6

Christ, through which the world has

The one who is taught the word is to

been crucified to me, and I to the world.

share all good things with the one who

teaches him.

15For neither is circumcision anything,

7

nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;

for whatever a man sows, this he will

16

also reap.

And those who will walk by this rule,

peace and mercy be upon them, and

8

upon the Israel of God.

For the one who sows to his own flesh

will from the flesh reap corruption, but 17

the one who sows to the Spirit will from

From now on let no one cause trouble

for me, for I bear on my body the brand—

the Spirit reap eternal life.

marks of Jesus.

9Let us not lose heart in doing good, for

18

in due time we will reap if we do not The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

grow weary.

with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Ephesians

10with a view to an administration

suitable to the fullness of the times, that

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the the will of God, To the saints who are at

earth. In Him

Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ

Jesus:

11also we have obtained an inheritance,

2

having been predestined according to

Grace to you and peace from God our

His purpose who works all things after

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

the counsel of His will,

3Blessed be the God and Father of our

12to the end that we who were the first to

Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us

hope in Christ would be to the praise of

with every spiritual blessing in the

His glory.

heavenly places in Christ,

13

4

In Him, you also, after listening to the just as He chose us in Him before the

message of truth, the gospel of your

foundation of the world, that we would

salvation--having also believed, you

be holy and blameless before Him. In

were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit love

of promise,

5He predestined us to adoption as sons

14who is given as a pledge of our

through

Jesus

Christ

to

Himself,

inheritance,

with

a

view

to

the

according to the kind intention of His will, redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the 15For this reason I too, having heard of Beloved.

the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the

7In Him we have redemption through His

saints,

blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of His grace

16do not cease giving thanks for you,

while making mention of you in my

8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom

prayers;

and insight

17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

9He made known to us the mystery of

the Father of glory, may give to you a His will, according to His kind intention spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the which He purposed in Him knowledge of Him.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may 4But God, being rich in mercy, because be enlightened, so that you will know

of His great love with which He loved us,

what is the hope of His calling, what are

the riches of the glory of His inheritance

5even when we were dead in our

in the saints,

transgressions, made us alive together

with Christ ( by grace you have been

19and what is the surpassing greatness

saved),

of His power toward us who believe.

These are in accordance with the

6and raised us up with Him, and seated

working of the strength of His might

us with Him in the heavenly places in

Christ Jesus,

20which He brought about in Christ,

when He raised Him from the dead and

7so that in the ages to come He might

seated Him at His right hand in the

show the surpassing riches of His grace

heavenly places,

in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

21far above all rule and authority and

8For by grace you have been saved

power and dominion, and every name

through faith; and that not of yourselves,

that is named, not only in this age but it is the gift of God;

also in the one to come.

9not as a result of works, so that no one

22And He put all things in subjection

may boast.

under His feet, and gave Him as head

over all things to the church,

10For we are His workmanship, created

in Christ Jesus for good works, which

23which is His body, the fullness of Him

God prepared beforehand so that we

who fills all in all.

would walk in them.

11

2

Therefore remember that formerly you,

And

you

were

dead

in

your

the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called

trespasses and sins,

" Uncircumcision" by the so-called "

Circumcision," which is performed in the

2

flesh by human hands--

in which you formerly walked according

to the course of this world, according to

12

the prince of the power of the air, of the

remember that you were at that time

spirit that is now working in the sons of separate from Christ, excluded from the

disobedience.

commonwealth of Israel, and strangers

to the covenants of promise, having no

3Among them we too all formerly lived in

hope and without God in the world.

the lusts of our flesh, indulging the

13

desires of the flesh and of the mind, and

But now in Christ Jesus you who

were by nature children of wrath, even

formerly were far off have been brought

as the rest.

near by the blood of Christ.

14For He Himself is our peace, who 2if indeed you have heard of the made both groups into one and broke

stewardship of God's grace which was

down the barrier of the dividing wall,

given to me for you;

15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, 3that by revelation there was made

which is the Law of commandments

known to me the mystery, as I wrote

contained in ordinances, so that in

before in brief.

Himself He might make the two into one

new man, thus establishing peace,

4By referring to this, when you read you

can understand my insight into the

16and might reconcile them both in one

mystery of Christ,

body to God through the cross, by it

having put to death the enmity.

5which in other generations was not

made known to the sons of men, as it

17AND HE CAME AND PREACHED

has now been revealed to His holy

PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR

apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO

WERE NEAR;

6to be specific, that the Gentiles are

fellow heirs and fellow members of the

18for through Him we both have our

body, and fellow partakers of the

access in one Spirit to the Father.

promise in Christ Jesus through the

gospel,

19So then you are no longer strangers

and aliens, but you are fellow citizens

7of which I was made a minister,

with the saints, and are of God's

according to the gift of God's grace

household,

which was given to me according to the

working of His power.

20having been built on the foundation of

the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus

8To me, the very least of all saints, this

Himself being the corner stone,

grace was given, to preach to the

Gentiles the unfathomable riches of

21in whom the whole building, being

Christ,

fitted together, is growing into a holy

temple in the Lord,

9and to bring to light what is the

administration of the mystery which for

22in whom you also are being built

ages has been hidden in God who

together into a dwelling of God in the

created all things;

Spirit.

10so that the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known through the

3For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

of Christ Jesus for the sake of you

Gentiles--

11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in 4Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, Christ Jesus our Lord,

implore you to walk in a manner worthy

of the calling with which you have been 12in whom we have boldness and

called,

confident access through faith in Him.

2with all humility and gentleness, with

13Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at

patience, showing tolerance for one

my tribulations on your behalf, for they another in love,

are your glory.

3being diligent to preserve the unity of 14For this reason I bow my knees before

the Spirit in the bond of peace.

the Father,

4There is one body and one Spirit, just 15from whom every family in heaven and

as also you were called in one hope of on earth derives its name,

your calling;

16that He would grant you, according to

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

the

riches

of

His

glory,

to

be

strengthened with power through His

6one God and Father of all who is over

Spirit in the inner man,

all and through all and in all.

17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

7But to each one of us grace was given

through faith; and that you, being rooted

according to the measure of Christ's gift.

and grounded in love,

8

18

Therefore it says, " WHEN HE

may be able to comprehend with all

ASCENDED

ON

HIGH,

HE

LED

the saints what is the breadth and length

CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND

and height and depth,

HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."

19and to know the love of Christ which

9(Now this expression, "He ascended,"

surpasses knowledge, that you may be

what does it mean except that He also

filled up to all the fullness of God.

had descended into the lower parts of

the earth?

20Now to Him who is able to do far more

abundantly beyond all that we ask or

10He who descended is Himself also He

think, according to the power that works

who ascended far above all the heavens,

within us,

so that He might fill all things.)

21to Him be the glory in the church and

11And He gave some as apostles, and

in Christ Jesus to all generations forever

some as prophets, and some as

and ever. Amen.

evangelists, and some as pastors and sensuality for the practice of every kind teachers, of impurity with greediness.

12for the equipping of the saints for the 20But you did not learn Christ in this way,

work of service, to the building up of the

body of Christ;

21if indeed you have heard Him and

have been taught in Him, just as truth is

13until we all attain to the unity of the in Jesus,

faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of

God, to a mature man, to the measure

22that, in reference to your former

of the stature which belongs to the

manner of life, you lay aside the old self,

fullness of Christ.

which is being corrupted in accordance

with the lusts of deceit,

14As a result, we are no longer to be

children, tossed here and there by

23and that you be renewed in the spirit of

waves and carried about by every wind

your mind,

of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in

15but speaking the truth in love, we are righteousness and holiness of the truth.

to grow up in all aspects into Him who is

the head, even Christ,

25Therefore, laying aside falsehood,

SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you

16from whom the whole body, being

WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are

fitted and held together by what every

members of one another.

joint supplies, according to the proper

working of each individual part, causes

26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do

the growth of the body for the building not let the sun go down on your anger,

up of itself in love.

27

17

and do not give the devil an

So this I say, and affirm together with opportunity.

the Lord, that you walk no longer just as

the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of 28

their mind,

He who steals must steal no longer;

but rather he must labor, performing

18

with his own hands what is good, so that

being darkened in their understanding,

he will have something to share with

excluded from the life of God because of

one who has need.

the ignorance that is in them, because

of the hardness of their heart;

29Let no unwholesome word proceed

19

from your mouth, but only such a word

and they, having become callous,

as is good for edification according to

have

given

themselves

over

to

the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 8for you were formerly darkness, but by whom you were sealed for the day of

now you are Light in the Lord; walk as redemption.

children of Light

31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger

9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all and clamor and slander be put away

goodness and righteousness and truth),

from you, along with all malice.

10trying to learn what is pleasing to the 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted,

Lord.

forgiving each other, just as God in

Christ also has forgiven you.

11Do not participate in the unfruitful

deeds of darkness, but instead even

5

expose them;

Therefore be imitators of God, as

12

beloved children;

for it is disgraceful even to speak of

the things which are done by them in

2and walk in love, just as Christ also

secret.

loved you and gave Himself up for us,

13

an offering and a sacrifice to God as a But all things become visible when

fragrant aroma.

they are exposed by the light, for

everything that becomes visible is light.

3But immorality or any impurity or greed

14

must not even be named among you, as

For this reason it says, " Awake,

is proper among saints;

sleeper, And arise from the dead, And

Christ will shine on you."

4and there must be no filthiness and silly

15

talk, or coarse jesting, which are not

Therefore be careful how you walk, not

fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

as unwise men but as wise,

5

16

For this you know with certainty, that no

making the most of your time, because

immoral or impure person or covetous

the days are evil.

man, who is an idolater, has an

inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and

17So then do not be foolish, but

God.

understand what the will of the Lord is.

6Let no one deceive you with empty

18And do not get drunk with wine, for

words, for because of these things the

that is dissipation, but be filled with the wrath of God comes upon the sons of

Spirit,

disobedience.

19speaking to one another in psalms and

7Therefore do not be partakers with

hymns and spiritual songs, singing and

them;

making melody with your heart to the

Lord;

20always giving thanks for all things in 31FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to

LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER

God, even the Father;

AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE,

AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE

21and be subject to one another in the

FLESH.

fear of Christ.

32This mystery is great; but I am

22Wives, be subject to your own

speaking with reference to Christ and

husbands, as to the Lord.

the church.

23

33

For the husband is the head of the

Nevertheless, each individual among

wife, as Christ also is the head of the you also is to love his own wife even as

church, He Himself being the Savior of

himself, and the wife must see to it that

the body.

she respects her husband.

24But as the church is subject to Christ,

so also the wives ought to be to their 6Children, obey your parents in the husbands in everything.

Lord, for this is right.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as

2HONOR

YOUR

FATHER

AND

Christ also loved the church and gave

MOTHER

(which

is

the

first

Himself up for her,

commandment with a promise),

26so that He might sanctify her, having

3SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH

cleansed her by the washing of water

YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE

with the word,

LONG ON THE EARTH.

27that He might present to Himself the

4Fathers, do not provoke your children

church in all her glory, having no spot or

to anger, but bring them up in the

wrinkle or any such thing; but that she discipline and instruction of the Lord.

would be holy and blameless.

5Slaves, be obedient to those who are

28So husbands ought also to love their

your masters according to the flesh, with

own wives as their own bodies. He who

fear and trembling, in the sincerity of

loves his own wife loves himself;

your heart, as to Christ;

29for no one ever hated his own flesh,

6not by way of eyeservice, as men—

but nourishes and cherishes it, just as

pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing Christ also does the church,

the will of God from the heart.

30because we are members of His body.

7With good will render service, as to the

Lord, and not to men,

8knowing that whatever good thing each 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of one does, this he will receive back from

faith with which you will be able to

the Lord, whether slave or free.

extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

9And masters, do the same things to

them, and give up threatening, knowing

17And

take

THE

HELMET

OF

that both their Master and yours is in

SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit,

heaven, and there is no partiality with

which is the word of God.

Him.

18With all prayer and petition pray at all 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in times in the Spirit, and with this in view, the strength of His might.

be on the alert with all perseverance

and petition for all the saints,

11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the

19and pray on my behalf, that utterance

schemes of the devil.

may be given to me in the opening of

my mouth, to make known with

12For our struggle is not against flesh

boldness the mystery of the gospel,

and blood, but against the rulers,

against the powers, against the world

20for which I am an ambassador in

forces of this darkness, against the

chains; that in proclaiming it I may

spiritual forces of wickedness in the

speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

heavenly places.

21But that you also may know about my

13Therefore, take up the full armor of

circumstances,

how

I

am

doing,

God, so that you will be able to resist in

Tychicus, the beloved brother and

the evil day, and having done everything,

faithful minister in the Lord, will make to stand firm.

everything known to you.

14Stand

firm

therefore,

HAVING

22I have sent him to you for this very GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,

purpose, so that you may know about us,

and

HAVING

PUT

ON

THE

and that he may comfort your hearts.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

23Peace be to the brethren, and love

15and having shod YOUR FEET WITH

with faith, from God the Father and the THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL

Lord Jesus Christ.

OF PEACE;

24Grace be with all those who love our

Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

Philippians

10so that you may approve the things

that are excellent, in order to be sincere

1Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of and blameless until the day of Christ; Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ 11

Jesus who are in Philippi, including the having been filled with the fruit of

overseers and deacons:

righteousness which comes through

Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of 2

God.

Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

12Now I want you to know, brethren, that

3

my circumstances have turned out for

I thank my God in all my remembrance

the greater progress of the gospel,

of you,

13

4

so that my imprisonment in the cause

always offering prayer with joy in my

of Christ has become well known

every prayer for you all,

throughout the whole praetorian guard

and to everyone else,

5in view of your participation in the

gospel from the first day until now.

14and that most of the brethren, trusting

in the Lord because of my imprisonment,

6For I am confident of this very thing, have far more courage to speak the

that He who began a good work in you

word of God without fear.

will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

15Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ

even from envy and strife, but some

7For it is only right for me to feel this way

also from good will;

about you all, because I have you in my

heart, since both in my imprisonment

16the latter do it out of love, knowing that

and in the defense and confirmation of

I am appointed for the defense of the

the gospel, you all are partakers of

gospel;

grace with me.

17the former proclaim Christ out of

8For God is my witness, how I long for selfish ambition rather than from pure

you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

motives, thinking to cause me distress in

my imprisonment.

9And this I pray, that your love may

abound still more and more in real

18What then? Only that in every way,

knowledge and all discernment,

whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is

proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes,

and I will rejoice,

19for I know that this will turn out for my 28in no way alarmed by your opponents-deliverance through your prayers and -which is a sign of destruction for them, the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

20according to my earnest expectation

and hope, that I will not be put to shame

29For to you it has been granted for

in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him,

Christ will even now, as always, be

but also to suffer for His sake,

exalted in my body, whether by life or by

death.

30experiencing the same conflict which

you saw in me, and now hear to be in

21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is

me.

gain.

22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this 2Therefore if there is any

will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do encouragement in Christ, if there is any not know which to choose.

consolation of love, if there is any

fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection 23But I am hard-pressed from both

and compassion,

directions, having the desire to depart

and be with Christ, for that is very much

2make my joy complete by being of the

better;

same mind, maintaining the same love,

united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

3Do nothing from selfishness or empty

conceit, but with humility of mind regard

25Convinced of this, I know that I will one another as more important than

remain and continue with you all for your

yourselves;

progress and joy in the faith,

4do not merely look out for your own

26so that your proud confidence in me

personal interests, but also for the

may abound in Christ Jesus through my

interests of others.

coming to you again.

5Have this attitude in yourselves which

27Only conduct yourselves in a manner

was also in Christ Jesus,

worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain

6who, although He existed in the form of

absent, I will hear of you that you are God, did not regard equality with God a

standing firm in one spirit, with one mind

thing to be grasped,

striving together for the faith of the

gospel;

7but emptied Himself, taking the form of

a bond-servant, and being made in the

likeness of men.

8Being found in appearance as a man, 17But even if I am being poured out as a He humbled Himself by becoming

drink offering upon the sacrifice and

obedient to the point of death, even

service of your faith, I rejoice and share

death on a cross.

my joy with you all.

9For this reason also, God highly exalted

18You too, I urge you, rejoice in the

Him, and bestowed on Him the name

same way and share your joy with me.

which is above every name,

19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY

Timothy to you shortly, so that I also

KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in

may be encouraged when I learn of your

heaven and on earth and under the

condition.

earth,

20For I have no one else of kindred spirit

11and that every tongue will confess that

who will genuinely be concerned for

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God

your welfare.

the Father.

21For they all seek after their own

12So then, my beloved, just as you have

interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

always obeyed, not as in my presence

only, but now much more in my absence,

22But you know of his proven worth, that

work out your salvation with fear and

he served with me in the furtherance of trembling;

the gospel like a child serving his father.

13for it is God who is at work in you, both

23Therefore I hope to send him

to will and to work for His good pleasure. immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; 14Do all things without grumbling or

disputing;

24and I trust in the Lord that I myself also

will be coming shortly.

15so that you will prove yourselves to be

blameless and innocent, children of God

25But I thought it necessary to send to above reproach in the midst of a

you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow

crooked

and

perverse

generation,

worker and fellow soldier, who is also

among whom you appear as lights in the

your messenger and minister to my

world,

need;

16holding fast the word of life, so that in

26because he was longing for you all

the day of Christ I will have reason to and was distressed because you had

glory because I did not run in vain nor heard that he was sick.

toil in vain.

27For indeed he was sick to the point of

death, but God had mercy on him, and

not on him only but also on me, so that I 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

28Therefore I have sent him all the more

eagerly so that when you see him again

7But whatever things were gain to me,

you may rejoice and I may be less

those things I have counted as loss for concerned about you.

the sake of Christ.

29Receive him then in the Lord with all 8More than that, I count all things to be

joy, and hold men like him in high regard; loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for 30because he came close to death for

whom I have suffered the loss of all

the work of Christ, risking his life to things, and count them but rubbish so

complete what was deficient in your

that I may gain Christ,

service to me.

9and may be found in Him, not having a

righteousness of my own derived from

3Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which Lord. To write the same things again is comes from God on the basis of faith,

no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

10that I may know Him and the power of

2

His resurrection and the fellowship of

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil

His sufferings, being conformed to His

workers,

beware

of

the

false

death;

circumcision;

11

3

in order that I may attain to the

for we are the true circumcision, who

resurrection from the dead.

worship in the Spirit of God and glory in

Christ Jesus and put no confidence in

12

the flesh,

Not that I have already obtained it or

have already become perfect, but I

4

press on so that I may lay hold of that although

I

myself

might

have

for which also I was laid hold of by

confidence even in the flesh. If anyone

Christ Jesus.

else has a mind to put confidence in the

flesh, I far more:

13Brethren, I do not regard myself as

5

having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I

circumcised the eighth day, of the

do: forgetting what lies behind and

nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,

reaching forward to what lies ahead,

a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a

Pharisee;

14I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15Let us therefore, as many as are 3Indeed, true companion, I ask you also perfect, have this attitude; and if in

to help these women who have shared

anything you have a different attitude,

my struggle in the cause of the gospel, God will reveal that also to you;

together with Clement also and the rest

of my fellow workers, whose names are

16however, let us keep living by that

in the book of life.

same standard to which we have

attained.

4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will

say, rejoice!

17Brethren, join in following my example,

and observe those who walk according

5Let your gentle spirit be known to all to the pattern you have in us.

men. The Lord is near.

18For many walk, of whom I often told

6Be anxious for nothing, but in

you, and now tell you even weeping,

everything by prayer and supplication

that they are enemies of the cross of

with thanksgiving let your requests be

Christ,

made known to God.

19whose end is destruction, whose god

7And the peace of God, which

is their appetite, and whose glory is in surpasses all comprehension, will guard

their shame, who set their minds on

your hearts and your minds in Christ

earthly things.

Jesus.

20For our citizenship is in heaven, from 8Finally, brethren, whatever is true,

which also we eagerly wait for a Savior,

whatever is honorable, whatever is right,

the Lord Jesus Christ;

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is of good repute, if there is 21who will transform the body of our

any excellence and if anything worthy of

humble state into conformity with the

praise, dwell on these things.

body of His glory, by the exertion of the

power that He has even to subject all

9The things you have learned and

things to Himself.

received and heard and seen in me,

practice these things, and the God of

peace will be with you.

4Therefore, my beloved brethren 10

whom I long to see, my joy and crown,

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that in this way stand firm in the Lord, my now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were

beloved.

concerned before, but you lacked

2

opportunity.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to

live in harmony in the Lord.

11Not that I speak from want, for I have 17Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek learned to be content in whatever

for the profit which increases to your

circumstances I am.

account.

12I know how to get along with humble

18But I have received everything in full means, and I also know how to live in

and have an abundance; I am amply

prosperity;

in

any

and

every

supplied,

having

received

from

circumstance I have learned the secret

Epaphroditus what you have sent, a

of being filled and going hungry, both of

fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice,

having abundance and suffering need.

well-pleasing to God.

13I can do all things through Him who

19And my God will supply all your needs

strengthens me.

according to His riches in glory in Christ

Jesus.

14Nevertheless, you have done well to

share with me in my affliction.

20Now to our God and Father be the

glory forever and ever. Amen.

15You yourselves also know, Philippians,

that at the first preaching of the gospel, 21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The

after I left Macedonia, no church shared

brethren who are with me greet you.

with me in the matter of giving and

receiving but you alone;

22All the saints greet you, especially

those of Caesar's household.

16for even in Thessalonica you sent a

gift more than once for my needs.

23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be

with your spirit.

Colossians

with the knowledge of His will in all

spiritual wisdom and understanding,

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by 10so that you will walk in a manner the will of God, and Timothy our brother, worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all 2

respects, bearing fruit in every good

To the saints and faithful brethren in

work and increasing in the knowledge of

Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to

God;

you and peace from God our Father.

11

3

strengthened with all power, according

We give thanks to God, the Father of

to His glorious might, for the attaining of

our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always

all steadfastness and patience; joyously

for you,

12

4

giving thanks to the Father, who has

since we heard of your faith in Christ

qualified us to share in the inheritance of

Jesus and the love which you have for

the saints in Light.

all the saints;

13For He rescued us from the domain of

5because of the hope laid up for you in darkness, and transferred us to the

heaven, of which you previously heard

kingdom of His beloved Son,

in the word of truth, the gospel

14

6

in whom we have redemption, the

which has come to you, just as in all the

forgiveness of sins.

world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been

15

doing in you also since the day you

He is the image of the invisible God,

heard of it and understood the grace of the firstborn of all creation.

God in truth;

16For by Him all things were created,

7just as you learned it from Epaphras,

both in the heavens and on earth, visible

our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is

and invisible, whether thrones or

a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

dominions or rulers or authorities-- all

things have been created through Him

8

and for Him.

and he also informed us of your love in

the Spirit.

17He is before all things, and in Him all 9

things hold together.

For this reason also, since the day we

heard of it, we have not ceased to pray 18

for you and to ask that you may be filled

He is also head of the body, the

church; and He is the beginning, the

firstborn from the dead, so that He 26that is, the mystery which has been Himself will come to have first place in hidden from the past ages and

everything.

generations,

but

has

now

been

manifested to His saints,

19For it was the Father's good pleasure

for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

27to whom God willed to make known

what is the riches of the glory of this 20and through Him to reconcile all things

mystery among the Gentiles, which is

to Himself, having made peace through

Christ in you, the hope of glory.

the blood of His cross; through Him, I

say, whether things on earth or things in

28We proclaim Him, admonishing every

heaven.

man and teaching every man with all

wisdom, so that we may present every

21And although you were formerly

man complete in Christ.

alienated and hostile in mind, engaged

in evil deeds,

29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily

22yet He has now reconciled you in His

works within me.

fleshly body through death, in order to

present you before Him holy and

blameless and beyond reproach--

2For I want you to know how great a

struggle I have on your behalf and for

23if indeed you continue in the faith

those who are at Laodicea, and for all

firmly established and steadfast, and not

those who have not personally seen my

moved away from the hope of the

face,

gospel that you have heard, which was

proclaimed in all creation under heaven,

2that their hearts may be encouraged,

and of which I, Paul, was made a

having been knit together in love, and

minister.

attaining to all the wealth that comes

from the full assurance of understanding,

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your

resulting in a true knowledge of God's

sake, and in my flesh I do my share on mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of afflictions.

wisdom and knowledge.

25Of this church I was made a minister

4I say this so that no one will delude you

according to the stewardship from God

with persuasive argument.

bestowed on me for your benefit, so that

I might fully carry out the preaching of 5

the word of God,

For even though I am absent in body,

nevertheless I am with you in spirit,

rejoicing to see your good discipline and

the stability of your faith in Christ.

6Therefore as you have received Christ 15When He had disarmed the rulers and Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them

7having been firmly rooted and now

through Him.

being built up in Him and established in

your faith, just as you were instructed, 16Therefore no one is to act as your

and overflowing with gratitude.

judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a

8See to it that no one takes you captive

Sabbath day--

through

philosophy

and

empty

deception, according to the tradition of

17things which are a mere shadow of

men, according to the elementary

what is to come; but the substance

principles of the world, rather than

belongs to Christ.

according to Christ.

18Let no one keep defrauding you of

9For in Him all the fullness of Deity

your prize by delighting in self—

dwells in bodily form,

abasement and the worship of the

angels, taking his stand on visions he

10and in Him you have been made

has seen, inflated without cause by his

complete, and He is the head over all

fleshly mind,

rule and authority;

19and not holding fast to the head, from

11and in Him you were also circumcised

whom the entire body, being supplied

with a circumcision made without hands,

and held together by the joints and

in the removal of the body of the flesh ligaments, grows with a growth which is

by the circumcision of Christ;

from God.

12

20

having been buried with Him in

If you have died with Christ to the

baptism, in which you were also raised

elementary principles of the world, why,

up with Him through faith in the working

as if you were living in the world, do you

of God, who raised Him from the dead.

submit yourself to decrees, such as,

13

21

When you

were dead in your

"Do not handle, do not taste, do not transgressions and the uncircumcision

touch!"

of your flesh, He made you alive

together with Him, having forgiven us all

22(which all refer to things destined to our transgressions,

perish with use)--in accordance with the

commandments and teachings of men?

14having canceled out the certificate of

debt consisting of decrees against us,

23These are matters which have, to be

which was hostile to us; and He has

sure, the appearance of wisdom in self—

taken it out of the way, having nailed it made religion and self-abasement and

to the cross.

severe treatment of the body, but are of 11a renewal in which there is no no value against fleshly indulgence.

distinction between Greek and Jew,

circumcised

and

uncircumcised,

barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman,

3Therefore if you have been raised up but Christ is all, and in all.

with Christ, keep seeking the things

12

above, where Christ is, seated at the

So, as those who have been chosen of

right hand of God.

God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of

compassion,

kindness,

humility,

2

gentleness and patience;

Set your mind on the things above, not

on the things that are on earth.

13bearing with one another, and

3

forgiving each other, whoever has a

For you have died and your life is

complaint against anyone; just as the

hidden with Christ in God.

Lord forgave you, so also should you.

4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed,

14Beyond all these things put on love,

then you also will be revealed with Him which is the perfect bond of unity.

in glory.

15

5

Let the peace of Christ rule in your

Therefore consider the members of

hearts, to which indeed you were called

your earthly body as dead to immorality,

in one body; and be thankful.

impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed,

which amounts to idolatry.

16Let the word of Christ richly dwell

6

within you, with all wisdom teaching and

For it is because of these things that

admonishing one another with psalms

the wrath of God will come upon the

and hymns and spiritual songs, singing

sons of disobedience,

with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

7and in them you also once walked,

17Whatever you do in word or deed, do

when you were living in them.

all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving

thanks through Him to God the Father.

8But now you also, put them all aside:

anger, wrath, malice, slander, and

18Wives, be subject to your husbands,

abusive speech from your mouth.

as is fitting in the Lord.

9Do not lie to one another, since you laid

19Husbands, love your wives and do not

aside the old self with its evil practices,

be embittered against them.

10and have put on the new self who is

20Children, be obedient to your parents

being renewed to a true knowledge

in all things, for this is well-pleasing to according to the image of the One who the Lord.

created him--

21Fathers, do not exasperate your 6Let your speech always be with grace, children, so that they will not lose heart.

as though seasoned with salt, so that

you will know how you should respond

22Slaves, in all things obey those who

to each person.

are your masters on earth, not with

external service, as those who merely

7As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our

please men, but with sincerity of heart, beloved brother and faithful servant and

fearing the Lord.

fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will

bring you information.

23Whatever you do, do your work

heartily, as for the Lord rather than for 8For I have sent him to you for this very

men,

purpose, that you may know about our

circumstances

and

that

he

may

24knowing that from the Lord you will

encourage your hearts;

receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

9and with him Onesimus, our faithful and

beloved brother, who is one of your

25For he who does wrong will receive

number. They will inform you about the

the consequences of the wrong which

whole situation here.

he has done, and that without partiality.

10Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends

you his greetings; and also Barnabas's

4Masters, grant to your slaves justice cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, and fairness, knowing that you too have

welcome him);

a Master in heaven.

11

2

and also Jesus who is called Justus;

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping

these are the only fellow workers for the

alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to 3praying at the same time for us as well,

be an encouragement to me.

that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth

12Epaphras, who is one of your number,

the mystery of Christ, for which I have a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you

also been imprisoned;

his greetings, always laboring earnestly

for you in his prayers, that you may

4that I may make it clear in the way I stand perfect and fully assured in all the

ought to speak.

will of God.

5Conduct yourselves with wisdom

13For I testify for him that he has a deep

toward outsiders, making the most of

concern for you and for those who are in

the opportunity.

Laodicea and Hierapolis.

14Luke, the beloved physician, sends Laodiceans; and you, for your part read you his greetings, and also Demas.

my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

15Greet the brethren who are in

17Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the Laodicea and also Nympha and the

ministry which you have received in the

church that is in her house.

Lord, that you may fulfill it."

16When this letter is read among you,

18I, Paul, write this greeting with my own

have it also read in the church of the hand. Remember my imprisonment.

Grace be with you.

1st Thessalonians

9For they themselves report about us

what kind of a reception we had with

1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, the church of the Thessalonians in God

the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

10

Grace to you and peace.

and to wait for His Son from heaven,

whom He raised from the dead, that is

2

Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to

We give thanks to God always for all of

come.

you, making mention of you in our

prayers;

2

3

For you yourselves know, brethren,

constantly bearing in mind your work of

faith and labor of love and steadfastness

that our coming to you was not in vain,

of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

2but after we had already suffered and

been mistreated in Philippi, as you know,

4knowing, brethren beloved by God, His

we had the boldness in our God to

choice of you;

speak to you the gospel of God amid

much opposition.

5for our gospel did not come to you in 3

word only, but also in power and in the For our exhortation does not come from

Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just error or impurity or by way of deceit;

as you know what kind of men we

proved to be among you for your sake.

4but just as we have been approved by

God to be entrusted with the gospel, so

6You also became imitators of us and of

we speak, not as pleasing men, but God

the Lord, having received the word in

who examines our hearts.

much tribulation with the joy of the Holy

Spirit,

5For we never came with flattering

speech, as you know, nor with a pretext

7so that you became an example to all

for greed-- God is witness--

the believers in Macedonia and in

Achaia.

6nor did we seek glory from men, either

from you or from others, even though as

8For the word of the Lord has sounded

apostles of Christ we might have

forth from you, not only in Macedonia

asserted our authority.

and Achaia, but also in every place your

faith toward God has gone forth, so that

we have no need to say anything.

7But we proved to be gentle among you, 15who both killed the Lord Jesus and the as a nursing mother tenderly cares for

prophets, and drove us out. They are

her own children.

not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men,

8Having so fond an affection for you, we

were well-pleased to impart to you not

16hindering us from speaking to the

only the gospel of God but also our own

Gentiles so that they may be saved; with

lives, because you had become very

the result that they always fill up the dear to us.

measure of their sins. But wrath has

come upon them to the utmost.

9For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so

17But we, brethren, having been taken

as not to be a burden to any of you, we

away from you for a short while-- in

proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

10You are witnesses, and so is God,

how

devoutly

and

uprightly

and

18For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul,

blamelessly we behaved toward you

more than once--and yet Satan hindered

believers;

us.

11just as you know how we were

19For who is our hope or joy or crown of

exhorting

and

encouraging

and

exultation? Is it not even you, in the

imploring each one of you as a father

presence of our Lord Jesus at His

would his own children,

coming?

12so that you would walk in a manner

20For you are our glory and joy.

worthy of the God who calls you into His

own kingdom and glory.

3Therefore when we could endure it 13For this reason we also constantly

no longer, we thought it best to be left thank God that when you received the

behind at Athens alone,

word of God which you heard from us,

you accepted it not as the word of men,

2

but for what it really is, the word of God,

and we sent Timothy, our brother and

which also performs its work in you who

God's fellow worker in the gospel of

believe.

Christ, to strengthen and encourage you

as to your faith,

14For you, brethren, became imitators of

3

the churches of God in Christ Jesus that

so that no one would be disturbed by

are in Judea, for you also endured the

these afflictions; for you yourselves

same sufferings at the hands of your

know that we have been destined for

own countrymen, even as they did from

this.

the Jews,

4For indeed when we were with you, we 13so that He may establish your hearts kept telling you in advance that we were

without blame in holiness before our

going to suffer affliction; and so it came God and Father at the coming of our

to pass, as you know.

Lord Jesus with all His saints.

5For this reason, when I could endure it

no longer, I also sent to find out about 4Finally then, brethren, we request your faith, for fear that the tempter might and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that

have tempted you, and our labor would

as you received from us instruction as to

be in vain.

how you ought to walk and please God

(just as you actually do walk), that you 6But now that Timothy has come to us

excel still more.

from you, and has brought us good

news of your faith and love, and that you

2For you know what commandments we

always think kindly of us, longing to see

gave you by the authority of the Lord

us just as we also long to see you,

Jesus.

7for this reason, brethren, in all our

3For this is the will of God, your

distress

and

affliction

we

were

sanctification; that is, that you abstain comforted about you through your faith;

from sexual immorality;

8for now we really live, if you stand firm

4that each of you know how to possess

in the Lord.

his own vessel in sanctification and

honor,

9For what thanks can we render to God

for you in return for all the joy with which

5not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles we rejoice before our God on your

who do not know God;

account,

6

10

and that no man transgress and

as we night and day keep praying

defraud his brother in the matter

most earnestly that we may see your

because the Lord is the avenger in all

face, and may complete what is lacking

these things, just as we also told you

in your faith?

before and solemnly warned you.

11Now may our God and Father Himself

7For God has not called us for the

and Jesus our Lord direct our way to

purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

you;

8

12

So, he who rejects this is not rejecting and may the Lord cause you to

man but the God who gives His Holy

increase and abound in love for one

Spirit to you.

another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

9Now as to the love of the brethren, you

have no need for anyone to write to you,

for you yourselves are taught by God to 18Therefore comfort one another with love one another;

these words.

10for indeed you do practice it toward all

the brethren who are in all Macedonia.

5Now as to the times and the epochs,

But we urge you, brethren, to excel still brethren, you have no need of anything

more,

to be written to you.

11and to make it your ambition to lead a

2For you yourselves know full well that

quiet life and attend to your own

the day of the Lord will come just like a business and work with your hands, just

thief in the night.

as we commanded you,

3

12

While they are saying, " Peace and

so that you will behave properly

safety!" then destruction will come upon toward outsiders and not be in any need. them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not 13But we do not want you to be

escape.

uninformed, brethren, about those who

are asleep, so that you will not grieve as

4But you, brethren, are not in darkness,

do the rest who have no hope.

that the day would overtake you like a

thief;

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with 5for you are all sons of light and sons of Him those who have fallen asleep in

day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

Jesus.

6

15

so then let us not sleep as others do, For this we say to you by the word of but let us be alert and sober.

the Lord, that we who are alive and

remain until the coming of the Lord, will 7

not precede those who have fallen

For those who sleep do their sleeping

asleep.

at night, and those who get drunk get

drunk at night.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from

8

heaven with a shout, with the voice of

But since we are of the day, let us be the archangel and with the trumpet of

sober, having put on the breastplate of

God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

faith and love, and as a helmet, the

hope of salvation.

17Then we who are alive and remain will

9

be caught up together with them in the

For God has not destined us for wrath,

clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and but for obtaining salvation through our

so we shall always be with the Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,

10who died for us, so that whether we 18in everything give thanks; for this is are awake or asleep, we will live God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

together with Him.

19Do not quench the Spirit;

11Therefore encourage one another and

build up one another, just as you also

20do not despise prophetic utterances.

are doing.

21But examine everything carefully; hold

12But we request of you, brethren, that

fast to that which is good;

you appreciate those who diligently

labor among you, and have charge over

22abstain from every form of evil.

you in the Lord and give you instruction,

23

13

Now may the God of peace Himself

and that you esteem them very highly

sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit

in love because of their work. Live in

and soul and body be preserved

peace with one another.

complete, without blame at the coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

14We urge you, brethren, admonish the

unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help

24Faithful is He who calls you, and He

the weak, be patient with everyone.

also will bring it to pass.

15See that no one repays another with

25Brethren, pray for us .

evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all

26

people.

Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

27

16Rejoice always;

I adjure you by the Lord to have this

letter read to all the brethren.

17pray without ceasing;

28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

with you.

2nd Thessalonians

9These will pay the penalty of eternal

destruction, away from the presence of

1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the Lord and from the glory of His power, the church of the Thessalonians in God 10

our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

when He comes to be glorified in His

saints on that day, and to be marveled

2

at among all who have believed--for our

Grace to you and peace from God the

testimony to you was believed.

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

11

3

To this end also we pray for you

We ought always to give thanks to God

always, that our God will count you

for you, brethren, as is only fitting,

worthy of your calling, and fulfill every because your faith is greatly enlarged,

desire for goodness and the work of

and the love of each one of you toward faith with power,

one another grows ever greater;

12

4

so that the name of our Lord Jesus will

therefore, we ourselves speak proudly

be glorified in you, and you in Him,

of you among the churches of God for

according to the grace of our God and

your perseverance and faith in the midst

the Lord Jesus Christ.

of all your persecutions and afflictions

which you endure.

2

5

Now we request you, brethren, with

This is a plain indication of God's

righteous judgment so that you will be

regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus

considered worthy of the kingdom of

Christ and our gathering together to Him,

God, for which indeed you are suffering.

2that you not be quickly shaken from

6For after all it is only just for God to your composure or be disturbed either

repay with affliction those who afflict you, by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the 7

Lord has come.

and to give relief to you who are

afflicted and to us as well when the Lord

3

Jesus will be revealed from heaven with

Let no one in any way deceive you, for

His mighty angels in flaming fire,

it will not come unless the apostasy

comes first, and the man of lawlessness

8

is revealed, the son of destruction,

dealing out retribution to those who do

not know God and to those who do not

4

obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

who opposes and exalts himself above

every so-called god or object of worship,

so that he takes his seat in the temple of

God, displaying himself as being God.

5Do you not remember that while I was 14It was for this He called you through still with you, I was telling you these our gospel, that you may gain the glory things?

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

6And you know what restrains him now,

15So then, brethren, stand firm and hold

so that in his time he will be revealed.

to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter

7For the mystery of lawlessness is

from us.

already at work; only he who now

restrains will do so until he is taken out 16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ

of the way.

Himself and God our Father, who has

loved us and given us eternal comfort

8Then that lawless one will be revealed

and good hope by grace,

whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the

17comfort and strengthen your hearts in

appearance of His coming;

every good work and word.

9that is, the one whose coming is in

accord with the activity of Satan, with all

3Finally, brethren, pray for us that the power and signs and false wonders,

word of the Lord will spread rapidly and

be glorified, just as it did also with you;

10and with all the deception of

wickedness for those who perish,

2and that we will be rescued from

because they did not receive the love of

perverse and evil men; for not all have the truth so as to be saved.

faith.

11For this reason God will send upon

3But the Lord is faithful, and He will

them a deluding influence so that they

strengthen and protect you from the evil

will believe what is false,

one.

12in order that they all may be judged

4We have confidence in the Lord

who did not believe the truth, but took concerning you, that you are doing and

pleasure in wickedness.

will continue to do what we command.

13But we should always give thanks to

5May the Lord direct your hearts into the

God for you, brethren beloved by the

love of God and into the steadfastness

Lord, because God has chosen you

of Christ.

from the beginning for salvation through

sanctification by the Spirit and faith in 6

the truth.

Now we command you, brethren, in the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you

keep away from every brother who

leads an unruly life and not according to

the tradition which you received from us.

7For you yourselves know how you 12Now such persons we command and ought to follow our example, because

exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work we did not act in an undisciplined

in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

manner among you,

13But as for you, brethren, do not grow 8nor did we eat anyone's bread without

weary of doing good.

paying for it, but with labor and hardship

we kept working night and day so that

14If anyone does not obey our instruction

we would not be a burden to any of you;

in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him,

9not because we do not have the right to

so that he will be put to shame.

this, but in order to offer ourselves as a

model for you, so that you would follow 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy,

our example.

but admonish him as a brother.

10For even when we were with you, we

16Now may the Lord of peace Himself

used to give you this order: if anyone is

continually grant you peace in every

not willing to work, then he is not to eat,

circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

either.

17I, Paul, write this greeting with my own

11For we hear that some among you are

hand, and this is a distinguishing mark

leading an undisciplined life, doing no

in every letter; this is the way I write.

work at all, but acting like busybodies.

18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

with you all.

1st Timothy

9realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and according to the commandment of God

profane, for those who kill their fathers our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is or mothers, for murderers our hope,

10

2

and immoral men and homosexuals

To Timothy, my true child in the faith: and kidnappers and liars and perjurers,

Grace, mercy and peace from God the

and whatever else is contrary to sound

Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

teaching,

3As I urged you upon my departure for

11according to the glorious gospel of the

Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so

blessed God, with which I have been

that you may instruct certain men not to

entrusted.

teach strange doctrines,

12

4

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has

nor to pay attention to myths and

strengthened

me,

because

He

endless genealogies, which give rise to

considered me faithful, putting me into

mere speculation rather than furthering

service,

the administration of God which is by

faith.

13even though I was formerly a

5

blasphemer and a persecutor and a

But the goal of our instruction is love violent aggressor. Yet I was shown

from a pure heart and a good

mercy because I acted ignorantly in

conscience and a sincere faith.

unbelief;

6For some men, straying from these

14and the grace of our Lord was more

things, have turned aside to fruitless

than abundant, with the faith and love

discussion,

which are found in Christ Jesus.

7wanting to be teachers of the Law,

15It is a trustworthy statement, deserving

even though they do not understand

full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came

either what they are saying or the

into the world to save sinners, among

matters

about

which

they

make

whom I am foremost of all.

confident assertions.

16

8

Yet for this reason I found mercy, so

But we know that the Law is good, if

that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ

one uses it lawfully,

might demonstrate His perfect patience

as an example for those who would 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, believe in Him for eternal life.

the testimony given at the proper time.

17Now to the King eternal, immortal,

7For this I was appointed a preacher and

invisible, the only God, be honor and

an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am glory forever and ever. Amen.

not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in

faith and truth.

18This command I entrust to you,

Timothy, my son, in accordance with the

8Therefore I want the men in every place

prophecies previously made concerning

to pray, lifting up holy hands, without

you, that by them you fight the good

wrath and dissension.

fight,

9Likewise, I want women to adorn

19keeping faith and a good conscience,

themselves

with

proper

clothing,

which some have rejected and suffered

modestly and discreetly, not with

shipwreck in regard to their faith.

braided hair and gold or pearls or costly

garments,

20Among these are Hymenaeus and

Alexander, whom I have handed over to

10but rather by means of good works, as

Satan, so that they will be taught not to is proper for women making a claim to

blaspheme.

godliness.

11

2

A

woman

must

quietly

receive

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties

instruction with entire submissiveness.

and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,

12

be made on behalf of all men,

But I do not allow a woman to teach or

exercise authority over a man, but to

2

remain quiet.

for kings and all who are in authority, so

that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life

13

in all godliness and dignity.

For it was Adam who was first created,

and then Eve.

3This is good and acceptable in the sight

14

of God our Savior,

And it was not Adam who was

deceived,

but

the

woman

being

4who desires all men to be saved and to

deceived, fell into transgression.

come to the knowledge of the truth.

15But women will be preserved through

5For there is one God, and one mediator

the bearing of children if they continue in

also between God and men, the man

faith and love and sanctity with self—

Christ Jesus,

restraint.

11

3

Women must likewise be dignified, not

It is a trustworthy statement: if any

malicious

gossips,

but

temperate,

man aspires to the office of overseer, it faithful in all things.

is a fine work he desires to do.

12Deacons must be husbands of only

2An overseer, then, must be above

one wife, and good managers of their

reproach, the husband of one wife,

children and their own households.

temperate,

prudent,

respectable,

13

hospitable, able to teach,

For those who have served well as

deacons obtain for themselves a high

3not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but

standing and great confidence in the

gentle, peaceable, free from the love of faith that is in Christ Jesus.

money.

14I am writing these things to you,

4He must be one who manages his own

hoping to come to you before long;

household well, keeping his children

15

under control with all dignity

but in case I am delayed, I write so

that you will know how one ought to

5

conduct himself in the household of God,

(but if a man does not know how to

manage his own household, how will he

which is the church of the living God, the

take care of the church of God?),

pillar and support of the truth.

16

6

By common confession, great is the

and not a new convert, so that he will mystery of godliness: He who was

not become conceited and fall into the

condemnation incurred by the devil.

revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in

the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed

7

among the nations, Believed on in the

And he must have a good reputation

world, Taken up in glory.

with those outside the church, so that he

will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

4But the Spirit explicitly says that in 8Deacons likewise must be men of

later times some will fall away from the dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted

faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits to much wine or fond of sordid gain,

and doctrines of demons,

9

2

but holding to the mystery of the faith by means of the hypocrisy of liars

with a clear conscience.

seared in their own conscience as with a

branding iron,

10These men must also first be tested;

3

then let them serve as deacons if they

men who forbid marriage and advocate

are beyond reproach.

abstaining from foods which God has

created to be gratefully shared in by

those who believe and know the truth.

4For everything created by God is good, 14Do not neglect the spiritual gift within and nothing is to be rejected if it is you, which was bestowed on you received with gratitude;

through prophetic utterance with the

laying on of hands by the presbytery.

5for it is sanctified by means of the word

of God and prayer.

15Take pains with these things; be

absorbed in them, so that your progress

6In pointing out these things to the

will be evident to all.

brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on

16Pay close attention to yourself and to the words of the faith and of the sound your teaching; persevere in these things, doctrine which you have been following.

for as you do this you will ensure

salvation both for yourself and for those

7But have nothing to do with worldly

who hear you.

fables fit only for old women. On the

other hand, discipline yourself for the

purpose of godliness;

5Do not sharply rebuke an older man,

but rather appeal to him as a father, to 8for bodily discipline is only of little profit, the younger men as brothers, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life

2the older women as mothers, and the

and also for the life to come.

younger women as sisters, in all purity.

9It is a trustworthy statement deserving

3Honor widows who are widows indeed;

full acceptance.

4

10

but if any widow has children or

For it is for this we labor and strive, grandchildren, they must first learn to

because we have fixed our hope on the

practice piety in regard to their own

living God, who is the Savior of all men,

family and to make some return to their

especially of believers.

parents; for this is acceptable in the

sight of God.

11Prescribe and teach these things.

5Now she who is a widow indeed and

12Let no one look down on your

who has been left alone, has fixed her

youthfulness, but rather in speech,

hope

on

God

and

continues

in

conduct, love, faith and purity, show

entreaties and prayers night and day.

yourself an example of those who

believe.

6But she who gives herself to wanton

pleasure is dead even while she lives.

13Until I come, give attention to the

public

reading

of

Scripture,

to

7Prescribe these things as well, so that exhortation and teaching.

they may be above reproach.

8But if anyone does not provide for his burdened, so that it may assist those own, and especially for those of his

who are widows indeed.

household, he has denied the faith and

is worse than an unbeliever.

17The elders who rule well are to be

considered worthy of double honor,

9A widow is to be put on the list only if especially those who work hard at

she is not less than sixty years old,

preaching and teaching.

having been the wife of one man,

18For the Scripture says, " YOU SHALL

10having a reputation for good works;

NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS

and if she has brought up children, if

THRESHING," and " The laborer is she has shown hospitality to strangers,

worthy of his wages."

if she has washed the saints' feet, if she

has assisted those in distress, and if she

19Do not receive an accusation against

has devoted herself to every good work.

an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

11But refuse to put younger widows on

the list, for when they feel sensual

20Those who continue in sin, rebuke in

desires in disregard of Christ, they want

the presence of all, so that the rest also

to get married,

will be fearful of sinning.

12thus incurring condemnation, because

21I solemnly charge you in the presence

they have set aside their previous

of God and of Christ Jesus and of His

pledge.

chosen angels, to maintain these

principles without bias, doing nothing in 13At the same time they also learn to be

a spirit of partiality.

idle, as they go around from house to

house; and not merely idle, but also

22Do not lay hands upon anyone too

gossips and busybodies, talking about

hastily and thereby share responsibility

things not proper to mention.

for the sins of others; keep yourself free

from sin.

14Therefore, I want younger widows to

get married, bear children, keep house,

23No longer drink water exclusively, but

and give the enemy no occasion for

use a little wine for the sake of your reproach;

stomach and your frequent ailments.

15for some have already turned aside to

24The sins of some men are quite

follow Satan.

evident, going before them to judgment;

for others, their sins follow after.

16If any woman who is a believer has

dependent widows, she must assist

25Likewise also, deeds that are good are

them and the church must not be

quite evident, and those which are

otherwise cannot be concealed.

9

6

But those who want to get rich fall into All who are under the yoke as slaves

temptation and a snare and many

are to regard their own masters as

foolish and harmful desires which

plunge men into ruin and destruction.

worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken

10

against.

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it 2Those who have believers as their have wandered away from the faith and

pierced themselves with many griefs.

masters must not be disrespectful to

them because they are brethren, but

11

must serve them all the more, because

But flee from these things, you man of

those who partake of the benefit are

God,

and

pursue

righteousness,

believers and beloved. Teach and

godliness, faith, love, perseverance and

preach these principles.

gentleness.

3

12

If anyone advocates a different doctrine

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold and does not agree with sound words,

of the eternal life to which you were

those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with

called, and you made the good

the doctrine conforming to godliness,

confession in the presence of many

witnesses.

4he is conceited and understands

13

nothing; but he has a morbid interest in I charge you in the presence of God,

controversial questions and disputes

who gives life to all things, and of Christ

about words, out of which arise envy,

Jesus, who testified the good confession

strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,

before Pontius Pilate,

5

14

and constant friction between men of

that you keep the commandment

depraved mind and deprived of the truth,

without stain or reproach until the

who suppose that godliness is a means

appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

of gain.

15which He will bring about at the proper

6But godliness actually is a means of

time--He who is the blessed and only

great gain when accompanied by

Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of

contentment.

lords,

7

16

For we have brought nothing into the

who alone possesses immortality and

world, so we cannot take anything out of

dwells in unapproachable light, whom

it either.

no man has seen or can see. To Him be

honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

8If we have food and covering, with

17

these we shall be content.

Instruct those who are rich in this

present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of

riches, but on God, who richly supplies 20O Timothy, guard what has been us with all things to enjoy.

entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and

empty

chatter

and

the

opposing

18Instruct them to do good, to be rich in

arguments of what is falsely called

good works, to be generous and ready

"knowledge"--

to share,

21which some have professed and thus

19storing up for themselves the treasure

gone astray from the faith. Grace be

of a good foundation for the future, so with you.

that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

2nd Timothy

9who has saved us and called us with a

holy calling, not according to our works,

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ the will of God, according to the promise

Jesus from all eternity,

of life in Christ Jesus,

10

2

but now has been revealed by the

To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace,

appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,

mercy and peace from God the Father

who abolished death and brought life

and Christ Jesus our Lord.

and immortality to light through the

gospel,

3I thank God, whom I serve with a clear

conscience the way my forefathers did,

11for which I was appointed a preacher

as I constantly remember you in my

and an apostle and a teacher.

prayers night and day,

12

4

For this reason I also suffer these

longing to see you, even as I recall your

things, but I am not ashamed; for I know

tears, so that I may be filled with joy.

whom I have believed and I am

convinced that He is able to guard what

5For I am mindful of the sincere faith

I have entrusted to Him until that day.

within you, which first dwelt in your

grandmother Lois and your mother

13Retain the standard of sound words

Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as

which you have heard from me, in the

well.

faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

6For this reason I remind you to kindle 14Guard, through the Holy Spirit who

afresh the gift of God which is in you dwells in us, the treasure which has

through the laying on of my hands.

been entrusted to you.

7For God has not given us a spirit of

15You are aware of the fact that all who

timidity, but of power and love and

are in Asia turned away from me,

discipline.

among

whom

are

Phygelus

and

Hermogenes.

8Therefore do not be ashamed of the

testimony of our Lord or of me His

16The Lord grant mercy to the house of

prisoner, but join with me in suffering for

Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me

the gospel according to the power of

and was not ashamed of my chains;

God,

17but when he was in Rome, he eagerly

searched for me and found me--

18the Lord grant to him to find mercy that they also may obtain the salvation from the Lord on that day--and you

which is in Christ Jesus and with it

know very well what services he

eternal glory.

rendered at Ephesus.

11It is a trustworthy statement: For if we

2

died with Him, we will also live with Him;

You therefore, my son, be strong in

12

the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

If we endure, we will also reign with

Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny 2The things which you have heard from

us;

me in the presence of many witnesses,

13

entrust these to faithful men who will be

If we are faithless, He remains faithful,

able to teach others also.

for He cannot deny Himself.

3

14

Suffer hardship with me, as a good

Remind them of these things, and

soldier of Christ Jesus.

solemnly charge them in the presence

of God not to wrangle about words,

4

which is useless and leads to the ruin of

No soldier in active service entangles

the hearers.

himself in the affairs of everyday life, so

that he may please the one who enlisted

15

him as a soldier.

Be

diligent

to

present

yourself

approved to God as a workman who

5

does not need to be ashamed,

Also if anyone competes as an athlete,

accurately handling the word of truth.

he does not win the prize unless he

competes according to the rules.

16But avoid worldly and empty chatter,

6The hard-working farmer ought to be

for it will lead to further ungodliness,

the first to receive his share of the crops. 17and their talk will spread like gangrene.

7Consider what I say, for the Lord will Among them are Hymenaeus and

give you understanding in everything.

Philetus,

18

8Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the

men who have gone astray from the

dead, descendant of David, according to

truth saying that the resurrection has

my gospel,

already taken place, and they upset the

faith of some.

9for which I suffer hardship even to

19

imprisonment as a criminal; but the word

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of

of God is not imprisoned.

God stands, having this seal, " The Lord

knows those who are His," and, "

10

Everyone who names the name of the

For this reason I endure all things for Lord is to abstain from wickedness."

the sake of those who are chosen, so

20Now in a large house there are not 3unloving,

irreconcilable,

malicious

only gold and silver vessels, but also

gossips, without self-control, brutal,

vessels of wood and of earthenware,

haters of good,

and some to honor and some to

dishonor.

4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers

of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself

from these things, he will be a vessel for

5holding to a form of godliness, although

honor, sanctified, useful to the Master,

they have denied its power; Avoid such

prepared for every good work.

men as these.

22Now flee from youthful lusts and

6For among them are those who enter

pursue righteousness, faith, love and

into households and captivate weak

peace, with those who call on the Lord

women weighed down with sins, led on

from a pure heart.

by various impulses,

23But refuse foolish and ignorant

7always learning and never able to come

speculations, knowing that they produce

to the knowledge of the truth.

quarrels.

8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed

24The Lord's bond-servant must not be

Moses, so these men also oppose the

quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in

teach, patient when wronged,

regard to the faith.

25with gentleness correcting those who

9But they will not make further progress;

are in opposition, if perhaps God may

for their folly will be obvious to all, just grant them repentance leading to the as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was

knowledge of the truth,

also.

26and they may come to their senses

10Now you followed my teaching,

and escape from the snare of the devil, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love,

having been held captive by him to do

perseverance,

his will.

11persecutions, and sufferings, such as

3

happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium

But realize this, that in the last days and at Lystra; what persecutions I

difficult times will come.

endured, and out of them all the Lord

rescued me!

2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of

12

money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in disobedient

to

parents,

ungrateful,

Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

unholy,

13But evil men and impostors will 5But you, be sober in all things, endure proceed from bad to worse, deceiving

hardship, do the work of an evangelist,

and being deceived.

fulfill your ministry.

14You, however, continue in the things

6For I am already being poured out as a

you

have

learned

and

become

drink offering, and the time of my

convinced of, knowing from whom you

departure has come.

have learned them,

7I have fought the good fight, I have

15and that from childhood you have

finished the course, I have kept the faith;

known the sacred writings which are

able to give you the wisdom that leads

8in the future there is laid up for me the

to salvation through faith which is in

crown of righteousness, which the Lord,

Christ Jesus.

the righteous Judge, will award to me on

that day; and not only to me, but also to

16All Scripture is inspired by God and

all who have loved His appearing.

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

9Make every effort to come to me soon;

17so that the man of God may be

10for Demas, having loved this present

adequate, equipped for every good work. world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to 4

Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

I solemnly charge you in the

11

presence of God and of Christ Jesus,

Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark

who is to judge the living and the dead,

and bring him with you, for he is useful and by His appearing and His kingdom:

to me for service.

2

12

preach the word; be ready in season

But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

and out of season; reprove, rebuke,

exhort,

with

great

patience

and

13When you come bring the cloak which

instruction.

I left at Troas with Carpus, and the

books, especially the parchments.

3For the time will come when they will

not endure sound doctrine; but wanting

14Alexander the coppersmith did me

to have their ears tickled, they will

much harm; the Lord will repay him

accumulate for themselves teachers in

according to his deeds.

accordance to their own desires,

15Be on guard against him yourself, for

4and will turn away their ears from the he vigorously opposed our teaching.

truth and will turn aside to myths.

16At my first defense no one supported 19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the me, but all deserted me; may it not be household of Onesiphorus.

counted against them.

20Erastus remained at Corinth, but

17But the Lord stood with me and

Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

strengthened me, so that through me

the

proclamation

might

be

fully

21Make every effort to come before

accomplished, and that all the Gentiles

winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens

might hear; and I was rescued out of the

and Linus and Claudia and all the

lion's mouth.

brethren.

18The Lord will rescue me from every

22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be

evil deed, and will bring me safely to His

with you.

heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory

forever and ever. Amen.

Titus

9holding fast the faithful word which is in

accordance with the teaching, so that he

1Paul, a bond-servant of God and an will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of contradict.

those chosen of God and the knowledge

of the truth which is according to

10

godliness,

For there are many rebellious men,

empty talkers and deceivers, especially

those of the circumcision,

2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

11who must be silenced because they

3

are upsetting whole families, teaching

but at the proper time manifested, even

things they should not teach for the sake

His word, in the proclamation with which

of sordid gain.

I was entrusted according to the

commandment of God our Savior,

12One of themselves, a prophet of their

4

own, said, " Cretans are always liars, To Titus, my true child in a common

evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

faith: Grace and peace from God the

Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

13This testimony is true. For this reason

5

reprove them severely so that they may

For this reason I left you in Crete, that be sound in the faith,

you would set in order what remains and

appoint elders in every city as I directed

14

you,

not paying attention to Jewish myths

and commandments of men who turn

6

away from the truth.

namely, if any man is above reproach,

the husband of one wife, having children

15To the pure, all things are pure; but to

who believe, not accused of dissipation

or rebellion.

those who are defiled and unbelieving,

nothing is pure, but both their mind and 7

their conscience are defiled.

For the overseer must be above

reproach as God's steward, not self—

16They profess to know God, but by their

willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted

to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of

deeds they deny Him, being detestable

sordid gain,

and disobedient and worthless for any

good deed.

8but hospitable, loving what is good,

sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,

11

2

For the grace of God has appeared,

But as for you, speak the things

bringing salvation to all men,

which are fitting for sound doctrine.

12instructing us to deny ungodliness and

2Older men are to be temperate,

worldly desires and to live sensibly,

dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love,

righteously and godly in the present age,

in perseverance.

13looking for the blessed hope and the

3

appearing of the glory of our great God Older women likewise are to be

reverent in their behavior, not malicious and Savior, Christ Jesus,

gossips nor enslaved to much wine,

14

teaching what is good,

who gave Himself for us to redeem us

from every lawless deed, and to purify

4

for Himself a people for His own

so that they may encourage the young

women to love their husbands, to love

possession, zealous for good deeds.

their children,

15These things speak and exhort and

5

reprove with all authority. Let no one

to be sensible, pure, workers at home,

disregard you.

kind, being subject to their own

husbands, so that the word of God will

not be dishonored.

3Remind them to be subject to rulers,

6Likewise urge the young men to be

to authorities, to be obedient, to be

sensible;

ready for every good deed,

7in all things show yourself to be an

2to malign no one, to be peaceable,

example of good deeds, with purity in

gentle, showing every consideration for

doctrine, dignified,

all men.

8sound in speech which is beyond

3For we also once were foolish

reproach, so that the opponent will be

ourselves,

disobedient,

deceived,

put to shame, having nothing bad to say

enslaved to various lusts and pleasures,

about us.

spending our life in malice and envy,

hateful, hating one another.

9Urge bondslaves to be subject to their

own masters in everything, to be well—

4But when the kindness of God our

pleasing, not argumentative,

Savior and His love for mankind

appeared,

10not pilfering, but showing all good faith

so that they will adorn the doctrine of 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds

God our Savior in every respect.

which we have done in righteousness,

but according to His mercy, by the

washing of regeneration and renewing 10Reject a factious man after a first and by the Holy Spirit,

second warning,

6whom He poured out upon us richly

11knowing that such a man is perverted

through Jesus Christ our Savior,

and is sinning, being self-condemned.

7so that being justified by His grace we

12When I send Artemas or Tychicus to

would be made heirs according to the

you, make every effort to come to me at

hope of eternal life.

Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend

the winter there.

8This is a trustworthy statement; and

concerning these things I want you to

13Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and

speak confidently, so that those who

Apollos on their way so that nothing is have believed God will be careful to

lacking for them.

engage in good deeds. These things are

good and profitable for men.

14Our people must also learn to engage

in good deeds to meet pressing needs,

9But avoid foolish controversies and

so that they will not be unfruitful.

genealogies and strife and disputes

about the Law, for they are unprofitable 15All who are with me greet you. Greet

and worthless.

those who love us in the faith. Grace be

with you all.

Philemon

10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus,

whom

I

have

begotten

in

my

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and imprisonment, Timothy our brother, To Philemon our 11

beloved brother and fellow worker,

who formerly was useless to you, but

now is useful both to you and to me.

2and to Apphia our sister, and to

12I have sent him back to you in person,

Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the that is, sending my very heart,

church in your house:

13

3Grace to you and peace from God our

whom I wished to keep with me, so

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

4I thank my God always, making

14

mention of you in my prayers,

but without your consent I did not want

to do anything, so that your goodness

5

would not be, in effect, by compulsion

because I hear of your love and of the but of your own free will.

faith which you have toward the Lord

Jesus and toward all the saints;

15For perhaps he was for this reason

6

separated from you for a while, that you

and I pray that the fellowship of your

would have him back forever,

faith may become effective through the

knowledge of every good thing which is

16

in you for Christ's sake.

no longer as a slave, but more than a

slave, a beloved brother, especially to

7

me, but how much more to you, both in

For I have come to have much joy and

the flesh and in the Lord.

comfort in your love, because the hearts

of the saints have been refreshed

17

through you, brother.

If then you regard me a partner,

accept him as you would me.

8Therefore, though I have enough

18But if he has wronged you in any way

confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

or owes you anything, charge that to my

account;

9yet for love's sake I rather appeal to 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own

you--since I am such a person as Paul,

hand, I will repay it ( not to mention to the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--

you that you owe to me even your own

self as well).

20Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Jesus, greets you,

21Having confidence in your obedience, I

24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke,

write to you, since I know that you will my fellow workers.

do even more than what I say.

25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be

22At the same time also prepare me a

with your spirit.

lodging, for I hope that through your

prayers I will be given to you.

Hebrews

EVER,

AND

THE

RIGHTEOUS

SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS

1God, after He spoke long ago to the KINGDOM.

fathers in the prophets in many portions

9

and in many ways,

"

YOU

HAVE

LOVED

RIGHTEOUSNESS

AND

HATED

2

LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD,

in these last days has spoken to us in YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU

His Son, whom He appointed heir of all

WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE

things, through whom also He made the

YOUR COMPANIONS."

world.

10

3

And,

"

YOU,

LORD,

IN

THE

And He is the radiance of His glory and

BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION

the exact representation of His nature,

OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS

and upholds all things by the word of His

ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

power. When He had made purification

of sins, He sat down at the right hand of

11

the Majesty on high,

THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU

REMAIN;

AND

THEY

ALL

WILL

BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,

4having become as much better than the

angels, as He has inherited a more

12

excellent name than they.

AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL

ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT

5

THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT

For to which of the angels did He ever YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR

say, " YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I

YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN

HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"? And again, "

END."

I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE

SHALL BE A SON TO ME"?

13But to which of the angels has He ever

6

said, " SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL

And when He again brings the firstborn

I

MAKE

YOUR

ENEMIES

A

into the world, He says, " AND LET ALL

FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET"?

THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP

HIM."

14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent

7

out to render service for the sake of

And of the angels He says, " WHO

those who will inherit salvationNULL

MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND

HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."

2

8

For this reason we must pay much

But of the Son He says, " YOUR

THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND

closer attention to what we have heard,

so that we do not drift away from it.

2For if the word spoken through angels the grace of God He might taste death proved

unalterable,

and

every

for everyone.

transgression

and

disobedience

received a just penalty,

10For it was fitting for Him, for whom are

all things, and through whom are all

3how will we escape if we neglect so

things, in bringing many sons to glory, to

great a salvation? After it was at the first

perfect the author of their salvation

spoken through the Lord, it was

through sufferings.

confirmed to us by those who heard,

11For both He who sanctifies and those

4God also testifying with them, both by

who are sanctified are all from one

signs and wonders and by various

Father; for which reason He is not

miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit ashamed to call them brethren,

according to His own will.

12saying, " I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR

5For He did not subject to angels the

NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE

world to come, concerning which we are

MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I

speaking.

WILL SING YOUR PRAISE."

6But one has testified somewhere,

13And again, " I WILL PUT MY TRUST

saying, " WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU

IN HIM." And again, " BEHOLD, I AND

REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF

THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS

MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED

GIVEN ME."

ABOUT HIM?

14Therefore, since the children share in

7" YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A

flesh and blood, He Himself likewise

LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE

also partook of the same, that through

ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM

death He might render powerless him

WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND

who had the power of death, that is, the

HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE

devil,

WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

15and might free those who through fear

8YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN

of death were subject to slavery all their

SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For

lives.

in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But 16For assuredly He does not give help to now we do not yet see all things

angels, but He gives help to the

subjected to him.

descendant of Abraham.

9But we do see Him who was made for a

17Therefore, He had to be made like His

little while lower than the angels, namely,

brethren in all things, so that He might Jesus, because of the suffering of death

become a merciful and faithful high

crowned with glory and honor, so that by

priest in things pertaining to God, to

make propitiation for the sins of the 9WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me people.

BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY

WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

18For since He Himself was tempted in

that which He has suffered, He is able to

10" THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH

come to the aid of those who are

THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY

tempted.

ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR

HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW

MY WAYS';

3Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of 11

a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the

AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY

Apostle

and

High

Priest

of

our

SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"

confession;

12Take care, brethren, that there not be

2He was faithful to Him who appointed

in any one of you an evil, unbelieving

Him, as Moses also was in all His house. heart that falls away from the living God.

13

3

But encourage one another day after

For He has been counted worthy of

day, as long as it is still called "Today,"

more glory than Moses, by just so much

as the builder of the house has more

so that none of you will be hardened by

honor than the house.

the deceitfulness of sin.

14

4

For we have become partakers of

For every house is built by someone,

Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of but the builder of all things is God.

our assurance firm until the end,

5Now Moses was faithful in all His house

15

as a servant, for a testimony of those

while it is said, " TODAY IF YOU

HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN

things which were to be spoken later;

YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY

6

PROVOKED ME."

but Christ was faithful as a Son over

His house-- whose house we are, if we

16For who provoked Him when they had

hold fast our confidence and the boast

heard? Indeed, did not all those who

of our hope firm until the end.

came out of Egypt led by Moses?

7Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "

17

TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

And with whom was He angry for forty

years? Was it not with those who sinned,

8

whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS

WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN

18

THE

DAY

OF

TRIAL

IN

THE

And to whom did He swear that they

WILDERNESS,

would not enter His rest, but to those

who were disobedient?

19So we see that they were not able to 8For if Joshua had given them rest, He enter because of unbelief.

would not have spoken of another day

after that.

4

9

Therefore, let us fear if, while a

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the

promise remains of entering His rest,

people of God.

any one of you may seem to have come

10

short of it.

For the one who has entered His rest

has himself also rested from his works,

2For indeed we have had good news

as God did from His.

preached to us, just as they also; but the

11

word they heard did not profit them,

Therefore let us be diligent to enter

because it was not united by faith in

that rest, so that no one will fall, through

those who heard.

following

the

same

example

of

disobedience.

3For we who have believed enter that

12

rest, just as He has said, " AS I SWORE

For the word of God is living and

IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT

active and sharper than any two-edged

ENTER MY REST," although His works

sword, and piercing as far as the

were finished from the foundation of the

division of soul and spirit, of both joints world.

and marrow, and able to judge the

thoughts and intentions of the heart.

4For

He

has

said

somewhere

13

concerning the seventh day: " AND

And there is no creature hidden from

GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH

His sight, but all things are open and

DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";

laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

5and again in this passage, " THEY

14

SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST."

Therefore, since we have a great high

priest who has passed through the

6Therefore, since it remains for some to

heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us

enter it, and those who formerly had

hold fast our confession.

good news preached to them failed to

15

enter because of disobedience,

For we do not have a high priest who

cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

7He again fixes a certain day, "Today,"

but One who has been tempted in all

saying through David after so long a

things as we are, yet without sin.

time just as has been said before, "

16

TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO

Therefore let us draw near with

NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

confidence to the throne of grace, so

that we may receive mercy and find

grace to help in time of need.

10

5

being designated by God as a high

For every high priest taken from

priest according to the order of

among men is appointed on behalf of

Melchizedek.

men in things pertaining to God, in order

11

to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;

Concerning him we have much to say,

and it is hard to explain, since you have

2he can deal gently with the ignorant

become dull of hearing.

and misguided, since he himself also is

12

beset with weakness;

For though by this time you ought to

be teachers, you have need again for

3and because of it he is obligated to

someone to teach you the elementary

offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people,

principles of the oracles of God, and you

so also for himself.

have come to need milk and not solid

food.

4And no one takes the honor to himself,

13

but receives it when he is called by God,

For everyone who partakes only of

even as Aaron was.

milk is not accustomed to the word of

righteousness, for he is an infant.

5So also Christ did not glorify Himself so

14

as to become a high priest, but He who

But solid food is for the mature, who

said to Him, " YOU ARE MY SON,

because of practice have their senses

TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";

trained to discern good and evil.

6just as He says also in another

6

passage, " YOU ARE A PRIEST

Therefore leaving the elementary

FOREVER

ACCORDING

TO

THE

teaching about the Christ, let us press

ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

on to maturity, not laying again a

foundation of repentance from dead

7In the days of His flesh, He offered up

works and of faith toward God,

both prayers and supplications with loud

crying and tears to the One able to save

2of instruction about washings and

Him from death, and He was heard

laying on of hands, and the resurrection

because of His piety.

of the dead and eternal judgment.

8Although He was a Son, He learned

3And this we will do, if God permits.

obedience from the things which He

suffered.

4For in the case of those who have once

been enlightened and have tasted of the

9And having been made perfect, He

heavenly gift and have been made

became to all those who obey Him the

partakers of the Holy Spirit,

source of eternal salvation,

5and have tasted the good word of God

and the powers of the age to come,

6and then have fallen away, it is 15And so, having patiently waited, he impossible to renew them again to

obtained the promise.

repentance, since they again crucify to

themselves the Son of God and put Him

16For men swear by one greater than

to open shame.

themselves, and with them an oath

given as confirmation is an end of every

7For ground that drinks the rain which

dispute.

often falls on it and brings forth

vegetation useful to those for whose

17In the same way God, desiring even

sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing

more to show to the heirs of the promise

from God;

the unchangeableness of His purpose,

interposed with an oath,

8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, 18so that by two unchangeable things in

and it ends up being burned.

which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have

9But, beloved, we are convinced of

strong encouragement to take hold of

better things concerning you, and things

the hope set before us.

that accompany salvation, though we

are speaking in this way.

19This hope we have as an anchor of the

soul, a hope both sure and steadfast

10For God is not unjust so as to forget and one which enters within the veil,

your work and the love which you have

shown toward His name, in having

20where Jesus has entered as a

ministered and in still ministering to the forerunner for us, having become a high

saints.

priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

11And we desire that each one of you

show the same diligence so as to realize

the full assurance of hope until the end,

7For this Melchizedek, king of Salem,

12

priest of the Most High God, who met

so that you will not be sluggish, but

Abraham as he was returning from the

imitators of those who through faith and

slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

patience inherit the promises.

2

13

to whom also Abraham apportioned a

For when God made the promise to

tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, Abraham, since He could swear by no

by the translation of his name, king of one greater, He swore by Himself,

righteousness, and then also king of

Salem, which is king of peace.

14saying, " I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU

AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU."

3Without father, without mother, without

genealogy, having neither beginning of

days nor end of life, but made like the

Son of God, he remains a priest 12For when the priesthood is changed, perpetually.

of necessity there takes place a change

of law also.

4Now observe how great this man was

to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a

13For the one concerning whom these

tenth of the choicest spoils.

things are spoken belongs to another

tribe, from which no one has officiated at

5And those indeed of the sons of Levi

the altar.

who receive the priest's office have

commandment in the Law to collect a

14For it is evident that our Lord was

tenth from the people, that is, from their

descended from Judah, a tribe with

brethren, although these are descended

reference to which Moses spoke nothing

from Abraham.

concerning priests.

6But the one whose genealogy is not

15And this is clearer still, if another priest traced from them collected a tenth from

arises according to the likeness of

Abraham and blessed the one who had

Melchizedek,

the promises.

16who has become such not on the

7But without any dispute the lesser is

basis of a law of physical requirement,

blessed by the greater.

but according to the power of an

indestructible life.

8In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of

17For it is attested of Him, " YOU ARE A

whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO

THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

9And, so to speak, through Abraham

even Levi, who received tithes, paid

18For, on the one hand, there is a setting

tithes,

aside of a former commandment

because

of

its

weakness

and

10for he was still in the loins of his father

uselessness

when Melchizedek met him.

19(for the Law made nothing perfect),

11Now if perfection was through the

and on the other hand there is a

Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it

bringing in of a better hope, through

the people received the Law), what

which we draw near to God.

further need was there for another priest

to arise according to the order of

20And inasmuch as it was not without an

Melchizedek, and not be designated

oath

according to the order of Aaron?

21(for they indeed became priests

without an oath, but He with an oath

through the One who said to Him, " THE

LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT

of the throne of the Majesty in the

CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A

heavens,

PRIEST FOREVER'");

2a minister in the sanctuary and in the 22so much the more also Jesus has

true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched,

become the guarantee of a better

not man.

covenant.

3For every high priest is appointed to

23The former priests, on the one hand,

offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is existed in greater numbers because

necessary that this high priest also have

they were prevented by death from

something to offer.

continuing,

4Now if He were on earth, He would not

24but Jesus, on the other hand, because

be a priest at all, since there are those He

continues

forever,

holds

His

who offer the gifts according to the Law;

priesthood permanently.

5who serve a copy and shadow of the

25Therefore He is able also to save

heavenly things, just as Moses was

forever those who draw near to God

warned by God when he was about to

through Him, since He always lives to

erect the tabernacle; for, " SEE," He make intercession for them.

says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things

ACCORDING

TO

THE

PATTERN

26For it was fitting for us to have such a

WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE

high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled,

MOUNTAIN."

separated from sinners and exalted

above the heavens;

6But now He has obtained a more

excellent ministry, by as much as He is 27who does not need daily, like those

also the mediator of a better covenant,

high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first which has been enacted on better

for His own sins and then for the sins of

promises.

the people, because this He did once for

all when He offered up Himself.

7For if that first covenant had been

faultless, there would have been no

28For the Law appoints men as high

occasion sought for a second.

priests who are weak, but the word of

the oath, which came after the Law,

8For finding fault with them, He says, "

appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS

THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A

NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE

8Now the main point in what has been OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE

OF JUDAH;

said is this: we have such a high priest,

who has taken His seat at the right hand

9NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I 3Behind the second veil there was a MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE

tabernacle which is called the Holy of

DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE

Holies,

HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE

LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID

4having a golden altar of incense and

NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT,

the ark of the covenant covered on all

AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM,

sides with gold, in which was a golden

SAYS THE LORD.

jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod

which budded, and the tables of the

10" FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT

covenant;

THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE

OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS,

5and above it were the cherubim of glory

SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY

overshadowing the mercy seat; but of

LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I

these things we cannot now speak in

WILL

WRITE

THEM

ON

THEIR

detail.

HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

6Now when these things have been so

prepared, the priests are continually

11" AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH

entering the outer tabernacle performing

EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN,

the divine worship,

AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER,

SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL

7but into the second, only the high priest

WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST

enters once a year, not without taking

TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

blood, which he offers for himself and

for the sins of the people committed in 12" FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO

ignorance.

THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL

REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."

8The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet 13When He said, " A new covenant," He been disclosed

while

the

outer

has made the first obsolete. But

tabernacle is still standing,

whatever is becoming obsolete and

growing old is ready to disappear.

9which is a symbol for the present time.

Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are

9

offered

which

cannot

make

the

Now even the first covenant had

worshiper perfect in conscience,

regulations of divine worship and the

earthly sanctuary.

10since they relate only to food and drink

and various washings, regulations for

2For there was a tabernacle prepared,

the body imposed until a time of

the outer one, in which were the

reformation.

lampstand and the table and the sacred

bread; this is called the holy place.

11But when Christ appeared as a high according to the Law, he took the blood priest of the good things to come, He

of the calves and the goats, with water entered through the greater and more

and scarlet wool and hyssop, and

perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,

sprinkled both the book itself and all the

that is to say, not of this creation;

people,

12and not through the blood of goats and

20saying, " THIS IS THE BLOOD OF

calves, but through His own blood, He

THE

COVENANT

WHICH

GOD

entered the holy place once for all,

COMMANDED YOU."

having obtained eternal redemption.

21And in the same way he sprinkled both

13For if the blood of goats and bulls and

the tabernacle and all the vessels of the

the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those

ministry with the blood.

who have been defiled sanctify for the

cleansing of the flesh,

22And according to the Law, one may

almost say, all things are cleansed with 14how much more will the blood of Christ,

blood, and without shedding of blood

who through the eternal Spirit offered

there is no forgiveness.

Himself without blemish to God, cleanse

your conscience from dead works to

23Therefore it was necessary for the

serve the living God?

copies of the things in the heavens to be

cleansed with these, but the heavenly

15For this reason He is the mediator of a

things themselves with better sacrifices

new covenant, so that, since a death

than these.

has taken place for the redemption of

the transgressions that were committed

24For Christ did not enter a holy place under the first covenant, those who

made with hands, a mere copy of the

have been called may receive the

true one, but into heaven itself, now to promise of the eternal inheritance.

appear in the presence of God for us;

16For where a covenant is, there must of

25nor was it that He would offer Himself

necessity be the death of the one who

often, as the high priest enters the holy made it.

place year by year with blood that is not

his own.

17For a covenant is valid only when men

are dead, for it is never in force while 26Otherwise, He would have needed to

the one who made it lives.

suffer often since the foundation of the world;

but

now

once

at

the

18Therefore even the first covenant was

consummation of the ages He has been

not inaugurated without blood.

manifested to put away sin by the

sacrifice of Himself.

19For when every commandment had

been spoken by Moses to all the people

27And inasmuch as it is appointed for 8After saying above, " SACRIFICES

men to die once and after this comes

AND

OFFERINGS

AND

WHOLE

judgment,

BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices

FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,

28so Christ also, having been offered

NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in

once to bear the sins of many, will

them" (which are offered according to appear a second time for salvation

the Law),

without reference to sin, to those who

eagerly await Him.

9then He said, " BEHOLD, I HAVE

COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes

away the first in order to establish the 10For the Law, since it has only a second.

shadow of the good things to come and

10By this will we have been sanctified

not the very form of things, can never, through the offering of the body of Jesus

by the same sacrifices which they offer

continually year by year, make perfect

Christ once for all.

those who draw near.

11Every priest stands daily ministering

2

and offering time after time the same

Otherwise, would they not have ceased

sacrifices, which can never take away

to be offered, because the worshipers,

having once been cleansed, would no

sins;

longer have had consciousness of sins?

12but He, having offered one sacrifice for

3

sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE

But in those sacrifices there is a

RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

reminder of sins year by year.

13

4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls

waiting from that time onward UNTIL

HIS

ENEMIES

BE

MADE

A

and goats to take away sins.

FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.

5Therefore, when He comes into the

14

world, He says, " SACRIFICE AND

For by one offering He has perfected

OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,

for all time those who are sanctified.

BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED

15

FOR ME;

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us;

for after saying,

6IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND

16

sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN

" THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I

NO PLEASURE.

WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER

THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I

7" THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE

WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR

COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE

HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL

BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO

WRITE THEM," He then says,

YOUR WILL, O GOD.'"

17" AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR

27but a terrifying expectation of judgment

LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER

and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH

NO MORE."

WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.

18Now where there is forgiveness of

28Anyone who has set aside the Law of

these things, there is no longer any

Moses dies without mercy on the

offering for sin.

testimony of two or three witnesses.

19Therefore, brethren, since we have

29How much severer punishment do you

confidence to enter the holy place by the

think he will deserve who has trampled

blood of Jesus,

under foot the Son of God, and has

regarded as unclean the blood of the

20by a new and living way which He

covenant by which he was sanctified,

inaugurated for us through the veil, that and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

is, His flesh,

30For we know Him who said, "

21and since we have a great priest over

VENGEANCE

IS

MINE,

I

WILL

the house of God,

REPAY." And again, " THE LORD WILL

JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."

22let us draw near with a sincere heart in

31

full assurance of faith, having our hearts

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the sprinkled clean from an evil conscience hands of the living God.

and our bodies washed with pure water.

32But remember the former days, when,

23Let us hold fast the confession of our after being enlightened, you endured a

hope without wavering, for He who

great conflict of sufferings,

promised is faithful;

33partly by being made a public

24and let us consider how to stimulate

spectacle

through

reproaches

and

one another to love and good deeds,

tribulations, and partly by becoming

sharers with those who were so treated.

25not forsaking our own assembling

34

together, as is the habit of some, but

For you showed sympathy to the

encouraging one another; and all the

prisoners and accepted joyfully the

more as you see the day drawing near.

seizure of your property, knowing that

you have for yourselves a better

26

possession and a lasting one.

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth,

35

there no longer remains a sacrifice for

Therefore, do not throw away your

sins,

confidence, which has a great reward.

36For you have need of endurance, so 6And without faith it is impossible to that when you have done the will of God,

please Him, for he who comes to God

you may receive what was promised.

must believe that He is and that He is a

rewarder of those who seek Him.

37FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,

HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME,

7By faith Noah, being warned by God

AND WILL NOT DELAY.

about things not yet seen, in reverence

prepared an ark for the salvation of his 38BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL

household, by which he condemned the

LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS

world, and became an heir of the

BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE

righteousness which is according to faith.

IN HIM.

8By faith Abraham, when he was called,

39But we are not of those who shrink

obeyed by going out to a place which he

back to destruction, but of those who

was to receive for an inheritance; and

have faith to the preserving of the soul.

he went out, not knowing where he was

going.

11

9

Now faith is the assurance of

By faith he lived as an alien in the land

of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling

things hoped for, the conviction of things

in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow

not seen.

heirs of the same promise;

2For by it the men of old gained approval. 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and 3By faith we understand that the worlds

builder is God.

were prepared by the word of God, so

that what is seen was not made out of

11By faith even Sarah herself received

things which are visible.

ability to conceive, even beyond the

proper time of life, since she considered

4By faith Abel offered to God a better

Him faithful who had promised.

sacrifice than Cain, through which he

obtained the testimony that he was

12Therefore there was born even of one

righteous, God testifying about his gifts, man, and him as good as dead at that,

and through faith, though he is dead, he

as many descendants AS THE STARS

still speaks.

OF HEAVEN

IN

NUMBER,

AND

INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH

5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he

IS BY THE SEASHORE.

would not see death; AND HE WAS

NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK

13All these died in faith, without receiving

HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that

the promises, but having seen them and

before his being taken up he was

having welcomed them from a distance,

pleasing to God.

and having confessed that they were 23By faith Moses, when he was born, strangers and exiles on the earth.

was hidden for three months by his

parents, because they saw he was a

14For those who say such things make it

beautiful child; and they were not afraid clear that they are seeking a country of of the king's edict.

their own.

24By faith Moses, when he had grown up,

15And indeed if they had been thinking

refused to be called the son of

of that country from which they went out,

Pharaoh's daughter,

they would have had opportunity to

return.

25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment

with the people of God than to enjoy the

16But as it is, they desire a better

passing pleasures of sin,

country, that is, a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be

26considering the reproach of Christ

called their God; for He has prepared a

greater riches than the treasures of

city for them.

Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

17By faith Abraham, when he was tested,

27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the offered up Isaac, and he who had

wrath of the king; for he endured, as

received the promises was offering up

seeing Him who is unseen.

his only begotten son;

28By faith he kept the Passover and the

18it was he to whom it was said, " IN

sprinkling of the blood, so that he who ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL

destroyed the firstborn would not touch

BE CALLED."

them.

19He considered that God is able to

29By faith they passed through the Red

raise people even from the dead, from

Sea as though they were passing

which he also received him back as a

through dry land; and the Egyptians,

type.

when they attempted it, were drowned.

20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau,

30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down even regarding things to come.

after they had been encircled for seven

days.

21By faith Jacob, as he was dying,

blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and

31By faith Rahab the harlot did not

worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying,

spies in peace.

made mention of the exodus of the sons

of Israel, and gave orders concerning

32And what more shall I say? For time

his bones.

will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak,

Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

12Therefore, since we have so great

a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let

33who by faith conquered kingdoms,

us also lay aside every encumbrance

performed

acts

of

righteousness,

and the sin which so easily entangles us,

obtained promises, shut the mouths of

and let us run with endurance the race

lions,

that is set before us,

34quenched the power of fire, escaped

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author

the edge of the sword, from weakness

and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set

were made strong, became mighty in

before Him endured the cross, despising

war, put foreign armies to flight.

the shame, and has sat down at the

right hand of the throne of God.

35Women received back their dead by

resurrection; and others were tortured,

3For consider Him who has endured

not accepting their release, so that they such hostility by sinners against Himself,

might obtain a better resurrection;

so that you will not grow weary and lose

heart.

36and others experienced mockings and

scourgings, yes, also chains and

4You have not yet resisted to the point of

imprisonment.

shedding blood in your striving against

sin;

37They were stoned, they were sawn in

two, they were tempted, they were put

5and you have forgotten the exhortation

to death with the sword; they went about

which is addressed to you as sons, " MY

in sheepskins, in goatskins, being

SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE

destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR

FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED

38(men of whom the world was not

BY HIM;

worthy), wandering in deserts and

mountains and caves and holes in the

6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD

ground.

LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE

SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE

39And all these, having gained approval

RECEIVES."

through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

7It is for discipline that you endure; God

deals with you as with sons; for what

40because God had provided something

son is there whom his father does not

better for us, so that apart from us they discipline?

would not be made perfect.

8But if you are without discipline, of

which all have become partakers, then

you are illegitimate children and not for repentance, though he sought for it sons.

with tears.

9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to

18For you have not come to a mountain

discipline us, and we respected them;

that can be touched and to a blazing fire,

shall we not much rather be subject to

and to darkness and gloom and

the Father of spirits, and live?

whirlwind,

10For they disciplined us for a short time

19and to the blast of a trumpet and the as seemed best to them, but He

sound of words which sound was such

disciplines us for our good, so that we that those who heard begged that no

may share His holiness.

further word be spoken to them.

11All discipline for the moment seems

20For they could not bear the command,

not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to

" IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE

those who have been trained by it,

MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED."

afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

21And so terrible was the sight, that

Moses said, " I AM FULL OF FEAR and

12Therefore, strengthen the hands that

trembling."

are weak and the knees that are feeble,

22But you have come to Mount Zion and

13and make straight paths for your feet,

to the city of the living God, the

so that the limb which is lame may not heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of

be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

angels,

14Pursue peace with all men, and the

23to the general assembly and church of

sanctification without which no one will

the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,

see the Lord.

and to God, the Judge of all, and to the

spirits of the righteous made perfect,

15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of

24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new

bitterness springing up causes trouble,

covenant, and to the sprinkled blood,

and by it many be defiled;

which speaks better than the blood of

Abel.

16that there be no immoral or godless

person like Esau, who sold his own

25See to it that you do not refuse Him birthright for a single meal.

who is speaking. For if those did not

escape when they refused him who

17For you know that even afterwards,

warned them on earth, much less will

when he desired to inherit the blessing, we escape who turn away from Him who

he was rejected, for he found no place

warns from heaven.

26And His voice shook the earth then, 6so that we confidently say, " THE

but now He has promised, saying, " YET

LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE

ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT

AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO

ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE

ME?"

HEAVEN."

7Remember those who led you, who

27This expression, "Yet once more,"

spoke the word of God to you; and

denotes the removing of those things

considering the result of their conduct,

which can be shaken, as of created

imitate their faith.

things, so that those things which

cannot be shaken may remain.

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and

today and forever.

28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom

which cannot be shaken, let us show

9Do not be carried away by varied and

gratitude, by which we may offer to God

strange teachings; for it is good for the an acceptable service with reverence

heart to be strengthened by grace, not

and awe;

by foods, through which those who were

so occupied were not benefited.

29for our God is a consuming fire.

10We have an altar from which those

13

who serve the tabernacle have no right

Let love of the brethren continue.

to eat.

11

2

For the bodies of those animals whose

Do not neglect to show hospitality to

strangers, for by this some have

blood is brought into the holy place by entertained angels without knowing it.

the high priest as an offering for sin, are

burned outside the camp.

3Remember the prisoners, as though in

12

prison with them, and those who are ill—

Therefore Jesus also, that He might

treated, since you yourselves also are in

sanctify the people through His own

the body.

blood, suffered outside the gate.

13

4

So, let us go out to Him outside the

Marriage is to be held in honor among

all, and the marriage bed is to be

camp, bearing His reproach.

undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers

14

God will judge.

For here we do not have a lasting city,

but we are seeking the city which is to 5

come.

Make sure that your character is free

from the love of money, being content

15

with what you have; for He Himself has

Through Him then, let us continually

said, " I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU,

offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that

NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His

name.

16And do not neglect doing good and the sheep through the blood of the sharing, for with such sacrifices God is eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,

pleased.

21equip you in every good thing to do

17Obey your leaders and submit to them,

His will, working in us that which is

for they keep watch over your souls as

pleasing in His sight, through Jesus

those who will give an account. Let them

Christ, to whom be the glory forever and

do this with joy and not with grief, for ever. Amen.

this would be unprofitable for you.

22But I urge you, brethren, bear with this

18Pray for us, for we are sure that we word of exhortation, for I have written to

have a good conscience, desiring to

you briefly.

conduct ourselves honorably in all

things.

23Take notice that our brother Timothy

has been released, with whom, if he

19And I urge you all the more to do this,

comes soon, I will see you.

so that I may be restored to you the

sooner.

24Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

20Now the God of peace, who brought

up from the dead the great Shepherd of

25Grace be with you all.

James

10and the rich man is to glory in his

humiliation, because like flowering grass

1James, a bond-servant of God and of he will pass away.

the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve

11

tribes who are dispersed abroad:

For the sun rises with a scorching wind

Greetings.

and withers the grass; and its flower

falls

off

and the

beauty

of

its

2

appearance is destroyed; so too the rich

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when

man in the midst of his pursuits will fade

you encounter various trials,

away.

3knowing that the testing of your faith

12Blessed is a man who perseveres

produces endurance.

under trial; for once he has been

approved, he will receive the crown of

4And let endurance have its perfect

life which the Lord has promised to

result, so that you may be perfect and

those who love Him.

complete, lacking in nothing.

13Let no one say when he is tempted, " I

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him

am being tempted by God"; for God

ask of God, who gives to all generously

cannot be tempted by evil, and He

and without reproach, and it will be

Himself does not tempt anyone.

given to him.

14But each one is tempted when he is

6But he must ask in faith without any

carried away and enticed by his own lust.

doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by

15Then when lust has conceived, it gives

the wind.

birth

to

sin;

and

when

sin

is

accomplished, it brings forth death.

7For that man ought not to expect that

he will receive anything from the Lord,

16Do not be deceived, my beloved

brethren.

8being a double-minded man, unstable

in all his ways.

17Every good thing given and every

perfect gift is from above, coming down

9But

the

brother

of

humble

from the Father of lights, with whom

circumstances is to glory in his high

there is no variation or shifting shadow.

position;

18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we

would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

2My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an

19This you know, my beloved brethren.

attitude of personal favoritism.

But everyone must be quick to hear,

slow to speak and slow to anger;

2For if a man comes into your assembly

with a gold ring and dressed in fine

20for the anger of man does not achieve

clothes, and there also comes in a poor

the righteousness of God.

man in dirty clothes,

21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness

3and you pay special attention to the

and all that remains of wickedness, in

one who is wearing the fine clothes, and

humility receive the word implanted,

say, "You sit here in a good place," and which is able to save your souls.

you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

22But prove yourselves doers of the

word, and not merely hearers who

4have you not made distinctions among

delude themselves.

yourselves, and become judges with evil

motives?

23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who

5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not

looks at his natural face in a mirror;

God choose the poor of this world to be

rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom

24for once he has looked at himself and

which He promised to those who love

gone

away,

he

has

immediately

Him?

forgotten what kind of person he was.

6But you have dishonored the poor man.

25But one who looks intently at the

Is it not the rich who oppress you and perfect law, the law of liberty, and

personally drag you into court?

abides by it, not having become a

forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,

7Do they not blaspheme the fair name

this man will be blessed in what he does. by which you have been called?

26If anyone thinks himself to be religious,

8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal and yet does not bridle his tongue but law according to the Scripture, " YOU

deceives his own heart, this man's

SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS

religion is worthless.

YOURSELF," you are doing well.

27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight

9But if you show partiality, you are

of our God and Father is this: to visit committing sin and are convicted by the

orphans and widows in their distress,

law as transgressors.

and to keep oneself unstained by the

world.

10For whoever keeps the whole law and 20But are you willing to recognize, you yet stumbles in one point, he has

foolish fellow, that faith without works is become guilty of all.

useless?

11For He who said, " DO NOT COMMIT

21Was not Abraham our father justified

ADULTERY," also said, " DO NOT

by works when he offered up Isaac his

COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not

son on the altar?

commit adultery, but do commit murder,

you have become a transgressor of the

22You see that faith was working with his

law.

works, and as a result of the works, faith

was perfected;

12So speak and so act as those who are

to be judged by the law of liberty.

23and the Scripture was fulfilled which

says, " AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED

13For judgment will be merciless to one

GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO

who has shown no mercy; mercy

HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he

triumphs over judgment.

was called the friend of God.

14What use is it, my brethren, if

24You see that a man is justified by

someone says he has faith but he has

works and not by faith alone.

no works? Can that faith save him?

25In the same way, was not Rahab the

15If a brother or sister is without clothing

harlot also justified by works when she

and in need of daily food,

received the messengers and sent them

out by another way?

16and one of you says to them, " Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and 26For just as the body without the spirit yet you do not give them what is is dead, so also faith without works is necessary for their body, what use is

dead.

that?

17Even so faith, if it has no works, is 3Let not many of you become

dead, being by itself.

teachers, my brethren, knowing that as

such we will incur a stricter judgment.

18But someone may well say, "You have

faith and I have works; show me your

2For we all stumble in many ways. If

faith without the works, and I will show anyone does not stumble in what he

you my faith by my works."

says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle

the whole body as well.

19You believe that God is one. You do

well; the demons also believe, and

3Now if we put the bits into the horses'

shudder.

mouths so that they will obey us, we

direct their entire body as well.

4Look at the ships also, though they are good behavior his deeds in the so great and are driven by strong winds,

gentleness of wisdom.

are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot

14But if you have bitter jealousy and

desires.

selfish ambition in your heart, do not be

arrogant and so lie against the truth.

5So also the tongue is a small part of the

body, and yet it boasts of great things.

15This wisdom is not that which comes

See how great a forest is set aflame by

down from above, but is earthly, natural,

such a small fire!

demonic.

6And the tongue is a fire, the very world

16For where jealousy and selfish

of iniquity; the tongue is set among our ambition exist, there is disorder and

members as that which defiles the entire

every evil thing.

body, and sets on fire the course of our

life, and is set on fire by hell.

17But the wisdom from above is first

pure,

then

peaceable,

gentle,

7For every species of beasts and birds,

reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits,

of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is unwavering, without hypocrisy.

tamed and has been tamed by the

human race.

18And the seed whose fruit is

righteousness is sown in peace by those

8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a

who make peace.

restless evil and full of deadly poison.

9With it we bless our Lord and Father,

4What is the source of quarrels and and with it we curse men, who have

been made in the likeness of God;

conflicts among you? Is not the source

your pleasures that wage war in your

10

members?

from the same mouth come both

blessing and cursing. My brethren,

2

these things ought not to be this way.

You lust and do not have; so you

commit murder. You are envious and

11

cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.

Does a fountain send out from the

You do not have because you do not

same opening both fresh and bitter

ask.

water?

3

12

You ask and do not receive, because

Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce

you ask with wrong motives, so that you

olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can may spend it on your pleasures.

salt water produce fresh.

4

13

You adulteresses, do you not know that

Who

among

you

is

wise

and

friendship with the world is hostility

understanding? Let him show by his

toward God? Therefore whoever wishes

to be a friend of the world makes himself city, and spend a year there and engage an enemy of God.

in business and make a profit."

5Or do you think that the Scripture

14Yet you do not know what your life will

speaks to no purpose: " He jealously be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor

desires the Spirit which He has made to

that appears for a little while and then dwell in us"?

vanishes away.

6But He gives a greater grace. Therefore

15Instead, you ought to say, " If the Lord it says, " GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE

wills, we will live and also do this or PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE

that."

HUMBLE."

16But as it is, you boast in your

7Submit therefore to God. Resist the

arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

devil and he will flee from you.

17Therefore, to one who knows the right

8Draw near to God and He will draw

thing to do and does not do it, to him it is

near to you. Cleanse your hands, you

sin.

sinners; and purify your hearts, you

double-minded.

5Come now, you rich, weep and howl

9Be miserable and mourn and weep; let

for your miseries which are coming upon

your laughter be turned into mourning

you.

and your joy to gloom.

2

10

Your riches have rotted and your

Humble yourselves in the presence of

garments have become moth-eaten.

the Lord, and He will exalt you.

3

11

Your gold and your silver have rusted;

Do not speak against one another,

and their rust will be a witness against brethren. He who speaks against a

you and will consume your flesh like fire.

brother or judges his brother, speaks

It is in the last days that you have stored

against the law and judges the law; but up your treasure!

if you judge the law, you are not a doer

of the law but a judge of it.

4Behold, the pay of the laborers who

12

mowed your fields, and which has been

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,

withheld by you, cries out against you;

the One who is able to save and to

and the outcry of those who did the

destroy; but who are you who judge

harvesting has reached the ears of the

your neighbor?

Lord of Sabaoth.

13Come now, you who say, " Today or 5You have lived luxuriously on the earth

tomorrow we will go to such and such a

and led a life of wanton pleasure; you

have fattened your hearts in a day of 13Is anyone among you suffering? Then slaughter.

he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is

to sing praises.

6You have condemned and put to death

the righteous man; he does not resist

14Is anyone among you sick? Then he

you.

must call for the elders of the church

and they are to pray over him, anointing

7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the

him with oil in the name of the Lord;

coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for

the precious produce of the soil, being

15and the prayer offered in faith will

patient about it, until it gets the early and

restore the one who is sick, and the

late rains.

Lord will raise him up, and if he has

committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

8You too be patient; strengthen your

hearts, for the coming of the Lord is

16Therefore, confess your sins to one

near.

another, and pray for one another so

that you may be healed. The effective

9Do not complain, brethren, against one

prayer

of

a

righteous

man

can

another, so that you yourselves may not

accomplish much.

be judged; behold, the Judge is standing

right at the door.

17Elijah was a man with a nature like

ours, and he prayed earnestly that it

10As an example, brethren, of suffering

would not rain, and it did not rain on the

and patience, take the prophets who

earth for three years and six months.

spoke in the name of the Lord.

18Then he prayed again, and the sky

11We count those blessed who endured.

poured rain and the earth produced its

You have heard of the endurance of Job

fruit.

and have seen the outcome of the

Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of 19My brethren, if any among you strays

compassion and is merciful.

from the truth and one turns him back,

12But above all, my brethren, do not

20let him know that he who turns a

swear, either by heaven or by earth or

sinner from the error of his way will save

with any other oath; but your yes is to be

his soul from death and will cover a

yes, and your no, no, so that you may

multitude of sins.

not fall under judgment.

1st Peter

8and though you have not seen Him,

you love Him, and though you do not

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and those who reside as aliens, scattered

full of glory,

throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,

Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

9obtaining as the outcome of your faith

2

the salvation of your souls.

according to the foreknowledge of God

the Father, by the sanctifying work of

10

the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be As to this salvation, the prophets who

sprinkled with His blood: May grace and

prophesied of the grace that would

peace be yours in the fullest measure.

come to you made careful searches and

inquiries,

3Blessed be the God and Father of our

11

Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His

seeking to know what person or time

great mercy has caused us to be born

the Spirit of Christ within them was

again to a living hope through the

indicating as He predicted the sufferings

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the

of Christ and the glories to follow.

dead,

12It was revealed to them that they were

4to obtain an inheritance which is

not serving themselves, but you, in

imperishable and undefiled and will not

these things which now have been

fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

announced to you through those who

preached the gospel to you by the Holy

5

Spirit sent from heaven--things into

who are protected by the power of God

which angels long to look.

through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

13Therefore, prepare your minds for

6

action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope

In this you greatly rejoice, even though

completely on the grace to be brought to

now for a little while, if necessary, you you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

have been distressed by various trials,

14As obedient children, do not be

7so that the proof of your faith, being conformed to the former lusts which

more precious than gold which is

were yours in your ignorance,

perishable, even though tested by fire,

may be found to result in praise and

15

glory and honor at the revelation of

but like the Holy One who called you,

be holy yourselves also in all your

Jesus Christ;

behavior;

16because it is written, " YOU SHALL BE

25BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD

HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the

word which was preached to you.

17If you address as Father the One who

impartially judges according to each

one's work, conduct yourselves in fear

2Therefore, putting aside all malice during the time of your stay on earth;

and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy

and all slander,

18knowing that you were not redeemed

with perishable things like silver or gold 2like newborn babies, long for the pure from your futile way of life inherited from

milk of the word, so that by it you may your forefathers,

grow in respect to salvation,

19but with precious blood, as of a lamb 3if you have tasted the kindness of the unblemished and spotless, the blood of Lord.

Christ.

4

20

And coming to Him as to a living stone

For He was foreknown before the

which has been rejected by men, but is

foundation of the world, but has

choice and precious in the sight of God,

appeared in these last times for the

sake of you

5you also, as living stones, are being

21

built up as a spiritual house for a holy who through Him are believers in God,

priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices

who raised Him from the dead and gave

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Him glory, so that your faith and hope

are in God.

6For this is contained in Scripture: "

22

BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE

Since you have in obedience to the

STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,

truth purified your souls for a sincere

AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL

love of the brethren, fervently love one NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

another from the heart,

7

23

This precious value, then, is for you

for you have been born again not of

who believe; but for those who

seed

which

is

perishable

but

disbelieve, " THE STONE WHICH THE

imperishable, that is, through the living BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME

and enduring word of God.

THE VERY CORNER stone,"

24For, " ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,

8and, " A STONE OF STUMBLING AND

AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE

A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they

FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS

stumble because they are disobedient to

WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS

the word, and to this doom they were

OFF,

also appointed.

9But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal 18Servants, be submissive to your

PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A

masters with all respect, not only to

PEOPLE

FOR

God's

OWN

those who are good and gentle, but also

POSSESSION,

so

that

you

may

to those who are unreasonable.

proclaim the excellencies of Him who

has called you out of darkness into His 19For this finds favor, if for the sake of marvelous light; conscience toward God a person bears

up under sorrows when suffering

10for you once were NOT A PEOPLE,

unjustly.

but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;

you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but

20For what credit is there if, when you now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

sin and are harshly treated, you endure

it with patience? But if when you do

11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and

what is right and suffer for it you

strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts

patiently endure it, this finds favor with which wage war against the soul.

God.

12Keep your behavior excellent among

21For you have been called for this

the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which

purpose, since Christ also suffered for

they slander you as evildoers, they may

you, leaving you an example for you to

because of your good deeds, as they

follow in His steps,

observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR

WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS

13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake

MOUTH;

to every human institution, whether to a

king as the one in authority,

23and while being reviled, He did not

revile in return; while suffering, He

14or to governors as sent by him for the

uttered no threats, but kept entrusting

punishment of evildoers and the praise

Himself to Him who judges righteously;

of those who do right.

24and He Himself bore our sins in His

15For such is the will of God that by

body on the cross, so that we might die

doing right you may silence the

to sin and live to righteousness; for by ignorance of foolish men.

His wounds you were healed.

16Act as free men, and do not use your

25For you were continually straying like

freedom as a covering for evil, but use it

sheep, but now you have returned to the

as bondslaves of God.

Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

17Honor all people, love the brotherhood,

fear God, honor the king.

3In the same way, you wives, be

submissive to your own husbands so

that even if any of them are disobedient 10For, " THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, to the word, they may be won without a

TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,

word by the behavior of their wives,

MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL

AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING

2as they observe your chaste and

DECEIT.

respectful behavior.

11" HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL

3Your adornment must not be merely

AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK

external--braiding the hair, and wearing

PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

12" FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD

4but let it be the hidden person of the ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND

heart, with the imperishable quality of a HIS

EARS

ATTEND

TO

THEIR

gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious

PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE

in the sight of God.

LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO

EVIL."

5For in this way in former times the holy

13

women also, who hoped in God, used to

Who is there to harm you if you prove

adorn themselves, being submissive to

zealous for what is good?

their own husbands;

14But even if you should suffer for the 6just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling

sake of righteousness, you are blessed.

him lord, and you have become her

AND

DO

NOT

FEAR

THEIR

children if you do what is right without INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE

being frightened by any fear.

TROUBLED,

7

15

You husbands in the same way, live

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your

with your wives in an understanding way,

hearts, always being ready to make a

as with someone weaker, since she is a

defense to everyone who asks you to

woman; and show her honor as a fellow

give an account for the hope that is in heir of the grace of life, so that your you, yet with gentleness and reverence; prayers will not be hindered.

16and keep a good conscience so that in

8To sum up, all of you be harmonious,

the thing in which you are slandered,

sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and

those who revile your good behavior in

humble in spirit;

Christ will be put to shame.

9

17

not returning evil for evil or insult for For it is better, if God should will it so,

insult, but giving a blessing instead; for that you suffer for doing what is right you were called for the very purpose rather than for doing what is wrong.

that you might inherit a blessing.

18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put 4In all this, they are surprised that you to death in the flesh, but made alive in do not run with them into the same the spirit;

excesses of dissipation, and they malign

you;

19in which also He went and made

proclamation to the spirits now in prison,

5but they will give account to Him who is

ready to judge the living and the dead.

20who once were disobedient, when the

patience of God kept waiting in the days

6For the gospel has for this purpose

of Noah, during the construction of the

been preached even to those who are

ark, in which a few, that is, eight

dead, that though they are judged in the

persons, were brought safely through

flesh as men, they may live in the spirit the water.

according to the will of God.

21Corresponding to that, baptism now

7The end of all things is near; therefore,

saves you-- not the removal of dirt from

be of sound judgment and sober spirit

the flesh, but an appeal to God for a

for the purpose of prayer.

good

conscience--through

the

resurrection of Jesus Christ,

8Above all, keep fervent in your love for

one another, because love covers a

22who is at the right hand of God, having

multitude of sins.

gone into heaven, after angels and

authorities and powers had been

9Be hospitable to one another without

subjected to Him.

complaint.

10

4

As each one has received a special

Therefore, since Christ has suffered

gift, employ it in serving one another as

in the flesh, arm yourselves also with

good stewards of the manifold grace of

the same purpose, because he who has

God.

suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 11Whoever speaks, is to do so as one 2so as to live the rest of the time in the who is speaking the utterances of God;

flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but

whoever serves is to do so as one who

for the will of God.

is serving by the strength which God

supplies; so that in all things God may 3For the time already past is sufficient be glorified through Jesus Christ, to for you to have carried out the desire of

whom belongs the glory and dominion

forever and ever. Amen.

the Gentiles, having pursued a course of

sensuality,

lusts,

drunkenness,

12

carousing,

drinking

parties

and

Beloved, do not be surprised at the

abominable idolatries.

fiery ordeal among you, which comes

upon you for your testing, as though

some strange thing were happening to 2shepherd the flock of God among you, you;

exercising

oversight

not

under

compulsion, but voluntarily, according to

13but to the degree that you share the

the will of God; and not for sordid gain, sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, but with eagerness;

so that also at the revelation of His glory

you may rejoice with exultation.

3nor yet as lording it over those allotted

to your charge, but proving to be

14If you are reviled for the name of

examples to the flock.

Christ, you are blessed, because the

Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

4And when the Chief Shepherd appears,

you will receive the unfading crown of

15Make sure that none of you suffers as

glory.

a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

5You younger men, likewise, be subject

to your elders; and all of you, clothe

16but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he

yourselves with humility toward one

is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO

God in this name.

THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO

THE HUMBLE.

17For it is time for judgment to begin with

6

the household of God; and if it begins

Therefore humble yourselves under the

with us first, what will be the outcome for

mighty hand of God, that He may exalt

those who do not obey the gospel of

you at the proper time,

God?

7casting all your anxiety on Him,

18AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY

because He cares for you.

THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED,

WHAT

WILL

BECOME

OF

THE

8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your

GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?

adversary, the devil, prowls around like

a roaring lion, seeking someone to

19Therefore, those also who suffer

devour.

according to the will of God shall entrust

their souls to a faithful Creator in doing 9But resist him, firm in your faith,

what is right.

knowing that the same experiences of

suffering are being accomplished by

your brethren who are in the world.

5Therefore, I exhort the elders among 10

you, as your fellow elder and witness of

After you have suffered for a little while,

the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker the God of all grace, who called you to also of the glory that is to be revealed, His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect,

confirm,

strengthen

and

establish you.

11To Him be dominion forever and ever.

13She who is in Babylon, chosen

Amen.

together with you, sends you greetings,

and so does my son, Mark.

12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother

(for so I regard him), I have written to 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.

you briefly, exhorting and testifying that Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

this is the true grace of God. Stand firm

in it!

2nd Peter

useless nor unfruitful in the true

knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Simon Peter, a bond-servant and 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind

or short-sighted, having forgotten his

as ours, by the righteousness of our

purification from his former sins.

God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

10Therefore, brethren, be all the more

2

diligent to make certain about His calling

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in

the knowledge of God and of Jesus our

and choosing you; for as long as you

Lord;

practice these things, you will never

stumble;

3seeing that His divine power has

11for in this way the entrance into the granted to us everything pertaining to

life and godliness, through the true

eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior

knowledge of Him who called us by His

Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied

own glory and excellence.

to you.

12

4

Therefore, I will always be ready to

For by these He has granted to us His

precious and magnificent promises, so

remind you of these things, even though

that by them you may become partakers

you already know them, and have been

of the divine nature, having escaped the

established in the truth which is present

corruption that is in the world by lust.

with you.

13

5Now for this very reason also, applying

I consider it right, as long as I am in all diligence, in your faith supply moral this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by excellence, and

in

your

moral

way of reminder,

excellence, knowledge,

14knowing that the laying aside of my

6and in your knowledge, self-control,

earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our

and in your self-control, perseverance,

Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

and in your perseverance, godliness,

15And I will also be diligent that at any 7and in your godliness, brotherly

time after my departure you will be able

kindness, and in your brotherly kindness,

to call these things to mind.

love.

16For we did not follow cleverly devised

8

tales when we made known to you the

For if these qualities are yours and are

increasing, they render you neither

power and coming of our Lord Jesus

Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His long ago is not idle, and their destruction majesty.

is not asleep.

17For when He received honor and glory

4For if God did not spare angels when

from God the Father, such an utterance

they sinned, but cast them into hell and as this was made to Him by the Majestic

committed them to pits of darkness,

Glory, "This is My beloved Son with reserved for judgment;

whom I am well-pleased"--

5and did not spare the ancient world, but

18and we ourselves heard this utterance

preserved

Noah,

a

preacher

of

made from heaven when we were with

righteousness, with seven others, when

Him on the holy mountain.

He brought a flood upon the world of the

ungodly;

19So we have the prophetic word made

more sure, to which you do well to pay 6and if He condemned the cities of

attention as to a lamp shining in a dark Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by

place, until the day dawns and the

reducing them to ashes, having made

morning star arises in your hearts.

them an example to those who would

live ungodly lives thereafter;

20But know this first of all, that no

prophecy of Scripture is a matter of

7and if He rescued righteous Lot,

one's own interpretation,

oppressed by the sensual conduct of

unprincipled men

21for no prophecy was ever made by an

act of human will, but men moved by the

8(for by what he saw and heard that

Holy Spirit spoke from God.

righteous man, while living among them,

felt his righteous soul tormented day

after day by their lawless deeds),

2But false prophets also arose among 9

the people, just as there will also be

then the Lord knows how to rescue the

false teachers among you, who will

godly from temptation, and to keep the

secretly introduce destructive heresies,

unrighteous under punishment for the

day of judgment,

even denying the Master who bought

them, bringing swift destruction upon

10

themselves.

and especially those who indulge the

flesh in its corrupt desires and despise 2Many will follow their sensuality, and

authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not

tremble

when they

revile

angelic

because of them the way of the truth will

majesties,

be maligned;

11

3and in their greed they will exploit you whereas angels who are greater in

with false words; their judgment from

might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.

12But these, like unreasoning animals, 20For if, after they have escaped the born as creatures of instinct to be

defilements of the world by the

captured and killed, reviling where they

knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus

have

no

knowledge,

will

in

the

Christ, they are again entangled in them

destruction of those creatures also be

and are overcome, the last state has

destroyed,

become worse for them than the first.

13suffering wrong as the wages of doing

21For it would be better for them not to wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel

have known the way of righteousness,

in the daytime. They are stains and

than having known it, to turn away from

blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,

the holy commandment handed on to

as they carouse with you,

them.

14having eyes full of adultery that never 22It has happened to them according to

cease from sin, enticing unstable souls,

the true proverb, " A DOG RETURNS

having a heart trained in greed,

TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, accursed children;

after washing, returns to wallowing in

the mire."

15forsaking the right way, they have

gone astray, having followed the way of

Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the

3This is now, beloved, the second

wages of unrighteousness;

letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of 16but he received a rebuke for his own reminder,

transgression, for a mute donkey,

speaking with a voice of a man,

2that you should remember the words

restrained the madness of the prophet.

spoken beforehand by the holy prophets

and the commandment of the Lord and

17These are springs without water and

Savior spoken by your apostles.

mists driven by a storm, for whom the

black darkness has been reserved.

3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their

18For speaking out arrogant words of

mocking, following after their own lusts,

vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape

4and saying, " Where is the promise of from the ones who live in error,

His coming? For ever since the fathers

fell asleep, all continues just as it was 19promising them freedom while they

from the beginning of creation."

themselves are slaves of corruption; for

by what a man is overcome, by this he

5For when they maintain this, it escapes

is enslaved.

their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth

was formed out of water and by water,

6through which the world at that time and the elements will melt with intense was destroyed, being flooded with water. heat!

7But by His word the present heavens

13But according to His promise we are

and earth are being reserved for fire,

looking for new heavens and a new

kept for the day of judgment and

earth, in which righteousness dwells.

destruction of ungodly men.

14Therefore, beloved, since you look for

8But do not let this one fact escape your

these things, be diligent to be found by notice, beloved, that with the Lord one

Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

day is like a thousand years, and a

thousand years like one day.

15and regard the patience of our Lord as

salvation; just as also our beloved

9The Lord is not slow about His promise,

brother Paul, according to the wisdom

as some count slowness, but is patient

given him, wrote to you,

toward you, not wishing for any to perish

but for all to come to repentance.

16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some

10But the day of the Lord will come like a

things hard to understand, which the

thief, in which the heavens will pass

untaught and unstable distort, as they

away with a roar and the elements will

do also the rest of the Scriptures, to

be destroyed with intense heat, and the

their own destruction.

earth and its works will be burned up.

17You therefore, beloved, knowing this

11Since all these things are to be

beforehand, be on your guard so that

destroyed in this way, what sort of

you are not carried away by the error of

people ought you to be in holy conduct

unprincipled men and fall from your own

and godliness,

steadfastness,

12looking for and hastening the coming

18but grow in the grace and knowledge

of the day of God, because of which the

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To

heavens will be destroyed by burning,

Him be the glory, both now and to the

day of eternity. Amen.

1st John

8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not 1What was from the beginning, what in us.

we have heard, what we have seen with

9

our eyes, what we have looked at and

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and

touched with our hands, concerning the

righteous to forgive us our sins and to Word of Life--

cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10

2

If we say that we have not sinned, we

and the life was manifested, and we

have seen and testify and proclaim to

make Him a liar and His word is not in you the eternal life, which was with the us.

Father and was manifested to us--

3

2

what we have seen and heard we

My little children, I am writing these

proclaim to you also, so that you too

things to you so that you may not sin.

may have fellowship with us; and indeed

And if anyone sins, we have an

our fellowship is with the Father, and

Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ

with His Son Jesus Christ.

the righteous;

4These things we write, so that our joy 2and He Himself is the propitiation for

may be made complete.

our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

5This is the message we have heard

from Him and announce to you, that

3By this we know that we have come to

God is Light, and in Him there is no

know

Him,

if

we

keep

His

darkness at all.

commandments.

6If we say that we have fellowship with 4The one who says, " I have come to Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie know Him," and does not keep His

and do not practice the truth;

commandments, is a liar, and the truth

is not in him;

7but if we walk in the Light as He

Himself is in the Light, we have

5but whoever keeps His word, in him the

fellowship with one another, and the

love of God has truly been perfected. By

blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us

this we know that we are in Him:

from all sin.

6the one who says he abides in Him

ought himself to walk in the same

manner as He walked.

7Beloved, I am not writing a new word of God abides in you, and you commandment to you, but an old

have overcome the evil one.

commandment which you have had

from

the

beginning;

the

old

15Do not love the world nor the things in

commandment is the word which you

the world. If anyone loves the world, the

have heard.

love of the Father is not in him.

8On the other hand, I am writing a new

16For all that is in the world, the lust of commandment to you, which is true in the flesh and the lust of the eyes and Him and in you, because the darkness

the boastful pride of life, is not from the is passing away and the true Light is Father, but is from the world.

already shining.

17The world is passing away, and also

9The one who says he is in the Light and

its lusts; but the one who does the will of

yet hates his brother is in the darkness God lives forever.

until now.

18Children, it is the last hour; and just as

10The one who loves his brother abides

you heard that antichrist is coming, even

in the Light and there is no cause for now many antichrists have appeared;

stumbling in him.

from this we know that it is the last hour.

11But the one who hates his brother is in

19They went out from us, but they were

the darkness and walks in the darkness,

not really of us; for if they had been of and does not know where he is going

us, they would have remained with us;

because the darkness has blinded his

but they went out, so that it would be eyes.

shown that they all are not of us.

12I am writing to you, little children,

20But you have an anointing from the

because your sins have been forgiven

Holy One, and you all know.

you for His name's sake.

21I have not written to you because you

13I am writing to you, fathers, because

do not know the truth, but because you

you know Him who has been from the

do know it, and because no lie is of the

beginning. I am writing to you, young

truth.

men, because you have overcome the

evil one. I have written to you, children, 22Who is the liar but the one who denies

because you know the Father.

that Jesus is the Christ? This is the

antichrist, the one who denies the

14I have written to you, fathers, because

Father and the Son.

you know Him who has been from the

beginning. I have written to you, young

23Whoever denies the Son does not

men, because you are strong, and the

have the Father; the one who confesses

the Son has the Father also.

24As for you, let that abide in you which 3And everyone who has this hope fixed you heard from the beginning. If what

on Him purifies himself, just as He is

you heard from the beginning abides in

pure.

you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

4Everyone who practices sin also

practices lawlessness; and sin is

25This is the promise which He Himself

lawlessness.

made to us: eternal life.

5You know that He appeared in order to

26These things I have written to you

take away sins; and in Him there is no concerning those who are trying to

sin.

deceive you.

6No one who abides in Him sins; no one

27As for you, the anointing which you

who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

received from Him abides in you, and

you have no need for anyone to teach

7Little children, make sure no one

you; but as His anointing teaches you

deceives you; the one who practices

about all things, and is true and is not a

righteousness is righteous, just as He is

lie, and just as it has taught you, you righteous;

abide in Him.

8the one who practices sin is of the devil;

28Now, little children, abide in Him, so for the devil has sinned from the

that when He appears, we may have

beginning. The Son of God appeared for

confidence and not shrink away from

this purpose, to destroy the works of the

Him in shame at His coming.

devil.

29If you know that He is righteous, you 9No one who is born of God practices

know that everyone also who practices

sin, because His seed abides in him;

righteousness is born of Him.

and he cannot sin, because he is born

of God.

3See how great a love the Father has 10By this the children of God and the bestowed on us, that we would be called children of the devil are obvious: anyone

children of God; and such we are. For

who does not practice righteousness is

this reason the world does not know us,

not of God, nor the one who does not

because it did not know Him.

love his brother.

2

11

Beloved, now we are children of God,

For this is the message which you

and it has not appeared as yet what we

have heard from the beginning, that we

will be. We know that when He appears,

should love one another;

we will be like Him, because we will see

Him just as He is.

12not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what

reason did he slay him? Because his commandments and do the things that deeds were evil, and his brother's were

are pleasing in His sight.

righteous.

23This is His commandment, that we

13Do not be surprised, brethren, if the

believe in the name of His Son Jesus

world hates you.

Christ, and love one another, just as He

commanded us.

14We know that we have passed out of

death into life, because we love the

24The

one

who

keeps

His

brethren. He who does not love abides

commandments abides in Him, and He

in death.

in him. We know by this that He abides

in us, by the Spirit whom He has given 15Everyone who hates his brother is a

us.

murderer; and you know that no

murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

4Beloved, do not believe every spirit,

16We know love by this, that He laid

but test the spirits to see whether they down His life for us; and we ought to lay

are from God, because many false

down our lives for the brethren.

prophets have gone out into the world.

17But whoever has the world's goods,

2By this you know the Spirit of God:

and sees his brother in need and closes

every spirit that confesses that Jesus

his heart against him, how does the love

Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

of God abide in him?

3and every spirit that does not confess

18Little children, let us not love with word

Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

of the antichrist, of which you have

heard that it is coming, and now it is 19We will know by this that we are of the

already in the world.

truth, and will assure our heart before

Him

4You are from God, little children, and

have overcome them; because greater

20in whatever our heart condemns us;

is He who is in you than he who is in the

for God is greater than our heart and

world.

knows all things.

5They are from the world; therefore they

21Beloved, if our heart does not

speak as from the world, and the world

condemn us, we have confidence before

listens to them.

God;

6We are from God; he who knows God

22and whatever we ask we receive from

listens to us; he who is not from God

Him,

because

we

keep

His

does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7Beloved, let us love one another, for of judgment; because as He is, so also love is from God; and everyone who

are we in this world.

loves is born of God and knows God.

18There is no fear in love; but perfect 8The one who does not love does not

love casts out fear, because fear

know God, for God is love.

involves punishment, and the one who

fears is not perfected in love.

9By this the love of God was manifested

in us, that God has sent His only

19We love, because He first loved us.

begotten Son into the world so that we

might live through Him.

20If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one 10In this is love, not that we loved God, who does not love his brother whom he

but that He loved us and sent His Son to

has seen, cannot love God whom he

be the propitiation for our sins.

has not seen.

11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also

21And this commandment we have from

ought to love one another.

Him, that the one who loves God should

love his brother also.

12No one has seen God at any time; if

we love one another, God abides in us,

and His love is perfected in us.

5Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever

13By this we know that we abide in Him

loves the Father loves the child born of and He in us, because He has given us

Him.

of His Spirit.

2By this we know that we love the

14We have seen and testify that the

children of God, when we love God and

Father has sent the Son to be the Savior

observe His commandments.

of the world.

3For this is the love of God, that we keep

15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the

His

commandments;

and

His

Son of God, God abides in him, and he

commandments are not burdensome.

in God.

4For whatever is born of God overcomes

16We have come to know and have

the world; and this is the victory that has

believed the love which God has for us.

overcome the world--our faith.

God is love, and the one who abides in

love abides in God, and God abides in

5Who is the one who overcomes the

him.

world, but he who believes that Jesus is

the Son of God?

17By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day

6This is the One who came by water and 14This is the confidence which we have blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water

before Him, that, if we ask anything

only, but with the water and with the

according to His will, He hears us.

blood. It is the Spirit who testifies,

because the Spirit is the truth.

15And if we know that He hears us in

whatever we ask, we know that we have

7For there are three that testify:

the requests which we have asked from

Him.

8the Spirit and the water and the blood;

and the three are in agreement.

16If anyone sees his brother committing

a sin not leading to death, he shall ask 9If we receive the testimony of men, the

and God will for him give life to those testimony of God is greater; for the

who commit sin not leading to death.

testimony of God is this, that He has

There is a sin leading to death; I do not

testified concerning His Son.

say that he should make request for this.

10

17

The one who believes in the Son of

All unrighteousness is sin, and there is

God has the testimony in himself; the

a sin not leading to death.

one who does not believe God has

made Him a liar, because he has not

18We know that no one who is born of

believed in the testimony that God has

God sins; but He who was born of God

given concerning His Son.

keeps him, and the evil one does not

touch him.

11And the testimony is this, that God has

given us eternal life, and this life is in 19We know that we are of God, and that

His Son.

the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

12He who has the Son has the life; he

who does not have the Son of God does

20And we know that the Son of God has

not have the life.

come, and has given us understanding

so that we may know Him who is true;

13These things I have written to you who

and we are in Him who is true, in His believe in the name of the Son of God, Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God so that you may know that you have

and eternal life.

eternal life.

21Little children, guard yourselves from

idols.

2nd John

7For many deceivers have gone out into

the

world,

those

who

do

not

1The elder to the chosen lady and her acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the children, whom I love in truth; and not antichrist.

only I, but also all who know the truth,

8

2

Watch yourselves, that you do not lose

for the sake of the truth which abides in

what we have accomplished, but that

us and will be with us forever:

you may receive a full reward.

3Grace, mercy and peace will be with us,

9Anyone who goes too far and does not

from God the Father and from Jesus

abide in the teaching of Christ, does not

Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth have God; the one who abides in the

and love.

teaching, he has both the Father and

the Son.

4I was very glad to find some of your

children walking in truth, just as we have

10If anyone comes to you and does not

received commandment to do from the

bring this teaching, do not receive him

Father.

into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

5Now I ask you, lady, not as though I

were

writing

to

you

a

new

11for the one who gives him a greeting

commandment, but the one which we

participates in his evil deeds.

have had from the beginning, that we

love one another.

12Though I have many things to write to

6

you, I do not want to do so with paper And this is love, that we walk according

and ink; but I hope to come to you and to His commandments. This is the

speak face to face, so that your joy may

commandment, just as you have heard

be made full.

from the beginning, that you should walk

in it.

13The children of your chosen sister

greet you.

3rd John

9I wrote something to the church; but

Diotrephes, who loves to be first among

1The elder to the beloved Gaius, them, does not accept what we say.

whom I love in truth.

10For this reason, if I come, I will call 2

attention to his deeds which he does,

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you unjustly accusing us with wicked words;

may prosper and be in good health, just

and not satisfied with this, he himself

as your soul prospers.

does not receive the brethren, either,

and he forbids those who desire to do

3For I was very glad when brethren

so and puts them out of the church.

came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.

11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil,

but what is good. The one who does

4I have no greater joy than this, to hear

good is of God; the one who does evil

of my children walking in the truth.

has not seen God.

5Beloved, you are acting faithfully in

12Demetrius has received a good

whatever

you accomplish for the

testimony from everyone, and from the

brethren, and especially when they are

truth itself; and we add our testimony,

strangers;

and you know that our testimony is true.

6and they have testified to your love

13I had many things to write to you, but I

before the church. You will do well to

am not willing to write them to you with send them on their way in a manner

pen and ink;

worthy of God.

14but I hope to see you shortly, and we

7For they went out for the sake of the will speak face to face.

Name, accepting nothing from the

Gentiles.

15Peace be to you. The friends greet you.

Greet the friends by name.

8Therefore we ought to support such

men, so that we may be fellow workers

with the truth.

Jude

immorality and went after strange flesh,

are exhibited as an example in

1Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

and brother of James, To those who are

the called, beloved in God the Father,

8

and kept for Jesus Christ:

Yet in the same way these men, also

by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject 2

authority, and revile angelic majesties.

May mercy and peace and love be

multiplied to you.

9But Michael the archangel, when he

3

disputed with the devil and argued about

Beloved, while I was making every

the body of Moses, did not dare

effort to write you about our common

pronounce

against

him

a

railing

salvation, I felt the necessity to write to judgment, but said, " The Lord rebuke you appealing

that

you

contend

you!"

earnestly for the faith which was once

for all handed down to the saints.

10But these men revile the things which

4

they do not understand; and the things

For certain persons have crept in

which they know by instinct, like

unnoticed,

those

who

were

long

unreasoning animals, by these things

beforehand

marked

out

for

this

they are destroyed.

condemnation, ungodly persons who

turn the grace of our God into

11

licentiousness and deny our only Master

Woe to them! For they have gone the

way of Cain, and for pay they have

and Lord, Jesus Christ.

rushed headlong into the error of

5

Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of

Now I desire to remind you, though you

Korah.

know all things once for all, that the Lord,

after saving a people out of the land of 12These are the men who are hidden

Egypt, subsequently destroyed those

who did not believe.

reefs in your love feasts when they feast

with you without fear, caring for

6

themselves;

clouds

without

water,

And angels who did not keep their own

carried along by winds; autumn trees

domain, but abandoned their proper

without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;

abode, He has kept in eternal bonds

under darkness for the judgment of the

13

great day,

wild waves of the sea, casting up their

own shame like foam; wandering stars,

7

for whom the black darkness has been

just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the

reserved forever.

cities around them, since they in the

same way as these indulged in gross

14It was also about these men that 20But you, beloved, building yourselves Enoch, in the seventh generation from

up on your most holy faith, praying in

Adam, prophesied, saying, " Behold, the

the Holy Spirit,

Lord came with many thousands of His

holy ones,

21keep yourselves in the love of God,

waiting anxiously for the mercy of our

15to execute judgment upon all, and to

Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

convict all the ungodly of all their

ungodly deeds which they have done in

22And have mercy on some, who are

an ungodly way, and of all the harsh

doubting;

things which ungodly sinners have

spoken against Him."

23save others, snatching them out of the

fire; and on some have mercy with fear,

16These are grumblers, finding fault,

hating even the garment polluted by the

following after their own lusts; they

flesh.

speak arrogantly, flattering people for

the sake of gaining an advantage.

24Now to Him who is able to keep you

from stumbling, and to make you stand

17But you, beloved, ought to remember

in the presence of His glory blameless

the words that were spoken beforehand

with great joy,

by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

25to the only God our Savior, through

18that they were saying to you, " In the Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, last time there will be mockers, following

dominion and authority, before all time

after their own ungodly lusts."

and now and forever. Amen.

19These are the ones who cause

divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the

Spirit.

Revelation

8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, " who is and who was and

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, who is to come, the Almighty."

which God gave Him to show to His

9

bond-servants, the things which must

I, John, your brother and fellow

soon take place; and He sent and

partaker in the tribulation and kingdom

communicated it by His angel to His

and perseverance which are in Jesus,

bond-servant John,

was on the island called Patmos

because of the word of God and the

2

testimony of Jesus.

who testified to the word of God and to

the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all

10

that he saw.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like

the sound of a trumpet,

3Blessed is he who reads and those who

hear the words of the prophecy, and

11

heed the things which are written in it; saying, " Write in a book what you see,

for the time is near.

and send it to the seven churches: to

Ephesus and to Smyrna and to

Pergamum and to Thyatira and to

4John to the seven churches that are in

Sardis and to Philadelphia and to

Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him

Laodicea."

who is and who was and who is to come,

and from the seven Spirits who are

12

before His throne,

Then I turned to see the voice that was

speaking with me. And having turned I

5

saw seven golden lampstands;

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful

witness, the firstborn of the dead, and

13

the ruler of the kings of the earth. To and in the middle of the lampstands I

saw one like a son of man, clothed in a

Him who loves us and released us from

robe reaching to the feet, and girded

our sins by His blood--

across His chest with a golden sash.

6and He has made us to be a kingdom,

14

priests to His God and Father-- to Him

His head and His hair were white like

white wool, like snow; and His eyes

be the glory and the dominion forever

were like a flame of fire.

and ever. Amen.

15

7BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE

His feet were like burnished bronze,

CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him,

when it has been made to glow in a

furnace, and His voice was like the

even those who pierced Him; and all the

sound of many waters.

tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.

So it is to be. Amen.

16In His right hand He held seven stars, 4'But I have this against you, that you and out of His mouth came a sharp two-have left your first love.

edged sword; and His face was like the

sun shining in its strength.

5'Therefore remember from where you

have fallen, and repent and do the

17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a

deeds you did at first; or else I am

dead man. And He placed His right

coming to you and will remove your

hand on me, saying, " Do not be afraid; I lampstand out of its place--unless you

am the first and the last,

repent.

18and the living One; and I was dead,

6'Yet this you do have, that you hate the

and behold, I am alive forevermore, and

deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also

I have the keys of death and of Hades.

hate.

19"Therefore write the things which you 7' He who has an ear, let him hear what

have seen, and the things which are,

the Spirit says to the churches. To him and the things which will take place after

who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the

these things.

tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

20"As for the mystery of the seven stars

which you saw in My right hand, and the

8"And to the angel of the church in seven golden lampstands: the seven

Smyrna write: The first and the last, who

stars are the angels of the seven

was dead, and has come to life, says

churches, and the seven lampstands

this:

are the seven churches.

9'I know your tribulation and your

2

poverty (but you are rich), and the

"To the angel of the church in

blasphemy by those who say they are

Jews and are not, but are a synagogue

Ephesus write: The One who holds the

seven stars in His right hand, the One

of Satan.

who walks among the seven golden

10

lampstands, says this:

'Do not fear what you are about to

suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast

2

some of you into prison, so that you will

' I know your deeds and your toil and

perseverance, and that you cannot

be tested, and you will have tribulation tolerate evil men, and you put to the test

for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I

those who call themselves apostles, and

will give you the crown of life.

they are not, and you found them to be 11

false;

' He who has an ear, let him hear what

the Spirit says to the churches. He who 3and you have perseverance and have

overcomes will not be hurt by the

endured for My name's sake, and have

second death.'

not grown weary.

12"And to the angel of the church in that your deeds of late are greater than Pergamum write: The One who has the at first.

sharp two-edged sword says this:

20'But I have this against you, that you 13'I know where you dwell, where

tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls

Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My herself a prophetess, and she teaches

name, and did not deny My faith even in

and leads My bond-servants astray so

the days of Antipas, My witness, My

that they commit acts of immorality and

faithful one, who was killed among you,

eat things sacrificed to idols.

where Satan dwells.

21' I gave her time to repent, and she 14'But I have a few things against you, does not want to repent of her because you have there some who hold

immorality.

the teaching of Balaam, who kept

teaching Balak to put a stumbling block

22'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of before the sons of Israel, to eat things sickness, and those who commit sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of

adultery with her into great tribulation, immorality.

unless they repent of her deeds.

15'So you also have some who in the

23'And I will kill her children with

same way hold the teaching of the

pestilence, and all the churches will

Nicolaitans.

know that I am He who searches the

minds and hearts; and I will give to each

16'Therefore repent; or else I am coming

one of you according to your deeds.

to you quickly, and I will make war

against them with the sword of My

24'But I say to you, the rest who are in mouth.

Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of

17' He who has an ear, let him hear what

Satan, as they call them--I place no

the Spirit says to the churches. To him other burden on you.

who overcomes, to him I will give some

of the hidden manna, and I will give him

25'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast

a white stone, and a new name written

until I come.

on the stone which no one knows but he

who receives it.'

26' He who overcomes, and he who

keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I

18"And to the angel of the church in WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE

Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has

NATIONS;

eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are

like burnished bronze, says this:

27AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A

ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF

19' I know your deeds, and your love and

THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO

faith and service and perseverance, and

PIECES, as I also have received opens and no one will shut, and who authority from My Father;

shuts and no one opens, says this:

28and I will give him the morning star.

8' I know your deeds. Behold, I have put

before you an open door which no one

29' He who has an ear, let him hear what

can shut, because you have a little

the Spirit says to the churches.'

power, and have kept My word, and

have not denied My name.

3

9

"To the angel of the church in Sardis

'Behold, I will cause those of the

synagogue of Satan, who say that they

write: He who has the seven Spirits of

are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make

God and the seven stars, says this: ' I them come and bow down at your feet,

know your deeds, that you have a name

and make them know that I have loved

that you are alive, but you are dead.

you.

2'Wake up, and strengthen the things

10'Because you have kept the word of

that remain, which were about to die; for

My perseverance, I also will keep you

I have not found your deeds completed

from the hour of testing, that hour which

in the sight of My God.

is about to come upon the whole world,

to test those who dwell on the earth.

3'So remember what you have received

and heard; and keep it, and repent.

11' I am coming quickly; hold fast what Therefore if you do not wake up, I will you have, so that no one will take your come like a thief, and you will not know crown.

at what hour I will come to you.

12

4

' He who overcomes, I will make him a

'But you have a few people in Sardis

pillar in the temple of My God, and he who have not soiled their garments; and

will not go out from it anymore; and I will

they will walk with Me in white, for they write on him the name of My God, and are worthy.

the name of the city of My God, the new

Jerusalem, which comes down out of

5' He who overcomes will thus be

heaven from My God, and My new

clothed in white garments; and I will not

name.

erase his name from the book of life,

and I will confess his name before My

13' He who has an ear, let him hear what

Father and before His angels.

the Spirit says to the churches.'

6' He who has an ear, let him hear what

14"To the angel of the church in

the Spirit says to the churches.'

Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful

and true Witness, the Beginning of the

7"And to the angel of the church in creation of God, says this:

Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who

is true, who has the key of David, who

15' I know your deeds, that you are like the sound of a trumpet speaking neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were

with me, said, " Come up here, and I will cold or hot.

show you what must take place after

these things."

16'So because you are lukewarm, and

neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of

2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and

My mouth.

behold, a throne was standing in heaven,

and One sitting on the throne.

17'Because you say, " I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of

3And He who was sitting was like a

nothing," and you do not know that you jasper

stone

and

a

sardius

in

are wretched and miserable and poor

appearance; and there was a rainbow

and blind and naked,

around the throne, like an emerald in

appearance.

18I advise you to buy from Me gold

refined by fire so that you may become

4Around the throne were twenty-four

rich, and white garments so that you

thrones; and upon the thrones I saw

may clothe yourself, and that the shame

twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in

of your nakedness will not be revealed;

white garments, and golden crowns on

and eye salve to anoint your eyes so

their heads.

that you may see.

5Out from the throne come flashes of

19' Those whom I love, I reprove and

lightning and sounds and peals of

discipline; therefore be zealous and

thunder. And there were seven lamps of

repent.

fire burning before the throne, which are

the seven Spirits of God;

20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock;

if anyone hears My voice and opens the

6and before the throne there was

door, I will come in to him and will dine something like a sea of glass, like

with him, and he with Me.

crystal; and in the center and around the

throne, four living creatures full of eyes 21' He who overcomes, I will grant to him

in front and behind.

to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My

7The first creature was like a lion, and Father on His throne.

the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a 22' He who has an ear, let him hear what man, and the fourth creature was like a the Spirit says to the churches.'"

flying eagle.

8And the four living creatures, each one

4After these things I looked, and of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night behold, a door standing open in heaven,

they do not cease to say, " HOLY,

and the first voice which I had heard,

HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE

has overcome so as to open the book

ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS

and its seven seals."

AND WHO IS TO COME."

6And I saw between the throne (with the

9And when the living creatures give

four living creatures) and the elders a

glory and honor and thanks to Him who

Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven

sits on the throne, to Him who lives

horns and seven eyes, which are the

forever and ever,

seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the

earth.

10the twenty-four elders will fall down

before Him who sits on the throne, and

7And He came and took the book out of

will worship Him who lives forever and

the right hand of Him who sat on the

ever, and will cast their crowns before

throne.

the throne, saying,

8When He had taken the book, the four

11" Worthy are You, our Lord and our living creatures and the twenty-four

God, to receive glory and honor and

elders fell down before the Lamb, each

power; for You created all things, and

one holding a harp and golden bowls full

because of Your will they existed, and

of incense, which are the prayers of the

were created."

saints.

9

5

And they sang a new song, saying, "

I saw in the right hand of Him who

Worthy are You to take the book and to

break its seals; for You were slain, and sat on the throne a book written inside purchased for God with Your blood men and on the back, sealed up with seven

seals.

from every tribe and tongue and people

and nation.

2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming

10"You have made them to be a kingdom

with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

and priests to our God; and they will

reign upon the earth."

3And no one in heaven or on the earth

11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of

or under the earth was able to open the

many angels around the throne and the

book or to look into it.

living creatures and the elders; and the 4

number of them was myriads of myriads,

Then I began to weep greatly because

and thousands of thousands,

no one was found worthy to open the

book or to look into it;

12saying with a loud voice, " Worthy is 5

the Lamb that was slain to receive

and one of the elders said to me, "Stop

power and riches and wisdom and might

weeping; behold, the Lion that is from

and honor and glory and blessing."

the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,

13And every created thing which is in and do not damage the oil and the heaven and on the earth and under the

wine."

earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits 7When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I on the throne, and to the Lamb, be

heard the voice of the fourth living

blessing and honor and glory and

creature saying, "Come."

dominion forever and ever."

8I looked, and behold, an ashen horse;

14And the four living creatures kept

and he who sat on it had the name

saying, " Amen." And the elders fell Death; and Hades was following with

down and worshiped.

him. Authority was given to them over a

fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and

6

with famine and with pestilence and by

Then I saw when the Lamb broke

the wild beasts of the earth.

one of the seven seals, and I heard one

9

of the four living creatures saying as

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I

with a voice of thunder, "Come."

saw underneath the altar the souls of

those who had been slain because of

2

the word of God, and because of the

I looked, and behold, a white horse,

testimony which they had maintained;

and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went

10

out conquering and to conquer.

and they cried out with a loud voice,

saying, " How long, O Lord, holy and 3

true, will You refrain from judging and

When He broke the second seal, I

avenging our blood on those who dwell

heard the second living creature saying,

"Come."

on the earth?"

11

4

And there was given to each of them a

And another, a red horse, went out; and

white robe; and they were told that they

to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men

should rest for a little while longer, until would slay one another; and a great

the number of their fellow servants and

sword was given to him.

their brethren who were to be killed

even as they had been, would be

completed also.

5When He broke the third seal, I heard

the third living creature saying, "Come."

12

I looked, and behold, a black horse; and

I looked when He broke the sixth seal,

he who sat on it had a pair of scales in and there was a great earthquake; and

his hand.

the sun became black as sackcloth

made of hair, and the whole moon

6

became like blood;

And I heard something like a voice in

the center of the four living creatures

saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius;

13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, 4And I heard the number of those who as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when were sealed, one hundred and forty-four

shaken by a great wind.

thousand sealed from every tribe of the

sons of Israel:

14The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain

5from the tribe of Judah, twelve

and island were moved out of their

thousand were sealed, from the tribe of

places.

Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe

of Gad twelve thousand,

15Then the kings of the earth and the

great men and the commanders and the

6from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,

rich and the strong and every slave and

from the tribe of Naphtali twelve

free man hid themselves in the caves

thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh

and among the rocks of the mountains;

twelve thousand,

16and they said to the mountains and to

7from the tribe of Simeon twelve

the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve the presence of Him who sits on the

thousand, from the tribe of Issachar

throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

twelve thousand,

17for the great day of their wrath has

8from the tribe of Zebulun twelve

come, and who is able to standNULL"

thousand, from the tribe of Joseph

twelve thousand, from the tribe of

Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

7After this I saw four angels standing 9

at the four corners of the earth, holding After these things I looked, and behold,

back the four winds of the earth, so that

a great multitude which no one could

count, from every nation and all tribes

no wind would blow on the earth or on

and peoples and tongues, standing

the sea or on any tree.

before the throne and before the Lamb,

2

clothed in white robes, and palm

And I saw another angel ascending

branches were in their hands;

from the rising of the sun, having the

seal of the living God; and he cried out 10and they cry out with a loud voice,

with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth

saying, " Salvation to our God who sits and the sea,

on the throne, and to the Lamb."

11

3

And all the angels were standing

saying, " Do not harm the earth or the around the throne and around the elders

sea or the trees until we have sealed the

bond-servants of our God on their

and the four living creatures; and they

foreheads."

fell on their faces before the throne and

worshiped God,

12saying, " Amen, blessing and glory and much incense was given to him, so that wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and

he might add it to the prayers of all the power and might, be to our God forever

saints on the golden altar which was

and ever. Amen."

before the throne.

13Then one of the elders answered,

4And the smoke of the incense, with the

saying to me, "These who are clothed in

prayers of the saints, went up before

the white robes, who are they, and

God out of the angel's hand.

where have they come from?"

5Then the angel took the censer and

14I said to him, "My lord, you know." And filled it with the fire of the altar, and he said to me, "These are the ones who threw it to the earth; and there followed come out of the great tribulation, and

peals of thunder and sounds and

they have washed their robes and made

flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

them white in the blood of the Lamb.

6And the seven angels who had the

15"For this reason, they are before the seven trumpets prepared themselves to

throne of God; and they serve Him day

sound them.

and night in His temple; and He who sits

on the throne will spread His tabernacle

7The first sounded, and there came hail

over them.

and fire, mixed with blood, and they

were thrown to the earth; and a third of 16" They will hunger no longer, nor thirst the earth was burned up, and a third of anymore; nor will the sun beat down on the trees were burned up, and all the

them, nor any heat;

green grass was burned up.

17for the Lamb in the center of the

8The second angel sounded, and

throne will be their shepherd, and will

something like a great mountain burning

guide them to springs of the water of life;

with fire was thrown into the sea; and a

and God will wipe every tear from their third of the sea became blood,

eyes."

9and a third of the creatures which were

8

in the sea and had life, died; and a third

When the Lamb broke the seventh

of the ships were destroyed.

seal, there was silence in heaven for

10

about half an hour.

The third angel sounded, and a great

star fell from heaven, burning like a

2

torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers And I saw the seven angels who stand

and on the springs of waters.

before God, and seven trumpets were

given to them.

11The name of the star is called

3Another angel came and stood at the

Wormwood; and a third of the waters

became wormwood, and many men

altar, holding a golden censer; and

died from the waters, because they 6And in those days men will seek death were made bitter.

and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

12The fourth angel sounded, and a third

of the sun and a third of the moon and a

7The appearance of the locusts was like

third of the stars were struck, so that a horses prepared for battle; and on their third of them would be darkened and the heads appeared to be crowns like gold,

day would not shine for a third of it, and

and their faces were like the faces of

the night in the same way.

men.

13Then I looked, and I heard an eagle

8They had hair like the hair of women,

flying in midheaven, saying with a loud

and their teeth were like the teeth of

voice, " Woe, woe, woe to those who lions.

dwell on the earth, because of the

remaining blasts of the trumpet of the

9They had breastplates like breastplates

three angels who are about to sound!"

of iron; and the sound of their wings was

like the sound of chariots, of many

9

horses rushing to battle.

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I

10

saw a star from heaven which had fallen

They have tails like scorpions, and

to the earth; and the key of the

stings; and in their tails is their power to

bottomless pit was given to him.

hurt men for five months.

2

11

He opened the bottomless pit, and

They have as king over them, the

smoke went up out of the pit, like the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew

smoke of a great furnace; and the sun

is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the

and the air were darkened by the smoke

name Apollyon.

of the pit.

12The first woe is past; behold, two woes

3Then out of the smoke came locusts

are still coming after these things.

upon the earth, and power was given

them, as the scorpions of the earth have

13Then the sixth angel sounded, and I

power.

heard a voice from the four horns of the

golden altar which is before God,

4They were told not to hurt the grass of

the earth, nor any green thing, nor any 14one saying to the sixth angel who had

tree, but only the men who do not have

the trumpet, "Release the four angels the seal of God on their foreheads.

who are bound at the great river

Euphrates."

5And they were not permitted to kill

anyone, but to torment for five months;

15And the four angels, who had been

and their torment was like the torment of

prepared for the hour and day and

a scorpion when it stings a man.

month and year, were released, so that 2and he had in his hand a little book they would kill a third of mankind.

which was open. He placed his right foot

on the sea and his left on the land;

16The number of the armies of the

horsemen was two hundred million; I

3and he cried out with a loud voice, as heard the number of them.

when a lion roars; and when he had

cried out, the seven peals of thunder

17And this is how I saw in the vision the

uttered their voices.

horses and those who sat on them: the

riders had breastplates the color of fire 4When the seven peals of thunder had

and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and

spoken, I was about to write; and I

the heads of the horses are like the

heard a voice from heaven saying, "

heads of lions; and out of their mouths Seal up the things which the seven

proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.

peals of thunder have spoken and do

not write them."

18A third of mankind was killed by these

three plagues, by the fire and the smoke

5Then the angel whom I saw standing

and the brimstone which proceeded out

on the sea and on the land lifted up his of their mouths.

right hand to heaven,

19For the power of the horses is in their

6and swore by Him who lives forever

mouths and in their tails; for their tails and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN

are like serpents and have heads, and

AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE

with them they do harm.

EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND

THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that

20The rest of mankind, who were not

there will be delay no longer,

killed by these plagues, did not repent of

the works of their hands, so as not to 7but in the days of the voice of the

worship demons, and the idols of gold

seventh angel, when he is about to

and of silver and of brass and of stone sound, then the mystery of God is

and of wood, which can neither see nor

finished, as He preached to His servants

hear nor walk;

the prophets.

21and they did not repent of their

8Then the voice which I heard from

murders nor of their sorceries nor of

heaven, I heard again speaking with me,

their immorality nor of their thefts.

and saying, "Go, take the book which is

open in the hand of the angel who

stands on the sea and on the land."

10I saw another strong angel coming 9

down out of heaven, clothed with a

So I went to the angel, telling him to cloud; and the rainbow was upon his

give me the little book. And he said to head, and his face was like the sun, and

me, " Take it and eat it; it will make your his feet like pillars of fire;

stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will have power over the waters to turn them be sweet as honey."

into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

10I took the little book out of the angel's

hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was

7When they have finished their

sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it,

testimony, the beast that comes up out

my stomach was made bitter.

of the abyss will make war with them,

and overcome them and kill them.

11And they said to me, "You must

prophesy

again

concerning

many

8And their dead bodies will lie in the

peoples and nations and tongues and

street of the great city which mystically kings."

is called Sodom and Egypt, where also

their Lord was crucified.

11

9

Then there was given me a

Those from the peoples and tribes and

measuring rod like a staff; and someone

tongues and nations will look at their

said, "Get up and measure the temple of

dead bodies for three and a half days,

God and the altar, and those who

and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

worship in it.

10

2"Leave out the court which is outside And those who dwell on the earth will the temple and do not measure it, for it rejoice over them and celebrate; and

has been given to the nations; and they

they will send gifts to one another,

because these two prophets tormented

will tread under foot the holy city for those who dwell on the earth.

forty-two months.

11

3"And I will grant authority to my two But after the three and a half days, the

breath of life from God came into them, witnesses, and they will prophesy for

and they stood on their feet; and great twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed

in sackcloth."

fear fell upon those who were watching

them.

4These are the two olive trees and the

12And they heard a loud voice from

two lampstands that stand before the

heaven saying to them, " Come up

Lord of the earth.

here." Then they went up into heaven in

5

the cloud, and their enemies watched

And if anyone wants to harm them, fire

them.

flows out of their mouth and devours

their enemies; so if anyone wants to

13And in that hour there was a great

harm them, he must be killed in this way. earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; 6

seven thousand people were killed in

These have the power to shut up the

the earthquake, and the rest were

sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they

terrified and gave glory to the God of 2and she was with child; and she cried heaven.

out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

14The second woe is past; behold, the

third woe is coming quickly.

3Then another sign appeared in heaven:

and behold, a great red dragon having

15Then the seventh angel sounded; and

seven heads and ten horns, and on his

there were loud voices in heaven,

heads were seven diadems.

saying, " The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of

4And his tail swept away a third of the His Christ; and He will reign forever and

stars of heaven and threw them to the

ever."

earth. And the dragon stood before the

woman who was about to give birth, so

16And the twenty-four elders, who sit on

that when she gave birth he might

their thrones before God, fell on their

devour her child.

faces and worshiped God,

5And she gave birth to a son, a male

17saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord child, who is to rule all the nations with a

God, the Almighty, who are and who

rod of iron; and her child was caught up

were, because You have taken Your

to God and to His throne.

great power and have begun to reign.

6Then the woman fled into the

18"And the nations were enraged, and wilderness where she had a place

Your wrath came, and the time came for

prepared by God, so that there she

the dead to be judged, and the time to would be nourished for one thousand

reward Your bond-servants the prophets

two hundred and sixty days.

and the saints and those who fear Your

name, the small and the great, and to

7And there was war in heaven, Michael

destroy those who destroy the earth."

and his angels waging war with the

dragon. The dragon and his angels

19And the temple of God which is in

waged war,

heaven was opened; and the ark of His

covenant appeared in His temple, and

8and they were not strong enough, and

there were flashes of lightning and

there was no longer a place found for

sounds and peals of thunder and an

them in heaven.

earthquake and a great hailstorm.

9And the great dragon was thrown down,

12

the serpent of old who is called the devil

A great sign appeared in heaven:

and Satan, who deceives the whole

a woman clothed with the sun, and the

world; he was thrown down to the earth,

moon under her feet, and on her head a

and his angels were thrown down with

crown of twelve stars;

him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, 17So the dragon was enraged with the saying, "Now the salvation, and the

woman, and went off to make war with

power, and the kingdom of our God and

the rest of her children, who keep the

the authority of His Christ have come,

commandments of God and hold to the

for the accuser of our brethren has been

testimony of Jesus.

thrown down, he who accuses them

before our God day and night.

13And the dragon stood on the sand

11"And they overcame him because of

of the seashore. Then I saw a beast

the blood of the Lamb and because of

coming up out of the sea, having ten

the word of their testimony, and they did

horns and seven heads, and on his

not love their life even when faced with horns were ten diadems, and on his

death.

heads were blasphemous names.

12"For this reason, rejoice, O heavens 2And the beast which I saw was like a and you who dwell in them. Woe to the

leopard, and his feet were like those of a

earth and the sea, because the devil

bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a

has come down to you, having great

lion. And the dragon gave him his power

wrath, knowing that he has only a short

and his throne and great authority.

time."

3

13

I saw one of his heads as if it had been

And when the dragon saw that he was

slain, and his fatal wound was healed.

thrown down to the earth, he persecuted

And the whole earth was amazed and

the woman who gave birth to the male

followed after the beast;

child.

4

14

they worshiped the dragon because he

But the two wings of the great eagle

gave his authority to the beast; and they

were given to the woman, so that she

worshiped the beast, saying, " Who is could fly into the wilderness to her place,

like the beast, and who is able to wage where she was nourished for a time and

war with him?"

times and half a time, from the presence

of the serpent.

5There was given to him a mouth

15

speaking

arrogant

words

and

And the serpent poured water like a

blasphemies, and authority to act for

river out of his mouth after the woman, forty-two months was given to him.

so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

6And he opened his mouth in

16

blasphemies against God, to blaspheme

But the earth helped the woman, and

His name and His tabernacle, that is,

the earth opened its mouth and drank

those who dwell in heaven.

up the river which the dragon poured out

of his mouth.

7It was also given to him to make war

with the saints and to overcome them,

and authority over every tribe and image of the beast would even speak people and tongue and nation was given

and cause as many as do not worship

to him.

the image of the beast to be killed.

8All who dwell on the earth will worship 16And he causes all, the small and the

him, everyone whose name has not

great, and the rich and the poor, and the

been written from the foundation of the

free men and the slaves, to be given a world in the book of life of the Lamb who

mark on their right hand or on their

has been slain.

forehead,

9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

17and he provides that no one will be

able to buy or to sell, except the one 10If anyone is destined for captivity, to who has the mark, either the name of captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the

the beast or the number of his name.

sword, with the sword he must be killed.

Here is the perseverance and the faith

18Here is wisdom. Let him who has

of the saints.

understanding calculate the number of

the beast, for the number is that of a 11Then I saw another beast coming up

man; and his number is six hundred and

out of the earth; and he had two horns sixty-six.

like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.

12He exercises all the authority of the

14Then I looked, and behold, the

first beast in his presence. And he

Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and

makes the earth and those who dwell in

with Him one hundred and forty-four

it to worship the first beast, whose fatal thousand, having His name and the

wound was healed.

name of His Father written on their

foreheads.

13He performs great signs, so that he

even makes fire come down out of

2And I heard a voice from heaven, like

heaven to the earth in the presence of

the sound of many waters and like the

men.

sound of loud thunder, and the voice

which I heard was like the sound of

14And he deceives those who dwell on

harpists playing on their harps.

the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the

3And they sang a new song before the

presence of the beast, telling those who

throne and before the four living

dwell on the earth to make an image to creatures and the elders; and no one

the beast who had the wound of the

could learn the song except the one

sword and has come to life.

hundred and forty-four thousand who

had been purchased from the earth.

15And it was given to him to give breath

to the image of the beast, so that the

4These are the ones who have not been 11"And the smoke of their torment goes defiled with women, for they have kept up forever and ever; they have no rest

themselves chaste. These are the ones

day and night, those who worship the

who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

beast and his image, and whoever

These have been purchased from

receives the mark of his name."

among men as first fruits to God and to

the Lamb.

12Here is the perseverance of the saints

who keep the commandments of God

5And no lie was found in their mouth;

and their faith in Jesus.

they are blameless.

13And I heard a voice from heaven,

6And I saw another angel flying in

saying, "Write, ' Blessed are the dead midheaven, having an eternal gospel to

who die in the Lord from now on!'"

preach to those who live on the earth,

"Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may and to every nation and tribe and tongue rest from their labors, for their deeds

and people;

follow with them."

7and he said with a loud voice, " Fear 14Then I looked, and behold, a white God, and give Him glory, because the

cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one hour of His judgment has come; worship

like a son of man, having a golden

Him who made the heaven and the

crown on His head and a sharp sickle in

earth and sea and springs of waters."

His hand.

8And another angel, a second one,

15And another angel came out of the

followed, saying, " Fallen, fallen is temple, crying out with a loud voice to Babylon the great, she who has made Him who sat on the cloud, " Put in your

all the nations drink of the wine of the sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has

passion of her immorality."

come, because the harvest of the earth

is ripe."

9Then another angel, a third one,

followed them, saying with a loud voice,

16Then He who sat on the cloud swung

"If anyone worships the beast and his His sickle over the earth, and the earth image, and receives a mark on his was reaped.

forehead or on his hand,

17And another angel came out of the

10he also will drink of the wine of the temple which is in heaven, and he also

wrath of God, which is mixed in full

had a sharp sickle.

strength in the cup of His anger; and he

will be tormented with fire and brimstone

18Then another angel, the one who has

in the presence of the holy angels and in

power over fire, came out from the altar;

the presence of the Lamb.

and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, " Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, 5After these things I looked, and the because her grapes are ripe."

temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened,

19So the angel swung his sickle to the

earth and gathered the clusters from the

6and the seven angels who had the

vine of the earth, and threw them into

seven plagues came out of the temple,

the great wine press of the wrath of God. clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden 20And the wine press was trodden

sashes.

outside the city, and blood came out

from the wine press, up to the horses'

7Then one of the four living creatures

bridles, for a distance of two hundred

gave to the seven angels seven golden

miles.

bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives

forever and ever.

15

8

Then I saw another sign in heaven,

And the temple was filled with smoke

great and marvelous, seven angels who

from the glory of God and from His

had seven plagues, which are the last,

power; and no one was able to enter the

temple until the seven plagues of the

because in them the wrath of God is

seven angels were finished.

finished.

2And I saw something like a sea of glass

16

mixed with fire, and those who had been

Then I heard a loud voice from the

victorious over the beast and his image

temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go

and the number of his name, standing

and pour out on the earth the seven

on the sea of glass, holding harps of

bowls of the wrath of God."

God.

2So the first angel went and poured out

3And they sang the song of Moses, the

his bowl on the earth; and it became a bond-servant of God, and the song of

loathsome and malignant sore on the

the

Lamb,

saying,

"

Great

and

people who had the mark of the beast

marvelous are Your works, O Lord God,

and who worshiped his image.

the Almighty; Righteous and true are

Your ways, King of the nations!

3The second angel poured out his bowl

into the sea, and it became blood like

4" Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify that of a dead man; and every living

Your name? For You alone are holy; For

thing in the sea died.

ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND

WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR

4Then the third angel poured out his

RIGHTEOUS

ACTS

HAVE

BEEN

bowl into the rivers and the springs of REVEALED."

waters; and they became blood.

5And I heard the angel of the waters 14for they are spirits of demons, saying, " Righteous are You, who are performing signs, which go out to the

and who were, O Holy One, because

kings of the whole world, to gather them

You judged these things;

together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.

6for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them

15("Behold, I am coming like a thief.

blood to drink. They deserve it."

Blessed is the one who stays awake

and keeps his clothes, so that he will not

7And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O

walk about naked and men will not see

Lord God, the Almighty, true and

his shame.")

righteous are Your judgments."

16And they gathered them together to

8The fourth angel poured out his bowl

the place which in Hebrew is called Har—

upon the sun, and it was given to it to Magedon.

scorch men with fire.

17Then the seventh angel poured out his

9Men were scorched with fierce heat;

bowl upon the air, and a loud voice

and they blasphemed the name of God

came out of the temple from the throne,

who has the power over these plagues,

saying, " It is done."

and they did not repent so as to give

Him glory.

18And there were flashes of lightning

and sounds and peals of thunder; and

10Then the fifth angel poured out his

there was a great earthquake, such as

bowl on the throne of the beast, and his

there had not been since man came to

kingdom became darkened; and they

be upon the earth, so great an

gnawed their tongues because of pain,

earthquake was it, and so mighty.

11

19

and they blasphemed the God of

The great city was split into three parts,

heaven because of their pains and their

and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon

sores; and they did not repent of their the great was remembered before God,

deeds.

to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.

12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on

20

the great river, the Euphrates; and its

And every island fled away, and the

water was dried up, so that the way

mountains were not found.

would be prepared for the kings from the

east.

21And huge hailstones, about one

hundred pounds each, came down from

13And I saw coming out of the mouth of

heaven

upon

men;

and

men

the dragon and out of the mouth of the blasphemed God because of the plague

beast and out of the mouth of the false of the hail, because its plague was

prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;

extremely severe.

8

17

" The beast that you saw was, and is Then one of the seven angels who

not, and is about to come up out of the had the seven bowls came and spoke

abyss and go to destruction. And those

who dwell on the earth, whose name

with me, saying, "Come here, I will show

has not been written in the book of life you the judgment of the great harlot who

sits on many waters,

from the foundation of the world, will

wonder when they see the beast, that

2

he was and is not and will come.

with whom the kings of the earth

committed acts of immorality, and those

9" Here is the mind which has wisdom.

who dwell on the earth were made

drunk with the wine of her immorality."

The seven heads are seven mountains

on which the woman sits,

3And he carried me away in the Spirit

10and they are seven kings; five have

into a wilderness; and I saw a woman

fallen, one is, the other has not yet

sitting on a scarlet beast, full of

blasphemous names, having seven

come; and when he comes, he must

heads and ten horns.

remain a little while.

11

4

"The beast which was and is not, is The woman was clothed in purple and

himself also an eighth and is one of the

scarlet, and adorned with gold and

precious stones and pearls, having in

seven, and he goes to destruction.

her hand a gold cup full of abominations

12

and of the unclean things of her

"The ten horns which you saw are ten

immorality,

kings who have not yet received a

kingdom, but they receive authority as

5and on her forehead a name was

kings with the beast for one hour.

written, a mystery, " BABYLON THE

13

GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

"These have one purpose, and they

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE

give their power and authority to the

EARTH."

beast.

6

14

And I saw the woman drunk with the

"These will wage war against the

blood of the saints, and with the blood of

Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome

the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her,

them, because He is Lord of lords and

I wondered greatly.

King of kings, and those who are with

Him are the called and chosen and

7And the angel said to me, "Why do you

faithful."

wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the

15

woman and of the beast that carries her,

And he said to me, "The waters which

which has the seven heads and the ten

you saw where the harlot sits, are

horns.

peoples and multitudes and nations and

tongues.

16"And the ten horns which you saw, and 5for her sins have piled up as high as the beast, these will hate the harlot and heaven, and God has remembered her

will make her desolate and naked, and

iniquities.

will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

6" Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according 17"For God has put it in their hearts to to her deeds; in the cup which she has execute His purpose by having a mixed, mix twice as much for her.

common purpose, and by giving their

kingdom to the beast, until the words of

7" To the degree that she glorified God will be fulfilled.

herself and lived sensuously, to the

same degree give her torment and

18"The woman whom you saw is the

mourning; for she says in her heart, ' I great city, which reigns over the kings of

SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A

the earth."

WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

8

18

"For this reason in one day her plagues

After these things I saw another

will come, pestilence and mourning and

famine, and she will be burned up with

angel coming down from heaven, having

fire; for the Lord God who judges her is

great authority, and the earth was

illumined with his glory.

strong.

9

2And he cried out with a mighty voice,

"And the kings of the earth, who

committed acts of immorality and lived

saying, " Fallen, fallen is Babylon the sensuously with her, will weep and

great! She has become a dwelling place

of demons and a prison of every

lament over her when they see the

unclean spirit, and a prison of every

smoke of her burning,

unclean and hateful bird.

10standing at a distance because of the

3"For all the nations have drunk of the fear of her torment, saying, ' Woe, woe,

wine of the passion of her immorality,

the great city, Babylon, the strong city!

and the kings of the earth have

For in one hour your judgment has

committed acts of immorality with her,

come.'

and the merchants of the earth have

11

become rich by the wealth of her

"And the merchants of the earth weep

sensuality."

and mourn over her, because no one

buys their cargoes any more--

4I heard another voice from heaven,

12

saying, " Come out of her, my people, cargoes of gold and silver and

so that you will not participate in her sins

precious stones and pearls and fine

and receive of her plagues;

linen and purple and silk and scarlet,

and every kind of citron wood and every

article of ivory and every article made

from very costly wood and bronze and 20" Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you iron and marble,

saints and apostles and prophets,

because God has pronounced judgment

13and cinnamon and spice and incense

for you against her."

and perfume and frankincense and wine

and olive oil and fine flour and wheat

21Then a strong angel took up a stone

and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of

like a great millstone and threw it into horses and chariots and slaves and

the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the human lives.

great city, be thrown down with violence,

and will not be found any longer.

14"The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious 22"And the sound of harpists and

and splendid have passed away from

musicians

and

flute-players

and

you and men will no longer find them.

trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will

15"The merchants of these things, who be found in you any longer; and the

became rich from her, will stand at a

sound of a mill will not be heard in you distance because of the fear of her

any longer;

torment, weeping and mourning,

23and the light of a lamp will not shine in

16saying, ' Woe, woe, the great city, she

you any longer; and the voice of the

who was clothed in fine linen and purple

bridegroom and bride will not be heard

and scarlet, and adorned with gold and

in you any longer; for your merchants

precious stones and pearls;

were the great men of the earth,

because all the nations were deceived

17

by your sorcery.

for in one hour such great wealth has

been laid waste!' And every shipmaster

24

and every passenger and sailor, and as

"And in her was found the blood of many as make their living by the sea,

prophets and of saints and of all who

stood at a distance,

have been slain on the earth."

18and were crying out as they saw the

smoke of her burning, saying, ' What city

19After these things I heard

is like the great city?'

something like a loud voice of a great

multitude in heaven, saying, " Hallelujah!

19"And they threw dust on their heads Salvation and glory and power belong to

and were crying out, weeping and

our God;

mourning, saying, ' Woe, woe, the great

city, in which all who had ships at sea 2BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE

became rich by her wealth, for in one

TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has

hour she has been laid waste!'

judged the great harlot who was

corrupting the earth with her immorality,

and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD

Jesus; worship God. For the testimony

OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER."

of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

3And a second time they said, "

11And I saw heaven opened, and behold,

Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP

a white horse, and He who sat on it is FOREVER AND EVER."

called Faithful and True, and in

righteousness He judges and wages

4And the twenty-four elders and the four

war.

living creatures fell down and worshiped

God who sits on the throne saying, "

12His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His

Amen. Hallelujah!"

head are many diadems; and He has a

name written on Him which no one

5And a voice came from the throne,

knows except Himself.

saying, " Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him,

13He is clothed with a robe dipped in

the small and the great."

blood, and His name is called The Word

of God.

6Then I heard something like the voice

of a great multitude and like the sound 14And the armies which are in heaven,

of many waters and like the sound of

clothed in fine linen, white and clean,

mighty peals of thunder, saying, "

were following Him on white horses.

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the

Almighty, reigns.

15From His mouth comes a sharp sword,

so that with it He may strike down the 7"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the nations, and He will rule them with a rod glory to Him, for the marriage of the

of iron; and He treads the wine press of

Lamb has come and His bride has made

the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

herself ready."

16And on His robe and on His thigh He

8It was given to her to clothe herself in has a name written, " KING OF KINGS,

fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine AND LORD OF LORDS."

linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

17Then I saw an angel standing in the

9Then he said to me, " Write, ' Blessed sun, and he cried out with a loud voice,

are those who are invited to the

saying to all the birds which fly in

marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he midheaven, " Come, assemble for the said to me, " These are true words of great supper of God,

God."

18so that you may eat the flesh of kings

10Then I fell at his feet to worship him.

and the flesh of commanders and the

But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am

flesh of mighty men and the flesh of

a fellow servant of yours and your

horses and of those who sit on them

brethren who hold the testimony of

and the flesh of all men, both free men testimony of Jesus and because of the and slaves, and small and great."

word of God, and those who had not

worshiped the beast or his image, and

19And I saw the beast and the kings of had not received the mark on their

the earth and their armies assembled to

forehead and on their hand; and they

make war against Him who sat on the

came to life and reigned with Christ for a

horse and against His army.

thousand years.

20

5

And the beast was seized, and with

The rest of the dead did not come to life

him the false prophet who performed the

until the thousand years were completed.

signs in his presence, by which he

This is the first resurrection.

deceived those who had received the

mark of the beast and those who

6Blessed and holy is the one who has a

worshiped his image; these two were

part in the first resurrection; over these thrown alive into the lake of fire which the second death has no power, but burns with brimstone.

they will be priests of God and of Christ

and will reign with Him for a thousand

21And the rest were killed with the sword

years.

which came from the mouth of Him who

sat on the horse, and all the birds were 7When the thousand years are

filled with their flesh.

completed, Satan will be released from

his prison,

20

8

Then I saw an angel coming down

and will come out to deceive the

nations which are in the four corners of from heaven, holding the key of the

abyss and a great chain in his hand.

the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather

them together for the war; the number of

2

them is like the sand of the seashore.

And he laid hold of the dragon, the

serpent of old, who is the devil and

9

Satan, and bound him for a thousand

And they came up on the broad plain of

years;

the earth and surrounded the camp of

the saints and the beloved city, and fire 3

came down from heaven and devoured

and he threw him into the abyss, and

them.

shut it and sealed it over him, so that he

would not deceive the nations any

10

longer, until the thousand years were

And the devil who deceived them was

completed; after these things he must

thrown into the lake of fire and

be released for a short time.

brimstone, where the beast and the

false prophet are also; and they will be 4

tormented day and night forever and

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on

ever.

them, and judgment was given to them.

And I saw the souls of those who had

been beheaded because of their

11Then I saw a great white throne and people, and God Himself will be among Him who sat upon it, from whose

them ,

presence earth and heaven fled away,

and no place was found for them.

4and He will wipe away every tear from

their eyes; and there will no longer be 12And I saw the dead, the great and the

any death; there will no longer be any

small, standing before the throne, and

mourning, or crying, or pain; the first

books were opened; and another book

things have passed away."

was opened, which is the book of life;

and the dead were judged from the

5And He who sits on the throne said,

things which were written in the books,

"Behold, I am making all things new."

according to their deeds.

And He said, "Write, for these words are

faithful and true."

13And the sea gave up the dead which

were in it, and death and Hades gave up

6Then He said to me, " It is done. I am the dead which were in them; and they

the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning

were judged, every one of them

and the end. I will give to the one who according to their deeds.

thirsts from the spring of the water of life

without cost.

14Then death and Hades were thrown

into the lake of fire. This is the second 7" He who overcomes will inherit these death, the lake of fire.

things, and I will be his God and he will

be My son.

15And if anyone's name was not found

written in the book of life, he was thrown

8" But for the cowardly and unbelieving into the lake of fire.

and abominable and murderers and

immoral persons and sorcerers and

21

idolaters and all liars, their part will be in Then I saw a new heaven and a

the lake that burns with fire and

new earth; for the first heaven and the brimstone, which is the second death."

first earth passed away, and there is no

9

longer any sea.

Then one of the seven angels who had

the seven bowls full of the seven last

2

plagues came and spoke with me,

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

saying, " Come here, I will show you the

made ready as a bride adorned for her

bride, the wife of the Lamb."

husband.

10And he carried me away in the Spirit to

3

a great and high mountain, and showed

And I heard a loud voice from the

throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming

of God is among men, and He will dwell

down out of heaven from God,

among them, and they shall be His

11having the glory of God. Her brilliance the

third,

chalcedony;

the

fourth,

was like a very costly stone, as a stone

emerald;

of crystal-clear jasper.

20the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; 12It had a great and high wall, with

the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl;

twelve gates, and at the gates twelve

the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase;

angels; and names were written on

the

eleventh,

jacinth;

the

twelfth,

them, which are the names of the twelve

amethyst.

tribes of the sons of Israel.

21And the twelve gates were twelve

13There were three gates on the east

pearls; each one of the gates was a

and three gates on the north and three

single pearl. And the street of the city gates on the south and three gates on

was pure gold, like transparent glass.

the west.

22I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God

14And the wall of the city had twelve

the Almighty and the Lamb are its

foundation stones, and on them were

temple.

the twelve names of the twelve apostles

of the Lamb.

23And the city has no need of the sun or

of the moon to shine on it, for the glory 15The one who spoke with me had a

of God has illumined it, and its lamp is gold measuring rod to measure the city,

the Lamb.

and its gates and its wall.

24The nations will walk by its light, and 16The city is laid out as a square, and its

the kings of the earth will bring their length is as great as the width; and he glory into it.

measured the city with the rod, fifteen

hundred miles; its length and width and

25In the daytime (for there will be no

height are equal.

night there) its gates will never be

closed;

17And he measured its wall, seventy-two

yards,

according

to

human

26and they will bring the glory and the measurements, which are also angelic

honor of the nations into it;

measurements.

27and nothing unclean, and no one who

18The material of the wall was jasper;

practices abomination and lying, shall

and the city was pure gold, like clear

ever come into it, but only those whose glass.

names are written in the Lamb's book of

life.

19The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of

precious stone. The first foundation

stone was jasper; the second, sapphire;

22

heed the words of this book. Worship

Then he showed me a river of the

God."

water of life, clear as crystal, coming

10

from the throne of God and of the Lamb,

And he said to me, " Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, 2in the middle of its street. On either side for the time is near.

of the river was the tree of life, bearing 11

twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit

" Let the one who does wrong, still do every month; and the leaves of the tree wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be were for the healing of the nations.

filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one

3There will no longer be any curse; and

who is holy, still keep himself holy."

the throne of God and of the Lamb will 12

be in it, and His bond-servants will serve

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My Him;

reward is with Me, to render to every

man according to what he has done.

4they will see His face, and His name

13

will be on their foreheads.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the 5And there will no longer be any night; end."

and they will not have need of the light 14

of a lamp nor the light of the sun,

Blessed are those who wash their

because the Lord God will illumine them;

robes, so that they may have the right to

and they will reign forever and ever.

the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

6And he said to me, " These words are 15

faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God Outside are the dogs and the

of the spirits of the prophets, sent His sorcerers and the immoral persons and

angel to show to His bond-servants the

the murderers and the idolaters, and

things which must soon take place.

everyone who loves and practices lying.

7

16

"And behold, I am coming quickly.

" I, Jesus, have sent My angel to

Blessed is he who heeds the words of

testify to you these things for the

the prophecy of this book."

churches. I am the root and the

descendant of David, the bright morning

8I, John, am the one who heard and saw

star."

these things. And when I heard and saw,

17

I fell down to worship at the feet of the The Spirit and the bride say, "Come."

angel who showed me these things.

And let the one who hears say, "Come."

And let the one who is thirsty come; let 9But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am the one who wishes take the water of a fellow servant of yours and of your

life without cost.

brethren the prophets and of those who

18I testify to everyone who hears the life and from the holy city, which are words of the prophecy of this book: if

written in this book.

anyone adds to them, God will add to

him the plagues which are written in this

20He who testifies to these things says, book;

"Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus.

19and if anyone takes away from the

words of the book of this prophecy, God

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

will take away his part from the tree of Amen.

Table of Contents

Genesis

Matthew

Exodus

Mark

Leviticus

Luke

Numbers

John

Deuteronomy

Acts

Joshua

Romans

Judges

1st Corinthians

Ruth

2nd Corinthians

1st Samuel

Galatians

2nd Samuel

Ephesians

1st Kings

Philippians

2nd Kings

Colossians

1st Chronicles

1st Thessalonians

2nd Chronicles

2nd Thessalonians

Ezra

1st Timothy

Nehemiah

2nd Timothy

Esther

Titus

Job

Philemon

Psalms

Hebrews

Proverbs

James

Ecclesiastes

1st Peter

Song of Solomon

2nd Peter

Isaiah

1st John

Jeremiah

2nd John

Lamentations

3rd John